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Caldo de Pollo, or Mexican Chicken Soup, is a light and flavorful soup made with homemade chicken broth, juicy shredded chicken thighs, and fresh vegetables, including cabbage, carrots, peppers, and zucchini. Gluten-free and dairy-free, it is guaranteed to warm you from the inside out.
No week is complete without a big pot of hot soup simmering on the stove. I love soup of any kind, but Caldo de Pollo is one of my favorites. Made entirely from scratch, this simple, satisfying, and flavorful Mexican chicken soup recipe will warm you from the inside out and help you feel better when you’re feeling crummy.
What is Caldo de Pollo?
Caldo de pollo (also known as sopa de caldo) is Spanish for “chicken broth,” or “chicken soup.” It’s a traditional Mexican-style chicken soup made with whole, bone-in pieces of chicken and vegetables. Compared to many American-style chicken soups, it is chunkier, heartier, and more rustic in flavor and presentation.
Readers agree this is the best caldo de pollo recipe. Here’s what Olivia had to say:
Delicious Mexican Chicken Soup. Easy to make! Had all the ingredients my grandma and mom used in their soup.
– Olivia
Ingredient Notes
You can find the complete list of ingredients with measurements in the recipe card below.
- Chicken: Traditional caldo de pollo recipes are made using a whole chicken – just like you do when making homemade chicken stock. To save time without compromising flavor, I swapped the whole chicken for one bone-in skin-on chicken breast, two whole bone-in skin-on chicken legs, and six bone-in skinless chicken thighs. You can use boneless, skinless chicken; however, using bone-in chicken pieces results in juicier shredded chicken and the best-tasting broth. Feel free to use whatever combination of chicken you’d like, keeping in mind that chicken breasts will dry out and become somewhat chewier if they simmer for much longer than 25 minutes.
- For the Broth: In addition to whole chicken pieces, the caldos (aka broth) is simmered with whole smashed garlic cloves, bay leaves, and salt. This is the first step in making homemade caldos de pollo.
- Vegetables: Before adding any vegetables, the broth is strained into a new pot and the chicken is set aside to cool before shredded. At this point onions, carrots, and celery (mirepoix) are cooked in a little olive oil until softened. Finally after, the remaining vegetables are added. In this recipe, we’re adding potatoes, zucchini, cabbage, corn, and jalapeños (optional).
- Fresh lime juice and cilantro are also added. The lime juice is a non-negotiable. If you think cilantro tastes like soap, I highly recommend serving it on the side.
Step-by-Step Instructions
Here’s a visual overview of how to make this recipe. For detailed instructions and the full printable recipe, scroll down to the recipe card below.
- Make the broth: Add the chicken, smashed garlic, bay leaves, salt, and water to a large Dutch oven. Bring to a boil, then cover and simmer on low for 45–60 minutes.
- Strain the broth: Remove the chicken from the broth and let it cool. Strain the broth through a fine mesh strainer into a clean pot and set aside.
- Shred the chicken once it is cool enough to handle.
- Sauté the aromatics: In the same pot, heat the olive oil over medium heat. Cook onions, celery and carrots until the onions are soft.
- Add the vegetables & simmer: Add the potatoes, corn, lime juice, and the reserved broth. Bring to a boil, then cover and simmer for 15–20 minutes, or until the veggies are tender.
- Finish the soup: Add the shredded chicken, zucchini, cabbage, and cilantro. Simmer for 5–15 more minutes; season with salt to taste, and serve.
Recipe TipS
- Use bone-in chicken. I discuss this in length in the “Ingredient Notes” section above, but using bone-in, skin-on chicken pieces (thighs, drumsticks, etc) are your best bet for a rich and flavorful broth.
- Monitor the temperature of your chicken. Whenever I make homemade chicken broth, I keep my digital meat thermometer handy to prevent overcooking the meat. Bone-in, skin-on dark meat (whole chicken, thighs, and drumsticks) can simmer gently for about 45-60 minutes (but no more than 2 hours). If I’m adding chicken breast, I will add it in the final 30 minutes or so of cooking.
- Skim the foam. As the broth simmers, you’ll notice mucky-looking foam collecting on the top of your broth. I like to use a small fine-mesh strainer to skim off any foam and impurities, helping make a clearer, more clean-tasting broth.
- Prevent overcooked vegetables. Add sturdier, less watery vegetables (like potatoes and carrots) early on, and more delicate ones (like zucchini and cabbage) toward the end to keep them from turning mushy.
Serving Suggestions
I love to serve my chicken caldo soup with a side of tortilla chips or warm corn tortillas. I also like to top mine with diced white or green onions, sliced jalapeño or serrano chilies (for a little heat!), fresh cilantro, avocado, and a squeeze of fresh lime juice. Sometimes I’ll even add a scoop of cooked cilantro lime rice or Mexican rice!
Note: I like to leave the corn on the cob and take a bite when I want a pop of sweetness, but feel free to cut the corn from the cob if you don’t like eating with your hands.
Storage and Freezing
Leftovers are best enjoyed within 4-5 days, thoroughly reheating each time.
To freeze, allow the soup to cool in the refrigerator completely before transferring it to freezer-safe containers or double-bag in freezer-friendly zip-lock bags. Remove most of the air, leaving just a small amount of space to allow the liquid to expand as it freezes. Freeze for up to 3 months.
