Chicken Arroz Caldo (Chicken Rice Porridge)

4.8
(90)

Arroz caldo is a comforting and flavorsome Filipino rice and chicken soup served mainly as a snack but can be enjoyed any time of the day.

33
A bowl of chicken arroz caldo (chicken rice porridge) garnished with sliced green onions and sliced lemon
33
33
33
Prep Time:
20 mins
Cook Time:
20 mins
Total Time:
40 mins
Servings:
5

This arroz caldo recipe will warm you up from the inside out. 

What Is Arroz Caldo? 

Arroz caldo is a lugaw (glutinous rice dish) made with chicken and rice. It’s flavored with garlic, onions, ginger, fish sauce, and other seasonings. 

Though “arroz caldo” is a Spanish name, the dish’s origins are Filipino — it is an adaptation of a congee that was created by Chinese-Filipino immigrants. 

How to Make Arroz Caldo

  1. Cook the onion, garlic, and ginger until fragrant. 
  2. Add the chicken and stir in the fish sauce.
  3. Pour in the broth and sweet rice, then bring the mixture to a boil.
  4. Season and continue cooking until the chicken is fully cooked. 

How to Serve Arroz Caldo

This arroz caldo recipe calls for green onions, lemon wedges, and more fish sauce as toppings. Add a hard-boiled egg, a traditional arroz caldo garnish, for extra heartiness.

How to Store Arroz Caldo

Store your leftover arroz caldo in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to three days. Store the garnishes separately for the best results. Reheat thoroughly on the stove or in the microwave, then add the garnishes just before serving. 

Allrecipes Community Tips and Praise

“Amazing,” raves one Allrecipes community member. “Great recipe as-is, and you can always add more aromatics. I did. Extra ginger and garlic for me!”

“Like my mom made for us...yum,” says Peach. “Garnished with fried chicken skin, toasted garlic, safflower, and green onion. Always use fresh garlic and ginger — it makes all the difference and smells and tastes amazing.”

“This is the BEST arroz caldo recipe,” according to Lindsay Ceballos. “It has become a staple in our house. I do use regular white rice (with a little extra boil time) and whatever chicken I have on hand and it always comes out perfectly.”

Editorial contributions by Corey Williams

Cook Mode (Keep screen awake)

Ingredients

Original recipe (1X) yields 5 servings

  • 2 tablespoons olive oil

  • 1 onion, diced

  • 2 cloves garlic, crushed

  • 1 (2 inch) piece fresh ginger, peeled and thinly sliced

  • 2 ¼ pounds chicken wings, split and tips discarded

  • 1 tablespoon fish sauce (Optional)

  • 5 ¼ cups chicken broth

  • 1 cup glutinous sweet rice

  • salt and pepper to taste

  • 1 green onion, chopped

  • 1 lemon, sliced (Optional)

  • 1 teaspoon fish sauce for sprinkling, if desired (Optional)

Directions

  1. Gather all ingredients.

    Ingredients to make chicken arroz caldo (chicken rice porridge)

    Dotdash Meredith Food Studios

  2. Heat oil in a large pot over medium heat. Cook and stir onion, garlic, and ginger in hot oil until fragrant, about 5 minutes.

    A large pot with chopped onion, garlic, and ginger being stirred with a wooden spoon

    Dotdash Meredith Food Studios

  3. Add chicken wings; cook and stir for 1 minute. Stir in fish sauce, cover, and cook another 2 minutes.

    A large pot with chicken wings, fish sauce, chopped onion, garlic, and ginger

    Dotdash Meredith Food Studios

  4. Pour chicken broth into the pot. Stir in sweet rice and bring mixture to a boil. Cover and cook for 10 minutes, stirring occasionally to prevent rice from sticking to the bottom of the pot.

    A large pot with chicken broth and rice added to the chicken wing-onion mixture

    Dotdash Meredith Food Studios

  5. Season with salt and pepper. Portion soup into bowls and garnish with green onion.

    A pot of chicken arroz caldo (chicken rice porridge), with two portion in bowls, served with slice green onions and lemon slices on the side

    Dotdash Meredith Food Studios

  6. Serve with lemon slices and additional fish sauce, if desired.

    A bowl of chicken arroz caldo (chicken rice porridge) garnished with sliced green onions and sliced lemon

    Dotdash Meredith Food Studios

171 home cooks made it!

Nutrition Facts (per serving)

294 Calories
15g Fat
25g Carbs
16g Protein
Nutrition Facts
Servings Per Recipe 5
Calories 294
% Daily Value *
Total Fat 15g 19%
Saturated Fat 3g 16%
Cholesterol 42mg 14%
Sodium 1586mg 69%
Total Carbohydrate 25g 9%
Dietary Fiber 3g 10%
Total Sugars 4g
Protein 16g 31%
Vitamin C 21mg 23%
Calcium 38mg 3%
Iron 1mg 6%
Potassium 209mg 4%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your daily values may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs.

** Nutrient information is not available for all ingredients. Amount is based on available nutrient data.

(-) Information is not currently available for this nutrient. If you are following a medically restrictive diet, please consult your doctor or registered dietitian before preparing this recipe for personal consumption.