Easy Instant Pot BBQ Turkey Enchilada Soup: Transform Your Thanksgiving Leftovers into a Flavorful Meal
Get ready for a whole new way to enjoy your Thanksgiving turkey! This Instant Pot BBQ Turkey Enchilada Soup takes that delicious leftover turkey and infuses it with bold, spicy, and savory enchilada flavors, elevated by a touch of tangy BBQ. It’s a quick, comforting, and utterly delicious meal your family will absolutely adore. This recipe serves 4.
Disclosure: This post has been sponsored by Head Country Bar-B-Q. As always, all opinions are my own.
The post-Thanksgiving period often presents a delicious challenge: how to creatively use up all that wonderful leftover turkey without serving the same meal repeatedly. While turkey sandwiches and reheated plates are classics, there’s always an opportunity to transform familiar flavors into something entirely new and exciting. This year, I’ve found an ingenious solution that’s both comforting and incredibly easy: Instant Pot BBQ Turkey Enchilada Soup.
Even though holiday celebrations might look different this year, with smaller, more intimate gatherings, one thing remains constant: there will be plenty of delicious food. And with plenty of food, comes the joyful task of reimagining the leftovers. My kitchen turns into a culinary playground every year after Thanksgiving, and crafting innovative turkey recipes has become a cherished tradition ever since I started this blog.
This year, my focus is squarely on turkey. Even if it’s just a smaller turkey breast for two, there’s always a good chance we’ll have some leftovers. That’s precisely where this incredibly simple yet flavorful Instant Pot BBQ Turkey Enchilada Soup shines. It’s a brilliant way to extend the holiday flavors without feeling like you’re eating the exact same meal day after day.
Why This Soup Will Be Your New Favorite Leftover Recipe
I’ve always been a huge fan of turkey in enchiladas. The rich, savory notes of white meat turkey pair exceptionally well with the robust and hearty flavors characteristic of traditional enchilada dishes. However, preparing a full batch of enchiladas can be quite labor-intensive, especially when you’re already recovering from holiday cooking.
That’s why I decided to transform those beloved flavors into a convenient and comforting soup. And to give it an extra layer of deliciousness, I added a BBQ twist! This ingenious combination leverages common pantry staples, particularly a high-quality BBQ sauce, to create a dish that’s both familiar and exciting. The Instant Pot makes it even easier, ensuring you get a deeply flavored soup in a fraction of the time it would take on the stovetop.
The Secret Ingredient: Head Country Bar-B-Q Sauce
For this particular recipe, I highly recommend Head Country Bar-B-Q Hot & Spicy Sauce. Its perfectly balanced heat combined with that signature, rich BBQ flavor creates an incredible depth that truly makes this soup stand out. Head Country Bar-B-Q sauces are consistently impressive, delivering powerful, authentic flavors that elevate any dish.
What I love most about Head Country is the exceptional quality and flavor packed into every bottle, often at a price point that’s far more accessible than other premium brands. Their range of sauces and seasonings has completely won me over, making it difficult to turn to any other brand once you’ve experienced the difference. The Hot & Spicy variant adds a delightful kick that complements the enchilada spices beautifully, but if you prefer a milder taste, their Original or smoky Chipotle sauces would also be fantastic choices.
This recipe is a fantastic way to break free from the traditional turkey, stuffing, and gravy combo, allowing you to enjoy your leftovers in a completely new light. It’s so good, in fact, that you might find yourself making turkey more often throughout the holiday season, just to have an excuse to whip up another batch of this soup!
Other Instant Pot Recipes You’ll Love:
- Instant Pot White Cheddar Mac and Cheese
- Instant Pot BBQ Short Rib Tacos
- Instant Pot Chipotle Chicken Tacos
- Instant Pot Mashed Potatoes
Essential Tools for This Recipe
To ensure a smooth and enjoyable cooking experience, here are the must-have tools for creating this incredible soup:
- Head Country Bar-B-Q Sauce: As mentioned, the Hot & Spicy variety is my top pick for its perfect balance of heat and flavor, but Original or Chipotle will also yield delicious results.
- Quality Chef’s Knife and Cutting Board: Essential for efficiently prepping your onion and garlic.
- Instant Pot: My personal favorite is the Instant Pot Ultra, which makes pressure cooking incredibly simple. If you prefer, I’ve also included detailed slow cooker instructions in the recipe notes.
- Wooden Spoon or Scraper: This is crucial for stirring ingredients and, more importantly, for scraping up any browned bits from the bottom of the Instant Pot. This step prevents the “burn” warning during pressure cooking and adds fantastic flavor.
Let’s Make Instant Pot BBQ Turkey Enchilada Soup!
Step 1: Sauté Aromatics
Begin by adding olive oil to your Instant Pot and setting it to the Sauté function. Once the oil is shimmering, add the chopped yellow onion and cook until it softens and becomes translucent, which usually takes about 3 to 4 minutes. Stir occasionally to ensure even cooking. Next, stir in the minced garlic and cook for another 30 seconds to 1 minute, just until it becomes fragrant. Be careful not to burn the garlic, as it can turn bitter.
After the aromatics are cooked, turn off the Sauté function. This is a critical point: add a splash of chicken broth or enchilada sauce and use your wooden spoon to scrape up any browned bits that may have stuck to the bottom of the pot. This deglazing step not only incorporates those delicious caramelized flavors into your soup but also prevents the “burn” warning from appearing during the pressure cooking cycle.
Step 2: Pressure Cook the Soup Base
Now, add all the remaining ingredients for the soup base to the Instant Pot, *except* for the cooked turkey. This includes the rest of the chicken broth, enchilada sauce, Head Country BBQ sauce, chopped cilantro, rinsed black beans, diced tomatoes, frozen corn, cumin, and dried oregano. Stir everything together until well combined.
