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You are here: Home / Soups / Caldo de Pollo con Arroz

Caldo de Pollo con Arroz

Lori Alcalá, This blog generates income via ads and affiliate links which earn us a small commission.

Mexican Chicken Soup

This authentic Mexican chicken soup recipe, caldo de pollo con arroz, is a favorite in our house, and in most Mexican households. It’s quick. It’s easy. And best of all, it’s light and tasty. The combination of chicken soup and rice, along with shredded chicken and a few tender veggies makes this delicious soup a complete meal your whole family will love. It’s comfort food at its best.

Mexican Chicken Soup Caldo de Pollo with Lime and Cilantro

What to Expect from this Recipe for Chicken Soup

This chicken soup recipe consists of a light, clear chicken broth served over cooked rice, shredded chicken and carrots, topped with cilantro, onion and a squeeze of lemon. The broth gets its flavor from the chicken and vegetables, with a little added salt. It’s a much lighter dish than chicken noodle soup, and that’s what makes it unique.

The Broth is the Star

In Spanish, we call this soup “caldo de pollo,” which means chicken broth. And the broth is really the star of the dish. It can even be sipped plain from a mug as a yummy, comforting warm drink. Because the broth in this chicken soup recipe is so versatile, you can use it in place of water for a more flavorful rice, or as an ingredient in other recipes like chicken tortilla soup, Mexican sopa de fideo, chicken tinga, and a variety of salsas.

Now let’s make some Mexican style chicken soup!

Bowl of Authentic Mexican Caldo de Pollo

How to Make Mexican Caldo de Pollo

Ingredients:

For the chicken broth

  • 1 bone-in chicken breast
  • 3 carrots
  • 1 whole bulb garlic
  • 1 white onion
  • 1 teaspoon salt + to taste

For the rice

  • 1 cup of rice
  • 1 diced carrot
  • 2 cups water
  • 1 teaspoon cooking oil
  • Salt to taste

For the soup garnish

  • 1 handful cilantro sprigs
  • ½ white onion
  • 2 Serrano chili peppers
  • 2-4 limes

Ingredients to Make Mexican Chicken Soup

Make the Chicken Broth (Caldo)

Place the chicken breast in a large pot. Slice the two carrots in half and quarter the onion. Add the carrots and ¾ of the onion to the pot, along with the whole bulb (or head) of garlic, unpeeled. Fill the pot with water until it covers the chicken by about an inch and a half and add about a teaspoon of salt.

Mexican Chicken Soup Ingredients on Stovetop

Cook over high heat, and bring to a boil. Then continue cooking for about 25 minutes or until the chicken is no longer pink inside. As you cook, you may see some drops of fat rise to the top. This is normal. If you see any foam rise, skim it off the top and discard to ensure your broth is as clear as possible.

Mexican Chicken Soup on Stovetop

Once the chicken is cooked, strain and reserve the broth. Place the chicken and carrots in a dish to cool, and discard the onion and garlic. When the chicken has cooled, shred using two forks to separate, or simply pull off the bone a pinch at a time with your fingers.

Dish with Cooked Chicken Breast and Carrots

Finely chop the garnish for your chicken soup: onion, cilantro and Serrano chili. You can omit the Serrano pepper if spicy isn’t your thing. Or remove the seeds and veins for just a slight hint of heat. At this stage, you should also quarter your lemons.

Bowls of Chopped Cilantro Onion and Serrano Peppers

Make the Rice

Peel the cooked carrots and cut them into quarters lengthwise. Reserve several sticks for serving.

Peeled Cooked Carrots on Cutting Board

Dice the carrots and the remaining uncooked quarter of onion into ¼ inch pieces.

Diced Carrots and Onions on Cutting Board

Place a pot over medium heat, drizzle in a teaspoon of olive oil or other cooking oil, and add the uncooked rice. Quickly stir to combine.

Pouring Rice into Pot

Next, add the carrots and onions and stir until combined.

Adding Carrots and Onions to Rice

Finally, add the water and salt, cover and bring to a boil. Once boiling, reduce the heat to low. Cook for about 15 minutes or until all of the liquid has evaporated.

Cooking Rice on Stovetop Adding Water

You should end up with a nice pot of fluffy rice.

Cooked Rice on Stovetop

Serving Mexican Chicken Soup

Gather all of your garnishes and ladle a spoonful of rice into your serving bowl.

Bowl with Rice and Garnishes

Pour your reserved chicken broth over the rice to fill the bowl about three quarters.

Pouring Chicken Broth over Rice

Add a few cooked carrot sticks for more color and texture. Feel free to add other cooked veggies if you like.

Adding Carrots to Mexican Chicken Soup

Sprinkle a tablespoon of onions into the bowl.

Adding Onions to Mexican Chicken Soup

Shake in a tablespoon of cilantro. (Almost there!)

Garnishing Mexican Chicken Soup with Cilantro

Top with ½ cup of shredded chicken.

Adding Shredded Chicken to Mexican Chicken Soup

Add a tablespoon of Serrano peppers if you like and give the soup a little stir to mix all of the goodness together.

