How to Make Chicken Congee (鸡粥)
A recipe for a simple, comforting and creamy chicken congee, that is easy to make, and super comforting for days when you're feeling ill and need something nourishing to eat or when you're just craving it!
Servings: 3 Servings
Calories: 115kcal
Ingredients
- ½ cup Japanese medium grain rice (calrose)
- 7 cups water (or chicken stock)
- 2 slices ginger (optional, but highly recommended)
- salt (to taste)
Chicken Marinade
- 1 chicken breast or ¼ lb of ground chicken
- 1 tablespoon soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon water
- 2 teaspoons oil
- ½ teaspoon corn starch
Toppings (Optional)
- Green Onions (Thinly sliced. Highly Recommended)
- Pork Floss (Highly recommended)
- Crispy Deep Fried Garlic or Fried Onions (Highly Recommended, You can make this at home as well.)
- Furikake ( or make a batch, Homemade Furikake)
- raw egg yolk
- Salted Duck Egg (Cooked)
- Toasted Sesame Seeds
- chili oil
- Sesame Oil
Instructions
Marinade the Chicken
- Thinly slice the chicken so it cooks quickly (¼ inch or less) and place it in a bowl. If you are using ground chicken or pork then place that in a bowl.
- Add in the soy sauce, water and oil, and corn starch to the chicken and mix well. Set it aside for later.
Cooking the Congee
- Set the stove to high heat and add water and ginger slices to the pot and wait for it to boil.
- Once the water has started to boil, add in the rice and stir it for a few minutes. We don't want the rice to settle at the bottom and stick to the pot.
- Once the congee has boiled for about 5 minutes, turn down the heat to medium low heat and let it simmer with no lid on. Please do not use a lid while it is simmering. It will cause the starchy congee to overflow out of the pot.
- It will take about 30 minutes to cook. Stir it every 10-15 minutes so it doesn't stick to the bottom of the pan and burn. (If you used basmati rice, you will need to add 15-20 minutes to the cooking time)
- Once the congee is done, turn off the heat and put a lid on it and let it 'steam' for 20 minutes. This will thicken the congee a bit more.
- After 20 minutes, whisk the congee with a whisk or chopsticks quickly for 3-4 minutes to break up the rice grains so that the congee will be more creamy, and silky. At this point, adjust the congee to the texture you like. If you like it thinner, add more water/chicken stock to it, 2 tablespoons at a time until you get the right consistency. If you like it thick and creamy, leave it as is.
Cooking the Chicken
- Turn the heat back to medium heat and keep stirring until the congee is hot and starts to bubble.
- Once the congee starts to bubble, add in the chicken slices or ground meat and stir well so that the hot congee fully covers the meat.
- Cook the meat for about 2-3 minutes or until it is cooked.
- Salt is very important for congee to taste good. Don't be shy with it. Add salt to taste.
- Garnish with finely chopped green onions or additional toppings and enjoy!
Notes
- If you are using Japanese Calrose Rice for this recipe, the congee will turn out very creamy and thick. If you like your congee soupier, add more water or chicken stock, 2 tablespoons at a time until it is the right consistency for you at the end before you cook the chicken.
- If you are making a big batch of congee, it may not be as thick and creamy the next day. If you'd like to thicken it, you can mix in a potato starch slurry (1 tablespoon of potato starch mixed with 1 tablespoon of cold water) while it is boiling to re-thicken it again.
- If you are making a larger batch of this recipe (like making a double batch by doubling the ingredients), you may need to increase both the 'cooking time' and 'steaming time' by 15 minutes, for a total of an extra 30 minutes.
