Caldo de Pollo — Mexican chicken soup at its finest. Tender chicken in a deeply flavored, gently spicy broth — comfort for the body and the soul.
Soup has a kind of magic. As it simmers, aromas develop and soothe the spirit; the slow building of flavor can make even a busy or stressed day feel a little kinder. Whether you prefer a hearty stew or a bright, brothy bowl, there’s something about simmered soup that feels restorative.
Caldo de Pollo is one of those soups I return to when I want something substantial yet clean-tasting. It rewards the time you invest: long, gentle cooking creates a broth that tastes like the sum of all its humble parts — and better.
Caldo de Pollo
I enjoy soups with texture and substance. A pot full of ingredients that slowly break down into a rich broth and tender morsels of meat and vegetables is exactly the kind of cooking I love. This is an old-school soup that’s worth the hours it takes: simple, unfussy, and soul-warming.
Mexican Chicken Soup (Caldo de Pollo) is one of those all-day, totally worth-it recipes.
Caldo de Pollo Recipe
This chicken soup requires time, not complexity. It’s easy to make, needs minimal attention while it cooks, and delivers a broth and tender meat that feel like home.
How to Make Caldo de Pollo
The process happens in two stages: make the broth, then build the soup.
STEP 1. Make the broth
For the broth you’ll need:
- Chicken (one large roasting chicken, giblets removed)
- Onions
- Garlic
- Carrots
- Jalapeños
- Cider vinegar
- Cilantro
- Dried chiles (optional: guajillo or ancho)
Place all broth ingredients in a large stockpot, countertop roaster, or slow cooker. Cover with about 1 inch of water. Cook over low heat for roughly 8 hours, or until the chicken is fall-apart tender. Use tongs and a slotted spoon to remove solids, then strain the broth through a fine mesh sieve or cheesecloth-lined colander. Chill the strained broth in an ice bath until the fat separates, then skim it off. You can also refrigerate the broth overnight so the fat solidifies and is easier to remove. Discard the soft vegetables and reserve the cooked chicken.
STEP 2. Make the soup
To finish the soup you’ll need additional carrots, potatoes, and salt, plus the reserved chicken and the strained broth.
Add the broth, diced Yukon Gold potatoes, diced carrots, and kosher salt to a large pot. Bring to a boil, then reduce heat and simmer until the vegetables are tender, about 20 minutes. Meanwhile, pull the meat from the cooled chicken, discarding skin and bones, and shred or chop the meat into bite-sized pieces. Add the chicken to the pot to warm through. Taste and adjust salt as needed.
How to Serve Caldo de Pollo
Serve each bowl with a generous spoonful of cilantro-onion garnish, a few jalapeño rings, avocado cubes, and a squeeze of lime. For gatherings, put bowls of garnishes on the table so everyone can customize their bowl. The combination of mellow, tender vegetables and chicken in the hot, flavorful broth with bright, crunchy garnishes is what makes this soup sing.
Cook’s Notes
- You can make the broth in a stockpot, countertop roaster, or slow cooker. A larger vessel makes double batches easy.
- Vegetables used to flavor the broth become very soft after long simmering; they contribute depth to the stock but usually aren’t appealing to eat. Use them for compost or feed to animals if you like.
- Skimming fat is easiest after refrigerating the broth overnight; if short on time, let it sit undisturbed for 30–60 minutes and skim with a ladle.
- Let the chicken cool while the second-stage vegetables cook — it gives you time to shred the meat and prepare garnishes.
- Squeezing lime over the chopped onion mellows its sharpness and adds bright flavor — don’t skip it.
- Avocado is optional but delicious. Extra lime wedges at the table enhance the final flavor.
- Fresh jalapeño slices are optional but welcome, especially when you want a little heat.
- Some people like this soup served over rice; it’s excellent either way.
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Caldo de Pollo
Mexican Chicken Soup {Caldo de Pollo}
Rebecca Lindamood
15 mins
20 mins
Ingredients
For the Broth:
- 1 large whole roasting chicken, giblets removed
- 3 large carrots, scrubbed and trimmed
- 2 large onions, peeled and halved
- 10 cloves garlic, peeled but left whole
- 3 fresh jalapeño peppers, scrubbed and pierced
- 2 stems cilantro
- 2 tablespoons cider vinegar
- Optional: 2 dried chiles (guajillo or ancho), wiped clean
For the Soup:
- 1 batch of the strained broth
- 3 Yukon Gold potatoes, scrubbed and diced into 1/4-inch cubes
- 2 or 3 carrots, scrubbed and diced into 1/4-inch cubes
- 2 teaspoons kosher salt
- Meat from the chicken that simmered in the broth (shredded)
- Additional kosher salt to taste
For the Garnish:
- 1 large sweet or mild white onion, peeled and diced finely
- 3 limes (2 juiced, 1 cut into wedges)
- 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt
- Handful cilantro leaves, coarsely chopped
- 1 fresh jalapeño, thinly sliced into rounds
- 1 ripe avocado, halved, pitted, and cubed
Instructions
To Make the Broth:
- Add all broth ingredients to a large pot or slow cooker. Cover with about 1 inch of water and cook over low heat for about 8 hours, until the chicken is very tender. Remove solids with a slotted spoon, strain the broth, chill to separate fat, then skim and reserve the chicken.
To Make the Soup:
- Add the strained broth, diced potatoes, diced carrots, and 2 teaspoons kosher salt to a large pot. Bring to a boil, then simmer until the vegetables are tender, about 20 minutes. Shred the reserved chicken, discard skin and bones, add the meat to the pot to heat through, and adjust salt to taste.
To Make the Cilantro Onion Garnish:
- Toss the chopped onion with the juice of two limes and 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt. Let sit 10 minutes, then stir in the chopped cilantro.
To Serve:
- Ladle soup into bowls and pass garnishes. Top each bowl with a scoop of the cilantro-onion mixture, a few jalapeño rings, a lime wedge, and avocado cubes.
Nutrition
Carbohydrates: 29 g
Protein: 27 g
Fat: 22 g
Nutritional information is an estimate. Calculate nutrition using your actual ingredients if needed.
Did you make this recipe?
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This post was originally published October 30, 2014.