Low Carb Chicken Fajita Soup {Keto Friendly}
If you love chicken fajitas but are following a keto or low carb diet, I’ve got the perfect alternative for you-this Low Carb Chicken Fajita Soup! It has all the same delicious Mexican flavors without all the carbs from the tortillas! It is the perfect keto soup comfort food recipe for a delicious gluten-free, low carb and meal.
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How to make low carb chicken fajita soup
I love experimenting with new low-carb/keto recipes, especially when they are easy, and my entire family enjoys the finished product- like my Queso Soup recipe. So, I thought, why not change out the ground beef for some shredded chicken and add some Mexican spices to the mix! The result is a deliciously creamy, flavorful soup that is high in protein and low in carbs!
Make sure to check out more keto soup recipes in my recipe index for quick and easy meal ideas.
Chicken Fajita Soup Ingredients:
Cooking and shredding your chicken is what takes the longest, so if you have your chicken pre-shredded and ready to go, this recipe is super quick!
- Chicken breasts- I will make my shredded chicken using my slow cooker in advance in bulk. This speeds this recipe up big time!
- Chicken broth– This is the base of the soup and adds lots of flavors. It is also used to cook your chicken in your crockpot.
- Green peppers, onions, garlic– Low carb veggies give this fajita soup nutrients and lots of added flavor!
- Cream cheese, heavy cream, butter- These fats will add richness to your soup as well as creaminess.
- Taco seasoning- I like to use my homemade keto seasoning since store-bought seasoning packets contain some non-keto ingredients.
Steps for making your chicken fajita soup:
Step 1: I begin this recipe by preparing the chicken so it is easy to shred later. I add boneless skinless chicken breasts to my slow cooker. It isn’t necessary to make it this way; it just makes my life easier around dinner time to have the chicken already cooked. Also, if you prefer a different cut of chicken, feel free to make substitutions that best suit your needs. You could also use a rotisserie chicken if you like!
Step 2: Saute the onion and bell peppers in butter to bring out the incredible flavor in your chicken fajita soup.
Step 3: Add in some homemade taco seasoning if you are following a strict keto diet. I like to make my seasoning in bulk and keep it in my pantry.
Step 4: Once all the ingredients are in your pot, simmer on low so that the cream cheese melts completely and that all of the different spices and flavors are infused together.
Step 5: Garnish with more shredded cheese and freshly chopped cilantro leaves! Serve hot!
Other chicken fajita soup toppings
Toppings are everything, so feel free to have fun topping your fajita soup! Make sure you keep your toppings low in carbs and keto-friendly! Here are some toppings I like to add to my soup:
- sliced jalapenos
- a dollop of sour cream
- guacamole or fresh avocado slices
- more diced tomatoes
- freshly chopped cilantro
- more shredded cheese
- freshly chopped green onions
- sliced black olives
- lime wedges
How to get this fajita soup on the table quicker!
If you are super busy and do not have time to wait for your chicken to cook, I suggest you do one of two things.
1. Speed up the process by purchasing a rotisserie chicken from the food store. The chicken is already cooked, so all you need to do is cut off the breasts and legs and shred/chop that up to add to your soup. This will cut your cooking time by more than half!
2. Cook shredded chicken in advance in bulk. Then portion it out into one pound baggies and freeze them. This way, you can quickly defrost your chicken a few hours or the night prior and have it ready to go! This saves you lots of money, too, and can be used for many other shredded chicken recipes like my Keto Buffalo Chicken Casserole (w/ Cauliflower). How to make crockpot shredded chicken is a life-saver to save time! Check out Keto Meal Prep Ideas to save you time for more helpful tips like this.
Variations to this Easy Keto Soup Recipe:
- Instead of 3 fresh garlic cloves, use 1 1/2 teaspoon of garlic powder
- Substitute the fresh onion for 1 tablespoon onion powder
- Add celery, cauliflower rice, spinach, or kale to make the soup a bit more hearty
Is this Recipe for Low Carb Chicken Fajita Soup Dairy-Free?
Often get asked about dairy-free keto recipes. As is, this recipe is not dairy-free as it contains several ingredients such as butter, cream cheese, and heavy whipping cream that are all dairy products. There are dairy-free options of cream cheese that I have seen at the grocery store. Many people sub sugar-free coconut cream made from coconut milk for heavy whipping cream and coconut oil can be subbed for butter. Personally, I haven’t tried any of these substations and cannot give a personal recommendation of how it would taste, but I did want to offer dairy-free options.
How to Store this Keto Chicken Soup Recipe:
It can be stored in the refrigerator in an airtight container for 3-5 days. It can be frozen in a freezer-safe container, but the soup’s texture may change when it thaws due to the high dairy content.
Best Keto Soup Recipes:
- Jalapeno Popper Soup
- Stuffed Pepper Soup
- Keto Soup Recipes: 20+ Delicious & Hearty Ideas
- Down Home Keto Vegetable Soup with Ground Beef
- Keto Tuscan Soup – An Olive Garden Copycat low carb friendly version
- Keto Pumpkin Soup
- Low Carb Cheesy Smoked Sausage Soup
Don’t miss out!
If you aren’t already following my easy keto/low carb recipe page on Facebook, where I post all my new recipes, I’d love for you to join us! Also, make sure to follow me on Pinterest.
