My Chicken Jalepeno Lime Soup combines a spicy jalapeño lime broth with hominy, corn, and shredded chicken in a hearty Instant Pot bowl that’s ready in under an hour.

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I wasn’t sure an Instant Pot soup could surprise me, but this jalapeños and cilantro packed bowl did. The broth hits spicy and bright, with savory layers that sneak up on you, its layered not one-note.

People call similar recipes Green Chili Chicken Soup Instant Pot or Cilantro Lime Chicken Instapot, but this version has a swagger all its own, a little heat that keeps you honest while still being stupidly easy to pull off. I kept going back spoon after spoon, curious what little twist I’d taste next, and you might too.

Ingredients

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Chicken breasts or thighs: Lean protein, fills you up, builds muscle, keeps soup hearty and comforting.
Hominy: Chewy corn masa kernels, starchy carbs and fiber, adds rustic texture and body.
Jalapeños: Spicy kick and vitamin C, brightens broth, adjust seeds for milder heat.
Lime juice: Zesty acidity that lifts flavors, adds tang and fresh brightness to soup.
Avocado: Creamy, full of healthy fats and fiber, cools spice and makes it rich.
Cilantro: Herbaceous, citrusy note, low calorie, adds freshness and a little herbal punch.
Corn kernels: Sweet kernels add natural sweetness, carbs and fiber, playful pops in each bite.
Garlic and onion: Savory base, antioxidants and depth, make soup more rounded and comforting.

Ingredient Quantities

1 tablespoon olive oil

1 medium yellow onion, diced

3 cloves garlic, minced

2 jalapeños, seeded if you want less heat, finely chopped

1 teaspoon ground cumin

1 teaspoon chili powder

1/2 teaspoon dried oregano

1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika (optional)

1 teaspoon kosher salt

1/2 teaspoon black pepper

1 1/2 pounds boneless skinless chicken breasts or thighs

4 cups low sodium chicken broth

1 (15 ounce) can hominy, drained and rinsed

1 cup corn kernels, frozen or fresh (or 1 15 ounce can, drained)

1 (14.5 ounce) can diced tomatoes, drained

2 limes, juiced

1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro

1 avocado, diced for topping (optional)

Tortilla chips or strips for serving (optional)

Sour cream or plain Greek yogurt for serving (optional)

How to Make this

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1. Set your Instant Pot to Sauté, add 1 tablespoon olive oil and when it’s hot toss in 1 diced yellow onion; cook until soft and starting to brown, about 4 minutes.

2. Add 3 minced garlic cloves and 2 finely chopped jalapeños (seeded if you want less heat), then sprinkle 1 teaspoon ground cumin, 1 teaspoon chili powder, 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano, 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika (optional), 1 teaspoon kosher salt and 1/2 teaspoon black pepper; stir about 30 seconds so the spices bloom but don’t burn the garlic.

3. Pour in about 1/2 cup of the 4 cups low sodium chicken broth to deglaze the pot, scraping up any browned bits with a wooden spoon (this helps avoid the burn notice later).

4. Add 1 1/2 pounds boneless skinless chicken breasts or thighs, the remaining chicken broth, 1 can (15 oz) hominy (drained and rinsed), 1 cup corn (or a drained 15 oz can), and 1 can (1
4.5 oz) diced tomatoes (drained). Give it a quick stir to combine.

5. Lock the lid, set valve to sealing, pressure cook on High for 10 minutes for breasts or 12 minutes for thighs. Let it natural release for 5 minutes, then carefully quick release the remaining pressure.

6. Remove the chicken to a cutting board, shred with two forks (or pull apart with hands), then return shredded chicken to the pot and stir. If you want a slightly thicker soup, mash a cup of hominy against the pot wall or take 1 cup out, blend and stir back in.

7. Stir in the juice of 2 limes and 1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro, taste and adjust salt and pepper as needed. If you want it hotter, stir in some reserved chopped jalapeño or a pinch of chili powder.

8. If you prefer a more concentrated broth, switch back to Sauté and simmer uncovered 5 to 10 minutes to reduce, stirring occasionally so nothing sticks.

