This EASY Caldo De Pollo recipe is a comforting and healthy authentic Mexican chicken soup that it’s irresistible! It’s hearty, loaded with vegetables, and is the perfect meal to make on a chilly day.
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Easy Mexican Chicken Soup
Caldo De Pollo (which translates to “chicken broth” in Spanish) is not just a soup, it’s a dish made in every Mexican home – and the first thing most Mexican families reach for when someone’s under the weather. With its delicious flavor and simple preparation, it’s no wonder this dish is always a family favorite!
It’s a nutritious soup packed with vitamins and minerals from the vegetables and lean protein from the chicken. It’s a wholesome choice for any meal and you’ll love how easy it is to make.
This is my family’s recipe that has been passed down through generations that I hope my kids make one day!
♥️ xo, Ana
Why you’ll love it
- Versatile and Flavorful: this sopa de pollo is a versatile dish that can be customized to suit your taste. You can add a variety of vegetables, herbs, and spices to enhance the flavor.
- It’s not just a comfort food; it’s a natural remedy too. It’s packed with fiber, vitamins, minerals, and antioxidants that can help boost your immune system. The chicken itself provides protein, while the vegetables in the soup offer essential nutrients that support overall health.
- It’s a light meal and it’s gentle on the stomach.
Ingredients
- Chicken: I use boneless skinless chicken breast to keep it low in fat and healthy. However, I add a couple of drumsticks to add more flavor. If you don’t mind more fat content in your soup, you’re more than welcome to use chicken thighs and wings with skin on.
- Vegetables: The veggies mix consists of carrots, celery, onions, corn on the cob, chayote, potatoes, and zucchini. Feel free to add your favorites or to omit the ones you don’t like or can’t find.
- Optional veggies: cabbage, green beans and lime wedges and avocados for garnish.
- Spices: I keep this recipe simple by using salt, pepper, chicken bouillon, oregano, garlic and cilantro. These are spices that create its unforgettable taste.
How to Make Caldo De Pollo
This is a visual overview of the steps to make this recipe. See the detailed list of ingredients & instructions in the recipe card below.
- Heat the oil in a large heavy-bottomed pot (8-quart) over medium heat. Add the onion and celery. Saute until onions start to soften, about 3 minutes. Add the garlic and cook a minute more.
- Add the water, tomato sauce, chicken pieces, and spices. Bring to a boil and reduce the heat to a simmer. Cover and cook for about 30 minutes until the chicken starts to soften.
- Add the cilantro, corn on the cob, chayote and potatoes and cook for 10 minutes. Then add the zucchini.
- Stir well and taste for salt and pepper and add more if needed. Cover and simmer for 10 more minutes. Turn off the heat and let it sit for 5 more minutes before serving.
- Ladle into bowls and drizzle lime juice and hot sauce.
Ana’s Recipe Tips
- Make ahead: Prepare the recipe ahead of time. It often tastes even better the next day as the flavors have more time to meld together.
- If you like spicy food, add sliced jalapeños or serrano peppers to enhance the flavor.
- Make sure you have a large pot. At least 8-quart stock pot.
Serving Suggestions
This is a one pot meal and it’s complete as is! There is no need to fuss with side dishes. However, nothing complements the heartiness of Caldo De Pollo like tortillas. Whether it’s warm corn tortillas or homemade flour tortillas, the combination is so delicious.
You can also make some Mexican red rice and add it inside the soup. This is a very classic way to eat this soup! It makes it heartier and the rice helps absorb some of the delicious broth.
Don’t forget to drizzle some lime juice and sprinkle some hot sauce for the ultimate combination of flavors. Mexican soups always taste better with this combo.
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Print Recipe:
Caldo de Pollo Mexican Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- ¾ medium white or yellow onion - chopped
- 2 celery sticks - chopped
- 4 large carrots
- 2 garlic cloves - whole or minced
- 9 cups water
- 1 8 ounces can tomato sauce
- 2 large skinless boneless chicken breast
- 2 chicken legs bone in - (skin is optional)
- 2 chicken flavour bouillon cubes
- 1 tablespoon kosher or sea salt (if using fine salt, use half the amount) - or more to taste
- ½ teaspoon black pepper - or more to taste
- 1 teaspoon dried Mexican oregano
- ¼ cup chopped cilantro
- 1 corn on the cob - cut into 5 pieces
- 1 chayote - cut into 2 inch cubes
- 2 large russet potatoes - cut into 2 inch cubes
- 2 medium zucchinis - cut into 2 inch cubes
- lime juice and hot sauce for serving.
