Chicken Congee Recipe

Our chicken congee recipe gives you a simple and satisfying option for any meal. Asian cuisine prides itself on having hearty and homely dishes with fresh ingredients, and this congee showcases just that.

The versatility of congee comes into play in this recipe. Chicken, eggs, shallots, cilantro, and scallions make up the toppings for this fulfilling dish. It is a stacked and flavorful dish that you can add to your list of comfort food recipes.

What Is Congee?

Congee is a rice porridge originating from Asia. It is made by cooking rice in a large amount of water until it softens. This dish can be eaten plain or with numerous toppings like proteins, vegetables, or seasonings.

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This dish is frequently served as breakfast or dinner, but it is suitable for any meal. Congee is easy to digest, thanks to the softened rice, so it is the go-to dish in most Asian households if someone is feeling under the weather.

Is Our Recipe Healthy?

Yes, chicken congee is an excellent option for a healthy diet.

There are 503 calories in each serving, making this congee a fulfilling meal. With 29.9 g of lean protein from chicken breasts, this dish is suitable for a weight loss diet.

Adhering to our nutrition guidelines, we make sure to keep the amounts of saturated fat and sodium at a moderate level. They come out at 2.6 g and 573 mg, respectively.

Ingredients

• Congee

We use short-grain rice to make this congee. Short-grain rice is soft and tender, so the congee will be smooth and easy to eat. We cook the chicken in the water along with the rice, so the congee gets some flavor from the chicken breasts.

There are some versions of congee that have pandan leaves; try adding it to this dish for its unique fragrance. However, we want to keep it plain in this recipe.

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• Chicken

Boiled skinless and boneless chicken breasts are decent options as the main protein, but we want to take it further.

Using the oil that we fried the shallots with, we caramelize garlic and ginger. Then we season the chicken with soy sauce, hoisin sauce, brown sugar, sesame oil, and pepper.

Instead of adding seasoning to the congee, we stir-fried the chicken with them to make this congee even tastier.

• Toppings

Aside from the chicken, we added four more toppings to this dish.

Fried shallots are crispy and flavorsome. Soft-boiled eggs bring richness from the yolks. And lastly, cilantro and scallions add their herby tastes to this diverse bowl of congee.

How to Store and Reheat Leftovers

You can store chicken congee in the fridge for 2 to 4 days. This dish also freezes very well; it can last for up to 3 months in the freezer. Make sure to store the leftovers in airtight containers.

Reheat the congee with a microwave or on the stovetop. Cook the congee slowly until warm and add more water if needed.

What to Serve With

We suggest serving chicken congee with a salad or stir-fried vegetables to add some leafy greens to your meal.

• Stir-Fried Chinese Broccoli
• Thai Beef Salad
• Asian-Style Broccoli
• Sautéed Cauliflower
• Chinese Chicken Salad

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Try These Chicken Soups, too

This soup serves rice on the side of a classic African soup that calls for peanut butter as the base, and builds around it sweet, tender, nutty elements. With contrasting textures in each spoonful tied together in this rich broth, we think you’ll fall in love.

Chicken Florentine Soup is a creamy concoction of spinach, orzo, carrots, and celery for filling and texture-rich spoonfuls. It tastes like a 5-star comfort food using very basic ingredients.

Chicken Congee

5 from 1 vote

This chicken congee recipe is the epitome of Asian comfort food, a versatile and heartwarming meal with rice and chicken.

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• cook TIME 58 mins
• prep TIME 12 mins
• total TIME 1 hr 10 mins

• COURSE Main
• CUISINE Vietnamese
• SERVINGS
  4

  servings
• CALORIES 503 kcal

INGREDIENTS

1x2x3x

• 14 oz skinless boneless chicken breasts
• 1 cup uncooked short-grain rice
• 8 cups water
• 2 medium eggs (boiled)
• 2 oz shallots (sliced)
• 3 tbsp garlic (minced)
• 1/2 tsp ginger (minced)
• 4 tbsp canola oil
• 3 tbsp reduced-sodium soy sauce
• 1/2 tbsp sesame oil
• 1 tsp hoisin sauce
• 1/2 tsp brown sugar
• 1/2 tsp ground black pepper
• 1/4 cup cilantro (finely chopped)
• 1/4 cup scallions (sliced)

INSTRUCTIONS

Image instructions

Prep:

1

Slice the shallots: Slice the shallots in half and peel the skin. Cut off the root and slice thinly.

2

Mince the garlic: Cut off the roots of the garlic cloves and peel the skin. Mince them with a knife or garlic mincer.

3

Cut the ginger: Separate the knobs and remove the skin. Slice the knob into thin slices. Stack the slices on top of each other and cut them into thin strips, then cut the strips into small cubes.

4

Boil the eggs: We start with cold eggs straight from the fridge. Bring a pot of water to a boil and add the eggs. Set a timer for 6 minutes and immediately move the eggs to an ice bath to cool when the timer goes off.

5

Chop the cilantro: Bunch the cilantro together and chop finely.

6

Slice the scallions: Cut the scallions into diagonal slices.

Cook:

1

Toast the rice: Add 1 cup of uncooked short-grain rice to a pot over low heat. Stir the rice for 5 minutes to toast.

2

Add the water and chicken: Add 8 cups of water to the pot and mix well. Then turn up to medium heat. Add 14 oz chicken breasts to the pot and bring it to a boil.

3

Cook the chicken and rice: Turn down to low heat and cook for 20 minutes, then remove the chicken. Let the rice simmer for another 30 minutes.

4

Shred the chicken: Move the chicken breasts to a plate. Use 2 forks to shred the chicken into thin strands.

5

Fry the shallots: Prepare a pan over low heat. Add 4 tbsp canola oil and 2 oz shallots. Stir the shallots for 7 minutes.

6

Remove the shallots: As soon as they turn golden brown, remove them from the pan.

7

Caramelize the garlic and ginger: Into the same pan, add 3 tbsp garlic and stir for 30 seconds. Then add 1/2 tsp ginger and stir for another 30 seconds.

8

Stir-fry the chicken: Add the shredded chicken to the pan. Season it with 3 tbsp reduced-sodium soy sauce, 1/2 tbsp sesame oil, 1 tsp hoisin sauce, 1/2 tsp brown sugar, and 1/2 tsp ground black pepper. Stir the chicken over low heat for 5 minutes.

9

Add the toppings and serve: Serve the congee in a bowl. Add the stir-fried chicken, 2 medium soft-boiled eggs, 1/4 cup of cilantro, and 1/4 cup scallions to the congee. Enjoy.

NUTRITION

Nutrition Facts

Chicken Congee

Amount Per Serving (1 serving)

Calories 503Calories from Fat 187

% Daily Value*

Fat 20.8g

32%

Saturated Fat 2.6g

16%

Trans Fat 0.1g

Polyunsaturated Fat 5.6g

Monounsaturated Fat 11.1g

Cholesterol 154.3mg

51%

Sodium 573mg

25%

Potassium 516mg

15%

Carbohydrate 46.9g

16%

Fiber 0.9g

4%

Sugar 2.6g

3%

Protein 30g

60%

Vitamin A 733.7IU

15%

Vitamin C 5.3mg

6%

Calcium 57.6mg

6%

Iron 1.6mg

9%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.