Topping Mexican Chicken Soup with Serrano Chili

And for a little zing, squeeze lime juice on top.

Squeezing Lemon into Mexican Chicken Soup

This chicken soup looks so scrumptious! Homemade chicken soup is the best. It’s one of our favorite Mexican recipes. Who wants a bowl?

Bowl of Mexican Chicken Soup with Garnish

Here’s our fabulous Mexican chicken soup recipe. Let us know how it turns out!

Bowl of Mexican Style Chicken Soup - Caldo de Pollo

Bowl of Mexican Chicken Soup Caldo de Pollo
Print Pin
3.34 from 9 votes

Caldo de Pollo Recipe

This authentic Mexican chicken soup recipe consists of a light, clear chicken broth served over cooked rice, shredded chicken and carrots, topped with cilantro, onion and a squeeze of lemon.
Course Soup
Cuisine Mexican
Keyword chicken soup
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 40 minutes
Servings 4
Calories 292kcal
Author Andrés Carnalla

Equipment

  • Cutting board
  • Kitchen knife
  • Ladle
  • 4 soup bowls

Ingredients

Chicken Broth

  • 1 bone-in chicken breast (skin-on or skinless)
  • 3 carrots
  • 1 bulb or head of garlic
  • 1 white onion
  • Salt to taste

Rice

  • 1 cup uncooked white rice
  • 1 carrot, cooked and diced (take a carrot from the broth)
  • 2 cups water
  • 1 teaspoon cooking oil (olive oil or vegetable oil)
  • Salt to taste

Soup Garnish

  • 1 handful cilantro sprigs
  • ½ white onion
  • 2 Serrano chili peppers
  • 2-4 limes Mexican or key limes

Instructions

Make the Chicken Broth

  • Place the chicken breast in a large pot. Slice the carrots in half and quarter the onion. Add the carrots and ¾ of the onion to the pot, along with the whole bulb of garlic, unpeeled.
  • Fill the pot with water until it covers the chicken by about an inch and a half, and add a teaspoon of salt.
  • Cook over high heat, and bring to a boil. Continue cooking for about 25 minutes or until the chicken is no longer pink inside. Skim off any foam that forms.
  • Once the chicken is cooked, strain and reserve the broth. Place the chicken and carrots in a dish to cool, and discard the onion and garlic.
  • While the chicken and carrots cool, finely chop the onion, cilantro and Serrano chili (optional), and quarter the lemons.
  • Once the chicken has cooled, shred using two forks to separate, or by pulling off the bone a pinch at a time with your fingers.

Make the Rice

  • Peel the cooked carrots from the broth and cut them into quarters lengthwise. Reserve several sticks for serving.
  • Dice the carrots and remaining uncooked quarter of onion into ¼ inch pieces.
  • Place a pot over medium heat, drizzle in a teaspoon of cooking oil and add the uncooked rice. Quickly stir to combine.
  • Add the carrots and onions and stir.
  • Pour in the water and add salt to taste, cover and bring to a boil. Then reduce the heat to low. Cook for about 15 minutes or until all of the liquid has evaporated.

Serving Your Soup

  • Gather your garnishes and ladle a spoonful of rice into a serving bowl.
  • Pour reserved chicken broth over the rice to fill the bowl about three quarters.
  • Add four reserved carrot sticks, 1 tablespoon each of onion and cilantro, a half cup of shredded chicken and top with a squeeze of lemon. Serve warm.

Notes

Substitutions
  • Jalapeño peppers for the serrano peppers.

Nutrition

Calories: 292kcal | Carbohydrates: 53g | Protein: 15g | Fat: 3g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 29mg | Sodium: 107mg | Potassium: 547mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 5g | Vitamin A: 10317IU | Vitamin C: 21mg | Calcium: 70mg | Iron: 1mg

More Mexican Soup Recipes

  • Chicken Tortilla Soup
  • Traditional Sopa de Fideo
  • Red Pork Pozole
  • Carrot and Zucchini Soup
  • Lentil Soup

More Mexican Soup Recipes

  • Caldo de Camarón
  • Lentil Soup
  • Chicken Tortilla Soup
  • Traditional Sopa de Fideo

Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Daniel Perkins says

    January 18, 2021 at 5:35 am

    5 stars
    Great recipe. I tried it with slight modification in spices and it came out fabulous.

    Reply
    • Lori Alcalá says

      January 29, 2021 at 5:58 pm

      Glad you liked it, Daniel! The recipe is so simple that the possibilities are endless. It’s the go-to chicken soup in our house!

      Reply

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D. Cullen Profile Picture

Hola, I am Douglas. Let me share my love of Mexican Cuisine with you that developed over 20+ years of living in Mexico.

More about me →


Most Popular Recipes

  • Classic Salsa Verde
  • Restaurant Style Salsa
  • Traditional Sopa de Fideo
  • Red Pork Pozole
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  • Beet Salad with Feta Cheese and Citrus Balsamic Viniagrette
  • Red Enchilada Sauce
  • Mole Poblano

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