Instant Pot Caldo de Pollo is a Mexican-style chicken soup that is loaded with delicious veggies and tastes. And the best part? It's ready in less than 30 minutes!
When you're needing something fast, hearty, and delicious, you can't say no to a piping hot bowl (or two) of this chicken and veggie soup! The time is now to whip it up - it's literally so good!
Honestly. I'll eat this soup any time of the year, but I really do crave it during the cooler months. I love the way that it warms my tastebuds and my belly in a way that nothing else really does.
The tenderness of the veggies paired with the texture of the chicken is what keeps me coming back for more every single time.
Table of Contents
Recipe Video
Recipe Ingredients
Carrots - Dice the carrots into bite-sized pieces.
Zucchini - Slice and dice up the zucchini.
Chayote - This is actually a fruit! But it has a mild texture and adds a great crunch to the dish.
Chicken thighs - Boneless skinless chicken thighs are the best.
Celery sticks - Cut them up and add them right into the mixture.
Water - The main liquid of the soup. You could also use Instant Pot Bone Broth as well.
Salt - 2 teaspoon or to taste.
Pepper - 2 teaspoon or to taste.
Bay Leaves - Added for flavor, not to eat.
Garlic cloves - If you don't have cloves, you can use garlic powder as well.
Fresh cilantro - To taste. For the soup and as a great topping as well.
How to make Instant Pot Caldo de Pollo
Gather up the simple ingredients to get started. You'll be eating and chowing down in no time at all!
Step One: Dice up the carrots and the zucchini.
Step Two: Peel and cut up the chayote.
Step Three: Add the chicken to the Instant Pot and then add all the diced ingredients.
Step Four: Add two cut up celery sticks and three cups of water.
Step Five: Add the salt and pepper, bay leaves, and cilantro.
Step Six: Put on the lid and cook at high pressure for 20 minutes.
Step Seven: Once the cooking time has passed, wait for a natural release.
Serve and enjoy.
Variations
Add other vegetables - You can easily add other vegetables like mushrooms or even okra to this dish. You can add whatever you'd like.
Chop up the chicken - I tend to add the chicken in whole, but you can easily chop it up and add it in that way. Whatever works best for you.
Recipe Notes
- You can use other cuts of chicken in this recipe. Just make sure that whatever you use is boneless and skinless for the best texture and taste.
- Try and dice up the vegetables to be about the same size. This is just a really great way to keep the texture the same for the dish throughout.
How to serve
Since it's a full one-pot meal all on its own, you can serve it as is, or add a simple side dish. Here are some good ones to start with:
Again, these are just starters. You can easily also just add a side salad and enjoy. The options are truly endless, and you can have fun with this dish!
Recipe FAQs
The term "caldo" is Spanish for broth - which is what the base of this soup is!
The more you know, right?
One means broth, and one means soup. They may be similar in taste and texture but are described differently.
As long as you store it in an airtight container and keep it chilled, it should stay good for up to 5 days.
To reheat, just put it in the microwave and warm it back up all the way through.
Instant Pot Soup Recipes
Looking for more chicken soup recipes? Why not check out some of these great dishes? They're some of my favorites!
Love this recipe? Please leave a 5-star rating ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ and leave a comment below. Thanks!
Instant Pot Caldo de Pollo
Ingredients
- 2 carrots diced
- 2 zucchini diced
- 1 chayote peeled, sliced, and diced
- 4 chicken thighs
- 2 celery sticks diced
- 3 cups water
- 2 teaspoon salt
- 2 teaspoon black pepper
- 2 bay leaves
- fresh cilantro to taste
Instructions
- Dice up the carrots and the zucchini.
- Peel and cut up the chayote.
- Add the chicken to the Instant Pot and then add all the diced ingredients.
- Add two cut up celery sticks and three cups of water.
- Add the salt and pepper, bay leaves, and cilantro.
- Put on the lid and cook at high pressure for 20 minutes.
- Once the cooking time has passed, wait for a natural release (or for at least 20 minutes).
- Open the lid, serve and enjoy 🙂
Video
Nutrition
Notes
- You can use other cuts of chicken in this recipe. Just make sure that whatever you use is boneless and skinless for the best texture and taste.
- I tend to add the chicken in whole, but you can easily chop it up and add it in that way.
- Try and dice up the vegetables to be about the same size. This is just a really great way to keep the texture the same for the dish throughout.
- Feel free to add other vegetables like mushrooms or even okra to this dish.