Description
Fideo Con Pollo is a traditional Mexican chicken and toasted noodle soup featuring crispy browned chicken drumsticks and golden toasted fideo noodles simmered together in a savory tomato-based broth. This comforting dish is enhanced with garlic salt, chicken bouillon, and finished with fresh cilantro and a squeeze of lime, perfect for a hearty meal served with warm tortillas.
Ingredients
Scale
Chicken and Seasoning
- 4 tablespoons cooking oil, divided
- 6 chicken drumsticks (skin-on, thawed)
- Salt, to season the chicken
Noodles and Broth
- 1 (7 oz) package dry fideo noodles
- 6 cups warm water
- 3 tablespoons tomato paste
- 2 teaspoons garlic salt
- 1 teaspoon chicken bouillon powder (Knorr or similar)
For Serving
- Fresh chopped cilantro
- Lime wedges, for squeezing
- Warm tortillas, for dipping
Instructions
- Cook the Chicken: Heat 2 tablespoons of oil in a 3-quart or 10-inch pan over medium-low heat. Season the chicken drumsticks with salt and add them to the hot oil. Cook, turning occasionally, until the skin is browned and crispy — about 7–8 minutes. The chicken won’t be fully cooked yet. Remove and set aside.
- Toast the Fideo: In the same pan (don’t clean it — leave the flavorful bits!), add the remaining 2 tablespoons of oil. Add the dry fideo noodles and toast over medium-low heat, stirring constantly until evenly golden brown — about 6–8 minutes. Avoid burning.
- Build the Broth: Add warm water, tomato paste, garlic salt, and chicken bouillon powder to the pan with the toasted noodles. Stir well until the tomato paste fully dissolves. Bring to a gentle simmer, stirring occasionally to break up any lumps.
- Combine Chicken and Broth: Return the browned chicken drumsticks to the pan with the toasted noodles and broth. Reduce the heat to low, cover, and let it simmer for 10 minutes to fully cook the chicken and infuse flavors.
- Rest and Serve: Turn off the heat and let the soup rest uncovered for 10–15 minutes. This allows the noodles to soak up flavor and the broth to mellow perfectly. Serve hot, topped with fresh chopped cilantro and a squeeze of lime. Enjoy with warm tortillas on the side for dipping.
Notes
- Do not rinse the pan after browning the chicken—leave the browned bits to add flavor when toasting the noodles and making the broth.
- Toast the fideo noodles carefully and stir constantly to prevent burning and ensure even golden browning.
- Allow the soup to rest after cooking so the flavors fully develop and the noodles soften perfectly.
- Warm tortillas make a great accompaniment for dipping into the soup.
- Feel free to add extra seasonings like chopped onion or jalapeño for additional flavor.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Category: Soup
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Mexican
Keywords: Fideo Con Pollo, Mexican chicken soup, toasted noodle soup, chicken and noodle soup, fideo noodles, traditional Mexican recipe
