Caldo de Res + VIDEO

Name: Caldo de Res (Mexican Beef Soup)
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 90 min
Total time: 105 min
Ingredients: 2 tablespoons Olive Oil; 3 beef shanks; ½ onion (diced); 8-10 cups of water; 2 garlic cloves (finely diced); Juice of 2 limes; 1 jalapeño (finely diced); 1 bay leaf; 1 chayote (diced); 2 Mexican zucchini (diced); 2 carrots (chopped); ¼ cabbage (sliced 3-inch pieces); 2 corn on the cob (3-inches each); Salt and pepper (to taste); Cilantro (chopped (optional))

Published: Nov 6, 2019 · Updated: Nov 7, 2024 by Maggie Unzueta

Caldo de Res is a delicious and hearty Mexican Beef Soup with a robust broth. With bone-in portions and large vegetable chunks, a big bowl of this dish is a favorite in Mexico.

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Mexican Beef Soup, in a white bowl topped with cilantro and surrounded by lime wedges and two spoons.

Authentic Caldo de Res, Mexican Beef Soup, is a bowl of love, warmth, and goodness.

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If you’re under the weather, try this hearty soup recipe. It has the rich beef flavor you’d expect from a Mexican restaurant.

Think of this as “Mexican penicillin.” It’s guaranteed to make you feel better in an instant.

No offense to Caldo de Pollo, Caldo de Albondigas, or Caldo de Pescado. All are GREAT, but I prefer this hearty and filling Mexican soup when I’m sick.

Raw bones showing the bone marrows on a granite cutting board.

Table of Contents

1 🥩 What Type of Beef
2 Instructions
3 👩🏼‍🍳 Pro Tip
4 The Name Game
5 🙋🏻‍♀️ Frequently Asked Questions
6 More Mexican Beef Recipes
7 Hungry for More?
8 Caldo de Res (Mexican Beef Soup)

🥩 What Type of Beef

The best part about this soup is the bone marrow. Look for beef hind shanks or bone-in beef shank (Chamorro de res) at the store.
There are many health benefits associated with marrow bones and bone broth.
If you don’t want to use it, you can use a different cut of beef such as top round, chuck roast, or beef stew meat instead.
Buy one beef shank per person. You want to be able to serve the bone to eat bowl.

Instructions

A collage showing how to cook the meat for the beef soup.

Cut the meat around the bone marrow and season with a teaspoon salt and pepper.
Heat oil in a large pot and sear the meat.of
Add onion and cook for 1 minute before adding plenty of water.
Boil for 30 minutes.

Chop the beef into 1-inch pieces. Since this is a soup, you want the meat to fit a spoon.

Homemade broth is the best, but you can also use store-bought beef broth and skip the 30 minutes of simmering.

👩🏼‍🍳 Pro Tip

Beef broth lasts up to 4 months in a sealable bag in the freezer.
Save broth from other Mexican beef recipes like Beef Tamales, Red Beef Pozole, Picadillo

A collage showing when to add all the vegetables to the stock pot for the soup.

Add garlic, jalapeno, bay leaves, fresh ears of corn, more veggies, and more cups of water to the soup pot.
Stir to combine,
Cook for 40 minutes.

The Name Game

This soup is most commonly known as “Caldo de Res” or sopa de res. Both terms are translated into “Mexican Beef Soup.”

You’ll also hear “Puchero” or “Cocido.” For non-Spanish speaking readers, “cocido de res” means “cooked beef.”

A collage showing when to add the cabbage and for how long.

Be sure to use a large stockpot. This Caldo de Res recipe feeds 4-6 people, but it can feed more, depending on the size of your bowls.

To EXTEND this recipe to serve more people, add more beef broth and more veggies.

Kinda like Caldo de Verduras, the chunks of vegetables really make this soup.

Lime juice is added to help tenderize the meat and to provide tanginess.

A large stock pot of Mexican Beef Soup with a ladle and surrounded by lime wedges.

🙋🏻‍♀️ Frequently Asked Questions

What is the best meat for beef soup?

For this soup, we are using beef shank. Or, you can also use beef stew meat, sirloin steak, round, or chuck.

How do I store it?

In the fridge, place the soup in an airtight container. The Mexican Beef Soup will last for 3-4 days. To freeze leftovers, place in a plastic freezer bag. Remove as much air as possible. Be sure to cool it before placing it in the freezer. It will last for 4-5 months.

How do I reheat frozen beef soup?

Place the frozen soup in the microwave and heat on high for 4-5 minutes. If doing it on the stove, place in a stock pot. Over medium-high heat, cook for 15 minutes.

Can I make this in an instant pot or pressure cooker?

You can but you will have to make many adjustments such as cooking time.

A white bowl with a beef bone, corn, carrots, and cabbage and surrounded by broth.

More Mexican Beef Recipes

Serve your Caldo de Res in a large bowl with warm corn tortillas, lime, and jalapeno slices for some spice.

You can change this up a bit according to your personal preferences. Optional veggies include green beans or perhaps a small white onion. Some people will also add arroz mexicano to the soup bowl.

A comforting, satisfying, and delicious soup to warm you up on cold winter nights.

Hungry for More?

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About Maggie Unzueta

Maggie Unzueta is the face behind In Mama Maggie's Kitchen. She has been publishing Mexican recipes and creating delicious recipes since 2010. From family recipes to her extensive travels throughout Mexico, she brings traditional Mexican flavors from South of the Border and into your kitchen. Maggie has been featured in notable culinary websites and other media outlets. For more details, check out her About page.