This Chicken Tortilla Soup leans on real wood-oven heat for deep, roasty flavor. Chicken thighs get a generous coating of Cattleman’s Grill Mexicano and roast hot while Anaheim peppers and cherry tomatoes blister alongside. The peppers steam for easy peeling, the tomatoes collapse and sweeten, and everything meets in a Dutch oven where onions brown in chili oil before a quick chipotle-garlic stock ties it all together. A small corn-flour slurry adds body without muting the fire-roasted character, landing the bowl somewhere between hearty soup and chili. Just before serving, a squeeze of citrus brightens the richness. Load each bowl with crunchy totopos, tangy pickled jalapeños, crumbled cotija, and a swirl of crema. It’s weeknight-simple prep with cold-weather comfort and legit, wood-kissed depth.
What You’ll Love About This Recipe
Why it’s great
- Wood-oven char on peppers and tomatoes for bold roasted flavor.
- Simple chipotle-garlic stock that tastes slow-simmered.
- Tender shredded chicken thighs for juicy, satisfying bites.
- Corn-flour slurry creates a hearty, chili-like body.
- Customizable toppings—totopos, crema, cotija, pickled jalapeños.
- Clear, scalable method that feeds a crowd.
Wood-Fired Chicken Tortilla Soup at Home
Tom Jackson
Rated 5.0 stars by 1 users
Category
Poultry
Cuisine
Mexican
Servings
10
Prep Time
30 minutes
Cook Time
2 hours
Calories
230
Smoky, hearty chicken tortilla soup: wood-oven roasted chiles & tomatoes, chipotle-garlic stock, shredded thighs, and totopos with crema & cotija.
Ingredients
- 4 bone-in chicken thighs (about 1½ lb)
-
Cattleman’s Grill Mexicano, to taste
-
Cornhusker Kitchen Duck Fat Spray, for pans
- 10 oz cherry tomatoes
- 3 Anaheim peppers
- 3 qt low-sodium chicken stock
- 2 dried chipotle chiles
- 4 cloves garlic, crushed
-
1 tbsp Colonial Chili Oil (Chile Colonial Infused Spicy Oil)
- 1 large yellow onion, thinly sliced
- 1 (15 oz) can black beans, drained
- 1 tbsp fine corn flour (masa harina or very fine cornmeal)
- 2 tbsp water
- Totopos (tortilla chips)
-
Pickled jalapeños (slices)
- Cotija cheese, crumbled
- Mexican crema
- Lemon or lime juice, to taste
Chicken & Veg
Broth
For the Soup
Toppings
Directions
- Warm the stock with the dried chipotles and crushed garlic. Bring to a bare simmer and steep 30–45 minutes while you roast the other ingredients. Strain and reserve; discard solids.
Preheat the pellet grill to 450°F with the Yoder Smokers Wood-Fired Oven installed. Use heat-resistant gloves when handling pans and the oven stone.
Season chicken thighs on all sides with Mexicano. Set on a sheet pan. On a second pan, spray with duck fat and add the cherry tomatoes and whole Anaheim peppers.
- Slide the chicken pan inside the wood-fired oven and set the veggie pan on top of the oven. After ~5 minutes, flip the chicken to brown the second side. Swap positions: veggies go inside, chicken goes on top to keep warm and continue rendering.
- Cook until the chicken reaches about 170°F internal. Rest briefly, then shred or chop into bite-size pieces (larger chunks keep more texture). Keep warm.
- Char the vegetables until tomatoes blister and peppers blacken in spots. Bag the peppers 10 minutes to steam, then peel, deseed, and dice. Collect any tomato juices from the pan.
- Set a Dutch oven over medium heat and add the chili oil. Sauté the sliced onions, seasoning lightly with Mexicano, until browned and sweet. Deglaze with a splash of the chipotle-garlic stock, scraping up any fond, then add the remaining stock, roasted tomatoes (and juices), diced Anaheim, black beans, and shredded chicken. Simmer gently 30–60 minutes, partially covered, to marry flavors.
- Stir together corn flour and water, then whisk the slurry into the soup. Simmer ~5 minutes to thicken. Taste; season with kosher salt as needed and finish with fresh lemon or lime juice to brighten.
- Ladle into bowls and top with totopos, pickled jalapeños, cotija, and crema. Serve hot.
Recipe Note
Recipe FAQ
- What temp should I run the grill and how do I place the pans? Preheat to 450°F with the wood-fired oven installed. Start chicken inside the oven and veggies on top; after the first flip, swap positions so peppers and tomatoes blister inside while the chicken finishes.
- What internal temp should I cook the chicken to? Pull thighs around 170°F for tender, shreddable meat. They’ll break down further as they simmer in the broth.
- Why steam the roasted peppers in a bag? A brief steam loosens the skins so they peel cleanly, leaving tender, smoky flesh without bitterness.
- Do I need the corn flour slurry? A small masa (fine corn flour) slurry adds body and subtle tortilla flavor. Start with the listed amount; add more only if you prefer a thicker, chili-like texture.
- Can I make ingredient swaps? Hatch or poblano peppers work well; lemon or lime both brighten at the end. Add corn or hominy for extra texture, or adjust heat with more chipotle.
- How should I season at the end? Taste after the simmer and slurry thicken—add kosher salt as needed and finish with a generous squeeze of citrus to balance richness.
Recipe Highlights & Insights
- Wood-fired roasting builds real char on Anaheim peppers and cherry tomatoes for deep, smoky sweetness.
- Quick chipotle–garlic stock delivers long-simmered character without extra steps.
- Shredded chicken thighs add richness and stay juicy through the simmer.
- Masa slurry gives body and gentle corn flavor—true to tortilla soup.
- Finish with acidity (lemon or lime) and contrasting toppings: crunchy totopos, tangy pickled jalapeños, crumbly cotija, and creamy crema.
- Scales easily for gatherings and holds well for make-ahead service.
Recommended Recipes
Trending / Popular Elements
- Wood-fired oven accessory cooking on pellet grills.
- Chili oil for sautéing and finishing.
- Hickory pellet smoke for hearty, cold-weather soups.
- Totopos and pickled jalapeños for crunch and bright acidity.
Nutrition
Nutrition
- Serving Size
- 9oz
- per serving
- Calories
- 230
- Carbs
- 15 grams
- 5%
- Fiber
- 4 grams
- 14%
- Sugar
- 4 grams
- Protein
- 18 grams
- 36%
- Fat
- 10 grams
- 13%
- Saturated Fat
- 3 grams
- 15%
- Sodium
- 900 milligrams
- 39%
- Cholesterol
- 65 milligrams
- 22%
