Chicken Arroz Caldo! Garlicky, gingery, filling, and savory–all the things you love about your favorite Filipino merienda is here!
This one is so easy to make and requires just one pot to cook. Simmer slowly on the stove-top or use Instant Pot to shorten the cooking time. Directions and tips are all here!
Jump to:
What is Arroz Caldo?
Arroz Caldo is basically a type of rice porridge made with ginger, garlic, and chicken. Its name is derived from Spanish words Arroz ("rice") and caldo ("broth"). Its origin can be traced back to a dish called congee introduced by Chinese migrants to Filipinos.
I grew up eating Arroz Caldo as a light meal or merienda. It's warm, filling, and comforting especially during the cold rainy season. My Mama often makes it for us when we are sick. It is, after all, an all-in-one complete meal with magic nourishing powers.
I firmly believe that to this day 🙂
Why you'll love this Chicken Arroz Caldo recipe
- This recipe uses two types of rice–medium-grain (or long-grain) and glutinous rice making it easier to cook and requiring less stirring.
- The ginger root is grated instead of chopped making it easier for the kids to eat.
- The chicken, ginger, and onions are all seared in fish sauce to give it an extra boost of flavor.
- It has a smooth, and starchy consistency but definitely not too thick.
Ingredients
- Chicken - use bone-in, skin-on chicken pieces for a more flavorful broth. If you are watching your fat intake, you can omit the skin.
- Rice - you can use Jasmine rice (long grain rice) and Japanese rice (medium grain) combined with a small amount of glutinous rice.
- Garlic - I recommend using a whole bulb for maximum flavor. Toast in warm oil until brown then divide to be used for cooking and topping.
- Onion - and green onion for cooking and topping.
- Fresh Ginger - peel then slice or grate.
- Chicken stock - use homemade broth or store-bought for convenience. In this recipe, I used 2 chicken bouillon cubes diluted in hot water.
- Fish Sauce - gives the Arroz Caldo that distinct Filipino savory flavor. If you've been a long-time reader, you'll know how much I love this stuff.
How to Cook Arroz Caldo
And here’s how to Chicken Arroz Caldo using just one pot!
Toast the garlic
Start by adding the garlic to a pot with lukewarm oil. Do not use hot oil as it will easily burn the garlic. Cook until brown and fragrant. Scoop out of the pot and set aside. Half of it will be added back towards the end of the cooking and the remaining can be used for toppings.
Brown the Chicken
This is mostly for color and to improve the flavor of the broth (caldo). Trust me it's worth the extra step.
Simmer in Fish Sauce (patis)
Another way of enhancing the overall flavor of Arroz Caldo is simmering the chicken in fish sauce. One to two minutes is enough. This is key to making a savory soup.
Cook until thick and starchy
Add the rice and broth. Simmer in medium heat until the rice has broken up and the broth becomes thick and starchy. Stir occasionally to prevent the rice from sticking to the bottom of the pot.
Once you reach the desired consistency, sprinkle half of the garlic and green onions and remove from heat.
Water and Rice ratio
I recommend starting with a 1:8 ratio which means for every 1 cup of rice, use 8 cups of water or broth. As you continue to simmer, the consistency of the broth will thicken and become starchy. If you prefer a lighter porridge, add more hot water. Start with ½ cup and go from there.
Cook in an Instant Pot or Pressure Cooker
One of my new favorite way of cooking Arroz Caldo is using an instant pot. Cooking time is shorter than the stove-top version and you will get that porridge consistency with WAY LESS STIRRING and tending of the pot.
Here are a few things to note when using an instant pot to cook Arroz Caldo:
- You can omit glutinous rice if using Instant Pot as consistency will naturally become thicker with pressure cooking.
- Use 7 cups of hot water instead of 8 cups.
Cooking Time for Instant Pot Arroz Caldo
Close and seal the lid after adding the rice and broth. Set to pressure and cook for 10 minutes. When the cooking time is up, let the pressure release NATURALLY for 25 minutes. Do not quick release at this point. After 25 minutes, turn the knob to VENTING to release the remaining pressure. This should only take less than a minute.
Toppings
The list of toppings and condiments is endless. But here are my personal favorite:
- Boiled egg
- Green Onions/ Scallions
- Fried Garlic
- Chicharon/Pork Rinds
- Tokwa't Baboy
- Crispy Onions
- Calamansi/Lime/Lemon
Storage and Shelf-life
If you have leftover Arroz Caldo, you can keep it in the fridge in an airtight container. It should be consumed within 2-3 days.
