One-Pot Chicken Congee
This simple, one-pot Chicken Congee recipe is everything you want in a nourishing and healthy recipe. Its silky texture and rich flavor with lots of fresh ginger and green onion makes it the most comforting dish ever.
Prep Time: 20 minutes
Cook Time: 1 hour 30 minutes
Total Time: 1 hour 50 minutes
Makes: 4 - 6 servings
Ingredients
Chicken Congee
- 4 bone-in skin on chicken thighs (about 2 lbs)
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 2 inch piece of ginger
- 6 scallions
- 3/4 cup sushi rice
- 8 cups chicken stock
- 1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil
- kosher salt
- ground white pepper
- additional toppings: cilantro, soft boiled eggs, fried shallots, chili crisp, soy sauce or ponzu, fresh ginger
Instructions
- Season the chicken. Pat the chicken thighs dry with paper towels and season all over with salt and white pepper. Place them on a plate, skin side up, and transfer to the fridge for 2 hours uncovered.
- Prep the green onions and ginger. Separate the dark green parts of the scallions from the white/light green parts and set them aside for later. Remove the root ends from the whites and discard them. Use a sharp knife to cut the white/light green parts of the scallions into thin matchsticks and set aside. Thinly slice the dark green parts and set them aside for garnish. Peel the ginger and cut it into thin matchsticks.
- Rinse the rice. Place the rice in a fine mesh strainer and rinse with cold water until the water runs completely clear. Set aside to dry.
- Render the chicken skin. Heat the oil in a 5-6 quart dutch oven over medium-low heat. Once the oil is hot, place the chicken thighs into the pot skin side down. Let them cook for 5-6 minutes, until some of the fat has rendered. Transfer the chicken back to the place, skin side up. Let the chicken cool slightly, then remove the skin from the thighs and place it on a parchment lined baking sheet. Set aside.
- Make the congee. Remove all but 1 tablespoon of the fat from the pot and discard. Add the thinly sliced ginger and scallions (white/light green parts) to the fat and cook for 2 minutes, stirring often, until fragrant. Stir in the rice and cook for another minute, tossing well. Stir in the chicken stock and sesame oil and return the chicken thighs to the pot. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat to low, cover, and simmer for 1 hour. Stir every 15 minutes or so to keep the rice from sticking to the bottom of the pot.
- Bake the chicken skin. Heat an oven to 350 F. Transfer the baking sheet with the chicken skin to the oven for 20 minutes, or until the skin is golden and crispy. Remove from the oven and transfer the chicken skin to a paper towel lined plate to drain off the excess oil.
- Shred the chicken. After an hour, remove the chicken thighs from the pot and continue to cook the rice, covered, for 30 more minutes. Once the chicken is cool enough to handle, shred the meat off the bones and return it to the pot of congee. Season to taste with salt or soy sauce and white pepper.
- Serve. Ladle the congee into bowls, top with the crispy chicken skin and sliced scallions and any other toppings as desired.
Nutrition
Calories: 457kcalCarbohydrates: 31gProtein: 26gFat: 25gSaturated Fat: 6gPolyunsaturated Fat: 5gMonounsaturated Fat: 11gTrans Fat: 0.1gCholesterol: 104mgSodium: 535mgPotassium: 584mgFiber: 1gSugar: 5gVitamin A: 204IUVitamin C: 3mgCalcium: 29mgIron: 2mg
