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.
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.
Video
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
Made this tonight..I did use chopped up cabbage, but followed the rest of your recipe. The cabbage needed to be used which is my reason for including it. The result was delicious..even with my silly addition. Thanks for all your Keto recipes..I have tried others and all have been so good..Appreciate your creativity!
Fantastic! So glad it worked for you. Thank you for your kind words of support!
I just made fajita soup tonight. Doubled the recipe for my husband and I we will probably be eating this all week, and still freeze some for another day. Lol
Awesome! Glad you liked it! Leftovers are a life-saver!
Can’t wait to try!
Do we thaw out the chicken before placing it in slow cooker??
I do not use frozen chicken in the slow cooker. I always thaw it first.
Made this just now and it’s amazing! So glad to find your site. Thank you for all your recipes. Plan on making many more.
Yay! Glad you enjoyed it. You are so very welcome.
I need ideas on making thickness for gravy
This is so delicious. I don’t like green peppers so I used red instead, and I actually made it in the instant pot. So so good!!’ My daughter loves it too!
Perfect! So glad you loved it!
How did you make this in the insta pot?
Do you think it would turn out to make the whole thing in the crockpot?
I would not unless you add the heavy whipping cream and cream cheese after the chicken is finished slow cooking. So often dairy products break down in a slow cooker.
I made it in the crockpot and it was great. Just stir.
Oh my gosh! So much flavor!! I made your taco seasoning and I will never go back!
Awesome! So glad you love it!
Where is the recipe for the taco seasoning?
You can find it in the ingredients in the recipe card. Click the link after taco seasoning.
How many servings does this make? I am trying to meal prep for the week and planning ahead.
The number of servings is listed on all of the recipe cards.
What is the serving size for these nutrition facts?
I just divide it evenly by the number of servings, which is listed on the recipe card. I don’t measure exactly.
Oh it s yummy! Thank you!
So glad you loved it!
So I just made this and it turned out absolutely wonderful! I forgot to put it in the cream cheese so I added sour cream and shredded cheddar on the top of my Bowl of soup wonder how much of a difference that makes in the carb and fat content?
Awesome! So glad you loved it.
Could you please confirm, is the nutritional and value per serving or for the full 8 servings?
Per serving.
How much is a serving?? 1 cup, 1 1/2 cups, 2 cups??
There are 8 servings in the pot of soup.
Absolutely loved this recipe. I made it for my diet and my parents ended up loving it too! I used hot and spicy taco mix to give it a kick. For toppings I used lime juice, sour cream, a little shredded cheese, and fresh cilantro leaves. Will make again for sure! Thanks for the recipe!
Glad you enjoyed!
Ok maybe this is a silly question….but why taco seasoning instead of fajita seasoning?
It is what I used to test the recipe and it turned out perfectly. Feel free to sub in fajita seasoning if you’d like.