If you are just getting started following a keto diet and would like more information, many fantastic resources are available. Amazon has several great books you may want to check out here.
Low Carb Chicken Fajita Soup {Keto Friendly}
Ingredients
- 2 lbs boneless skinless chicken breasts
- 1 cup chicken broth (this is to pour over chicken in slow cooker)
- 1 onion chopped
- 1 green pepper chopped
- 3 garlic cloves minced
- 1 tbsp butter
- 6 oz cream cheese
- 2 10 oz cans diced tomatoes with green chilis
- 2½ cups chicken broth
- ½ cup heavy whipping cream
- 2½ tbsp homemade taco seasoning (recipe here or 1 packet of taco seasoning)
- salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Cook boneless skinless chicken breasts in a slow cooker for 3 hours on high or 6 hours on low in a cup of chicken broth. Season with salt/pepper.
- When chicken is cooked through, remove from slow cooker and shred. (You can strain the leftover broth for the soup.)
- In a large saucepan, saute green pepper, onion, and garlic in 1 tablespoon of butter until translucent.
- With a spoon, mash the cream cheese into the veggies so that it will combine smoothly as it melts.
- Add the canned tomatoes, chicken broth, heavy whipping cream, and taco seasoning.
- Simmer on low uncovered for 20 minutes.
- Add the shredded chicken, cover, and simmer for 10 minutes.
- Add salt and pepper to taste. Enjoy hot!
- Optional: Top each bowl with shredded cheese, cilantro, green onions, avocado, and/or sour cream.
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Notes
- Option 1: Turn this 3-hour recipe into a 30 minute one by purchasing a rotisserie chicken from the food store. The chicken is already cooked, so all you need to do is cut off the breasts and legs and shred/chop that up to add to your soup!
- Option 2: Cook shredded chicken in advance in bulk. Then portion it out into one pound baggies and freeze them. This way, you can quickly defrost your chicken a few hours or the night prior and have it ready to go the day of! This saves you lots of money, too, and can be used for many other shredded chicken recipes like my Keto Buffalo Chicken Casserole (w/ Cauliflower).
Other chicken fajita soup toppings
Toppings are everything, so feel free to have fun topping your fajita soup! Make sure you keep your toppings low in carbs and keto-friendly! Here are some toppings I like to add to my soup:- sliced jalapenos
- a dollop of sour cream
- guacamole or fresh avocado slices
- more diced tomatoes
- freshly chopped cilantro
- more shredded cheese
- freshly chopped green onions
- sliced black olives
- lime wedges
Nutrition
Can you tell me how much is a serving. Hard to determine 1 eighth of a pot of soup. Is it one or two cups
Hey Betty, not exactly because I have never measured it out like that. I can give you a ballpark of maybe 1 1/2 cups per serving or so. Maybe a little more than that.
I took this to work the other day and everyone talked about how good it smelled! Now I’ve been told I have to bring it to the potluck next week. Any advice on how I can keep it warm in a crockpot?
Awe, so glad you loved it.I think you could put it in a crock pot and put it on warm. Stir it occasionally. Just make sure not to overcook it.
What happened to the crockpot version?
Hey Carly,I have a slow cooker taco soup. This recipe can be made in 30 minutes or 3 hours. Hope this helps.
I made this the 1st time about a month ago. Since then my husband and I have enjoyed it again at least 4 times. It is delicious and low carb! Thank you for sharing Kasey!
Glad y’all love it! When hubby enjoys…it’s a hit! lol!!
Very good. Didn’t change a thing!
So glad you loved it!!
I made this tonight. It was so good. I had some cans of chunk chicken in the pantry so I used that. Ended up dumping all four cans in. Just eyeball sprinkled in some spices (cayenne pepper, smoked paprika, cumin, chili powder, onion powder, salt & pepper). And I used the whole 8 oz block of cream cheese. Topped in my bowl with shredded cheese and some pork rinds for crunch. Hearty and great flavor. Perfect for cold weather. I’ll definitely make this again. Thanks.
So glad you enjoyed it! Thanks for the review!!
Just finished my second bowl. It was truly amazing and needed no tweaking. Bought a rotisserie chicken at Costco today and had been looking at this recipe. It came out perfect and needed no additional seasoning. Added some of Kasey’s recommendations: sour cream and jalapeños. Wow. Somehow came across Kasey’s website late in my keto diet and her recipes are the best. I am an old dude and my blood sugar was getting pre-diabetic. My doctor said oral insulin or treat my problem with food. I thought low carb was going to be SO BORING and then I came across websites lake Kasey’s. I think hers is the best. Thanks!
Awe Dan, thanks so much! I’m so glad my recipes are helpful.
Turned out great. I substituted a poblano for the green pepper for a touch more heat. So easy using rotisserie chicken. I actually liked it better than the slow cooker version. Just my $.02.
Glad you loved it. Good call on the poblano!
Made this tonight, after hanging on to the recipe for over 5 years. It is a tiny bit spendy on our budget. Will definitely be making it again! The broth has amazing flavor! I used regular diced tomatoes, since that’s what I had on hand then chopped a couple of jalapeños to make up for the heat. I only had half of a bell pepper, so I cut up a couple of sweet peppers. Big hit in our house tonight!
So glad you loved it!!