Chicken Congee. A comforting savory rice porridge with chicken, scallions and ginger that brings warmth to the soul! This quick and easy chicken congee is ready in 30 minutes with a simple trick to reduce the cooking time.
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What is Chicken Congee?
Chicken Congee is a savory, smooth rice porridge featuring tender seasoned chicken with a hint of ginger. It's delicious main rice dish that is served at many Chinese restaurants with crunchy deep fried fritters to dip with!
There are also different toppings that can be added to congee, such as pork, duck, beef, eggs, century egg, taro, and more! There are many versions of Chinese dish but today I'm making the chicken version which is very popular.
Growing up, congee was comfort food. Whenever I got sick, my mom would make us a large pot of this comforting rice porridge and we'd eat it anytime of the day until we felt better. Now when my husband gets sick, this is what I make for him.
In Chinese culture, it's often eaten during the cold winter days as its a great way to warm your body up, thanks to the warming properties of the chicken, ginger and the porridge itself. However, you can eat this dish anytime of the year.
It's a humble one pot meal made with simple ingredients that most Asians would have in their household and every household has their own version of it.
Ingredients & Substitutes
Please scroll down to the below Recipe card for full measurements.
- Jasmine rice: is the best type of rice to use for congee. Or substitute with a white long grain rice or short-grain rice. I like using long grain jasmine rice as the rice grains are longer and thinner than short grain rice, so they quickly disintegrate. For a healthier alternative, you may use brown rice, but this will take 30 minutes or longer to cook through.
- Chicken: breast or boneless chicken thighs will work. You can also use leftover rotisserie chicken or cooked shredded chicken but add this at the end when the congee is cooked. If you have leftover chicken bones, add it to the water the same time you add the rice for extra flavor and remove the bones before whisking. Or substitute with pork or beef if you wish.
- Cold Water: or substitute with low-sodium chicken broth for extra flavor and if you don't mind a slightly brown chicken rice porridge. Feel free to use homemade stock or store-bought stock. If you don't have stock, water works just fine!
- Fresh ginger: to sharpen the flavor but don't add too much or it can distort the taste of the congee. This ingredient is optional if you don't like ginger.
- Green onions: separated into scallion greens and whites as they'll be added in at different phases of the cooking process.
- Salt: to season the congee
- Chicken bouillon powder: aka Chicken stock powder to give the congee more depth in flavor.
Chicken marinade
- Cornstarch: To help seal the moisture in the sliced chicken breasts or chicken meat making it very tender when you boil it in the congee.
- Neutral oil: like avocado oil, sunflower oil, grapeseed oil, peanut oil, vegetable oil or canola oil with a high smoke point. Avoid olive oil that has a low smoke point.
- Regular soy sauce: or substitute with low sodium soy sauce or light soy sauce. If you’re gluten-free, substitute with tamari sauce, coconut aminos or a gluten-free soy sauce.
- White pepper: Commonly used to season Congee as it's more floral in fragrance. Or substitute with black pepper.
Note: Your Asian grocery store will carry most of the Asian specific ingredients.
Expert Tips
- Rinse your rice. Wash your rice at least 3 times until the water runs clear to remove any residual starch which can cause for a very sticky and thick congee.
- Do not stir more than once. Once you add your rice to the boiling water, stir once to break the rice and do not stir again until you're ready to whisk it. If you stir it, the movement allows for the starch or sugar to release from the rice which causes it to stick to the bottom of the pot.
- Use a whisk to help reduce cooking time. At the 22-minute mark, use a whisk and stir the congee rapidly to break down the rice. Otherwise, if you don't, it'll take another 20-30 minutes for the rice to disintegrate. You can also use an immersion blender to pulse blend, but don't over do it.
- Add chicken in batches. I recommend adding the chicken in a few pieces at a time to prevent the chicken from sticking to each other and giving it a stir. This also allows for it to cook evenly.
- Once congee is seasoned, remove off heat. The residual heat on the stove top burner can cause the congee to stick to the bottom of the pot.
- If you prefer a runnier congee, add more water and season with more salt to taste.
Instructions
Below are step-by-step instructions on how to make chicken congee:
Slice chicken breast thinly into ¼-inch thick pieces against the grain on an angle. Transfer to a medium-sized bowl. Marinate sliced chicken with Marinade ingredients as listed above and set aside.
Rinse the rice grains at least 3 times until the water runs clear to remove excess starch. Strain and set aside.
Add 5 cups cold water to a medium size pot. Bring to boil. Add in strained rice. Give it a stir. Then lower heat to medium heat. Do not stir the rice after this point as this causes the rice to stick to the bottom of pot. Boil for 22 minutes half covered with a lid to allow steam to escape. Do not cover fully.
