Mexican Chicken Soup

This easy Mexican Chicken Soup is flavored with lime and cilantro, and this is a delicious soup that’s made from leftover rotisserie chicken! Make it ...

By Alex

• Aug 03, 2026 • 0 Comments •

4.2

Prep Time

15 mins

Cook Time

30 mins

Total Time

45 mins

Servings

4 People

This easy Mexican Chicken Soup is flavored with lime and cilantro, and this is a delicious soup that’s made from leftover rotisserie chicken! Make it with pinto beans, or omit the beans and add some frozen cauliflower rice to make a low-carb version of this tasty soup!

PIN Mexican Chicken Soup to try it later!

Food blogs are always a work-in-progress, and it’s no secret I’ve been updating my photos on this blog for many years now. I was happy to improve the photos on this very delicious Mexican Chicken Soup! This soup is a good one to make with leftover rotisserie chicken, and I love the addition of lime and cilantro to bump up the flavors! And I’m updating the recipe to give you a low-carb version if you prefer that variation for this delicious soup with Mexican flavors.

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What ingredients do you need for this recipe?

onion
chopped garlic
olive oil
chicken broth (see notes)
dried oregano, preferably Mexican Oregano (affiliate link)
ground cumin (affiliate link)
ground Chipotle chile pepper (affiliate link), or use your favorite hot sauce
canned pinto beans (or cauliflower rice for low-carb option)
diced, cooked chicken
canned diced green chiles
fresh-squeezed lime juice
chopped fresh cilantro (see notes)

How can you make a lower-carb version of this soup?

Of course you can make a lower-carb version of this recipe by simply cutting down the pinto beans to one can of beans. Or to make a similar and equally delicious soup that’s low in carbs, replace the 2 cans of Pinto Beans with 2-3 cups of cauliflower rice. Add the cauliflower rice after the soup has simmered about 30 minutes.

What if you’re not a cilantro fan?

If you’re someone with the anti-cilantro tastebuds, simply replace the chopped cilantro with thinly-sliced green onion and the soup will be just as tasty!

More Soup with Mexican Flavors:

Instant Pot Low-Carb Taco Soup
Green Chile Turkey Enchilada Soup
Instant Pot Chicken Tortilla Soup

How to make Mexican Chicken Soup:

(Scroll down for complete printable recipe.)

I cooked the onions and garlic right in the soup pot, which saved dirtying another pan!
Then add the chicken stock, dried Mexican Oregano, ground cumin, and ground Chipotle chile pepper or hot sauce and simmer for about 15 minutes to blend the flavors.
Add the pinto beans with juice from the can and diced chicken. (If you’re making the cauliflower rice version, don’t add that yet.
Let the soup simmer on low for about an hour.
If you’re replacing pinto beans with cauliflower rice, add that when the soup has simmered about 30 minutes.
If you’re not a cilantro fan, use thinly sliced green onions to add some color to the soup. Chop the cilantro or green onions just before you’re ready to serve.
Stir in the chopped cilantro or thinly sliced green onions, turn off the heat, and let soup sit for a minute or two.
Serve hot, with extra lime to add at the table for those who like a lot of lime.

Weekend Food Prep:

This recipe has been added to a category called Weekend Food Prep to help you find recipes you can prep or cook on the weekend and eat during the week!

Ingredients

1 onion, diced small
1 T chopped garlic
2 tsp. olive oil
8 cups chicken broth (see notes)
2 tsp. dried Mexican Oregano
1 T ground cumin
1/2 tsp. ground Chipotle chile powder (or use your favorite hot sauce)
two 15 oz. cans pinto beans (see notes)
4 cups diced, cooked chicken
one 4 oz. can diced green chiles (see notes)
1/4 cup lime juice
1 cup chopped fresh cilantro (see notes)

Instructions

Heat olive oil in frying pan or in the soup pot, then cook onion 2-3 minutes.
Add garlic and cook a couple of minutes more.
In large soup pot combine homemade chicken stock or canned chicken broth, onions, garlic, oregano, ground cumin (affiliate link), and Chipotle chile powder and let simmer on low about 15 minutes.
Add pinto beans with juice, cooked chicken, and diced green chiles and simmer 30 minutes or a little longer, until flavors are well combined, and beans are quite soft.
If you’re using cauliflower rice, add it for the last 20 minutes of cooking time.
Turn off heat and stir in lime juice (I use my fresh-frozen lime juice) and chopped cilantro or sliced green onion.
Serve hot, with more chopped cilantro and lime juice to be added at the table if desired.

Notes

If you don’t have homemade chicken stock use 4 1/2 cans chicken broth, or put the whole 5 cans and just simmer a bit longer.

Be sure to buy Anaheim chiles, not Jalapenos unless you really like it hot!

Nutritional information is for the version with two cans of pinto beans. Use one can of pinto beans for a lower-carb soup, or replace pinto beans with 2-3 cups cauliflower rice for a low-carb soup.

You can substitute thinly sliced green onion if you’re not a cilantro fan.

Recipe created by Kalyn.

Nutrition Information:

Yield:

Serving Size:

1

Amount Per Serving:
Calories: 460Total Fat: 15gSaturated Fat: 4gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 9gCholesterol: 91mgSodium: 1303mgCarbohydrates: 45gFiber: 14gSugar: 4gProtein: 38g

Nutrition information is automatically calculated by the Recipe Plug-In I am using. I am not a nutritionist and cannot guarantee 100% accuracy, since many variables affect those calculations.

