Chicken Congee
This chicken congee is a comforting Cantonese classic that's super easy to make and often enjoyed for breakfast or when someone is under the weather. The chicken is well seasoned and tender and the congee is velvety smooth and lightly seasoned to entice an appetite even when you're lacking it. Top it with some green onions, cilantro, and chili oil for a kick. It's perfect for enjoying by itself or with a side of Chinese crullers and scallion pancakes!
- Prep time
- 10 min
- Cook time
- 35 min
- Yield
- 2 servings
- Difficulty
- MEDIUM
Ingredients
Quantities are shown as originally provided.
- 4 ounces skinless boneless chicken breast (cut into thin strips no more than ¼ inch thick)
- ½ inch knob of ginger (peeled and cut very thin strips or minced)
- ½ tablespoon oyster sauce
- 1 teaspoon Shaoxing rice wine
- ¼ teaspoon kosher salt
- 1 teaspoon cornstarch
- ½ teaspoon oil (any neutral cooking oil)
- ½ cup medium grain white rice (or short grain)
- 4 cups water (or unsalted chicken broth *see notes)
- 1 teaspoon oil (any neutral cooking oil)
- ½ teaspoon chicken bouillon powder
- ¼ teaspoon salt (or to your preference)
- 1 stalk green onion (thinly sliced (the white and green parts separated))
- Cilantro (roughly chopped)
- Chinese chili oil
- Youtiao ((Chinese crullers))
Instructions
- 1
Marinate the chicken:In a bowl, mix together the thin strips of chicken breast, ginger, oyster sauce, shaoxing rice wine, and salt until well combined. Add the cornstarch and mix well. Finish by adding the oil and mix to combine. Set the chicken aside to marinate until needed.*If you want, you can even prepare the chicken ahead of time and allow it to marinate in the fridge overnight. Just take the chicken out of the fridge before you start cooking the congee to allow it to warm up at room temperature.*
- 2
Make the congee:Into a claypot of stainless steel pot, add the water (or stock) and bring it to a boil.
- 3
Meanwhile, wash and rinse the rice 2 to 3 times until the water is mostly clear. Drain well.
- 4
Once the water is at a boil, add the washed rice and oil. Give the rice a stir. Then cover the pot and bring to a boil.
- 5
When the pot returns to a boil, reduce the heat to medium or medium low to keep the congee at a constant simmer. Stir the rice, making sure to scrap the bottom of the pot to prevent the rice from sticking. Place the lid on the pot but keep it cracked. Let the congee cook for about 30 minutes until it's thick and the rice tender.*As the congee thickens, it may overflow, especially when the lid is on the pot. So keep the lid cracked and keep an eye on the pot. Also adjust the heat as needed*
- 6
Finish the congee:After 30 minutes, the congee should look visibly thicker. If needed, let it simmer for another 5 to 10 minutes. Give the congee a good stir, especially the bottom of the pot.
- 7
Then, add in the whites of the green onion and the marinated chicken. Immediately stir vigorously to separated the chicken. It's the easiest to do this using chopsticks. Next, season the congee with chicken bouillon powder and salt and let the congee simmer for another 2 to 3 minutes, until the chicken is cooked through.*At this point, taste and adjust the seasoning if needed. But be VERY careful! The congee will be super hot*
- 8
Portion the congee into serving bowls and top with green onion, cilantro, and some chili oil (if you want to add a kick), and optionally some Chinese crullers!