Chicken Congee
Silky rice porridge with poached chicken and ginger.
Ingredients
- 150 g Jasmine rice
- 300 g Chicken
- 1 Ginger
- 3 Scallions
- 1 tbsp Light soy sauce
- 1 tsp Salt
- 1 tbsp Toasted sesame oil (optional)
- ½ tsp White pepper (optional)
Method
- Rinse the rice under cold water until it runs clear.
- Thinly slice the ginger and the scallions.
- In a large pot, combine the rice, chicken, ginger, and salt with plenty of water. Bring to a boil, then simmer on low, stirring occasionally, until the rice breaks down into a silky porridge.
- Lift out the chicken, shred it with two forks, then stir it back through the congee.
- Finish each bowl with light soy, sesame oil, white pepper, and the sliced scallions and serve.
Tap “Start cooking” for live timers that flag what to get ahead on while something simmers.
About Chicken Congee
Chicken congee is the quintessential Chinese rice porridge, a bowl of comfort eaten across the country and much of Asia, especially at breakfast or when someone's under the weather. It's made by simmering rice with far more water than usual until the grains collapse into a soft, silky porridge — the defining texture of any good congee. Cooked together with chicken and plenty of ginger, the rice takes on a savory, gently warming background, and the chicken is shredded and stirred back in so its flavor runs all the way through.
The pleasure of congee is in its plainness and the toppings that dress it up: light soy for salt, toasted sesame oil for aroma, white pepper for a subtle heat, and fresh scallions for a green snap. It eats soothing, mild, and easy — the kind of food you reach for first thing in the morning or when you want something restorative. Endlessly adaptable, it welcomes almost any garnish, but this ginger-and-chicken version is the honest, foundational one. It takes about an hour of mostly hands-off simmering, and the low, patient cook is what turns ordinary rice into something that feels like care in a bowl.
Chicken Congee: frequently asked questions
How many calories are in Chicken Congee?
A serving has about 344 calories — 17.6g protein, 33.2g carbs, 15.1g fat, 1.4g fiber. Figures are estimated from the ingredient amounts and will shift with your portions and brands.
Is Chicken Congee gluten-free?
As written, no — it contains Light soy sauce. You'd need a certified gluten-free swap for that ingredient to make it gluten-free.
How long does Chicken Congee take to make?
About 60 minutes start to finish, but only around 11 of those are hands-on — the rest is largely unattended cooking time you can step away from. In the Homecooked app the timers and parallel steps are sequenced for you so the hands-on part feels even shorter.
Do I need every ingredient to make Chicken Congee?
The core ingredients are essential, but you can leave out toasted sesame oil, white pepper — they're optional and mainly there for extra flavor or finish.
How many servings does Chicken Congee make?
This recipe makes 4 servings. In the app you can scale it up or down and the ingredient amounts adjust automatically.