Keto chicken enchilada soup is super satisfying and easy to make. It’s cheesy, flavorful, and super comforting. If you’re on the hunt for a low carb soup recipe then this is one to try.
One of my kids really likes Chilli’s chicken enchilada soup so we looked online to find a copycat recipe to make it at home. I found this copycat recipe from This Silly Girl’s Kitchen and modified it to make it keto friendly. With some tweaks I was able to make this recipe fairly low in carbohydrates. You need to pay special attention to some of the ingredients to make sure you get the best bang for buck.
Net Carbs
I did the calculations for the specific ingredients that I used and for the entire pot of soup it was about 25 net carbohydrates. This will vary if you use different ingredients so try to keep track of it all and always compare. It also saves on carbs if you buy blocks of cheese and shred it yourself instead of buying it already shredded.
Enchilada Sauce
Not all enchilada sauce is created equally. In looking through the different enchilada sauces available in my area I found that Las Palmas was the lowest in carbohydrates. There are 26 net carbohydrates in this whole can but you will only use half the can in this recipe. If you use a different kind of enchilada sauce that’s totally fine but I highly recommend the flavor for this one.
Xanthan Gum
The original recipe that I found for chicken enchilada soup used masa. Masa helps thicken the soup and adds great flavor but obviously adds a whole lot of carbohydrates to the soup. Instead of masa I opted to use xanthan gum to thicken the keto chicken enchilada soup a little. I also opted to simmer the soup covered for the last part so that it thickens a little more.
Keto Chicken Enchilada Soup Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon corn oil
- 3 pounds of chicken (I typically use boneless skinless chicken thighs)
- pinch of salt and pepper (to season the chicken)
- 4 cloves of minced garlic
- 1 tablespoon of chili powder
- 1 tablespoon of ground cumin
- 1 tablespoon of onion powder
- 2 32 ounce containers of chicken broth
- 1/2 teaspoon of xanthan gum
- 14 ounces of enchilada sauce
- 2 cups of shredded Monterey Jack cheese
- 2 cups of shredded Sharp Cheddar cheese
Keto Chicken Enchilada Soup Recipe
Prepare the Chicken
Salt and pepper the chicken. Heat the oil over medium heat in a dutch oven or soup pot. Sear the chicken on both sides and then take it out. It won’t be fully cooked through but the chicken will cook more later on in the soup. At this point chop it into little pieces and then set it aside.
Start the Broth
Add the garlic, chili powder, cumin, and onion powder to the pot. Stir and heat it for about 30 seconds. I like to measure out all the spices ahead of time to have them ready to go at this juncture. Then add in all of the chicken broth except for 1 cup of it. Set that 1 cup aside. Use a wooden spatula to scrape any bits of chicken off of the bottom of the pan. Then bring it to a boil. Reduce the heat and let it simmer for 30 minutes uncovered.
Start the Thickener
Take the cup of chicken broth that you set aside earlier. Whisk in the 1/2 teaspoon of xanthan gum. Then let this mixture sit for a while.
Add Everything Back In
Add the chopped chicken to the pot. Then whisk in the xantham gum/chicken broth mixture. Add in the enchilada sauce. Bring this all up to a boil. Then lower the temperature and simmer for 30 minutes uncovered. Simmering it uncovered this go around will help it to thicken. Stir it occasionally.
Add the Cheese
After the soup has simmered for 30 minutes add in 1 cup of both of the cheeses. Stir them in until they are melted. Use the rest of the cheese to garnish when you serve.
Keto Chicken Enchilada
This keto chicken enchilada soup recipe makes a delicious, cheesy, comforting chicken enchilada soup for about 25 carbs for the entire pot.
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon corn oil
- 3 pounds of chicken (I typically use boneless skinless chicken thighs)
- pinch of salt and pepper (to season the chicken)
- 4 cloves of minced garlic
- 1 tablespoon of chili powder
- 1 tablespoon of ground cumin
- 1 tablespoon of onion powder
- 2 32 ounce containers of chicken broth
- 1/2 teaspoon of xanthan gum
- 14 ounces of enchilada sauce
- 2 cups of shredded Monterey Jack cheese
- 2 cups of shredded Sharp Cheddar cheese
Instructions
- Salt and pepper the chicken. Heat the oil over medium heat in a dutch oven or soup pot. Sear the chicken on both sides and then take it out. It won't be fully cooked through but the chicken will cook more later on in the soup. At this point chop it into little pieces and then set it aside
- Add the garlic, chili powder, cumin, and onion powder to the pot. Stir and heat it for about 30 seconds. I like to measure out all the spices ahead of time to have them ready to go at this juncture. Then add in all of the chicken broth except for 1 cup of it. Set that 1 cup aside. Use a wooden spatula to scrape any bits of chicken off of the bottom of the pan. Then bring it to a boil. Reduce the heat and let it simmer for 30 minutes uncovered.
- Take the cup of chicken broth that you set aside earlier. Whisk in the 1/2 teaspoon of xanthan gum. Then let this mixture sit for a while.
- Add the chopped chicken to the pot. Then whisk in the xantham gum/chicken broth mixture. Add in the enchilada sauce. Bring this all up to a boil. Then lower the temperature and simmer for 30 minutes uncovered. Simmering it uncovered this go around will help it to thicken. Stir it occasionally.
- After the soup has simmered for 30 minutes add in 1 cup of both of the cheeses. Stir them in until they are melted. Use the rest of the cheese to garnish when you serve.
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Cat is a teacher turned stay-at-home mom of two boys. She shares crafts, DIY projects, kids’ activities, and a little bit about life in Ohio. Learn more about her and the blog on the About page.