Vietnamese Cháo Gà is a simple and deliciously satisfying breakfast! It's a staple in my household and I make it in my slow cooker! Instructions for stovetop and Instant pot available too!
Most families are super busy in the mornings and that includes mine. One of the simplest and easiest dishes I make for breakfast is Vietnamese Cháo Gà/Chicken Rice Porridge! And I do all the prepping the night before so that we have a hot and delicious meal for breakfast. I love using my crockpot/slow cooker to make rice porridge because while I sleep, my breakfast is being made. But you can also easily make it in an Instant pot or on the stovetop. Of course for the stovetop, you'll need to plan your time accordingly. Give yourself 2-hours to work and cook the rice porridge.
Ingredients
2 to 3 chicken quarters
1 cup Jasmine rice or 1.5 cups short grain rice
2 quarts water (slow cooker and instant pot, 3 quarts for stovetop)
1 tsp salt
1 tbsp chicken bouillon
black pepper
fry shallots
chopped cilantro
chopped scallions
Overnight Slow Cooker Method - Preparing Before Bedtime - Easy Breakfast
Add chicken quarters to a pot and fill with water. Bring to a boil, then reduce to a simmer and cook for 20-25 minutes till chicken is cooked. Remove and allow chicken pieces to cool completely. Shred chicken ands tore in an airtight container. Reserve the chicken stock for the rice porridge. You may remove any debris by straining the broth first. (Needs a minimum of 7-hours to cook. Longer is fine too.)
Lightly rinse the rice and add to the crock pot/slow cooker. Measure the chicken stock and add more water to reach the 2 quarts (8 cups) of liquid needed.
Add the salt and give the mixture a stir. Cover and set the cooking setting to LOW.
In the morning when you wake up, add the chicken bouillon and stir. The mixture will thicken up as you stir and rest on warm. Change the setting to WARM. Serve with the shredded chicken, black pepper, cilantro and scallions.
Instant Pot Method
Rinse rice and drain cloudy water. Add to pressure cooker.
Add chicken pieces, salt and water (2 quarts).
Secure the lid with venting knob in venting position. Once lid is secure, close the vent. Pressure cook at high pressure for 30 minutes, then natural release. Open the lid carefully.
Remove chicken pieces and shred. Set aside.
Add the chicken bouillon and stir the rice porridge. It will water at first, but will thicken up in a few minutes. Serve with the shredded chicken, black pepper, cilantro and scallions.
Stovetop Method
Rinse rice and drain cloudy water. Add to a large pot.
Add chicken pieces, salt and water (3 quarts). Give everything a stir. Set heat to high. Bring to a boil and reduce to medium. Stirring occasionally to prevent rice from burning. Allow the pot to simmer for 30 to 35-minutes. Remove the chicken pieces and let them cool down before shredding.
Continue to simmer the rice porridge for 1-hour and stirring every 15-minutes to loosen any clumps of rice on the bottom.
Serve with the shredded chicken, black pepper, cilantro and scallions.