Slow Cooker Chicken Fajita Soup

A fun twist on a Tex-Mex favorite, this Slow Cooker Chicken Fajita Soup is a new way to enjoy all the great flavors of fajitas. It's made in the slow cooker for easy prep.

Everything you love about fajitas is made into a tasty Chicken Fajita Soup. This healthy and filling soup is packed with chicken, bell peppers, onions, and just the right amount of spice. Think of this as a cozy alternative to traditional Chicken Fajitas or Steak Fajitas.

Once it starts to get cold, I immediately start to think about soup recipes, cuddling up on the couch, and cozy winter clothes. While we constantly make this Taco Soup and White Chicken Chili, last week I wanted something without the beans. Enter this delicious, naturally low-carb Fajita Soup. 

I always love the idea of using main dish recipes to inspire soups and stews and today's slow cooker chicken fajita soup recipe is no different. All the classic chicken fajita ingredients in a delicious, slightly spicy tomato chicken broth. It reminds me a lot of these slow cooker chicken fajitas, just as soup!

You can easily add black beans, pinto beans, or rice for a heartier soup if you like. And don't skimp out on the toppings. Much like this Mexican Chicken Soup, the toppings kick up the flavor! Bring on the cheddar cheese, avocado, pico de gallo, and sour cream.

Why We Love Fajita Soup

• Easy to customize: Make this soup with chicken breast, chicken thighs, pork, beef, or vegetarian. Add beans, rice, or quinoa. Adjust the spices to make them mild or spicy. This soup is versatile and can be made with what you have on hand.
• Great for meal prep: This soup is easy to throw together in the crockpot and it only gets better after a night in the fridge. It also freezes great.
• Healthy and nutritious: This fajita soup is naturally gluten-free, low-carb, and nutritious. It's got tons of lean protein from the chicken and nutrients from all the veggies.

Love fajitas as much as us? Don't miss these more traditional shrimp fajitas, eggplant fajitas, roasted vegetable fajitas, and chicken fajita bowls.

More Ideas You'll Love

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Ingredients and Substitutions

• Chicken: Boneless skinless chicken breasts or thighs are the protein I use the most often in this fajita soup. You could also use ground chicken, turkey, or beef. Just brown it first. Or it would work with beef, just double the cooking time in the slow cooker so the beef gets tender. 
• Bell peppers and onions: Peppers are a key ingredient in fajitas. Use any color of bell peppers you like. Yellow onions are traditionally used, but white onions, red onions, or sweet onions would all work as well.
• Garlic: Garlic adds a nice flavor to the soup. If you don't have any fresh on hand, you could swap in some garlic powder.
• Jalapeno: To add some heat, add a diced jalapeno. Use two jalapenos for lots of heat or swap in a poblano pepper for less heat. If you don't have any jalapenos, you could use diced tomatoes with green chilies instead or Rotel tomatoes.
• Fajita seasoning:  Use homemade fajita seasoning or your favorite store-bought version. It's traditionally made with a mix of chili powder, cumin, paprika, garlic powder, onion powder, salt, and pepper.
• Tomatoes: To create a rich broth, diced tomatoes are the perfect addition. Fire-roasted tomatoes add some smokiness that you could get from the charring in traditional skillet fajitas. Any diced tomatoes will work though.
• Chicken Broth: Any broth or stock can be used including chicken or vegetable broth.
• Toppings: Like fajitas and tacos, the toppings are one of the most fun parts of the meal. Consider adding chopped cilantro, avocado, lime juice, sour cream, shredded cheese, pico de gallo, baked tortilla chips, shredded cabbage, and any other toppings you like. 

Customizing Fajita Soup

This crockpot soup is easy to customize with different proteins, vegetables, spices, and additions. Here are the most common variations.

• Protein: This soup works with chicken, beef, pork, or turkey. Always brown ground meat before adding it to the slow cooker for the best flavor. If you use beef (like a chuck roast or eye round roast), it will take 8 hours.  This soup can also be made with shrimp, just add it right before serving so it doesn't overcook. It will only take 4-6 minutes to cook in the hot broth. 
• Beans and rice: The most common addition to this soup are black beans, pinto beans, and rice. Canned beans can be added right to the slow cooker. If you are adding rice, I recommend cooking it separately and adding it at the end. Cauliflower rice works as a low-carb option. You could also add white beans like this Slow Cooker White Chicken Chili.
• Vegetables: Feel free to add extra vegetables to your fajita soup. Many times I will add spinach or zucchini in the last ten minutes of cooking. Corn is another yummy addition.

Storing Leftovers and Freezing 

You know your schedule is tight this week and you want to avoid eating out again. Plan ahead to make this fajita soup recipe instead! Here are a few tips to make the process even easier.

• Pre-cut all the vegetables and toppings. Then just add them to the slow cooker the day you will be serving the soup.
• Make the whole soup in advance. Soup only gets better after a couple of days in the fridge, so you can prep this entire meal in advance. It will keep in an alright container for 4-5 days in the fridge.
• Freeze any leftover soup in a freezer-friendly storage container or bag. Just make sure it is fully cooled first. Keep in the fridge for up to 3 months.

Serving Ideas and Side Dishes

Fajitas are traditionally served with tortillas, beans, rice, and sides like sour cream, guacamole, lettuce, and tomato. You can continue to use these favorites with this soup and simply serve the soup with lots of topping options. 

We also love going the soup and salad route and pairing this fajita soup with this Mexican Chopped Salad or a Healthy Mexican Street Corn Salad.