Why This Recipe Works
Pan-frying the chicken skin allows you to render out fat that you can use to fry the garlic. This not only adds more flavor to the porridge, you also get crispy chicken skin to use as a topping. Starting with chicken stock and then poaching some thigh meat in the broth gives you a double dose of chicken flavor while also adding protein to the porridge. What really makes this dish crave-worthy is the bevy of condiments, which add bursts of vibrant colors, contrasting textures, and complementary tastes.
Ingredients for Arroz Caldo
Chicken Stock
While it’s possible to make Arroz Caldo using a whole chicken and water, I find that it takes far too long to make it all in one go. That’s why I usually make huge batches of homemade chicken stock and store them in the freezer, so I always have some on hand when I need it. My favorite stock for Arroz Caldo is this Rich Chicken Stock recipe. As its name implies, it’s white and creamy thanks to the addition of chicken wings. The broth makes for an ultra-rich porridge with a luxuriously silky mouthfeel thanks to all of the dissolved collagen. If you don’t have homemade chicken stock, you can use canned chicken broth, but it won’t taste as rich and meaty. If you end up using store-bought broth, be sure to get one that’s low-sodium, as the long cooking time and the addition of other seasonings will make your Arroz Caldo too salty.
Rice
The traditional rice to use for this is malagkit, which is long-grain glutinous rice, but to be honest, any rice you have on hand will work, such as long-grain rice like Jasmine rice, as it’s cooked long enough for the rice to lose its shape.
Chicken
Chicken that’s been cooked to make broth isn’t a great addition to anything because all of the flavor has been cooked out of it. I like starting with a fresh chicken thigh, which allows me to use the skin to make chicharron, and then I can poach the meat in the chicken stock until it’s tender enough to shred. I prefer thigh meat because it won’t dry out as quickly, but if you use chicken breast, you’ll want to cook it for far less time.
Aromatics and Seasonings
Like most rice porridges, Arroz Caldo isn’t heavily seasoned; accents come from adding condiments. In terms of aromatics, I like to add a ton of fragrant ginger and some onions, which contribute a mild sweetness. I also add a bit of patis (fish sauce) to amp up the umami and some white pepper to give it a bit of mild heat. You can use black pepper, but I don’t like the dark specs it leaves in the porridge. Finally, many recipes for this Filipino chicken porridge call for adding a yellow color to the dish using safflower, saffron, or turmeric. Although these ingredients add a sunny hue to the dish, I like to keep mine the natural color of the chicken stock, which allows the condiments to pop.
Condiments for Arroz Caldo
At its core, Arroz Caldo is just thick chicken soup, and the condiments make this dish compelling. Beyond being a way to personalize each bowl, the traditional condiments provide a variety of contrasting tastes and textures that keep the porridge from getting boring.
Calamansi - Many Asian porridges feature a ton of condiments, but what sets Arroz Caldo apart for me is the Calamansi. They’re about the size of a superball, and have thin green skin around yellowish-orange flesh with lots of seeds. Calamansi is extremely fragrant and has a flavor that’s like a cross between green mandarins and limes. The taste is sour, but there’s also just a hint of sweetness that keeps it from getting quite as sour as a lemon. A squeeze of this citrus on top of the rich porridge provides a welcome fresh contrast that keeps your spoon returning to the bowl for more. Unfortunately, Calamansi can be a little hard to find outside Southeast Asia, so if you can’t find it, you can substitute other tart citrus fruits such as Meyer lemons, yuzu, or limes. Egg - Hard-boiled eggs are the traditional choice, but there are a ton of options here. Slow-cooked eggs and poached eggs are excellent options. If I’m feeling particularly lazy, I might just scramble a raw egg into the porridge as I reheat it, which turns it into something like a thick egg-drop soup. Patis - Because Arroz Caldo is meant to settle the stomach, it isn’t heavily seasoned. That’s why it’s usually served with additional fish sauce (Patis), so you can adjust the taste to your preferences. You can also just add additionalsalt to taste. Fried Garlic - Adding fried crispy garlic not only adds a crunch on top, it also adds the wonderful flavor of caramelized garlic that’s reminiscent of Sinangag (Filipino garlic fried rice). Chicharon - Fried chicken or pork skins add an awesome crunchy texture and impart a wonderful meaty umami to the porridge. This is a great reason to use skin-on chicken instead of skinless chicken thighs. Scallions - I think the main purpose of adding scallions or green onions is for the burst of color they provide, but they also contribute a nice oniony flavor and crisp texture that’s an important part of the experience.
While these are the traditional condiments for Arroz Caldo, there’s plenty of room to be creative here. Some other options I like to add are avocado, fried shallots, and herbs such as cilantro and Thai basil.
How to Make Arroz Caldo
Because I start with chicken stock, the process for making my Arroz Caldo is pretty straightforward. I like to start things off by rendering out the fat from the chicken skin until it turns golden brown and crisp. Then, I use the rendered fat to fry the fresh garlic to a crisp. This also produces crisp cracklins, which can then be used as a topping. Sauté the onions and fresh ginger in the remaining fat (1-2 minutes), and then add the rice, chicken stock, and seasonings. I also add some chicken meat to this and poach it just long enough so that I can shred it. Once it’s shredded, the meat is set aside until the chicken porridge is almost done. Then, it’s just a matter of cooking the rice until it starts to dissolve into the soup, which takes about another 20-30 minutes.
How to store and reheat Arroz Caldo
It doesn’t take much effort to make Arroz Caldo, but it does take a bit of time, so I like to make a big batch and reheat it. Once it’s cooled to room temperature, you can store it in sealed containers in the fridge for up to a week. While I usually have no problem getting through a batch in a week, you can divide it up and freeze it if you don’t think you can eat it all. I recommend reheating Arroz Caldo in a pot. If it’s from the fridge, you can add the amount you want to eat to a small saucepan, add a bit of water (it tends to get very thick when chilled), and reheat it over medium-low heat. Be sure to stir it regularly to keep it from burning. If you’re starting with frozen Arroz Caldo, I recommend defrosting it before attempting to reheat it. As for using a microwave, I don’t recommend it, as the porridge will heat unevenly and splatter. If you must do it in the microwave, put the porridge into a relatively shallow bowl, cover it, and reheat it at a lower wattage (500-600 watts) for a longer time (3-4 minutes).
📖 Recipe
