This authentic Mexican Caldo de Pollo recipe is loaded with chicken, carrots, potatoes, corn, cabbage, jalapeños, and cilantro. Serve with rice, tortillas, and a squeeze of lime for a comforting meal.
If you're craving something warm, cozy, and seriously comforting, this caldo de pollo recipe is exactly what you need. It's a simple homemade Mexican chicken soup loaded with tender chicken, carrots, potatoes, zucchini, corn on the cob, cabbage, jalapeños, garlic, and fresh cilantro, all simmered together in a flavorful broth and finished with a squeeze of fresh lime juice. Served on its own or with a side of arroz blanco and warm tortillas for a filling comforting meal. Best of all, it’s so easy to make and ready in under an hour.
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Caldo de Pollo Ingredients
- whole chicken quartered or drumsticks and thighs
- garlic cloves
- onions
- carrots
- green cabbage
- corn on the cob pieces
- potatoes
- jalapeños
- cilantro
- lime
- salt and pepper
See my recipe card below for a complete list of the ingredients with measurements and instructions.
How to Make Caldo de Pollo (Mexican Chicken Soup)
Step 1: Prep the Chicken
- Rinse the chicken and season lightly with salt and pepper. Set it aside while you chop all your veggies.
Step 2: Heat the Broth
- In a large pot or caldero (Dutch oven), pour in 8 cups of water and heat over medium-high heat.
Step 3: Add Chicken and Aromatics
- Add the chicken pieces, onions, jalapeño slices, and garlic to the pot. Season the broth with salt and pepper to taste. Cook for 25 minutes.
Step 4: Add the Veggies
- Toss in the carrots, potatoes, cabbage, corn, and cilantro. Let everything simmer for another 20 minutes or until the veggies are tender and the chicken is fully cooked.
Step 5: Serve and Enjoy
- Ladle the caldo de pollo and serve alone or serve with a side of white rice, warm corn tortillas, or crusty bread. Finish each bowl with a squeeze of fresh lime juice and extra cilantro for topping.
What to Serve Caldo de Pollo With
A true authentic homemade Mexican chicken soup recipe is usually served with a side of white rice, warm corn or flour tortillas, avocado and extra lime wedges. Pairing it with sides like this makes it extra filling and comforting. To make your own flour tortillas, try this recipe recipe from Muy Delish.
Cooking Caldo de Pollo in a Slow Cooker
Step 1: Set It & Forget It
- If you want a super easy version, toss the chicken and all the ingredients except the potatoes and cabbage into your slow cooker. Cook on high for 2 hours.
Step 2: Add the Remaining Veggies
- After 2 hours, add the potatoes and cabbage to the pot.
Step 3: Finish Cooking
- Continue cooking on high for another 2-3 hours, until the chicken is tender and the veggies are cooked through.
Step 4: Serve & Enjoy
- Spoon into bowls and serve hot. Add fresh cilantro, a squeeze of lime, and sides like white rice, warm tortillas, or crusty bread if you like.
Cooking Caldo de Pollo in Instant Pot®
Step 1: Prep the Ingredients
- Rinse the chicken and season lightly with salt and pepper. Chop the carrots, potatoes, cabbage, onions, jalapeños, and garlic.
Step 2: Add Ingredients to the Instant Pot®
- Place the chicken pieces into the Instant Pot. Add the onions, jalapeño slices, garlic, carrots, corn, and cilantro. Pour in 8 cups of chicken broth and season with salt and pepper to taste.
Step 3: Pressure Cook
- Close the lid and set the valve to Sealing. Cook on High Pressure for 15 minutes.
Step 4: Release the Pressure
- Allow a 10-minute natural pressure release, then carefully turn the valve to Venting to release the remaining pressure.
Step 5: Add Potatoes and Cabbage
- Open the lid and add the potatoes and cabbage. Close the lid again and cook on High Pressure for 5 minutes.
Step 6: Serve and Enjoy
- Ladle the caldo de pollo into bowls and serve hot. Top with fresh cilantro and a squeeze of lime juice. Enjoy it on its own or with white rice, warm tortillas, or crusty bread.
Cathy’s Expert Tips
- Use bone-in chicken: Bone-in pieces give your broth extra flavor and richness. If you only have boneless, it'll still work, just use chicken stock or broth in place of water or add two large chicken bouillons to the water for extra flavor.
- Don't overcook the veggies: Add potatoes and cabbage later in the cooking process (especially for slow cooker versions) so they stay tender and don't turn mushy.
- Customize spice: If you like it mild, skip the jalapeños or remove the seeds. Want a little kick? Leave them in!
- Fresh herbs make a difference: Add cilantro at the end of cooking to keep it bright and flavorful.
Recipe FAQ’s
Yes! This soup is great for making ahead. You can prepare it a day in advance and store it in the refrigerator. For best results, leave the cabbage out and add it when reheating so it stays tender and not overly soft.
Yes, freeze in a freezer-safe container for up to two months. Reheat gently on the stove.
Serve it on its own, or add sides like white rice, warm tortillas, crusty bread, avocado, and extra lime wedges.
Yes! See the slow cooker instructions above for an easy set-it-and-forget-it method.