9. Serve topped with diced avocado, tortilla chips or strips, and a dollop of sour cream or plain Greek yogurt if you like. Hot tip: add chips at the table so they stay crunchy, and always squeeze a little extra lime over each bowl for brightness.

Equipment Needed

1. Instant Pot or other electric pressure cooker (6 qt works great)
2. Chef’s knife (a good one makes prep faster, yep)
3. Cutting board
4. Wooden spoon or heatproof silicone spatula for sautéing and deglazing
5. Measuring spoons and 1 cup measure
6. Can opener plus a fine mesh strainer or colander (for rinsing hominy and draining tomatoes)
7. Tongs and two forks (or your hands) for removing and shredding the chicken
8. Immersion blender or regular blender (optional, to thicken the soup)
9. Ladle and bowls for serving

FAQ

How long do I cook the chicken in the Instant Pot and what pressure setting do I use? Cook on High pressure: about 8-10 minutes for boneless breasts, 10-12 minutes for thighs, then let a natural pressure release for 8-10 minutes so the meat stays moist, quick release any remaining pressure. If you prefer the chicken more shredable use the longer end of the range.

Can I use frozen chicken? Yes, but add time. Increase the high pressure cook time by roughly 5 minutes (so 13-15 minutes for frozen breasts), and do a natural release for at least 10 minutes. Make sure the IP reaches full pressure before timing starts so total time will be longer.

My soup is too spicy, how do I tame the heat? Reduce or remove the seeds and ribs from the jalapeños before chopping, or use just one pepper. You can also balance heat with more lime juice, a dollop of sour cream or plain yogurt when serving, or add a peeled diced potato while cooking which soaks up some heat.

Can I make this without an Instant Pot? Yep. On the stove brown the onion and spices in a pot, add broth and chicken, simmer covered 20-30 minutes until cooked through then add hominy, corn and tomatoes and heat through. In a slow cooker put everything in on low 4-5 hours or high 2-3 hours, add lime and cilantro at the end.

How do I thicken the broth or make it richer? Shred the chicken and return it to the soup then use the Saute function to simmer and reduce for a bit, or stir in a cornstarch slurry (1 tablespoon cornstarch mixed with 1 tablespoon cold water) and simmer until it thickens. For richness add a splash of cream or a spoonful of Greek yogurt when serving.

How long will leftovers keep and can I freeze this? Refrigerate up to 3-4 days. Freeze in airtight containers up to 3 months, but leave out avocado and tortilla strips until serving. Reheat gently on the stove or microwave, add fresh lime and cilantro after reheating for best flavor.

Instant Pot Jalapeño Lime Chicken Soup Recipe Substitutions and Variations

Olive oil: use avocado oil, canola or vegetable oil instead; butter works too, adds richness and browning.
Chicken breasts or thighs: swap with shredded rotisserie chicken if youre short on time, or use canned white beans or firm tofu for a vegetarian option.
Hominy: replace with canned whole kernel corn for a similar sweet bite, or drained canned white beans for a thicker, more stew like texture.
Jalapeños: use poblano peppers for milder heat, serranos if you want it hotter, or a green bell pepper for no heat at all.

Pro Tips

– Don’t skimp on deglazing: after the onions and spices, pour in a bit of broth and scrape the bottom good to lift the browned bits. That extra flavor keeps the Instant Pot from throwing a burn error and makes the broth taste richer.

– Pick the right cut and treat it gently: thighs stay juicier and shred easier, breasts can dry if overcooked. Let the pot natural-release for a few minutes before quick-releasing, it helps the meat stay tender.

– Texture tricks: if you want a creamier broth scoop out about a cup of hominy or soup, mash or blend it and stir back in. It thickens things without cream, and you can leave some whole hominy for bite.

– Finish at the table: keep chopped cilantro, extra lime wedges, sliced jalapeño, avocado and chips separate. Add them right before eating so flavors pop and chips stay crunchy, and if leftovers get reheated add fresh lime and cilantro again, it brightens everything.

