One-Pot Vietnamese Chicken Rice Porridge

By Sprig Originals ✓ · cooked up in Sprig

Jasmine rice toasted in a dry pot, then simmered in chicken broth until the grains collapse into a silky, spoon-coating porridge. Chicken thighs poach right in the same pot, so nothing is wasted — the broth gets richer, the meat stays juicy. Finished the way it's served at Vietnamese breakfast counters: a fistful of ginger matchsticks, a snowdrift of scallion and cilantro, fried shallots, and far more cracked black pepper than feels reasonable.

Ingredients

• 3/4 cup jasmine rice
• 2 tablespoons glutinous (sweet) rice, optional, for extra body
• 1.5 lb bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs (about 4)
• 8 cups low-sodium chicken broth
• 2 cups water, plus more as needed
• 1 3-inch piece fresh ginger, halved lengthwise
• 1 medium yellow onion, peeled and halved
• 4 scallions, white parts smashed, green parts thinly sliced and reserved
• 1.5 tablespoons fish sauce, plus more to taste
• 1 teaspoon kosher salt, plus more to taste
• 1/2 teaspoon sugar

• 1 2-inch piece fresh ginger, peeled and cut into fine matchsticks
• 1/2 cup cilantro leaves and tender stems, roughly chopped
• 1/4 cup fried shallots (store-bought is fine)
• 1 teaspoon coarsely cracked black pepper, plus more for serving
• 1 lime, cut into wedges
• Fish sauce and sliced Thai chiles or chili-garlic sauce, for the table
• 1 cup mung bean sprouts, optional

Instructions

1. Rinse the jasmine rice (and glutinous rice, if using) in a bowl of cool water, swishing with your fingers, then drain well in a sieve. Spread on a plate or clean towel and let sit 10 minutes so the surface dries slightly.
2. Set a large heavy pot or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the drained rice, no oil, and toast dry, stirring constantly with a wooden spoon, for 4 to 6 minutes, until the grains turn chalky-opaque and smell nutty like popcorn. A few grains may color lightly; don't let them brown deeply.
3. Add the chicken broth, 2 cups water, the halved ginger, halved onion, and smashed scallion whites. Bring to a boil over high heat, then lower to a bare simmer with just a few bubbles breaking the surface.
4. Nestle in the chicken thighs, skin side up, so they're fully submerged. Simmer uncovered, adjusting the heat so it never boils hard, for 25 minutes, stirring every 5 to 7 minutes and scraping the bottom of the pot so the rice does not stick.
5. Lift the thighs out onto a plate and let them cool 5 minutes. Fish out and discard the ginger halves, onion, and scallion whites. Keep the porridge at a low simmer.
6. Pull the chicken meat off the bones in large shreds, discarding bones and skin (or crisp the skin separately in a dry skillet for a topping). Cover the shredded chicken loosely so it stays warm.
7. Continue simmering the porridge, uncovered and stirring often, for another 25 to 35 minutes, until the grains have burst and blurred into a loose, creamy porridge that just coats the back of a spoon. Add hot water 1/2 cup at a time if it thickens past the consistency of heavy cream — it will keep tightening as it sits.
8. Stir in the fish sauce, kosher salt, and sugar. Taste and adjust: chao should taste clean and savory, a little under-salted compared to a soup, since the toppings bring a lot of seasoning. Return the shredded chicken to the pot and warm through, about 2 minutes.
9. Ladle into deep bowls. Top each with a generous pinch of ginger matchsticks, sliced scallion greens, cilantro, fried shallots, and a heavy crack of black pepper. Serve with lime wedges, extra fish sauce, chiles, and bean sprouts on the side so everyone finishes their own bowl.

Chef's tips

Nutrition (per serving, estimated)

More from Sprig Originals

Dark Roux Seafood Gumbo with Quick Shrimp Stock

Chilled Watermelon Gazpacho with Cucumber-Chile Relish

One-Skillet Blackened Cajun Chicken Pasta

Are you this recipe's original author or publisher? Report a problem