Chicken Arroz Caldo (Filipino Chicken Rice Porridge)
Discover the comforting flavours of chicken arroz caldo. This hearty rice porridge combines tender chicken, fragrant spices, and simple ingredients for a warm, nourishing meal perfect for any occasion. Dive into the recipe and learn why this dish is a beloved staple in Filipino cuisine, especially when the temperature drops!
Ingredients
For Cooking
- 2 lbs. chicken thighs, drumsticks, and/or wings (or a whole chicken cut into serving pieces)
- 1 cup arborio rice (risotto rice)
- 1 medium yellow onion diced
- 3 thumbs ginger minced
- 1 head of garlic minced
- 1/2 teaspoon turmeric
- 8 cups water or chicken broth
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 3 tablespoons fish sauce
- 1/4 teaspoon ground black pepper
For Serving (Optional)
- 4 hard boiled eggs
- 1/2 cup chopped scallions
- 1/2 cup roasted garlic
- calamansi wedges
Instructions
- In a large/deep cooking pot, heat oil.
- Once hot, saute the onion, and ginger until fragrant.
- Once the onion softens, add garlic and turmeric. Saute for 2 minutes.
- Add the chicken pieces. Saute for another 2 to 3 minutes or until the chicken pieces starts to brown and caramalise.
- Add the fish sauce and cover the pot. Simmer for 1 to 2 minutes.
- Add the rice and stir to coat rice with all the flavours that's in the pot. Simmer for 1 minute.
- Add the water or chicken broth into the pot.
- Stir to combine all ingredients and cover the pot to bring it to a boil.
- Once boiling, turn the heat down to medium to low.
- Simmer for 10 to 15 minutes, stirring occasionally to make sure the rice doesn't burn to the bottom of the pan.
- Once the rice absorbs the liquid and the texture becomes porridge-like, your dish is ready. Note: You can add more water/broth if needed.
- Season with ground pepper and stir to mix in.
- Serve in a bowl, top with scallions, boiled eggs, and/or roasted garlic.
- Also serve with calamansi or lime.
- Share and enjoy!
Notes
- The traditional Filipino recipe uses glutinous rice, very sticky rice widely consumed in Asia. Using glutinous rice will make for a thicker dish. For my version, I like to use arborio rice (usually used for risottos) for it's creamy texture without it being sticky. So if you'd like your arroz caldo to give you extra warmth and comfort, I encourage you to try this with glutinous rice instead.
- Basic chicken arroz caldo is usually pale white in color. However, some recipes like to add safflower or saffron for colour and aroma. For my version, I add a hint of turmeric instead for its antioxidant properties, as well as its slight yellow colour.