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📖 Recipe
Caldo de Pollo (Mexican Chicken Soup)
Ingredients
- 6-8 pieces of chicken thighs and drumsticks rinsed and seasoned with salt and pepper
- 8 cups water
- 6 cloves garlic minced
- 1 small onion chopped
- 2-3 carrots sliced
- 2 medium zucchinis rinsed and chopped into 1-inch chunks
- 1 cup green cabbage roughly chopped
- 6 corn on the cob quartered
- 3 potatoes cut into 1-inch pieces
- 1 jalapeño rinsed and sliced
- handful of fresh cilantro rinsed and roughly chopped
- 2 limes cut into wedges
- salt and pepper to taste
Serving Ideas (Optional)
- white rice
- corn tortillas
- crusty bread
- jalapeños thinly sliced for topping
Instructions
- In a large pot or caldero (Dutch oven), pour in the water and heat over medium-high.
- Add the seasoned chicken pieces, onions, jalapeño slices, and garlic to the pot. Season with salt and pepper to taste. Let it cook for 25 minutes.
- Toss in the carrots, potatoes, cabbage, corn, and cilantro. Let everything simmer for another 20 minutes until the veggies are tender and the chicken is fully cooked.
- Serve soup alone or accompany with a side of white rice, warm corn tortillas, or crusty bread. Finish each bowl with a squeeze of fresh lime juice and a little fresh cilantro.
Louise says
If I could I would only drop a quarter of a star, and that’s only because the large chunks of chicken and corn make it a little difficult to portion/eat, the added salt was too much with the stock cubes I used (my fault – I should have just waited till the end to adjust) and I ended up having to split it 2/3, 1/3 into another pan as it wouldn’t all fit in my stock pot. Maybe my ingredient amounts were off because I’m not used to working to US cup measures? Or maybe my veg was just that bit larger than intended?
I found the recipe via the Supercook app – it’s soooo helpful because you load in all your existing ingredients and it pulls up all the recipes you can make with what you have, as well as telling you what else you need for a load of others!
As I happen to be fighting off a bad cough and cold I added all the juice from a whole lime at the end of cooking, a stick of ceylon cinnamon (one per pan), about 8 or ten whole cloves and five 3mm slices of root ginger (split between the pans). This gave it a very rounded spicy edge.
I appreciate the recipe as I wouldn’t have had the first idea where to start on a wholesome chicken soup. Hope you can forgive my adulterating it with so many extras!
Trish says
This is absolutely delicious! My first time making and my husband is hooked! Thanks for sharing
Krissy Allori says
This soup is delicious and is definitely a whole meal all by itself. It has everything you could want in a dinner. We loved it!
Cathy says
Oh that’s so great to hear Krissy! So happy everyone loved it! It’s definitely a whole meal all in itself!
Kelly Anthony says
I love the spice you get from the jalapenos in this caldo de pollo. I’m adding this to our menu next week.
Cathy says
That’s great to hear Kelly! You will love it!
Jennifer says
That soup is so intriguing. I have never seen this recipe before. I always make soup like this and debone the chicken, but never knew you could put the whole piece of chicken in it.
Cathy says
Yes Jennifer in Latin cooking most chicken soups use whole pieces of chicken. Gives the soup a lot of flavor! So yummy and tender!!
Chris says
i’ve never tried Caldo de Pollo before, but after reading through this I think I’ll definitely give it a go! Thanks for sharing!
Cathy says
Thanks Chris! Let me know when you do!
Demeter says
I love making soups too! Also, it’s great that they are freezer friendly which helps to have future meals ready to grab in a pinch. So flavorful!
Cathy says
Thanks Demeter!
Megan says
This looks so good. You have combined two of my favourite things …soup and Mexican food. Thanks for this tasty inspiration.
Cathy says
Thank you so much Megan! Agreed soup and Mexican! 🙂
Jessica Formicola says
I’ve been looking for a good chicken soup recipe, and this one looks perfect! I can’t wait to try it!
Cathy says
Thanks Jessica! Let me know when you do!
Jillian says
I’m with you, I can’t get enough soup! And nobody can tell me that soup is just for the cold months – I could eat this recipe year round – Delish!
Cathy says
Thank you Jillian! I know Jillian! It’s crazy to me how some people literally wait to make a delicious soup until it is cold outside or someone is sick. I can have this caldo de pollo anyday!!
Tracy says
Chicken soup is delicious any time of the year and I LOVE that this one has ears of corn in it. The flavors make it something that I would happily eat in the heat of the summer, too!
Cathy says
Tracy I’m like you, I can have this soup anytime of the year! 🙂 And yes the ears of corn are so good in this chicken soup, they absorb all the yummy flavors from the soup.
Chef Mireille says
what a simple kind of homemade soup – perfect on cold winter nights and so customizable I imagine as you can use different varieties of vegetables
Cathy says
Yes Mireille, really simple to make! Definitely you can add whatever veggies you like, highly customizable. 🙂
Jere Cassidy says
I’ll do anything for a good bowl of soup. I pinned this for later since I know I need to make this.
Cathy says
Haha me too Jere! Have a feeling you will love this one!