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Grandma’s famous caldo de pollo is a cozy chicken soup filled with chicken, rice, and Mexican spices and flavors!
A Mexican Twist to Love!
Caldo de pollo is a chicken soup full of our favorite Mexican flavors. It reminds my mom of home. She was raised on this soup with warm corn tortillas.
Her mom (Grandma Luna) was famous for this recipe. She would toss in veggies and other leftovers from the refrigerator. Each soup was a little different, but the base remained the same – absolutely delicious. Ours uses chicken, rice, corn, and a flavorful broth.
We loved Grandma’s Mexican chicken soup growing up and now our kids enjoy this family favorite. Handed down from generation to generation, we know you’ll love it too!!
WHY WE LOVE IT:
- A Mexican version of a classic. This tasty caldo de pollo is almost like a Mexican version of Chicken Noodle Soup but with Spanish Rice in place of noodles.
- Use up leftovers. As mentioned this soup can be made with all sorts of ingredients and is a great way to use leftovers and vegetables in your fridge.
- Just the right spice. This dish is not overly spicy, but you can adjust the spice according to your desired level.
Ingredients
PREP TIME: 10 minutes
COOK TIME: 1 hour
Soup
- 6 cups chicken broth – store-bought broth, homemade chicken broth, or homemade chicken stock
- 1 cup water
- 1¼ pounds chicken tenders – Or use chicken breast or chicken thighs cut into bite-sized strips.
- 2 corn cobs, cut in thirds – If corn isn’t in season you can often find already cut cobs in the freezer section.
- 3 large chicken bouillon cubes, such as Knorr®
- 2 teaspoons minced garlic – see How to Mince Garlic
- 2 teaspoons ground cumin
- salt and black pepper, to taste
- ½ large white onion, chopped, to taste
- carrots and zucchini, optional – or use yellow squash or chayote. Or add celery, jalapeños, green cabbage, or potatoes.
- add spice – jalapenos, red chili flakes, a splash of hot sauce, or cayenne pepper. Add the spicy ingredients to the main pot of Mexican chicken soup, or have it on the side for people to add to their bowls.
Rice
- 2 cups chicken broth – store-bought or homemade broth
- 1 cup white rice – I use long-grain white rice. Or use 2 cups of leftover Spanish Rice in place of this entire portion.
- 1 tablespoon olive oil – or use vegetable oil to fry the rice to a light brown color
- 4 ounces tomato sauce
- 1 teaspoon cumin
Garnish
- 1 avocado, peeled, pitted and thinly sliced
- 1 bunch fresh cilantro, chopped
how to Make caldo de pollo
- SOUP. In a large pot add the 6 cups chicken broth, 1 cup water, 1¼ pounds chicken tenders, 2 corn cobs cut in pieces, 3 chicken bouillon cubes, 2 teaspoons minced garlic, 2 teaspoons cumin, salt, and pepper to taste.
- Bring the mixture to a boil. Reduce heat and cover the pot. Simmer for about 25 minutes or until chicken is cooked through.
- RICE. While the soup is simmering make the rice: Add 1 tablespoon oil to a frying pan. Add 1 cup uncooked rice and fry it until the rice begins to brown.
- Reduce the heat and add 2 cups chicken broth, 4 ounces tomato sauce, and 1 teaspoon cumin. Stir and cover the pan with a lid.
- Simmer the rice mixture for 15-20 minutes, or until rice is tender and liquid has been absorbed.
- SERVE. When the soup is done simmering use 2 forks to shred the chicken meat. Add the chopped ½ large onion and simmer for another 5 minutes.
- Spoon the rice into serving bowls and top it with the soup. Garnish with the avocado and cilantro.
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Caldo de Pollo
Grandma's famous caldo de pollo is a cozy chicken soup filled with chicken, rice, and Mexican spices and flavors!
Ingredients
Soup
- 6 cups chicken broth
- 1 cup water
- 1¼ pounds chicken tenders
- 2 corn cobs, cut in thirds
- 3 large chicken bouillon cubes, such as Knorr®
- 2 teaspoons minced garlic
- 2 teaspoons ground cumin
- salt black pepper, to taste
- ½ large white onion, chopped, to taste
- carrots and zucchini, optional
Rice
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 cup white rice
- 2 cups chicken broth
- 4 ounces tomato sauce
- 1 teaspoon cumin
Garnish
- 1 avocado, peeled, pitted and thinly sliced
- 1 bunch fresh cilantro, chopped
Instructions
- In a large pot add 6 cups chicken broth, water, chicken tenders, corn cob cut in pieces, chicken bouillon cubes, minced garlic, cumin, salt, and pepper to taste.
- Bring the mixture to a boil. Reduce heat and cover the pot. Simmer for about 25 minutes or until chicken is cooked through.
- While the soup is simmering make the rice. Add olive oil to a frying pan. Add rice and fry it until the rice begins to brown.
- Reduce the heat and add 2 cups chicken broth, tomato sauce, and cumin. Stir and cover the pan with a lid.
- Simmer the rice mixture for 15-20 minutes, or until rice is tender and liquid has been absorbed.
- When the soup is done simmering use 2 forks to shred the chicken. Add the chopped onion and simmer for another 5 minutes.
- Spoon the rice into serving bowls and top it with the soup. Garnish with the avocado and cilantro.
Video
Notes
Store leftovers in an airtight container(s) in the fridge for 2-3 days or in the freezer for 6 months. Thaw, if applicable, and reheat in the microwave or stovetop.
Nutrition
Calories: 248kcal, Carbohydrates: 24g, Protein: 19g, Fat: 8g, Saturated Fat: 1g, Trans Fat: 1g, Cholesterol: 46mg, Sodium: 1381mg, Potassium: 686mg, Fiber: 2g, Sugar: 1g, Vitamin A: 202IU, Vitamin C: 22mg, Calcium: 44mg, Iron: 2mg
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Recipe FAQ
How to store caldo de pollo?
Store leftover soup in an airtight container(s) in the fridge for 2-3 days or in the freezer for 6 months. Thaw, if applicable, and reheat in the microwave or stovetop.
This is the fall soup of my dreams! I cannot wait to enjoy this delicious soup when the leaves are changing and the air is getting cooler!
Cant say enough about this soup! It just has the right ingredients that I love.
I can’t even tell you how much I loved this! I even froze leftovers for later!
Thank you so much for sharing this amazing caldo de pollo recipe! It tasted so delicious and easy to make! Loved it!
It’s all my favorite Mexican dishes in one soup!! Yum! This is one of the most flavorful meals ever!!
I love that this is your family recipe and that your mom shared her memories for it. I make your Spanish rice all the time and I’m going to save some to make this soup.