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4.59 from 12 votes

Instant Pot Mexican Chicken Soup (Caldo De Pollo)

Instant Pot Mexican Chicken Soup (Caldo De Pollo) is a beautiful recipe of heartwarming soup that will make you and your family very happy. Let's learn how to make this classic recipe in an Instant Pot.
Prep Time10 minutes
Cook Time15 minutes
Inactive Time30 minutes
Total Time55 minutes
Course: Soups
Cuisine: Mexican
Servings: 8 servings
Calories: 423kcal
Author: Gabriela

Equipment

Ingredients

  • 4 cups water
  • 8 small chicken thighs or drumsticks
  • 1 tablespoon salt
  • 4 garlic cloves chopped
  • 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
  • ¼ cup white long grain rice
  • ½ cup chopped onion
  • 2 tomatoes chopped Roma tomatoes
  • 2 carrots sliced
  • 3 potatoes quartered
  • 1 stalk rib green celery chopped
  • cup tomato sauce
  • 1 tablespoon chopped cilantro
  • 1 Lime sliced wedges for serving
  • Corn tortillas for serving
  • optional 1 avocado sliced

Instructions

  • If you use a 6 quart Instant Pot, select the Saute setting. Heat the oil in the pot, add the rice, and cook, occasionally stirring until browned, about 2-3 minutes. Be careful not to burn it.
  • Add chopped onion and garlic and continue cooking until onion is translucent, for about 2 minutes.
  • Add the chopped tomato and cook for another 3 minutes.
  • Stir in carrots, celery, potatoes, and tomato sauce. Press the Cancel button.
  • Add chicken, water, and salt.
  • Make sure the Instant Pot is never more than ⅔ full. Lock the lid and close the pressure release valve. Pressure cook on High pressure, setting the timer for 15 minutes. (timer will begin counting once the pressure inside the pot is reached, which might take about 10-15 minutes).
  • When done, press Cancel and use the quick release method to release the pressure: Turn the valve to allow the steam to escape/pressure to release. When the pressure is fully released, the float valve will drop, and the lid will unlock to open. For safety reasons, the pressure cooker will not open until the pressure is released and the float valve has dropped.
  • Add chopped cilantro to the soup and check again for salt.
  • Ladle soup into bowls, including a piece of chicken for each serving, and serve with lime wedges and warm corn tortillas.
  • Optional: Add slices of avocado to your soup and sliced radishes.

Notes

What kind of chicken meat to use for this Caldo de pollo:
I used chicken drumsticks and thighs for this soup, but any part of the chicken is good. I do not recommend chicken breast, as the meat will not infuse the broth with many flavors.
What kind of potatoes are good in this soup?
You need a type of potato that holds well in the soup and doesn't fall apart during cooking. A good option would be waxy potatoes, but Yukon Gold or red potatoes work really well too.
Do you want it spicy?
Add some hot sauce to it. Salsa Valentina is traditional and really tasty.

Nutrition

Serving: 1g | Calories: 423kcal | Carbohydrates: 31g | Protein: 28g | Fat: 21g | Saturated Fat: 6g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 5g | Monounsaturated Fat: 8g | Trans Fat: 0.1g | Cholesterol: 90mg | Sodium: 1340mg | Potassium: 996mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 7g | Vitamin A: 2906IU | Vitamin C: 31mg | Calcium: 74mg | Iron: 3mg