Instructions
- Heat the oil in a large heavy-bottomed pot (5-quart) over medium heat. Add the onion, celery and carrots. Saute until onions start to soften, about 3 minutes. Add the garlic and cook a minute more.2 tablespoons olive oil, ¾ medium white or yellow onion, 2 celery sticks, 4 large carrots, 2 garlic cloves
- Add the water, tomato sauce, chicken, and spices. Bring to a boil and reduce the heat to a simmer. Cover and cook for about 30 minutes until the chicken starts to soften.9 cups water, 1 8 ounces can tomato sauce, 2 large skinless boneless chicken breast , 2 chicken legs bone in, 2 chicken flavour bouillon cubes, 1 tablespoon kosher or sea salt (if using fine salt, use half the amount), ½ teaspoon black pepper, 1 teaspoon dried Mexican oregano
- Add the cilantro, corn on the cob, chayote and potatoes and cook for 10 minutes. Then add the zucchini.¼ cup chopped cilantro, 1 chayote, 2 large russet potatoes, 2 medium zucchinis
- Taste for salt and pepper and add more if needed. Cover and simmer for 10 more minutes. Turn off the heat and let it sit for 5 more minutes before serving.
- Ladle into bowls and drizzle lime juice and hot sauce.
Notes
Your Private Notes
Nutrition
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes. Swap some or all of the 9 cups of water for low-sodium chicken broth. Just cut back on the bouillon cubes and salt so the soup doesn’t end up too salty – taste as you go.
Absolutely. Roughly chop it and toss it in at the same time as the zucchini, about 10 minutes before the soup is done.
Tomato bouillon works great; dissolve 1-2 tablespoons in warm water and use it in place of the sauce, then hold back on added salt. A can of crushed tomatoes blended smooth, or 2 tablespoons of tomato paste thinned with water, are good stand-ins too.
Delicious!!
Thank you Brenda! 😊
I made this before, and everyone ate until the pot was empty.
Don’t you love that? I’m glad to hear this caldo was a hit! Thanks for the review. xx Ana
Very good. My husband liked it, too. I did cook a little longer than what recipe calls for because potatoes weren’t quite ready.
This is a delicious recipe thank you very much! 🫶
Thank you so much Deziray! I’m so happy you liked it. Ana
My kids and I LOVE this recipe!! I’m trying to make it a second Tim and just realized I don’t have tomato sauce… is there anything I can substitute? I also have tomato bouillon, not sure if that would work
Hi! So happy to hear your kids love it too. 🙂 You’ve got a few good options here.
The tomato bouillon will actually work well as a substitute…. it’s what a lot of Mexican cooks use to season broths anyway. Since it’s already salted, just dissolve about 1-2 tablespoons in some warm water and add it in place of the tomato sauce, then hold back on the added salt and taste as it simmers so it doesn’t end up too salty.
If you want something closer to the original, a can of diced or crushed tomatoes blended smooth works great too, or even 2 tablespoons of tomato paste mixed with a little water to loosen it up. Fresh tomatoes work in a pinch, just blend 2-3 with a splash of water.
Let me know how it turns out with the tomato bouillon, I’m curious myself now!
xo, Ana
So delicious. You can vary ingredients. I put a spicy tomato sauce and add serrano peepers or whole jalapenos. It’s my second time making it. It’s a winner!
1st time making caldo de pollo! This recipe was perfect! Came out amazing. Used 8 cups low sodium chicken broth and the other 19 cups water. Love to have leftovers so I did 3x for my family of 6.
Thanks so much Shayla! I’m so happy to hear everyone loved it. Thanks for the kind review! xo, Ana
Sounds yummy! I have a question. 2 whole chicken bouillon? Thanks
I have IBS among other things it’s just not real heavy ..love it
Absolutely delicious!!!
