If you’ve ever visited Utah, chances are you’ve heard a thing or two about Cafe Rio. It’s a chain of restaurants that feature fresh, flavorful Mexican food done fast. We’re kind of obsessed with everything about it, especially their salads, tamales, quesadillas, and fideo. It wasn’t until recently that we tried their friday special: fiedo. It’s like a Mexican version of chicken noodle soup (with less broth) but topped with all the fixings… and it’s crazy good!
I’m not sure why we waited to long to take the plunge. I kind of regret it. Fideo is great because it’s not spicy or saucy, just flavorful! Did I mention it’s super filling? A little goes a long way. After eating it a few times I thought it seemed like something I could make at home. I scoured the internet for a similar recipe and came up empty handed, which was a huge bummer. So this is my make-shift version, not a 100% copycat, but darn close! My husband said it was pretty spot on, so I guess I did something right ????
Anyhow, you’ll start off by getting your chicken seasoned and grilled. While that’s on the stovetop chop up the carrots, onions and garlic for the noodles. Sauté them in a large pan until they’re tender. The carrot will take the longest so be sure that it’s fork-tender before moving on (it doesn’t really soften during the rest of the cook time).
When the veggies are tender, add in noodles and toast them for a few minutes. Then add in the cilantro, tomatoes, chicken broth, lime juice and sprinkle the bullion and spices over top. Bring the mixture to a boil, cover and simmer until the noodles are soft. The noodles will soak up most of the broth, so you’ll use a bit of reserved liquid for the end. Just remember, it’s a pasta dish and not soup, so the noodles will be wet but not swimming. Let’s call it a dry soup, mmmkay?
Place the noodles and some of the broth in individual bowls and top with grated monterey jack cheese, grilled chicken, fresh pico de gallo, crumbles of cotija, a scoop of sour cream, tortilla strips and a few lime wedges. Stir it up and enjoy!!
This 30 minute meal is great for weeknight dinners or special occasions. It can be doubled to feed large crowds and the leftovers taste just as good, if not better, than the day it was made! Grab a bowl and cozy on up with this flavorful, filling Mexican pasta!
Cafe Rio Style Fideo Recipe
Ingredients
- 2 tbsp olive oil - divided
- 1/2 carrot - finely diced
- 3 tbsp yellow onion - finely diced
- 1 green onion - chopped, (white and light green parts only)
- 2 cloves garlic - minced
- 1/2 lb angel hair pasta - OR vermicelli pasta
- 1 tbsp cilantro - minced
- 1/4 cup fire roasted tomatoes with green chiles - diced
- 1 (32 oz) box low sodium chicken broth - divided
- 1 lime - juiced
- 1 tsp chicken bouillon
- 1/2 tsp ground cumin
- 1/2 tsp ground coriander
- 1/4 tsp ground black pepper
- 1/8 tsp cayenne pepper
Garnishes
- monterey jack cheese - finely grated
- 2 grilled chicken breast - sliced
- pico de gallo
- cotija cheese
- sour cream
- lime wedges
- toasted tortilla strips
Instructions
- In a large skillet with a lid, add 1 tbsp. of the olive oil and set over medium heat. Add the carrot and cook for about 3-4 minutes, then add the onions and garlic, cook until tender and fragrant. Remove and set aside on a plate.
- Pour the remaining olive oil in the skillet, when hot add the noodles and cook until they begin to brown. Pour in the vegetables along with the cilantro, tomatoes, 3 cups chicken broth, lime juice and seasonings. Bring the mixture to a boil, cover and reduce to a rapid simmer. Cook until the noodles are soft and have soaked up a fair amount of the broth. Remove from the heat and add remaining 1 cup chicken broth. Let the pasta rest for 5 minutes before serving/garnishing.
NOTES
-You can swap out the chicken for grilled steak 🙂
My family loved it! It’s going on the permanent rotation.
Hi Eugenia, glad your whole family loved it! Thanks for you note and the 5 star review!
Oh my gosh! I have been craving Cafe Rio’s Fideo for months since they’re not doing specials. Made this tonight and it tastes just like it if not better!!!!! My hubby even agreed he thought it was better. Doing it again next weekend! The only thing I didn’t do was add the extra chicken broth at the end. But I thank you so much for the recipe!!! So worth it for the craving!!!!
Well, I am so glad you found this recipe!! Thank you so much for saying that!
What did you season the chicken breast with and how did you prepare them? Did I just miss it in the recipe? Can’t wait to make this!!!
You can season it anyway you like it 🙂 I like to season with salt & pepper & depending on what recipe I am using, I like to use Italian seasoning or a little garlic & then I grill it. Hope that helps & hope you like it!
I used grillmates chipotle seasoning packet in my chicken. Perfect.
Delicious recipe! I made it for my family tonight, and they loved it! Only complaint is more of a personal preference, but it was a bit too spicy for my taste so I’d probably cut back on the cayenne pepper next time. I am very sensitive to spice though, my family thought it was perfect.
I made 2 pans because we have a gluten free family member!! I used some regular chopped dice tomatoes ( and addded my own green chili’s from a can ( divided between the two pans) instead of jalapeños for a slightly less hot flavor. It was THE BEST FOOD I have ever eaten!!!! It may have convinced me to eat something other than the salad at cafe Rio. Thanks for creating this recipe!! You are amazing to have figured this out and shared!!!
Thank you so much Kathy! We are lucky enough to live close to one now (we moved to Virginia), but it is still a long drive. So we opt to make it a home most of the time 🙂