This caldo de pollo recipe is a rustic, hearty, and authentic Mexican chicken soup. With tender chicken, wholesome veggies, and a richly seasoned broth, it’s packed with simple yet bold flavors. Perfect for chilly days, each spoonful offers a taste of homestyle comfort!
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Test Kitchen Review
Victoria
This was my first time making caldo de pollo, and it came out great and tastes just like it did when I had it in Mexico! I did end up adding more chicken bouillon, but it was still an amazing soup that I’ll be making anytime the weather cools off. In my house, we love spicy food, so next time, I might even try adding some blended rehydrated chiles.
There’s something so comforting about a big pot of soup simmering away. Caldo de Pollo is the kind of comfort food that reminds you of home. Similar to our caldo de res recipe, this rustic Mexican chicken soup is filled with hearty vegetables and a rich, homemade broth that is packed with flavor. Whenever someone in my family starts feeling under the weather, this is the first thing I whip up!
Why You’ll Love This Caldo de Pollo Recipe
If you love Mexican soups, make sure to check out our caldo de albondigas (Mexican meatball soup), crockpot chicken pozole, and pork pozole verde!
Key Ingredients
Below you will find helpful notes for key ingredients used to make this caldo de pollo recipe. Check the recipe card at the bottom of this post for the full ingredient list.
- Chicken: You can use a whole cut-up chicken or just thighs and legs, but don’t remove the bone or skin. This gives so much flavor and the skin can be removed before eating, if desired.
- Vegetables: White onion (or yellow), Roma tomatoes (as they are meatier with less juice), green cabbage, potatoes, carrots (fresh whole carrots have the most flavor), corn on the cob (fresh or frozen), a green bell pepper, and chayote squash.
- Chayote Squash: Traditional Mexican soup uses Chayote which is a small, rounder, light green squash that is similar to zucchini. You can also use calabacita squash, zucchini, or even a yellow squash, if that’s what you have on hand.
- Green Bell Pepper: Using green peppers enhances the other flavors. It’s important not to use red or yellow ones, because they are too sweet for this soup.
- Herbs: Fresh thyme (or dried works too), fresh mint, fresh oregano (or dried Mexican oregano) and cilantro.
- Mint: The addition of mint, or Yerba Buena in Mexico, is a very important ingredient in many regions of Mexico. However, you can skip it if you aren’t a fan!
- Cilantro: I know some of you out there don’t like cilantro, and that’s ok! You can omit it or use parsley and/or green onions.
- Chicken Bouillon: Chicken bouillon is a really simple way to boost the flavor of the stock.
- Lime: Adding a little fresh lime juice will bring all the flavors to life!
How to Make Caldo de Pollo
This comforting caldo de pollo recipe comes together with just a few simple steps! Here’s a quick tutorial showing how to make this hearty chicken soup. Scroll down to the recipe card for full instructions or to watch the step-by-step video.
- Simmer the chicken to make your flavorful broth. Add water, chicken, half of an onion, garlic, salt, and pepper to a large pot. Simmer for about 20 minutes.
- Sauté the diced onions, tomatoes, bell pepper, and celery. Add the veggie mixture into the pot with the chicken. Remove the onion half, it was only there to add more flavor to the stock.
- Add the rest of the vegetables, herbs, and chicken bouillon. Stir to combine until the bouillon dissolves. Then add a whole bunch of cilantro and let it all simmer for about 30 minutes.
- Serve and enjoy! The soup is done once the potatoes are tender. You might want to remove the cilantro, but it’s completely fine if you want to leave it in. Serve with a squeeze of fresh lime juice on top to make the flavors pop!
Chef’s Tips and Variations
- Broth Depth: Use bone-in, skin-on chicken to deepen the broth’s flavor!
- Spice it Up: For a touch of heat, add sliced jalapeño or serrano peppers to the pot. Adjust to your family’s taste preference.
- Even More Flavor: Simmer the soup on very low for up to a few hours to develop even richer flavors.
- Slow Cooker Option: If you prefer, transfer the soup to a slow cooker and let it simmer on low for 6 to 8 hours. The flavors meld beautifully over time.
How to Serve Caldo de Pollo
Caldo de pollo is a hearty and rustic soup filled with large pieces of chicken and vegetables. When serving, use large bowls and feel free to use your hands if needed!
- Remove Bones: Removing the bones before serving is super easy as the chicken will fall right off the bone! You can also roughly shred the deboned chicken, making it easier to eat with a spoon.
- Corn: If you prefer not to use your hands, you can cut the corn kernels off the cob. Add the corn kernels back to your soup bowl and toss the cob.
- Garnishes: Serve with fresh lime wedges, chopped cilantro, or diced avocado for a pop of flavor and color. Hot sauce is always an option too!
- Add Rice: A classic variation is to add a scoop of white rice to each bowl, making the soup even more filling and comforting.
- Tortillas: A warm tortilla (corn tortillas or homemade flour tortillas) rolled up on the side are always delicious. A batch of bolillos would also be amazing!
Make Ahead, Storing, Reheating, and Freezing
- Make Ahead: This soup is even better the next day after the flavors have had more time to develop! Just store and reheat as directed below, adding fresh cilantro and a squeeze of lime just before serving for the freshest taste.
- Storing: Caldo de pollo makes the best leftovers! Cool the soup completely then transfer it to an air-tight container. Store in the fridge for up to 5 days.