I used organic chicken bone broth instead of water and added 5 cups instead of 9. Served it over lightly seasoned rice.
Will make this again
Perfection as written
I also like to add lettuce . Just rip off some leaves and throw em in roughly ten min before it’s done 😋
Absolutely love this recipe. I changed very little of the recipe and it always comes out better than any taco shop or restaurant. Being in California, that’s a huge compliment. This is one of our favorite Wintertime meals and is a go to whenever someone is sick. Today it’s for my daughter who has been sick with a cold and fever. As soon as she saw the stock pot she sighed and just said “thank you”. I always serve it with arroz and tortillas and have the lime and hot sauce, for those who want it extra spicy. It’s perfection and such a comfort. Great recipe, thank you for sharing!
It was high of 19 today, so caldo de pollo was in order! This was a great recipe and it was just like my mom’s! I haven’t had it in 25years (since I moved to Virginia from South Texas). I would have used my mom’s recipe, but she just says, “I don’t know, just throw it all in!” Thank you!!
Hands down the best soup I’ve ever had in my life! I boiled my a whole chicken! Wow, this was amazing! I added a can of fire roasted tomatoes which seemed to really enhance the flavor! Great recipe! Will be a household staple! I topped mine with avocado, cilantro, and radish then served it with Spanish rice and tortilla chips!
Very flavorful! We loved it. I used cauliflower in place of potatoes and it turned out great. Thank you for the recipe!
Made this tonight – was sooo delicious!! We made “happy bowls” and are stuffed! I used an 8 pack of chicken thighs, 5 mini frozen cobs and 5C chicken broth with 4C water.
The timing of the veggies was perfect! Nothing was mushy, everything cooked through!
I did skin the chayote b/c I’ve never cooked with it and it said online most prefer without the skin.
Thank you so much for sharing your recipe!
Hi Carli! Thanks for the kind review! I always leave the skin on the chayote as it gets soft when is cooked. But removing the skin won’t affect the outcome of the recipe so I’m glad that worked for you. Thank you so much for stopping by!
xo,
Ana
I absolutely love the soup, It was better than the Mexican restaurant.
So happy you loved it. It’s definitely one of my favorites!
Recipe was a hit with my husband. Reminded him of Mexico. Thank you for sharing this recipe:) I also enjoyed it.
Thank you Ashley! These flavors are so comforting for me as well and remind me of Mexico. I love how my kitchen smells when I’m cooking this caldo de pollo. Thanks for stopping by! xoxo, Ana
I’ve made this before and it came out delicious. But I’m also a beginner. Would the cooking time be longer if the breast is bone-in?
Hi MA! Cooking the chicken with the bones may take slightly more time (5 o 10 more minutes) and not enough to make a difference. I’m so happy you enjoyed it!
Delicious and easy! Tomato sauce was a game changer. Subbed 4cups veggie stock for the chicken bouillon and that worked great!
Since one of the major factors is adding the ingredients in the listed stages. It list I could add cabbage, with what stage would I add that?
I added cabbage chopped into chunks at the same time as the zucchini. Turned out great!
My husband isn’t a soup person and this recipe changed his mind!!! Absolutely delicious. I also added some fresh broccoli, some green beans and spinach. Came out amazing!
Oh, we’re so happy to hear that, Julissa! Thanks so much for sharing the additional veggies you used. The more the better!!
So….when do you put the carrots in??
Hi Teresa! On the first step with the celery and onions. I missed it but the recipe card has been fixed. thanks for the question!
Delishious. I will come back to this recipe time and time again. Thank you!
Hoy lo voy a hacer. Gracias Ana!!
I made this soup for dinner last night and OMG was it delicious! Perfectly comforting and easy to make!
This soup was packed with flavor, and super hearty and satisfying. Made for an easy dinner for my family last night!
Man, was this ever good. I loved the big chunks of veggies and the flavors were awesome!
This is some of the best soup I’ve ever made! I love the chicken and all the veggies, and the spices are wonderful.
Spectacular! Great with adjusting salt for cirrhosis liver patents.
It smelled so good while it was cooking, I couldn’t wait to try it. It was absolutely delicious.
Thank you Jen for the kind comment! I’m so happy you liked it.