Chao Ga
Comforting chicken rice porridge with ginger and herbs.
Ingredients
- 150 g Jasmine rice
- 400 g Chicken
- 1 Ginger
- 3 Scallions
- 2 tbsp Fish sauce
- ½ tsp Black pepper
- 1 tsp Salt
- 4 tbsp Cilantro (optional)
Method
- Rinse the rice; slice the ginger and scallions.
- Simmer the rice, chicken, and ginger in plenty of water on low until silky, about 45 minutes.
- Lift out and shred the chicken, then stir it back with fish sauce.
- Finish bowls with scallion, cilantro, and pepper.
Tap “Start cooking” for live timers that flag what to get ahead on while something simmers.
About Chao Ga
Cháo gà is Vietnamese chicken rice porridge, the country's version of the soothing rice congee found across East and Southeast Asia. It is breakfast food and sickbed food both — the bowl you reach for when you want something gentle, warming, and easy to eat. Jasmine rice is simmered low and slow with chicken and ginger until the grains break down into a silky, spoonable base, mild by design so the toppings can shine.
The character of cháo gà comes less from the porridge itself than from how it is finished and dressed. Fish sauce stirred into the shredded chicken adds a savory depth of umami, while fresh scallion, cilantro, and a good grind of black pepper are piled on at the table for aroma and lift. Ginger, simmered in from the start, gives the whole bowl a clean, warming note that makes it feel genuinely restorative. Light and easy on the stomach, it is the kind of dish cooked for someone recovering, eaten early in the day, or made in a big pot to feed a household with minimal fuss.
Chao Ga: frequently asked questions
How many calories are in Chao Ga?
A serving has about 371 calories — 22.6g protein, 33.8g carbs, 15.5g fat, 1.8g fiber. Figures are estimated from the ingredient amounts and will shift with your portions and brands.
Is Chao Ga gluten-free?
Based on its ingredients, Chao Ga has no gluten-containing components, so it's naturally gluten-free — as always, check that any packaged ingredients you use are certified gluten-free to be safe.
How long does Chao Ga 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 Chao Ga?
The core ingredients are essential, but you can leave out cilantro — it's optional and mainly there for extra flavor or finish.
How many servings does Chao Ga make?
This recipe makes 4 servings. In the app you can scale it up or down and the ingredient amounts adjust automatically.