Caldo de Pollo

Caldo de Pollo is the ultimate comfort food. This warm, nourishing Mexican chicken soup is full of tender chicken, hearty vegetables, and perfectly cooked rice. It’s packed with rich flavors and comes together in about 45 minutes, making it an excellent option for a cozy family dinner or meal prep for the week.

There’s nothing better than a big bowl of hot soup on a chilly day, and this one is going to jump into your regular recipe rotation in a snap! It is easy to make, and your whole family will be reaching for seconds once they taste that first bite.

Try this next: If you love comforting soups, check out my Chicken Tortilla Soup or Albondigas Soup!

Why I Love This Recipe

• Simple and Flavorful – Using boneless chicken thighs speeds up cooking without sacrificing flavor.
• Nutritious & Hearty – Loaded with vegetables and protein for a well-balanced meal.
• Customizable – Swap out veggies or add spice to suit your taste.
• Easy One-Pot Meal – Fewer dishes to wash means more time to enjoy your meal.

RECIPE WALK-THROUGH

Ingredient Notes

• Boneless, skinless chicken thighs – Cook faster but still provide great flavor. If you prefer, you can use bone-in chicken for a richer broth.
• Chicken broth + water – A combination of both creates a more flavorful base when using boneless chicken.
• Zucchini – Add this near the end of cooking to keep it from getting too soft.
• Cooked rice – Serving the rice separately prevents it from absorbing too much broth and becoming mushy.

How To Make Caldo de Pollo

See the recipe card below for full, detailed instructions

Sauté the vegetables – Heat olive oil in a large Dutch oven, then cook the onions, celery, and carrots until softened. Stir in garlic, cumin, bay leaf, salt, and pepper.

Simmer the soup – Add the chicken thighs, corn, diced tomatoes (with juice), water, and broth. Bring to a boil, then cover and simmer for 20-30 minutes until the chicken is fully cooked.

Shred the chicken – Remove it from the pot, shred or chop it, then return it to the soup. Add the zucchini and continue cooking for another 5-10 minutes.

Serve – Spoon cooked rice into serving bowls, then ladle the hot soup over the top. Garnish with fresh cilantro and lime wedges.

Serving Suggestions

• Add a diced jalapeño or a pinch of cayenne for some heat.
• Stir in a handful of fresh spinach or kale for extra greens.
• Swap the zucchini for chayote or potatoes for a different texture.
• Serve with warm corn tortillas or a crusty bolillo roll on the side.

More Mexican Soup Recipes

• Green Chile Chicken Enchilada Soup
• Albondigas Soup
• Instant Pot Chicken Tortilla Soup
• Turkey Taco Soup
• Pozole Verde

Recipe

Caldo de Pollo

4.85 from 13 votes

Kristin Maxwell

Caldo de Pollo is a simple and rustic Mexican chicken soup with a rich and flavorful broth, and tender chunks of chicken and vegetables.

Prep Time 10 minutes mins

Cook Time 45 minutes mins

Total Time 55 minutes mins

Servings 6

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Ingredients

  

1x2x3x

• 1 tablespoon Cooking oil like olive, canola or avocado
• 1 medium Onion diced
• 3 medium Carrots peeled and cut into 1-inch chunks
• 3 stalks Celery cut into 1-inch chunks
• 2 Garlic cloves minced
• 1 teaspoon Ground cumin
• 1 Bay leaf
• Kosher salt to taste
• Black pepper to taste
• 2 cups Water
• 32 ounces Low-sodium chicken broth
• 2 pounds Boneless skinless chicken thighs
• 15 ounces Canned corn drained
• 15 ounces Canned diced tomatoes with the juice
• 1 medium Zucchini cut in half lengthwise, then sliced into 1-inch chunks
• 1 ½ cups Cooked Mexican rice or white rice
• Cilantro and lime wedges for serving

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Instructions

 

• Melt 1 tablespoon olive oil in a dutch oven over medium heat. Add diced onion, celery and carrots. Cook, stirring frequently, until vegetables are beginning to soften; 3-4 minutes. Add minced garlic, cumin, bay leaf, ½ teaspoon of black pepper and a teaspoon of kosher salt. Cook, stirring frequently, for 1-2 minutes.
• Add chicken, corn, tomatoes (undrained), water and broth. Bring to a boil, then cover and simmer for 20-30 minutes, or until chicken is cooked through and vegetables are tender.
• Remove chicken and transfer to a cutting board. Add zucchini and continue to simmer, uncovered for 5-10 minutes, or until zucchini is tender. Meanwhile, chop or shred the chicken and add back to the soup.
• Remove from heat, and prepare to serve. Add about ¼ cup of cooked rice to each serving bowl, then ladle in soup. Garnish with cilantro and serve with lime wedges

Notes

• Boneless, skinless chicken thighs: I used boneless chicken, because it just cooks faster. This is where it gets a little controversial, because you can get a ton of flavor from simmering the bones. But, like I mentioned earlier, I was going for simplicity as well as flavor so I used boneless. You can also use boneless chicken breast, but you may want to use more broth than water.
• Chicken broth + water: Because I used boneless chicken, I needed to richen the broth. I used half and half because cooking the chicken in the water and broth will add flavor but not quite enough. You could absolutely use bone-in chicken and then use just water if you want the most authentic flavor.

Keyword caldo de pollo, mexican chicken soup

Nutrition

Calories: 369kcalCarbohydrates: 31gProtein: 36gFat: 11gSaturated Fat: 2gTrans Fat: 1gCholesterol: 144mgSodium: 428mgPotassium: 955mgFiber: 2gSugar: 5gVitamin A: 5295IUVitamin C: 17mgCalcium: 75mgIron: 3mg

Nutritional Disclaimer Kristin Maxwell of “Yellow Bliss Road” is not a dietician or nutritionist, and any nutritional information shared is an estimate. For accurate calorie counts and other nutritional values, we recommend running the ingredients through your preferred online nutritional calculator. Calories and other nutritional values can vary depending on which brands were used.

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