How to Make Chicken Congee (Vietnamese Cháo Gà) Easy Recipe
Chicken congee or cháo gà in Vietnamese, is a super comforting rice porridge. Anytime I’m not feeling well, this is always the first thing I want to eat. It’s warm, soothing, and like a hug in a bowl.
Updated August 7, 2024
What is Chicken Congee?
Congee is a rice porridge that is commonly eaten in many different Asian cultures.
In Vietnamese, it is called cháo and often eaten for breakfast.
Growing up, anytime I was sick my parents would make me a big pot of congee.
Now as an adult, this is all I want when I am not feeling well and even crave it when I’m not sick.
There are so many different ways you can make it but the recipe I am sharing here is for a chicken congee or cháo gà.
Chicken congee is light, soothing, and like a hug in bowl. The texture is soft, luscious, and velvety.
It’s easy to eat when you have a sore throat or uneasy stomach.
I think for a lot of Asian people, it’s the equivalent to chicken noodle soup, and the ultimate comfort food.
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Chicken Congee Ingredients
Chicken congee (cháo gà) is meant to be light so you don’t need to add too many seasonings.
Before you begin making it, you will need the following ingredients:
- Rice: Congee is made with white rice. It’s great with long, medium, or short-grain rice, whatever you have on hand. My favorite to use is long-grain jasmine rice.
- Aromatics: Onion, garlic, and ginger adds so much flavor and a warm aromatic spice to the congee. Ginger also has great health benefits and helps with nausea.
- Chicken Broth: Store-bought chicken broth is a great shortcut to add depth and savory flavor!
- Substitute: You can use chicken bouillon with water, veggie broth, or homemade broth instead.
- Oil: Use a neutral oil to sauté aromatics and rice. Neutral oils are oils that do not have a strong flavor such as avocado, grapeseed, vegetable, or canola oil. Olive oil is not a neutral oil.
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How to Make Chicken Congee
Chicken congee is a really easy and low effort meal to make.
It’s perfect for when you’re under the weather and don’t feel like doing much.
It’s light yet satisfying, like a hug in a bowl.
You’re basically just making a mushy, soupy rice. It’s really hard to mess up!
Let’s walk through this chicken congee recipe step-by-step so you can easily recreate this at home!
As always there is a video tutorial and recipe card at the end that you can print out, pin to Pinterest, or save for later.
Step 1: Sauté Aromatics
Add a drizzle of oil to a pot on medium heat.
I am using a 3 quart Caraway Sauce Pan.
Sauté onions, garlic, and ginger until softened and fragrant for about 2 minutes.
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Step 2: Toast Rice
Then add rice and toast for about 3 minutes.
I like to toast the rice with the aromatics and oil to add another subtle layer of flavor.
It makes it toasty, a little nutty, and more fragrant.
Toasting rice also effects the consistency of congee.
It makes the grain more individualized when cooked and not stick together as much.
Both consistencies are great, it just depends what you are in the mood for.
Step 3: Add Broth
The main ingredients for chicken congee are rice and chicken broth.
I always have store bought chicken broth on hand for easy meals like this.
You can also make your own chicken broth, substitute for water with chicken bouillon, or use a veggie broth.
Add the broth into the pot with the aromatics and rice and simmer uncovered for 30 minutes.
Cook until the chicken congee is done when it is super soft, kind of like an oatmeal or grits consistency.
Stir occasionally to keep it from sticking to the bottom of the pot.
Continue simmering until it is to the consistency of your liking.
Simmer longer if you like it thicker or add more broth if you like it soupier.
If you find that it is too salty, add more water instead of broth.
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Step 4: Prepare Chicken Congee Toppings
While the congee is cooking, prepare the toppings.
There are so many different topping options, here are some of my favorites for chicken congee:
- Chicken: cook and shred breast or rotisserie chicken
- Eggs: cook and peel soft boiled or jammy eggs
- Green Onions: wash and slice green onions
- Shallots: peel, slice, and fry shallots until golden and crispy
- Cilantro: wash and chop cilantro
- Black Pepper: freshly crack black pepper
- Lime: cut into wedges as an optional zesty garnish
Step 5: Serve & Enjoy!
Chicken congee is best enjoyed piping hot.
Ladle it into a bowl, add toppings to your liking, and enjoy!
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How to Store & Reheat Congee
Chicken congee keeps well in the fridge for about 3-4 days.
Store any leftovers in a sealed container.
To reheat you can either put it in a pot on the stove on low heat or put it in the microwave.
The rice may soak up the liquid more or the liquid may evaporate as you store or reheat.
The congee may become thicker as a result but it is an easy fix.
You can add additional chicken broth or water to get it back to your desired consistency.
More Vietnamese Comfort Food
I grew up eating chicken congee or cháo gà so it is a definite comfort food for me.
Here are some more of my favorite comforting Vietnamese dishes:
Save This Chicken Congee Recipe!
I hope this tutorial for how to make chicken congee was helpful and that you try to recreate one of my favorite comfort foods at home!
Be sure to save this recipe so you remember to make it later and share with your family and friends!
Please leave a rating and comment below if you try it. I’d love to know what you think!
Did you make this recipe? I would love to see! Tag me on IG @feedmi_ or TikTok @feedmi
Chicken Congee (Vietnamese Cháo Gà)
Ingredients
Congee:
- 1 cup jasmine rice, washed
- 8 cups chicken broth
- ¼ yellow onion, chopped
- 4 cloves garlic minced
- 2 inch ginger, smashed
- drizzle oil
Toppings:
- 1 chicken breast, shredded
- 4 soft boiled or jammy boiled eggs
- 2 green onions, sliced
- fried shallots
- handful cilantro
- black pepper
- lime juice (optional)
Instructions
- In a pot on medium heat with a drizzle of oil, cook onions, garlic, and ginger until softened (about 2 minutes).
- Add rice and toast for about 3 minutes.
- Add chicken broth and simmer uncovered for 30 minutes until rice is super soft and to the consistency of your liking. Add more chicken broth or water as needed.
- Prepare toppings while congee is simmering (cook eggs, fry shallots, shred chicken, etc.)
- Serve with toppings to your liking and enjoy!
Can I use lrfy over rice for this or can turn left over mushy rice into congee? Made rice but added a little bit too much water.
Thank you
Yes this will be a perfect use of your leftover rice that turned mushy! It will make the total cook time a little bit shorter too since the rice is already cooked.