To reheat, allow the soup to thaw in the fridge overnight. Transfer to a pot and cook until heated through, then garnish with all of your favorite toppings.
Frequently Asked Questions
Although you can technically make it with store-bought chicken broth and pre-cooked shredded chicken, it will taste a million times fresher when it’s made from scratch.
Yes. Just like my regular chicken soup recipe, this recipe tastes even better the next day as flavors are given time to develop. Allow the soup to cool before storing in the refrigerator for up to 4-5 days.
As written, this recipe isn’t spicy at all. You can add jalapeño, chili powder, or hot sauce to spice it up, if desired.
More Mexican Soup Recipes
If you make this Mexican Chicken Soup Recipe, I’d love to hear how it turned out in the comment section below! Your review will help other readers in the community. And if you’re hungry for more delicious food inspiration and exclusive content, join my free newsletter here.
Caldo de Pollo Recipe (Mexican Chicken Soup)
Ingredients
For the Chicken and Broth
- 4-5 lbs chicken pieces, I added a mix of bone-in skinless and skin-on chicken
- 6 cloves garlic, peeled and smashed
- 2 bay leaves
- 1 tablespoon salt
- 10 cups water
For the Caldo de Pollo
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 large onion, diced
- 3 ribs celery, chopped
- 5 carrots, peeled and chopped into 1-inch pieces
- 3-4 Yukon gold potatoes, chopped into equal-sized segments
- 4 ears corn, cut into 2-3 inch pieces
- 2 limes, juiced
- 4 small zucchini, halved and chopped
- 1 small green cabbage, cored and chopped
- salt and pepper, to taste
- ¼ cup fresh cilantro, chopped
- Optional toppings/garnishes, avocado, Jalapeño or serrano peppers, chopped cilantro, fresh lime juice, shredded cheese
Instructions
For the Chicken and Broth
- Transfer the chicken, garlic, bay leaves, salt, and water to a large heavy-bottomed stockpot or Dutch oven. Bring to a boil over high heat. Once boiling, cover and reduce heat to low. Simmer for at least 45-60 minutes, until the chicken is tender.
- Skim off any foam that may have formed on the top of the broth and use kitchen tongs to carefully remove the chicken from the pot. Transfer to a clean bowl or plate and set aside until cool enough to handle.
- Meanwhile, strain your homemade chicken broth through a fine-mesh strainer. Discard any solids or impurities left behind in the strainer and reserve the chicken broth for later.
- When chicken is cool enough to handle, shred or chop into small pieces. Set aside.
For the Caldo de Pollo
- Return your large, heavy-bottomed stockpot or Dutch oven to medium heat. Add the olive oil and diced onions. Cook, stirring frequently, for 3-4 minutes.
- Add the celery, carrots, potatoes, corn, and lime juice. Add the homemade chicken broth to the pot and increase heat to high. Bring to a boil, cover, and reduce heat to low. Simmer for 15-20 minutes, or until carrots are tender.
- Add the chicken back to the pot and mix in the zucchini, cabbage, cilantro. Season with salt and pepper, to taste and simmer for 5-10 minutes, or until zucchini is tender.
- Serve garnished with all your favorite toppings including avocado, sliced jalapeño or serrano peppers, cilantro, lime wedges, or shredded cheese.
Notes
- Use bone-in chicken: Thighs, drumsticks, or whole pieces with skin and bone create a richer, more flavorful broth.
- Monitor cooking time: Simmer dark meat for 45–60 minutes (no more than 2 hours). If using chicken breast, add it during the last 30 minutes to prevent drying out.
- Skim the foam: Use a fine-mesh strainer to remove foam and impurities as the broth simmers for a clearer, cleaner flavor.
- Stagger your veggies: Add the potatoes and carrots early; add zucchini and cabbage near the end to avoid overcooking.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
I found this soup online and won’t go back to regular chicken soup of any kind. This is the best recipe. The flavor is outstanding. I made this for a friend who was ill and chopped everything up finely. It was the only thing my friend was able to eat and she got better quickly. I love the cilantro and lime with the bay leaves. It gives the soup a whole different dimension of flavors that I find impossible to beat.
Really good recipe
My family loved this recipe, it exceeded all our expectations!
I made the chicken and broth in the instant pot, then followed the recipe for the rest of it in a pot. It turned out SO amazing. I omitted the lime juice so that we could put it in our own bowls. Rave reviews from everyone.
Delicious Mexican Chicken Soup. Easy to make! Had all the ingredients my grandma and mom used in their soup.
Thank you for the delicious feedback and rating Olivia 🙂
Best Soup I’ve ever made! It was smash at a dinner and plan to make it again. Thank you for this delicious recipe
Thank you for the delicious feedback and rating Stephanie 😀
I have a five month old so I don’t often have a chance to cook for myself so I meal prep when I can. The portion is perfect for a quick and easy meal prep. I’m eating a bowl now and oh my gosh, it’s SO GOOD. It’s bursting with flavor. I’m going to freeze half of it for now but I know I’ll eat it up soon with it being flu season. The recipe was easy to follow, quick to prep and cook. I will definitely be using this recipe many more times. Thank you!
My family always garnished with diced onion and a squeeze of fresh lime. Yum!
Also, there is a typo toward the beginning of the article, it should say “sopa,” not “soap.”
Thank you for catching that Rocio! And yes, onion and lime are great garnishes on this sopa 🙂