McAlister’s Chicken Tortilla Soup Recipe

Although chicken tortilla soup is one of the authentic Mexican dishes, it’s popular worldwide. You can make it instantly with garlic, tomatoes, chicken broth, and only a few more ingredients. It’s a versatile dish that matches your dinner as a side dish or breakfast as a snack. 

McAlister Deli is an American restaurant reputed for casual fast food. It was founded in 1989 and has branches in over 29 states. All of its food items are famous. However, the soup items are extra attractions. 

You’ll love having McAlister’s chicken tortilla soup if you’re a soup lover. No warriors if there’s no branch of McAlister’s in your area. We’ll teach you how to make the McAlister’s chicken tortilla soup recipe at home. Keep going through!

McAlister’s Chicken Tortilla Soup Ingredients

Every single ingredient you’ll get readily available around-

Corn Tortilla (6 Pieces)

Since we’ll make the McAllister soup with tortillas, we need 6 store-bought tortillas. You can buy them from your nearby grocery shop.

Peanut Oil (¼ Cup)

To fry the tortillas and make the remaining soup afterward, you’ll need peanut oil of ¼ cup. Vegetables or olive oil can be a good substitute. Use which one is easy to manage. 

 Chopped Onion (½ Cup) 

Take ½ cup of onion and chop them.

Chile (1)

Adding chile will get a robust flavor like hot sauce. So, we’ll take 1 whole chile and chop it into small pieces.  

Garlic (2 Cloves)

2 cloves of minced garlic will be perfect for making this soup dish

Chicken Broth (4 Cups)

Take 4 pieces of chicken thigh and make chicken broth. It’s thin and light and comes full of flavor. Chicken broth is called the base of all sorts of soup. So, make 4 cups of chicken broth. 

Coarse Sea Salt / Kosher salt  (½ Tsp)

There’s no specific choice for salt use. Use either kosher salt or coarse sea salt, which is available in your kitchen. We’ll use coarse sea salt (½ Tsp) for a good flavor.  

Fire-Roasted Tomatoes

It will be good to use a store-bought can of fire-roasted crushed tomatoes rather than the homemade one. So, take a 14.5 oz can. 

Shredded Chicken (1 ½ Cups)

Take chicken breasts and cook for 15 minutes with salt and black pepper. Keep them shredded in a bowl and keep them aside. 

Parsley and Lemon Juice (1 Tsp)

To garnish the plate, you will need 1 tsp of parsley. Also, adding lemon juice of 1 tsp will enhance a light sour taste. 

How to Make McAlister’s Chicken Tortilla Soup?

Although the cooking process seems lengthy, it’s trouble-free and time-saving. And also easy to understand. 

Step-1

Take your baking sheet and place the 6 corn tortillas. Place them in a raw style. Now bake the tortillas at 200° F in your oven for 15 minutes. Don’t forget to flip them up halfway through the baking time. 

Step-2

Take the tortillas on your cutting board and cut them into 1/6ʺ strips. Ensure the stripes are wide in size. We recommend cutting the tortillas in half first. It will be easier to cut them into 1/6ʺ strips the next.

Step-3

Put your frying pan on the stove and put oil in it. Let the oil warm at medium heat. Now put the tortillas into the pan and fry them. Giving all the tortillas at a time can burn and break them. Therefore, frying in batches will be the right way. You can fry them in 4 several batches.

Step-4

Remove the tortillas when crisped and brown. Ensure they aren’t burnt. Burnt tortillas will spoil the taste. Place them on a flat-shaped plate. But before placing them on the plate, spread a pepper towel to absorb the extra oil from the tortillas. 

Step-5

Put the chopped onion in the pan you fried the tortillas. Saute the onions for 2 minutes. Add chile and saute for 2 more minutes. After that, you’ll have to minced garlic cloves and saute them for 1 minute.

Step-6

Now add chicken broth and the fire-roasted tomato of the whole can. Add coarse sea salt of ½ tsp. Stir and mix them well. At this stage, you must increase the heat to high-medium and bring it to a boil for 5 minutes. 

Step-7

Keep the heat level low-medium and let the mixture simmer for 15 minutes (Cover the pan with its lid)

Step-8

Now add the shredded chicken and boil for 5 minutes at low heat.  The creamy chicken tortilla soup is ready to serve.

Step-9

Take a small size soup-bowl and put some tortilla stripes. Now pour 1 cup of soup on top of them. Now again, put the tortilla stripes on the top of the soup. Add chopped parsley and lemon juice on the top. Serve! 

Best Toppings

You can serve your McAllister chicken tortilla soup with any of the following toppings-

• Crunchy Almonds
• Yogurt
• Citrus Fruit
• Parsley 
• Nutmeg
• Grains
• Pesto
• Greens
• Sliced Eggs

Conclusion

If you want to bring variety to your regular soup taste, try McAlister’s chicken tortilla soup recipe. It’s differently delicious and also easy to prepare. No hassling ingredients you have to get ready.

This recipe is cooked with chicken broth, crushed tomatoes, and shredded chicken. And each of these elements is highly nutritious for all ages. For example, chicken broth is a great remedy for chest congestion. 

It also comes for faster healing of weakness. McAllister soup will develop your body’s immune system and digestive systems.

Read More:

Houston’s Restaurant Tortilla Soup Recipe

Cheddars Honey Hot Sauce Recipe