Secure the lid, set the venting knob to the sealing position, and pressure cook on High for just 10 minutes. Once the cooking time is complete, perform a manual quick release of the pressure. This will allow you to quickly open the pot and move on to the next step.
Step 3: Add Turkey and Serve
With the pressure released, carefully remove the lid. Stir in your shredded or roughly chopped leftover turkey. The residual heat from the soup will quickly warm the turkey through. If you’re working with larger pieces of turkey or if your turkey is particularly cold, you may want to leave the Instant Pot on its “Warm” function for a few minutes after stirring to ensure everything is piping hot. Taste the soup and season with salt and pepper to your preference.
Serve this hearty soup in bowls with all your favorite toppings! The possibilities are endless for customizing each serving to individual tastes.
Looking for more comforting soup ideas? Explore my extensive soup recipes page for inspiration!
Slow Cooker Adaptation for This Recipe
If you prefer the set-it-and-forget-it convenience of a slow cooker, this recipe can easily be adapted. While it takes longer, the slow cooker also allows the flavors to meld beautifully over an extended period, creating an equally delicious result.
To begin, heat olive oil in a medium skillet over medium-high heat on your stovetop. Add the chopped onion and cook until softened, about 4 to 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Then, stir in the minced garlic and cook for an additional 30 seconds to 1 minute until fragrant. Transfer this aromatic mixture into your slow cooker insert.
Add all the remaining ingredients to the slow cooker (except for the cooked turkey), including chicken broth, enchilada sauce, Head Country BBQ sauce, cilantro, black beans, diced tomatoes, corn, cumin, and oregano. Stir everything well to combine.
Cover and cook on High for 3 hours or on Low for 6 hours, until the vegetables are tender and the flavors have fully developed. In the last 30 minutes of cooking on High heat (or the final hour on Low heat), stir in your shredded or chopped leftover turkey. Cover again and continue cooking until the turkey is thoroughly warmed through. Serve hot with your preferred toppings.
Instant Pot BBQ Turkey Enchilada Soup Recipe
The simplest and most flavorful way to use up leftover turkey? This incredible Instant Pot BBQ Turkey Enchilada Soup!
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 15 minutes
Total Time: 20 minutes
Equipment
- Utility Cutting Board
- Wusthof Knife Set
- Wooden Spoon & Scraper
- Instant Pot Ultra 6 Qt (or similar pressure cooker/slow cooker)
Ingredients
Soup Base
- 2 tsp olive oil
- 1/2 medium yellow onion, chopped
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 3 cups low sodium chicken broth
- 1 (15 oz) can enchilada sauce (mild, medium, or hot!)
- 1/4 cup Head Country Hot & Spicy BBQ Sauce (or Original/Chipotle)
- 1/4 cup chopped cilantro, plus more for garnish
- 1 (15 oz) can black beans, rinsed and drained
- 1 (14.5 oz) can petite diced tomatoes
- 2 cups frozen corn
- 1 tsp cumin
- 1/2 tsp dried oregano
- 16 oz shredded or roughly chopped leftover turkey
Optional Toppings
- Shredded cheddar cheese
- Chopped green onion
- Extra chopped cilantro
- Diced or sliced avocado
- Sour cream or Greek yogurt
- Tortilla chips
Instructions
- Add olive oil to your Instant Pot insert and set to Sauté. Once the oil is hot, add the chopped onion and cook until softened, about 3 to 4 minutes, stirring occasionally. Stir in the minced garlic and cook until fragrant, about 30 seconds to 1 minute. Turn the Instant Pot off.
- Pour in chicken broth, enchilada sauce, and Head Country Hot & Spicy BBQ Sauce. Use a wooden spoon to thoroughly scrape up any browned bits of onion or garlic that may have stuck to the bottom of the insert. This is crucial to prevent a “burn” warning during pressure cooking. Add cilantro, black beans, diced tomatoes, frozen corn, cumin, and dried oregano. Stir well to combine all ingredients.
- Secure the lid on the Instant Pot and set the venting knob to the sealing position. Cook on High pressure for 10 minutes. Once cooking is complete, perform a quick manual release of the pressure.
- Carefully remove the lid. Keep the Instant Pot on the “Warm” setting and stir in the shredded or chopped turkey. The turkey should heat through quickly. If you have larger chunks or prefer it hotter, allow it to sit on the Warm setting for up to 5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until warmed through. Taste the soup and season with additional salt and pepper as desired.
- Ladle the hot soup into bowls and serve immediately with your favorite toppings!
Notes
Slow Cooker Instructions: Heat oil in a medium skillet over medium-high heat. Once hot, add onion and cook until softened, about 4 to 5 minutes, stirring occasionally. Stir in garlic and cook for about 30 seconds to 1 minute until fragrant. Add this sautéed mixture to your slow cooker insert along with all remaining soup ingredients, except for the turkey. Cook on High for 3 hours or on Low for 6 hours, until heated through and flavors have blended. In the last 30 minutes of cooking on High (or the last hour on Low), stir in the cooked turkey. Cover and continue cooking until the turkey is fully warmed. Serve hot.
Cuisine: American
Category: Instant Pot, Soup
This Instant Pot BBQ Turkey Enchilada Soup is a true game-changer for holiday leftovers or simply as a comforting meal any time of year. It’s a testament to how simple ingredients, combined with a little creativity and the magic of an Instant Pot, can produce something truly extraordinary. Whether you’re using up Thanksgiving turkey or just craving a robust and flavorful soup, this recipe promises to deliver warmth, spice, and pure satisfaction. Enjoy!