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Put leftover chicken to work in this easy Mexican Chicken Soup recipe. It comes together fast, and it’s good for whatever ails you, even if it’s just a case of the Monday blues.
Similar to Chicken Tortilla Soup and Caldo de Pollo (Chicken Soup), this is among the most common of Mexican soup recipes. But in the USA, it feels like a classic “put your leftover Rotisserie Chicken to work” recipe. Remove the skin and bones, shred the meat, and you’re halfway to dinner. But it’s so easy to make, you’ll wish you had made it sooner!
I like this recipe because it’s light and full of fresh flavors but also very satisfying for the whole family. It’s an easy recipe to double, too. If you don’t have enough shredded chicken for double chicken, you can always stretch it with something else. Just pile in black beans or extra veggies like corn, potatoes, or zucchini. Leftover cooked rice, especially Mexican rice, is a nice touch too.
And don’t forget the toppings! Sour cream, cheese, sliced avocado, more cilantro, fresh lime juice, hot sauce, a sprinkle of chili powder, sliced fresh chiles, tortilla strips, it’s all good. And honestly, I love a handful of crisp shredded lettuce on top, too.
Table of Contents
Recipe ingredients
At a Glance: Here is a quick snapshot of what ingredients are in this recipe.
Please see the recipe card below for specific quantities.
Ingredient notes
- Chicken: If you don’t have any leftover chicken on hand, learn how to poach chicken breasts (it’ll be ready by the time you need to add the chicken to the soup).
- Cilantro: If you’re not a fan of cilantro, just leave this out entirely. Maybe sub a pinch of Mexican oregano.
Step-by-step instructions
- In a large saucepan, heat olive oil over medium-high heat until shimmering. Add onion, carrots, and celery. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables have softened, about 5 minutes.
- Stir in the garlic until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Stir in the broth, tomatoes and juice, jalapeño, cumin, and coriander.
- Bring to a boil; reduce heat and simmer, uncovered, for 20 minutes. Stir in chicken and cilantro (if using). Season to taste (I like 1 teaspoon salt and ½ teaspoon pepper). Serve, offering, cheese, sour cream, avocado, and tortilla chips or your favorite toppings.
Recipe tips and variations
- Yield: This recipe makes 6 hearty servings of about 1 ½ cups of soup per person.
- Storage: Store leftovers covered in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
- Freezer: Cool and freeze leftover soup in freezer-safe containers for up to 2 months. Thaw overnight in the refrigerator.
- Mexican vegetable soup: Follow the recipe as written but leave out the chicken and add way more veggies! Zucchini, cubed potatoes, and corn are a good place to start. Want to make it like they do in Mexico? Add your corn still on the cob! Cut each cob into 3 or 4 chunks and add them to the pot. Or you can buy them in the freezer that size sometimes, too.
- Albondigas soup (meatball soup): Add turkey meatballs to the soup instead of the shredded chicken, it’s absolutely delicious!
- Taco Soup: Made with ground beef, canned veggies, and taco seasoning, this Tex-Mex favorite is another delicious, hearty meal option.
Frequently Asked Questions
This Mexican beef soup is made with a bone-in beef shank.
This classic soup is made with chunks of pork or chicken, hominy (dried corn), chiles, and spices. Sometimes, you add a green salsa made with tomatillos and poblano peppers on top.
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Mexican Chicken Soup
Ingredients
For the soup:
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 1 medium onion chopped (about 2 cups)
- 3 carrots peeled and chopped (about 1 cup)
- 3 ribs celery chopped (about 1 cup)
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 6 cups chicken broth
- 1 (14 ounce) can crushed tomatoes undrained
- 1 jalapeño pepper seeded and minced
- 1 teaspoon ground cumin
- 1 teaspoon ground coriander
- 3 cups cooked chicken diced or shredded (see note 1)
- 2 tablespoons fresh cilantro chopped, optional (see note 2)
- Salt and freshly ground black pepper
For serving:
- shredded cheddar cheese
- sour cream
- avocado peeled, pitted, and diced
- tortilla chips
Instructions
- In a large saucepan, heat olive oil over medium-high heat until shimmering. Add onion, carrots, and celery. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the vegetables have softened, about 5 minutes.
- Stir in the garlic until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Stir in the broth, tomatoes and juice, jalapeño, cumin, and coriander.
- Bring to a boil; reduce heat and simmer, uncovered, for 20 minutes. Stir in chicken and cilantro (if using). Season to taste (I like 1 teaspoon salt and ½ teaspoon pepper). Serve, offering, cheese, sour cream, avocado, and tortilla chips or your favorite toppings.
Recipe Video
Notes
- Chicken: If you don’t have any leftover chicken on hand, learn how to poach chicken breasts (it’ll be ready by the time you need to add the chicken to the soup).
- Cilantro: If you’re not a fan of cilantro, just leave this out entirely.
- Yield: This recipe makes 6 hearty servings of about 1 ½ cups of soup per person.
- Storage: Store leftovers covered in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
Nutrition
Meggan Hill is a classically-trained chef and professional writer. Her meticulously-tested recipes and detailed tutorials bring confidence and success to home cooks everywhere. Meggan has been featured on NPR, HuffPost, FoxNews, LA Times, and more.
I really wasn’t expecting much. I didn’t think it would taste like the authentic Mexican restaurant we go to, but I think it was just as good. I added 1 can of Rotella besides the 14 oz. of diced tomatoes and it was delicious.
Really delicious. Exactly what I was looking for on a cold night. The only change I made-I used petite diced tomatoes instead of crushed tomatoes because of color. I wanted a distinct red color in addition to the green and orange.
So glad you loved it, Kristie! Take care! – Meggan
Perfect recipe!! All 8 of my kids loved it! Thank you!
Hi Jen, thank you so much for your comment! I’m so glad they loved it! – Meggan
I made this almost entirely by the recipe. I added two jalapenos one was sauteed with the vegetables and the second was added with the tomatoes. I added a 1/2 cup of black beans and lime at the end with cilantro. Incredible soup served with fresh avocado and optional cheese and sour cream! Great recipe!
Yum! Sounds delicious! – Meggan
Incredible! I was looking for the soup that I once had at an authentic Mexican restaurant. This one is better! I, like someone else mentioned, added lime and it took it over the top. Thank you so much.
You’re welcome, Cassie! So glad you loved it! – Meggan
Excellent! I have been looking for a recipe like this for a while; so glad I found this one. Easy, warm, and healthy! I added a cup of corn but otherwise no changes to the recipe. Thank you!
Sounds delicious, Elizabeth! You’re so welcome! Take care! – Meggan
I made this almost exactly as written (the only thing I did differently was to cook the carrots a few minutes to soften before adding the celery and onions) and it was amazing!! I will be making this again and again!
I’m so happy you love it, Cindy! Take care!
This soup is delicious!!!! I followed the recipe and added black chili beans and some lime juice. I only had dried cilantro. Served it over tostada chips topped with cheddar, avocado and sour cream. My husband and his brother had several bowls, and kept saying how great the soup is. Thank you for this recipe!!!
Hi Alice, sounds absolutely delicious! You’re welcome! – Meggan