Instant Pot Jalapeño Lime Chicken Soup Recipe

Recipe by Jot Punji

0.0 from 0 votes

My Chicken Jalepeno Lime Soup combines a spicy jalapeño lime broth with hominy, corn, and shredded chicken in a hearty Instant Pot bowl that's ready in under an hour.

Servings

servings

Calories

383

kcal

Equipment: 1. Instant Pot or other electric pressure cooker (6 qt works great)
2. Chef’s knife (a good one makes prep faster, yep)
3. Cutting board
4. Wooden spoon or heatproof silicone spatula for sautéing and deglazing
5. Measuring spoons and 1 cup measure
6. Can opener plus a fine mesh strainer or colander (for rinsing hominy and draining tomatoes)
7. Tongs and two forks (or your hands) for removing and shredding the chicken
8. Immersion blender or regular blender (optional, to thicken the soup)
9. Ladle and bowls for serving

Ingredients

1 tablespoon olive oil
1 medium yellow onion, diced
3 cloves garlic, minced
2 jalapeños, seeded if you want less heat, finely chopped
1 teaspoon ground cumin
1 teaspoon chili powder
1/2 teaspoon dried oregano
1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika (optional)
1 teaspoon kosher salt
1/2 teaspoon black pepper
1 1/2 pounds boneless skinless chicken breasts or thighs
4 cups low sodium chicken broth
1 (15 ounce) can hominy, drained and rinsed
1 cup corn kernels, frozen or fresh (or 1 15 ounce can, drained)
1 (14.5 ounce) can diced tomatoes, drained
2 limes, juiced
1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
1 avocado, diced for topping (optional)
Tortilla chips or strips for serving (optional)
Sour cream or plain Greek yogurt for serving (optional)

Directions

Set your Instant Pot to Sauté, add 1 tablespoon olive oil and when it's hot toss in 1 diced yellow onion; cook until soft and starting to brown, about 4 minutes.
Add 3 minced garlic cloves and 2 finely chopped jalapeños (seeded if you want less heat), then sprinkle 1 teaspoon ground cumin, 1 teaspoon chili powder, 1/2 teaspoon dried oregano, 1/2 teaspoon smoked paprika (optional), 1 teaspoon kosher salt and 1/2 teaspoon black pepper; stir about 30 seconds so the spices bloom but don't burn the garlic.
Pour in about 1/2 cup of the 4 cups low sodium chicken broth to deglaze the pot, scraping up any browned bits with a wooden spoon (this helps avoid the burn notice later).
Add 1 1/2 pounds boneless skinless chicken breasts or thighs, the remaining chicken broth, 1 can (15 oz) hominy (drained and rinsed), 1 cup corn (or a drained 15 oz can), and 1 can (1
5 oz) diced tomatoes (drained). Give it a quick stir to combine.
Lock the lid, set valve to sealing, pressure cook on High for 10 minutes for breasts or 12 minutes for thighs. Let it natural release for 5 minutes, then carefully quick release the remaining pressure.
Remove the chicken to a cutting board, shred with two forks (or pull apart with hands), then return shredded chicken to the pot and stir. If you want a slightly thicker soup, mash a cup of hominy against the pot wall or take 1 cup out, blend and stir back in.
Stir in the juice of 2 limes and 1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro, taste and adjust salt and pepper as needed. If you want it hotter, stir in some reserved chopped jalapeño or a pinch of chili powder.
If you prefer a more concentrated broth, switch back to Sauté and simmer uncovered 5 to 10 minutes to reduce, stirring occasionally so nothing sticks.
Serve topped with diced avocado, tortilla chips or strips, and a dollop of sour cream or plain Greek yogurt if you like. Hot tip: add chips at the table so they stay crunchy, and always squeeze a little extra lime over each bowl for brightness.

Notes

Below you’ll find my best estimate of this recipe’s nutrition facts. Treat the numbers as a guide rather than a rule—great food should nourish both body and spirit. Figures are approximate, and the website owner assumes no liability for any inaccuracies in this recipe.