Chicken Congee

5 from 1 vote

This homemade chicken congee is creamy, comforting, and full of flavor. Serve with tender chicken, crispy shallots, and your favorite toppings.

Prep Time10

Cook Time1 30

Total Time1 40

Course: Breakfast, Dinner, Lunch

Cuisine: Asian, Chinese

Diet: Halal

Servings: portions

Calories: 829kcal

Author: Claudia

Bring a pot of water to a boil and add the chicken. Simmer for 10 minutes to remove the impurities (Image 1). Discard the water and rinse the chicken. Return the chicken to the saucepan, add fresh water, and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat and simmer until the chicken is fully cooked and tender (Image 2). This helps you get a clearer fragrant broth.
Rinse 100 g of rice a few times, then drain well. Transfer the rice to the rice cooker bowl and add 6 cups of chicken broth (Image 3). Select the Congee/Porridge setting and cook for 1 hour 30 minutes, or according to your rice cooker's program (Image 4).
About 5–10 minutes before the congee finishes cooking, add the salt, mushroom powder, fish sauce, and pepper (Images 5–7). Stir well with a spatula to distribute the seasonings evenly. Close the lid and let the rice cooker finish cooking.
Once ready, ladle the chicken congee into serving bowls. Top with shredded chicken, Chinese crullers (youtiao), crispy fried shallots, emping crackers, celery leaves, and garlic chili oil (Image 8). Serve warm and enjoy!

Use homemade chicken broth for more flavor. I like boiling chicken to make my own broth because it gives the congee a rich, natural chicken flavor. You can also use store-bought chicken broth to save time.
Use enough liquid. I use 6 cups (1,440 ml) of chicken broth for 100 g of uncooked rice. This helps the rice break down and gives the chicken congee a soft, creamy texture. Make sure to use a standard 240 ml measuring cup, not the smaller rice cooker cup.
Choose the porridge setting. My rice cooker takes 1 hour 30 minutes to cook congee. Cooking times may vary depending on your rice cooker, so use the congee or porridge setting rather than the regular rice setting.
Season toward the end. I add salt, fish sauce, mushroom powder, and pepper about 5–10 minutes before the congee finishes cooking. Stir well and taste before serving. If you're using store-bought chicken broth, adjust the salt since some brands are already quite salty.
Adjust the consistency. Chicken congee thickens as it cools. If it's too thick, stir in a little hot chicken broth or water until you get the consistency you like.
Add the crispy toppings just before serving. Fried shallots, Chinese crullers (youtiao), and emping crackers taste best when they're still crunchy. Add them right before serving so they don't get soggy.
Customize your toppings. You don't have to use everything I use! Add your favorite toppings or leave out the chili oil if you prefer a milder chicken porridge.