Chinese · Breakfast · Lunch · Dinner
Chicken and Ginger Congee
雞粥 (Gai Juk)
A silky, comforting Chinese rice porridge simmered with fresh ginger and gently poached chicken, finished with tender bok choy, scallions and a few drops of toasted sesame oil. Light, warming and easy on the stomach.
- Prep
- 15 min
- Cook
- 80 min
- Total
- 95 min
- Serves
- 4
Calories come from: Carbs 50% · Fat 17% · Protein 33%
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Ingredients
For 4 servings- 3/4 cup150 gJasmine rice
- 6 cups1,420 gWater
- 2 cups480 gLow-sodium chicken broth
- 3-inch piece30 gFresh ginger
- 2 small breasts300 gSkinless chicken breast
- 1/2 tspSalt
- 3 heads200 gBaby bok choy
- 4 stalks60 gScallions
- 2 tsp10 gLight soy sauce
- 2 tsp9 gToasted sesame oil
- 1/4 tspGround white pepper
- 1 small handful10 gFresh cilantro (optional)
Steps
- 1
Rinse the rice in a sieve under cold water until the water runs mostly clear, then drain.
- 2
Peel the ginger; cut half into thin coins and the other half into fine matchsticks for garnish.
- 3
Put the rice, water, chicken broth and ginger coins in a large heavy pot and bring to a boil over high heat.
- 4
Stir well, lower the heat to a gentle simmer and partly cover the pot.
- 5
Add the whole chicken breasts to the simmering pot and poach for 15–20 minutes, until the thickest part reaches 74 °C / 165 °F.
- 6
Lift out the chicken, let it cool slightly, then shred it with two forks and set aside.
- 7
Keep simmering the congee for about 55 more minutes, stirring every 10 minutes and scraping the bottom, until the rice breaks down into a creamy porridge.
- 8
If it gets too thick, stir in a splash of hot water to reach your preferred consistency.
- 9
Trim the bok choy and cut it into bite-size pieces; thinly slice the scallions and chop the cilantro, if using.
- 10
Stir the salt and bok choy into the congee and cook for 3 minutes until the greens are just tender.
- 11
Return the shredded chicken to the pot and heat through for 1–2 minutes.
- 12
Taste before seasoning further; the ginger, scallions and white pepper add plenty of flavour.
- 13
Ladle into bowls and top with the scallions, ginger matchsticks, soy sauce, a few drops of sesame oil, white pepper and cilantro, if using.
Swaps, storage and make-ahead
Swaps
- Use tamari labelled gluten-free instead of light soy sauce, and choose a chicken broth labelled gluten-free, for a gluten-free bowl.
- Swap the chicken breast for boneless skinless chicken thighs for a richer, more forgiving poached chicken.
- Replace the baby bok choy with a couple of handfuls of spinach, stirred in for the last minute, if bok choy is hard to find.
- For a vegetarian version, use vegetable broth and swap the chicken for cubes of firm tofu added with the bok choy.
Storage
Refrigerate leftovers in an airtight container within 2 hours and eat within 3 to 4 days; the congee thickens a lot as it cools, so loosen it with a splash of water or broth and reheat until steaming hot. Add fresh garnishes after reheating, and note the bok choy is best fresh, so freezing is not recommended.
Make ahead
You can cook the plain congee and shred the chicken up to 3 days ahead and keep them refrigerated separately, then reheat the congee with extra water, add the bok choy and chicken, and simmer until steaming hot. The ginger matchsticks and sliced scallions can be prepped a day ahead and stored covered in the fridge.
Nutrition values are for the recipe as written.
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Allergens and nutrition
Contains: GlutenSoySesameCelery
Check the labels of packaged ingredients for allergens and suitability for your diet.
Full nutrition
| Per serving (666 g) | Per 100 g | |
|---|---|---|
| Calories | 285 kcal | 43 kcal |
| Protein | 23.3 g | 3.5 g |
| Carbohydrates | 35.2 g | 5.3 g |
| of which sugars | 1.3 g | 0.2 g |
| Fiber | 1.6 g | 0.2 g |
| Fat | 5.4 g | 0.8 g |
| of which saturated | 1.1 g | 0.2 g |
| Sodium | 550 mg | 83 mg |
Nutrition is calculated from USDA FoodData Central data and may differ from what you cook.