Low-Carb Diet / Low-Glycemic Diet / South Beach Diet Suggestions:
Pinto beans are considered a “good” carb for the original South Beach Diet and this Mexican Chicken Soup would be approved for all phases of South Beach. Pinto beans are too high in carbs for the original version of this to be suitable for most low-carb eating plans, but you can make this lower in carbs by using only one can of beans or make it a low-carb soup by replacing beans with 2-3 cups cauliflower rice.

Find More Recipes Like This One:
Use Soup Recipes to find more recipes like this one. Use the Diet Type Index to find recipes suitable for a specific eating plan. You might also like to Follow Kalyn’s Kitchen on Pinterest to see all the good recipes I’m sharing there.

Historical Notes for this Recipe:
This recipe was first posted in 2007! The photos were updated in 2014 and the recipe was last updated with more information and two different options for fewer carbs in 2021.

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Keto Short Rib Chili

Bean-free keto chili made with braised beef short ribs. So easy to make and the perfect low carb comfort food. This keto chili recipe is paleo, dairy-free, and Whole 30 approved! And it can be made ahead and frozen so it’s ideal for keto meal planning.

There’s a definite chill in the air. Can you feel it? Well, maybe not in some parts of the country, but here in the Pacific Northwest, autumn is on its way, if not already here.

The best part of fall is the comfort food and there is no food more comforting than this short rib chili. Well, maybe my Shrimp and Bacon Chowder. Or perhaps my keto Cream of Mushroom Soup. And my Buffalo Chicken Soup is also pretty darn spectacular.

But this keto chili recipe definitely makes the short list.

Chili is and always has been one of my favorite foods, because even not very good chili is pretty darn comforting when you’re cold and hungry. How can you go wrong with meat cooked slowly in rich spices and a thick tomato broth? You can’t, that’s all. You can’t go wrong.

And the crazy part is that while I make chili all. the. time, I don’t actually have a good keto chili recipe here on All Day I Dream About Food. Until now, that is.

What makes the best keto chili?

Well, what really makes good chili is a matter of opinion and taste. And probably a few feuds as well. Everyone has their own take on the best way to make chili.

In my experience, a slow simmered chili recipe is best, as it allows the flavors to develop and intensify over time. So don’t be fooled by promises of “fast and easy”. Good chili is usually easy to make but it takes time to cook.

Keto chili should be devoid of any higher carb items like beans, though. That goes almost without saying, because beans are high in carbs and many consider them inflammatory. Onion needs to be kept to a minimum as well, since it’s surprisingly high carb.

Tomato sauce, paste, and puree can also send the carb count up if used too liberally. I like to keep my chili to less than 5g total carbs per serving, so I use a single can of diced tomatoes. Fire roasted tomatoes help bring out the best flavor.

But the focus of a good keto chili recipe should always be the meat and the spices. Use beef with a high percentage of fat for a satisfying meal, and be generous with the chili, cumin, and garlic.

Can you make keto chili ahead of time?

I find myself wanting to answer this question with a smart ass comment like “Is the pope Catholic?”. Because chili is perhaps the best make ahead meal on the planet.

It’s one of those dishes that seems to actually get better when it’s eaten the next day or even a few days later. And one of the benefits of keto chili is that there are no beans to get mushy as they sit and soften. So it’s just as good or better than the day you made it.

So go ahead and make a huge pot of this short rib chili. This particular recipe serves 10 people. Let it cool to room temperature and then split it up however you see fit. You can do individual servings, or portion it out for your family size.

The chili can be refrigerated for up to 4 days or frozen for up to 3 months. We froze our leftovers back in May and I just fed my family the second portion about a month ago!

Because it contains acidic ingredients like tomatoes, I recommend storing in glass containers if you have them. If not, good BPA-Free tupperware works too.

Tips for making Short Rib Chili

Short ribs are ideal for comfort food dishes like this, because they are fatty and rich, and become incredibly tender with slow braising.

Always brown the ribs first: This step adds 10 minutes or so, but it’s worth it. Browning the meat in lard or oil helps bring out the best flavor, before the liquids are added. Otherwise, you are essentially just eating stewed meat. Transfer the ribs to a plate while making the rest of the chili.

Sweat the onions and other veggies: While I do keep the onion to a minimum, it definitely helps add flavor. So add the onion and green pepper to the pot and sauté in the oils and fats with a little bit of salt. This will help them release their juices and flavor.

Add the spices into the hot oil: Before adding any liquids into the pot, you want to briefly sauté the garlic, jalapeño, and spices in the hot oil. This enhances and intensifies the flavor.

Adjust the heat to your liking: My husband and I like our chili pretty spicy but our kids have more tender palates. So we keep the heat at a medium level. I always add the seeds from the jalapeño but you can leave them out if you want less spice. You can also leave out the cayenne. Or you can add more jalapeño and cayenne too.

Now add the liquids and the meat: Once the spices and garlic are fragrant, stir in the diced tomatoes and broth and bring to a simmer before adding the meat.

Slow braise in the oven: You’re looking at a good two to three hours of cooking, but this time is completely inactive. You can be doing lots of other things during this time. Slow braising makes the meat from the short ribs fall off the bone and shred more easily.

Doesn’t this keto short rib chili sound like the perfect comfort food?

Check out my Keto Soups & Stews cookbook for more delicious comfort food recipes.

A bowl of keto short rib chii topped with sour cream, cilantro, avocado and jalapeno

Keto Short Rib Chili

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Course: Main Course

Cuisine: American

Keyword: keto chili, keto chili recipe, short rib chili

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 3 hours 25 minutes

Total Time: 3 hours 40 minutes

Servings: 10 servings

Calories: 428kcal