This Mexican Chicken Soup is a powerhouse of flavor! Loaded with bell peppers, beans, juicy shredded chicken, and cozy flavors, it’s the perfect comforting soup for chilly days. This foolproof recipe will be ready on your dinner table in just 20 minutes!

Why You Need To Make This Mexican Chicken Soup

If you haven’t had Mexican soup, you are missing out! It’s hands down everything you love about Mexican-inspired dishes, seasonings, spice, veggies, and FLAVOR, all simmered down into a marriage within one pot. It’s hot, cozy, and oh-so-satisfying. You can add more spice to the soup to give it a kick.

• It’s so easy to make. It’s a great use of leftover chicken, and no need to simmer for hours. You’ll have a cozy pot of soup in just 20 minutes.
• This recipe is dairy-free! Rejoice, my lactose-intolerant friends! You can eat the heck out of this and feel great, thanks to the nutritious ingredients.
• Customize this soup with your favorite toppings. You can add so many other combinations of veggies if bell peppers aren’t your thing. This recipe is husband-approved, and you can bet it will keep you both full for a while with all the protein. Also, consider my Slow Cooker Hamburger Soup for a filling soup to prep.

Ingredients Notes

All other ingredients and measurements can be found in the recipe card towards the bottom of this post. 

• Chicken. The protein of choice for this soup. I prefer to use shredded leftover rotisserie chicken because it cuts down on time BIG TIME. If you don’t have a rotisserie, you can cook up your own boneless chicken breasts and shred them in your stand mixer.
• Onions. This adds aromatics to the dish and gives texture.
• Garlic. I always use fresh garlic cloves, they give off a whole different and (better) level of flavor.
• Bell Peppers. I do green and red. I love the colors of the two for this recipe. They add a great texture and flavor to the broth.
• Jalapeño. This adds a little heat to the broth; I love spicy food. Feel free to skip it if you’d like.
• Canned Green Chilies. This adds a lot of flavor to the broth. Green chilies make everything taste great. You can find them canned in the international aisle or in the canned tomatoes in the grocery store. They come in medium and milk!
• Seasoning. This is the most important part of flavoring the broth, in my opinion! You will need salt, pepper, chili powder, cumin, paprika, garlic powder, and cayenne powder. You can also use a premade fajita blend seasoning or taco seasoning if needed.
• Black beans. I use canned black beans and I drain and rinse them. Pinto beans will also work great. They offer a great source of fiber and texture to the Mexican soup.
• Canned Diced Tomatoes. I like to use seasoned tomatoes, but any will work! This adds flavor, gives the broth a depth and color you will crave. Fire Roasted Tomatoes also adds a great depth of flavor.
• Chicken Broth.  Low Sodium chicken stock is always preferred, so you can salt it to your preferences. Be sure to use a high quality chicken broth for best nutritional value! I like this brand .
• Optional Toppings. Diced avocado, fresh cilantro, a dollop of sour cream, salsa, hot sauce, tortilla strips, fresh lime, or shredded cheese.

Recipe Variations

Protein. You can swap the shredded chicken for shredded pork or beef. Just be sure to use the matching broth for the best flavor combination.

Beans. You can use hominy, pinto or any bean of choice if you do not like black beans.

Veggies. Cut back on the sodium and use fresh tomatoes instead of canned for this recipe. You can add chopped zucchini to this soup for extra veggies.

Steps To Make The Soup

Step One. Shred your cooked chicken or rotisserie and set aside. Finely chop peppers, jalapeño, onions, and garlic. Add olive oil to a Dutch oven or large pot on high heat. Add all chopped veggies and simmer for about 4 minutes.

Step Two. Add chicken, green chilies, canned tomato, and seasonings. Mix well and bring to a simmer. Add in the rest of the ingredients, cover, reduce heat, and let it simmer for about 8 minutes. Salt to taste if needed.

Step Three. Let the mixture simmer for another 5 minutes. Turn off the heat, let it cool just a bit before adding any fresh toppings. Ladle into soup into bowls and enjoy!

Recipe FAQs

What to Serve with Caldo de Pollo

This soup tastes absolutely delicious on its own, but you can serve it with fresh flour tortillas, crispy tortilla chips, or even wild rice to make it more filling. You can also pair a salad, like Roasted Red Pepper Kale Salad or Grilled Zucchini Salad. You can also serve Ground Beef Soft Tacos or Fajitas on the side.

Make Ahead and Storage Tips

Make a big batch of this soup! The longer this sits, the more flavorful it gets, so you can make it ahead. You can pre-chop and sauté your veggies the day before to cut back on day of cook time as well.

To store this meal, use an airtight container or two. Leftover chicken soup should keep in the fridge for up to 6 days. You can also freeze this meal! It is wonderful defrosted and reheated on the stove for up to 3 months.

Other Easy, Delicious Soup Recipes

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