- Reheating: You can reheat the soup in the microwave (make sure you cover it with a paper towel) for about 2 minutes, until it’s warmed through. If reheating a large portion, use the stovetop or crockpot to heat the soup.
- Freezing: This soup will freeze well for up to 3 months. For best results, thaw soup in the fridge overnight before reheating.
Yield: 10 servings
Caldo de Pollo Recipe
This hearty and authentic Caldo de Pollo recipe is brimming with tender chicken and wholesome veggies in a richly seasoned broth. It's simple to make, nourishing, and guaranteed to warm you up on a chilly evening!
Ingredients
- 8-10 cups water, or low-sodium chicken broth
- 4 pounds chicken, whole cut up (or thighs and drumsticks)
- 1 large white onion, halved, one half left whole and the other diced
- 4 cloves garlic
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon pepper
- 1 teaspoon olive oil
- 2 Roma tomatoes, diced
- 1 green bell pepper, seeded and diced
- 3 stalks celery, sliced
- 2 cups chopped cabbage
- 2 large potatoes, cubed
- 2 corn on the cob, each cob cut into 3 pieces
- 3 large carrots, peeled and cut into 2 inch slices
- 2 chayote squash, calabacitas, or zucchini, cut into 3rds and sliced lengthwise into 4ths
- 1 sprig fresh mint, optional
- 1 teaspoon minced fresh thyme, ½ tsp dried thyme
- 1 teaspoon minced fresh Mexican Oregano, or ½ tsp dried Mexican Oregano
- 1 tablespoon chicken bouillon
- 1 large bunch cilantro, divided, ½ chopped, half left whole
- 1 lime, cut into wedges, for serving
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Instructions
- Pour 8 cups of water into a large stock pot and add the chicken, the half onion (not diced), garlic, salt and pepper. Bring to a low boil and then cook over medium heat for 20 minutes.
- While the chicken is cooking, heat olive oil in a large skillet. Add the diced onions, tomatoes, bell pepper and celery to the pan and cook until tender. Remove from heat and set aside.
- After the chicken has cooked for 20 minutes, pour the onion and tomato mixture into the chicken and remove the large onion piece from the pot of soup. Add the cabbage, potatoes, corn, carrots, squash, herbs, and chicken bouillon to the soup.
- Place the whole cilantro bunch on top of the soup and bring it back to a simmer. Cook the soup for 30 minutes, or until the chicken is cooked through and the potatoes are fork tender.
- Taste soup and season with more salt, or chicken bouillon, if desired. Remove cilantro pieces before serving, if you wish, or serve them in the soup. We go a little light on the salt/bouillon in the recipe…as it's always easy to add more to suit your tastes, but you can't take it out!
- Serve the soup garnished with more freshly chopped cilantro and a lime wedge.
Video
Notes
Storage: Store any leftover soup in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to five days. The flavors tend to deepen as it sits, making it even tastier the next day.
Reheat: Heat the soup in the microwave (covering it with a paper towel) for about 2 minutes, until warmed through. If reheating a large portion, you can use the stovetop or crockpot.
Freeze: If you’d like to freeze it, let the soup cool completely before transferring it to freezer-safe containers. Freeze for up to three months.
Nutrition
Serving: 1 serving, Calories: 304kcal, Carbohydrates: 18g, Protein: 19g, Fat: 17g, Saturated Fat: 5g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 4g, Monounsaturated Fat: 7g, Trans Fat: 0.1g, Cholesterol: 96mg, Sodium: 359mg, Potassium: 642mg, Fiber: 4g, Sugar: 4g, Vitamin A: 3389IU, Vitamin C: 33mg, Calcium: 52mg, Iron: 2mg
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Yeah, no. NO MINT for me, did add a nice pinch of cumin, and used the zucchini, adding all those wonderful veggies at the 20 min mark still left them with a bit of bite, which was enjoyed. not mushy. Had to make Mex. rice with homemade tortillas and homemade salsa from my garden. Wow, so satisfying on this cold chilly day. Keeper for this winter !
I have precooked chicken that I made yesterday but no chicken broth. What do you suggest I do to make the caldo? Should I buy chicken broth?
Hi Dennise, to be totally honest, I would honestly recommend waiting until you had fresh chicken. You will never get the depth of flavor that makes this soup so good by using already cooked chicken and store bought broth.
What can I use instead of the bouillon?
Brown chicken in pot before adding water, and add salt. This should enhance the chicken flavor nicely. I will likely do that anyway.
Hi Mirna, the bouillon adds salt and a more intense chicken flavor. It really helps to flavor up the broth a lot! However, if you don’t have it, you can just add additional salt to taste!
This is a great looking recipe. However, whatever chicken dish you’re making, it’s critical to start with a good-quality bird, not a supermarket brand like Perdue or Tyson — they have no flavor. Use a free-range organic chicken, or one from a quality brand like Belle & Evans, and you will not need to add any bouillon.
In this recipe you could also add some hominy.
This is a wonderful recipe. It takes me back to my childhood. I love all the fresh vegetables and herbs. You don’t want to leave out the fresh lime and cilantro to finish it off. It compliments this soup recipe so much! It’s definitely even better the second day.
Made this and my mom said it tastes like my abuelas!
Follow directions and this will come out so good. Just as I remember it, from my childhood. Tasty, warm and has so many good veggies in it.
Couldn’t you use a can of chopped green chilies instead of thd green pepper??
Sure!
I added 1 jalapeño whole to add a little kick it came out great