Chicken fideo is a comforting Mexican soup made with tender chicken, fideo pasta, vegetables, and a flavorful tomato-based broth. This easy one-pot meal is perfect for a cozy family dinner.
Chicken fideo is a heartier version of the traditional sopa de fideo, made with the addition of chicken and vegetables to create a filling meal.
This recipe is also known by different names depending on the region and family, including sopita con pollo, fideos con pollo, and sopa de pollo con fideos.
No matter the name, this recipe is a comforting Mexican soup made with chicken, noodles, and a flavorful broth.
Ingredients
- Fideo pasta: Thin noodles traditionally used for Mexican soups. You can also use broken angel hair pasta as a substitute.
- Chicken: Use any cut you prefer. Bone-in pieces add more flavor to the broth, but shredded chicken is a great shortcut.
- Recaudo: A blended sauce made with tomatoes, onion, garlic, and optional chipotle pepper that gives the soup its signature flavor.
- Chicken broth: Use the homemade broth from cooking the chicken or prepared chicken stock if using cooked shredded chicken.
- Vegetables: Carrots, potatoes, and peas are traditional, but you can use whatever you have on hand.
How to Make Chicken Fideo
This recipe comes together in no time! I’m sharing a quick visual guide below to help you prepare it at home. You’ll find the full recipe card with all the measurements and instructions at the bottom of the post.
Start by simmering the chicken with onion, garlic, herbs, and seasonings until tender. The homemade broth will become the flavorful base for your chicken soup.
Blend roasted tomatoes, onion, garlic, and chipotle pepper to create the rich recaudo tomato sauce that gives this dish its signature flavor.
Fry the fideo pasta in a little oil until golden brown, stirring constantly. This simple step adds a deeper flavor and helps create the best texture.
Add the recaudo, broth, vegetables, and chicken back to the pot, then cook until the noodles are tender and everything comes together.
Adjust with salt to taste and serve hot with warm corn tortillas and a squeeze of fresh lime.
This comforting soup is perfect for a cozy family meal, just like the ones enjoyed in many Mexican homes.
Mari’s Notes
- This recipe works great with leftover cooked chicken or rotisserie chicken. Simply add it toward the end of cooking and simmer until heated through.
- A pinch of cumin, freshly ground black pepper, or a little smoked paprika can add even more flavor.
- For a creamy version, stir in 1 cup of heavy cream at the end of cooking. Make sure the cream is not cold from the fridge so it blends smoothly into the soup.
- Don’t skip toasting the noodles! it gives the soup a deeper flavor and helps create the best texture.
- You can use your favorite vegetables or whatever you have available. Celery, zucchini, cabbage, and green beans are also great options.
Storage & Reheating
Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days.
Reheat gently on the stovetop over medium-low heat or in the microwave until warmed through. Add a splash of chicken broth or water before reheating if the noodles have absorbed too much liquid.
Freezing isn’t recommended for this recipe. The pasta continues to absorb the broth while frozen and thawed, which can make the noodles too soft and change the texture of the soup.
Is chicken fideo a traditional Mexican soup?
Yes! Chicken fideo is a traditional homemade soup enjoyed throughout Mexico. It is part of the sopas aguadas family, a type of brothy soup commonly prepared in Mexican homes and often served as part of a comida corrida.
Recipes vary from family to family, but the idea is always the same: simple ingredients cooked together to create a comforting, flavorful meal.
More Mexican Soups
If you’re a fan of homemade Mexican soups, I think you’ll love these other classic recipes from my kitchen that bring comfort to the table.
Video
Chicken Fideo
Ingredients
- 1 ½ pound chicken pieces (or 2 cups of cooked, shredded chicken)
- 11 oz Mexican fideo pasta
- 1 cup fresh diced vegetables (carrots, potatoes, peas)
- 6 cups chicken broth (from cooking chicken)
- 3 cilantro sprigs (optional)
- 4 Tablespoons vegetable oil
- salt (to taste)
For recaudo
- 2 small tomatoes (cut into quarters)
- ½ small onion
- 1 clove garlic
- 1 chipotle pepper in adobo sauce (optional)
Instructions
- In a large stockpot, place the chicken and cover with water (see Note 1).
- Add the garlic, onion, oregano, bay leaves, and salt. Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to medium and cook until the chicken is tender, about 30 minutes.
- Remove the chicken from the pot. Strain the broth and set both aside.
- Place the tomatoes, onion, garlic, and chipotle pepper (if using) in a blender. Add 1 cup of the chicken broth and blend until smooth.
- Heat the oil in a large stockpot over medium heat. Add the fideo and cook, stirring constantly, until lightly golden (see Note 2).
- Pour in the tomato sauce and cook for about 30 seconds, stirring constantly.
- Add about 5 cups of the chicken broth, the cilantro, and the vegetables.
- Return the chicken to the pot and bring the soup to a gentle boil.
- Cook for about 10 minutes, or until the fideo and vegetables are tender.
- Taste and adjust the salt if needed. Serve hot.
Notes
- You’ll need about 6 cups of chicken broth for this recipe, so start by cooking the chicken in at least 7 cups of water.
- Toasting the fideo is one of the most important steps. Stir constantly so the noodles brown evenly without burning.
- You can use any cut of chicken you like. Bone-in pieces add more flavor to the broth, while shredded cooked or rotisserie chicken is a great shortcut.
- Use your favorite vegetables or whatever you have on hand. Carrots, potatoes, peas, celery, zucchini, cabbage, and green beans all work well.
- Refrigerate leftovers in an airtight container for up to 4 days.
- Warm gently on the stovetop or in the microwave, adding a splash of chicken broth if the noodles have absorbed too much liquid.
Nutrition Information
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yummmmmy
How much oregano and salt is needed to cook chicken
This recipe is amazing—the notes above the recipe is a flavor-rewarding read. I usually skip the paragraphs above the recipe because they contain whimsical and anecdotal b.s.
Substituted tajin for salt in chicken prep and Pato (still added fine chopped onion/garlic) for recaudo in first make.
Thank you!
I just made this for my wife who has no knowledge of Mexican sopa. she liked it and gave her a different style of cooking her beef, veggie soups. I was aweswome.
Love the way you present steps in that quickie little video off to the side. I don’t have a lot of time. This is just what I needed! And the dish…I’ll know in about 5 min. Smells awesome.
This made with some chicken breast would be perfect for these cold autumns days. I might add some extra veggie and cut down on fideo, I need to keep a close eye on these quarantine pounds that don’t want to go away. Thanks for the inspo, Maricruz!
I made it and it was delicious! Used regular spaghetti and it was perfect because they cooked just right, I just wish there was a way to save your recipe like in other websites because this is a keeper!