Chicken Arroz Caldo
Golden Filipino chicken and rice porridge fragrant with ginger, garlic and fish sauce.
Ingredients
Measure and prepare everything before you begin cooking.
- 1 kg bone-in chicken thighs and drumsticks
- 1 cup jasmine rice, rinsed and drained
- ½ cup glutinous rice, rinsed and drained
- 8 cups chicken stock, kept hot
- 1 medium onion, finely chopped
- 8 garlic cloves, minced and divided
- 60 g fresh ginger, peeled and cut into thin strips
- 2 tbsp neutral cooking oil
- 2–3 tbsp fish sauce, plus extra for serving
- ½ tsp ground turmeric or 1 tbsp kasubha, optional
- 1 tsp fine salt, or to taste
- ½ tsp freshly ground black pepper
- 4 hard-boiled eggs, halved
- 4 spring onions, thinly sliced
- 4 calamansi, halved
Instructions
- 1
Pat the chicken dry and season it lightly with ½ teaspoon salt and ¼ teaspoon black pepper. Rinse and drain both kinds of rice, prepare the aromatics and keep the chicken stock hot beside the stove.
- 2
Heat the oil in a heavy pot over medium heat. Fry half the garlic until pale golden and crisp, then transfer it to paper towel for the garnish, leaving the flavoured oil in the pot.
- 3
Raise the heat to medium-high. Brown the chicken in batches for 3–4 minutes per side; it does not need to cook through yet. Transfer it to a plate so the pot is not overcrowded.
- 4
Lower the heat to medium. Cook the onion and ginger for 3 minutes, scraping up the browned chicken bits. Add the remaining garlic for 30 seconds, then stir in the drained rice for 1 minute. Add turmeric or kasubha now, if using.
- 5
Return the chicken and its juices to the pot. Pour in 7 cups hot stock and add 2 tablespoons fish sauce. Bring to a gentle boil, then lower the heat and simmer partly covered for 35–45 minutes, stirring every few minutes so the rice does not stick.
- 6
Check that the chicken is fully cooked and the rice is soft and creamy. Add the remaining hot stock until the porridge is slightly looser than you want—it thickens as it rests. Taste before adding more fish sauce, salt or black pepper.
- 7
Rest for 5 minutes, then ladle into bowls. Top with boiled egg, spring onion and toasted garlic. Serve immediately with calamansi, extra fish sauce and black pepper at the table.
About Chicken Arroz Caldo
Arroz caldo is a ginger-rich Filipino chicken and rice porridge, often eaten for breakfast, merienda or whenever comfort is needed. Its name reflects Spanish influence, while the method and garnishes belong firmly to the Filipino table.
New Zealand ingredient swaps
- Glutinous rice: use more jasmine or medium-grain rice; the porridge will be a little less sticky.
- Kasubha: use a small pinch of turmeric for colour, or omit it.
- Calamansi: use lemon wedges; spring onion is the NZ name for scallions.
How to know it is ready
- Brown chicken over medium-high heat, then cook onion, ginger and garlic over medium so they soften without scorching.
- Stir the bottom regularly as the rice releases starch and thickens.
- Chicken should reach at least 75°C; rice should be very soft and the porridge looser than your final preference because it thickens while standing.
Common mistakes and fixes
- Too thick: stir in hot stock or water until it flows easily from the ladle.
- Rice catching: lower the heat and scrape the base frequently with a flat wooden spoon.
- Bland: add fish sauce a teaspoon at a time, then brighten with calamansi at the table.
Family and regional variations
- Add a hard-boiled egg and crisp garlic for the classic finish.
- Use shredded cooked chicken, adding it after the rice softens.
- Add safflower, turmeric or no colouring at all—family versions differ.
Storage and reheating
Refrigerate toppings separately and use the porridge within 3 days. Freeze the untopped base for up to 1 month. Reheat slowly with extra stock until steaming hot.
What to serve with it
Top with toasted garlic, spring onion and egg. Serve fish sauce, black pepper and lemon or calamansi alongside.
Chicken Arroz Caldo FAQs
Why did it become solid in the fridge?
Rice continues absorbing liquid. Stir in stock or water while reheating to restore the porridge texture.
Can I use cooked rice?
Yes, though the flavour will be lighter. Simmer it in stock until the grains break down.
Is arroz caldo the same as lugaw?
Lugaw is the broader rice-porridge family; arroz caldo is typically the chicken-and-ginger version.
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