Skip to content
FriendsPantry

Cantonese · Chinese

Chicken and ginger congee (jook)

Non-vegetarian

雞粥 · jī zhōu

Rice simmered slowly in stock until it breaks down into a silky porridge, with shredded chicken, ginger and spring onion — comfort food for breakfast or when unwell.

Chicken and ginger congee (jook) is a Cantonese porridge from China, ready in about 1 hour 30 minutes and made with long-grain white rice and chicken stock. It serves 4 and is rated beginner to cook.

Start cooking

No licensed photograph of this dish yet.

Prep
10 min
Cook
1 h 20 min
Total
1 h 30 min
Serves
4
Level
Beginner
Calories
335

Ingredients

4 servings

Equipment

Method

  1. Step 1

    Toss the rinsed rice with the oil and a pinch of the salt and leave for 10 minutes.

    • 2 min

  2. Step 2

    Bring the stock and water to a boil with the sliced ginger. Add the rice and chicken, return to a boil, then cover partly and simmer gently.

  3. Step 3

    After 20 minutes, lift out the chicken, shred it and set aside. Keep simmering the congee, stirring now and then so it doesn't catch, for another hour until thick and creamy.

    • 75 min
    • low heat

    Food safety: Check the chicken is cooked through (74 °C) before shredding.

  4. Step 4

    Season with salt and white pepper (opens in a new tab), stir the chicken back in and add water if it is too thick.

    • 2 min

  5. Step 5

    Serve topped with ginger matchsticks, spring onion (opens in a new tab) and, if you like, soy sauce (opens in a new tab), sesame oil (opens in a new tab) and coriander.

    • 1 min
    A finished dish being plated
    How it looks · Photo: Willians Huerta on Pexels

About this dish

Origin
China · Well documentedAlso popular in Taiwan, Malaysia, SingaporeMore food from China
Dish
Breakfast · Lunch · Porridge & cereals · Rice dishes
Cooking method
Simmered, Boiled
Taste
mild, savoury, aromatic / warmly spiced
Diet
Dairy-free · No nut ingredients · High-protein
All labelsNon-vegetarian · Dairy-free · Egg-free · No nut ingredients · No added sugar · Alcohol-free · Pork-free · Beef-free · High-protein · Low-fat · Calorie-conscious
Without the optional extras: No gluten ingredientsWorked out from the ingredients. How labels work
Good for
One-pot · Budget-friendly · Make-ahead
Cook more with
Long-grain white rice · Chicken stock · Fresh ginger · Chicken thigh · White pepper · Spring onion
Techniques
Boiling · Simmering

Allergens

  • Contains, can be adapted: Wheatfrom soy sauce
  • Contains, can be adapted: Glutenfrom soy sauce
  • Contains, can be adapted: Soyfrom soy sauce
  • Contains, can be adapted: Sesamefrom toasted sesame oil
  • May contain: Celeryfrom chicken stock

Based on typical versions of these ingredients and not verified allergen-free. Brands differ and cross-contact happens, so always check labels. For severe allergies, follow your clinician’s advice.

Nutrition

335 kcal per serving

Calculated

1 serving ≈ 629 g · recipe makes 4

Where the energy comes from

  • Protein 29%
  • Carbohydrate 50%
  • Fat 21%
Nutrition per serving and per 100 g
NutrientPer servingPer 100 g*
Energy335 kcal53 kcal
Protein24 g3.8 g
Carbohydrate40.6 g6.4 g
Net carbohydrate39.7 g6.3 g
Sugars4.3 g0.7 g
Added sugars0 g0 g
Fibre0.8 g0.1 g
Fat7.5 g1.2 g
Saturated fat1.8 g0.3 g
Trans fat——
Cholesterol78 mg12 mg
Sodium1020 mg162 mg
Salt equivalent2.6 g0.4 g
Vitamins & minerals per serving
Potassium
534 mg
Calcium
55 mg
Iron
2.9 mg
Magnesium
46 mg
Vitamin A (RAE)
12 µg
Vitamin C
2 mg
Vitamin D
0 µg
Vitamin B12
0.5 µg
Folate (DFE)
166 µg

How these numbers were made

  • Calculated from USDA FoodData Central (SR Legacy) per-100 g values and the listed quantities.
  • *Per 100 g of combined raw ingredients; the cooked dish may weigh more or less.
  • Optional ingredients are not included: soy sauce, toasted sesame oil, coriander leaves.
  • “—” means the value isn’t known for enough of the ingredients; it is never zero by default.
  • Values are estimates for guidance, not for medical dosing. U.S. Department of Agriculture, Agricultural Research Service. FoodData Central, 2019. fdc.nal.usda.gov.

Good to know

Tips

  • Freezing the rinsed rice for an hour first breaks the grains and speeds cooking.

Common mistakes

  • Forgetting to stir near the end, when congee easily sticks and scorches.

Serve with

  • Serve with fried dough sticks (youtiao) or pickled vegetables.

Food safety

  • Cooked rice dishes should be cooled within an hour and refrigerated; don't leave congee at room temperature.

Storage

  • Cool quickly and refrigerate for up to 3 days.

Reheating

  • Reheat with extra water or stock until steaming hot, stirring well.

Variations

  • Century egg and pork congee: Add minced marinated pork and diced preserved (century) egg — a Cantonese classic.

Original editorial recipe · FriendsPantry editorial · Not yet independently reviewed · Added · Updated

Recipe DNA

How this dish is built

Grouped by each ingredient’s role in the dish. Each band’s width is its share of the dish by weight. Choose a component to see what it does.

What the dish is built around

Main ingredient

Used in steps 1, 2

Reviews & corrections

Reviews come from signed-in cooks and appear after a moderator checks them. We never show made-up ratings.

You might also like