Re-heating
To reheat, place in a pot and reheat on the stove. Add more water or broth and season with fish sauce and black pepper as needed.
Frequently asked questions
While other recipes call for just using glutinous rice, I prefer to use less of it and more of regular white rice like Jasmine or Japanese rice. Combining two types of rice makes the Arroz Caldo starchy with a thinner consistency.
If you want to use Brown rice, I have another recipe for it. It's super easy and just as good as this one.
Everybody has a different preference when it comes to the consistency of Arroz Caldo. I personally, prefer mine a bit "soupy" and use the ratio of 1:6 to 1:8—1 cup of rice to 6 to 8 cups broth.
Note that as the Arroz Caldo cools, it will become thicker so always come ready with hot chicken broth and add it when necessary.
Yes, but once is enough. Over rinsing lessens the starch of the rice and we want/need starch for Arroz Caldo.
Sprinke strands of saffron flower. You can also use strands of safflower (known as kasubha). It is a flower that is locally available in the Philippines commonly used as a yellow food coloring. Note that saffron and safflower are NOT THE SAME.
Watch how to Make It
You might like these too...
Complete Recipe
Easy Chicken Arroz Caldo
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 cup medium or long grain rice (I used medium-grain rice)
- ¼ cup glutinous rice (also known as sweet sticky rice)
- 2 pcs chicken bouillon
- 8 cups hot water (divided, add more if needed)
- 1 ½ tablespoon vegetable oil (canola)
- 1 bulb garlic (finely chopped)
- 600 grams / 1.5 lbs chicken (bone-in and skin-on, cut into serving pieces)
- 1 onion (chopped)
- 3 tablespoon ginger (peeled and grated)
- 3 tablespoon fish sauce (add more if preferred)
- salt and pepper (to taste)
Arroz Caldo Toppings
- toasted garlic
- hard-boiled eggs (sliced)
- ½ cup green onions (chopped)
- 4 pcs calamansi (or lemon)
Instructions
- Place the rice and glutinous rice in a bowl. Rinse with tap water. Drain and set aside. Dilute the chicken bouillon in 8 cups of hot water to make the chicken broth.
- Heat oil in a large pot until just warm (not hot). Add garlic, fry until golden brown. Lower the heat if it becomes too hot to prevent burning the garlic. Remove from pot and set aside.
- Add a little more oil. Add the chicken pieces and cook until no longer pink. Stir-in onions and ginger. Cook until softened. Pour the fish sauce and let it simmer for 1-2 minutes until fragrant.
- Add the rice and chicken broth. Cover and cook until rice is broken up and broth is thick and starchy. Stir occasionally to prevent the rice from sticking to the bottom. This usually takes 30 to 45 minutes. The longer the cooking time, the thicker consistency. Adjust cooking time depending on the desired consistency. Add hot water based on your preference.
- Add half of the toasted garlic. Stir and simmer for another 3 minutes. Taste and season with salt and pepper. Add half of the chopped green onions. Stir then turn off the heat.
- Serve in a bowl. Top with sliced boiled eggs. Drizzle with calamansi juice and top with more toasted garlic and green onions.
Recipe Notes and Tips:
- Rice: You can use Jasmine rice (long grain rice) or Japanese rice (medium grain). If glutinous rice is not available, you can replace it with the same amount of regular rice.
- Note that as the Arroz Caldo cools, it will become thicker so it's good to have extra hot water and add it when necessary.
- Storage and Shelf life: If you have leftover Arroz Caldo, you can keep it in the fridge in an airtight container. It should be consumed within 2-3 days.
- To reheat: Place in a pot and reheat on the stove. Add more water or broth and season with fish sauce and black pepper as needed.
- You can omit glutinous rice if using Instant Pot as consistency will naturally become thicker with pressure cooking.
- Use 7 cups of hot water instead of 8 to avoid the starch from overflowing in the vent.
- Cooking: Follow steps 1 to 4. Close and seal the lid. Set to pressure cook for 10 minutes. When the cooking time is up, let the pressure release NATURALLY for 25 minutes. Do not quick release at this point. After 25 minutes, turn the knob to VENTING to release the remaining pressure. This should only take less than a minute.
- After pressure cooking, adjust the consistency by adding more hot water.
Charles says
Sarap to the bones! Super flavourful and perfect during rainy days. Will make this over and over again! Thanks for the recipe Mella!
Mella says
You're welcome, Charles!
- Mella
Rolando says
Thanks, i will try this ❤️