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Easy Arroz Caldo Recipe

Arroz Caldo, also known as Filipino rice porridge, is the ultimate comfort food that warms both your body and your soul. Combing tender chicken, garlic, and ginger in a flavorful broth, this dish is sure to make you feel as safe as a warm hug on a chilly day. Don't forget to add your favorite toppings!
5 from 2 votes
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Course: Breakfast, Snack, Soup
Cuisine: Asian, Filipino
Keyword: arroz caldo, caldo de pollo, congee, one pot, rice porridge
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 1 hour
Total Time: 1 hour 15 minutes
Servings: 6

Equipment

Ingredients

  • 1 cups uncooked rice
  • 6 cups water plus more to adjust soup thickness
  • 1 tbsp kosher salt
  • 2 lbs chicken thigh with skin and bone in
  • 1 head garlic minced
  • 5 slices ginger
  • 3 tsp chicken boullion powder (caldo de pollo) plus more to taste
  • black pepper to taste

Toppings:

  • sliced lemon or calamansi
  • fried chicken skin crumbled or chopped
  • green onion
  • patis (fish sauce)

Instructions

Prepare the rice

  • Make broken rice - wash the rice, then drain and let dry for 30 min while you begin the next steps.

Boil the chicken thigh

  • In a large pot, combine water and kosher salt. Bring to boil.
  • Remove skin of 1 chicken and set aside for frying.
  • Add the chicken thighs to the pot and boil for 15-20 min until fully cooked. While it's boiling, skim off any impurities.
  • Remove the chicken from the pot and keep the water boiling.
  • Let it rest at least 10 minutes, then shred the chicken using forks. Set aside.

Make porridge

  • Add the broken rice to the boiling pot. Lower the heat to make a low simmer.
  • Add the onion, garlic, ginger, caldo de pollo, and cracked black pepper to the pot.
  • Cover the pot then lit it cook at a low simmer for 30-45 min or the rice is fully cooked. Stir occasionally to prevent the bottom from sticking.
  • Once the rice is cooked, it’s time to adjust the thickness and seasoning to your preference. The soup is thick now, so add more water if you would like it thinner. (We added an extra 3 cups water for a medium thickness.) Taste test and adjust with black pepper and chicken boullion.
  • Add in shredded chicken. Lower the heat. Stir well for 5-10 minutes to reheat the chicken.

Fry the chicken skins

  • Cut the reserved chicken skin into about 1 inch pieces.
  • In a frypan, shallow fry the chicken skins in neutral frying oil for 1-2 minutes, until golden brown and crisp. Remove from heat and let them drain on a rack or paper towel.

Serve

  • Serve the arroz caldo in a bowl and add toppings.

Video

Notes

Note 1: Arroz caldo thickens over time. While serving or reheating, be ready to add extra water to adjust the thickness, and extra seasoning to prevent diluted soup. An alternative trick is to just use a carton of low sodium chicken broth which won’t dilute the soup.
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