At 22-minute mark, use a whisk and rapidly stir the rice until it breaks down, about 1-2 minutes. If you don't own a whisk, you can also use an immersion blender or allow this to cook for another 20-30 minutes until the rice breaks down on its own.
Add in the marinated chicken in small batches, followed by scallion whites and ginger. Give it a mix. Boil chicken until fully cooked and no longer pink throughout, about 2-4 minutes.
Season with salt and chicken powder. Remove off heat. If you like the congee more runny, mix in another ½ cup of water and season with more salt to taste if needed.
Serve and garnish with scallion greens. Enjoy!
Storage
- Leftovers will last up to 4 days stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator. To reheat: microwave for 2-3 minutes until hot or reheat in a pan on medium heat.
- Freezer friendly? Congee can be frozen in the freezer by letting it cool down completely and then dividing it into smaller portions to store in freezer-safe bags. Be cautious not to overfill the bags. Store them flat in the freezer for up to 3 months. To reheat, thaw it in the fridge overnight and reheat in the microwave or on the stovetop in a pot.
Pairing Suggestions
Chicken congee serves well with:
- starters like egg rolls, crab rangoons, egg drop soup, hot and sour soup
- deep fried Chinese dough fritters
- white or brown rice, cauliflower rice, fried rice, chow mein, lo mein, plain noodles, soup noodles
- cooked vegetables like bok choy, spicy garlic bok choy, choy sum, gai lan, garlic green beans or stir fried snow pea leaves.
- protein dishes like Soy Sauce Chicken, Char Siu, Chinese Roasted Pork Belly, Soy Garlic Tofu, Chinese Braised Tofu and more!
FAQ
This can be made in advance and stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days. To enjoy, reheat it in the microwave or in a pan on the stovetop on medium heat.
Start by mixing in ½ cup water to the cooked congee and give it a stir. See if it's to your liking and season with more salt to taste. If you like it thinner, add more a bit more water.
Yes, feel free to add chili oil, chili crisp, sesame oil, scallion ginger oil, century egg, more ginger, cilantro, or crispy shallots.
📖 Recipe
Quick & Easy Chicken Congee
Ingredients
- ½ cup jasmine rice or white long grain rice
- 3.5 oz chicken breast or boneless chicken thighs
- 5 cups water cold
- 1 teaspoon ginger peeled and julienned
- 1 green onion whites separated from greens, finely chopped
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon chicken bouillon powder aka chicken stock powder
Chicken marinade
- ½ tablespoon cornstarch or potato starch
- ½ tablespoon vegetable oil or any neutral oil
- ½ tablespoon regular soy sauce
- ⅛ teaspoon white pepper or black pepper
Instructions
- Slice chicken breast thinly into ¼-inch thick pieces against the grain on an angle. Transfer to a medium-sized bowl. Marinate sliced chicken with Marinade ingredients as listed above and set aside.
- Rinse the rice grains at least 3 times until the water runs clear to remove excess starch. Strain and set aside.
- Add 5 cups cold water to a medium size pot. Bring to boil. Add in strained rice. Give it a stir. Then lower heat to medium heat. Do not stir the rice after this point as this causes the rice to stick to the bottom of pot. Boil for 22 minutes half covered with a lid to allow steam to escape. Do not cover fully.
- At 22-minute mark, use a whisk and rapidly stir the rice until it breaks down, about 1-2 minutes. If you don't own a whisk, you can also use an immersion blender or allow this to cook for another 20-30 minutes until the rice breaks down on its own.
- Add in the marinated chicken in small batches, followed by scallion whites and ginger. Give it a mix. Boil chicken until fully cooked and no longer pink throughout, about 2-4 minutes.
- Season with salt and chicken powder. Remove off heat. If you like the congee more runny, mix in another ½ cup of water and season with more salt to taste if needed.
- Serve and garnish with scallion greens. Enjoy!
Ed in DE
Great quickie recipe! I did exactly (well, roughy) as instructed and it turned out great. The only minor mod I made was to use 1 tbsp fish sauce instead of soy sauce for the second stage because the first time I used your recipe, I wound up adding fish sauce when I ate it.
Christie Lai
Thank you so much for making my recipe and for sharing your positive experience with us! So glad you enjoyed it!
Irene
Do you think I can make it in rice cooker? At what would I add the chicken?
Christie Lai
I haven't tried using the rice cooker for this recipe but I'm sure it could work just fine with the Congee setting on some rice cookers. I would add the chicken about 5 minutes before the congee is done and while it's still bubbling hot to cook the meat through.
Min
It was my first time making congee and it turned out amazing! I made it for my husband who is sick and doesn’t have much of an appetite but he finished the whole bowl and requested more. Thank you so much! I also added a bit of garlic oil from the garlic confit. Thank you for this recipe!
Christie Lai
Thanks so much for making it! Glad you both enjoyed it! Hope your husband gets well soon.
Millie
Was sooo happy with the results! It turned out amazing and it was my first time making congee! Now I can save money on Congee Wong haha! Thanks Christie.
Christie Lai
My pleasure! Happy to read this and thanks for making it!!
joy
dude this was so good i added some spinach in at the end, stirred then added to my bowl and drizzled some soy sauce and fish sauce over top. 10/10 ✨
Christie Lai
Haha thank you so much for making my recipe and for sharing this positive review here! Glad it worked out well with the spinach addition!
Karin Mueller
Omg this was perfect. I left out the chicken (mostly because i didn’t have it on hand), and added in some fish sauce. But otherwise this was PERFECT. Gingery, creamy, comforting, chicken porridge goodness. It also was very low effort which I will appreciate in the future when making it for my sick family.
Christie Lai
I am so thrilled to read this and glad some fish sauce helped to give it some more depth! Thank you so much for this kind review, Karin 🙂
Charlotte
Just made this recipe the other day and absolutely loved it! I was recovering from the flu and craving chicken congee and this hit the mark. I'm vegan and substituted the chicken for Quorn fillets ---- but it was every bit as delicious. Thank you for sharing this easy yet yummy recipe ❤
Christie Lai
So glad to hear that you enjoyed my recipe! Thank you so much for making it and for sharing your vegan substitutes with us. I hope you get better soon!
Amanda
LOVED LOVED LOVED!! Tried to make congee years ago and it did not turn out well. I really loved your great tips on using jasmine rice, whisking and the chicken bouillon powder. Thank you for the great recipe!! Also do you know if this freezes well?
Christie Lai
Thank you so much for making my recipe, Amanda! Glad it worked out well! Yes, it freezes well if you store it in separate containers so it's easier to reheat.
Bok
This is now my go to recipe for congee. Quick and fail proof. I add chopped pumpkin or shredded carrot with the rice to cook. Love it! Also if I have rotisserie chicken, i use them too! Thanks Christie!
Christie Lai
I'm so thrilled to read this! Thank you so much for making it and rotisserie chicken is totally genius!
jun
If I sub chicken broth instead of the chicken bouillon powder, how much would I use, and would it replace some of the water in the recipe? Thanks!
Christie Lai
Hi Jun, please substitute the water at a 1:1 ratio for the chicken broth if you're omitting the bouillon powder. Note: the bouillon powder adds a bit more depth of flavor I find than broth alone. Enjoy!
Judy
Very tasty! I added 5 spice powder to the marinade and also added asparagus to the broth. I really enjoyed it all!
christieathome
Thank you so much for making my chicken congee, Judy! Happy it worked out with the asparagus and 5 spice powder.
Misty
This was such an easy and delicious recipe! Definitely will make again. Thank you for sharing!
christieathome
Thanks so much for making my recipe, Misty! So happy it worked out well 🙂
Tom
This was great! Thank you. Do you know if this can be frozen?
christieathome
Awesome! Thanks for making my recipe, Tom! Yes, it can be frozen and reheated for later.
Chiara
Simple and delicious! Exactly what I was craving. Thank you, Christie!
christieathome
Thank you so much for making my recipe Chiara! I am thrilled to hear that it hit the spot. Have a lovely day!
Jane
Hi! Would liquid Chicken stock work in place of the bouillon powder?
christieathome
Hi Jane, yes you could sub with chicken stock but I would recommend adding some soy sauce or even a bit of oyster sauce for some depth in flavour.
Jennifer Lee
I used Thai black rice. I soaked rice overnight and cooked for an hour..
christieathome
Awesome glad it worked out well with black Thai rice! Thanks for making it!
Debi
Would it work to use Better Than Bouillon chicken bouillon paste instead of chicken powder? (I have a ton and don’t want to buy another bouillon unless it’s necessary). Thanks!
christieathome
Feel free to use what you have on hand! The paste sounds like a good substitute.
Jennifer
I had never heard of Congee until I looked at @cookingforlevi on TikTok and his dad prepared it for him. I searched for a recipe and came across yours. It sounded quick and easy so I gave it a try. Very simple, and easy to follow. It tasted delicious, and the ginger and scallions add a lot of flavor. Thanks!!
christieathome
Thank you so much for making my recipe, Jennifer! I am so pleased to hear that it was delicious and simple to follow 🙂 Have a lovely day!
SZ
I love soups and have always wanted to make congee. This recipe was really easy and delicious. I added a dash of mirin and a bit of oyster sauce too. I love the immersion blender tip also. Definitely something I’ll make again! Thanks for posting.
Christie Lai
Thanks so much for making my recipe and for leaving a positive review! Glad you enjoyed it!