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Authentic Filipino Arroz Caldo Recipe

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★★★★★

4.5 from 85 reviews

Authentic Arroz Caldo is a comforting Filipino rice porridge made with fragrant ginger, garlic, and turmeric, simmered with chicken and a mix of glutinous and jasmine rice. This hearty and flavorful dish is garnished with hard boiled eggs, fried garlic, green onions, and a squeeze of calamansi or lemon for a true taste of the Philippines.

Ingredients

Scale

Base Ingredients

  • 2 tablespoons olive oil
  • 1 onion, diced
  • 1 head garlic, minced (about 12 cloves)
  • 2 shallots, finely diced
  • 3–4 tablespoons fresh ginger, diced (about a 3–4 inch piece)
  • 1/2 – 1 tablespoon dried turmeric

Protein

  • 1 whole chicken, cut into pieces (about 2 lbs), skin removed
  • 6 eggs, hard boiled

Grains and Broth

  • 1 cup glutinous rice
  • 1 cup jasmine rice
  • 8 cups chicken broth (no-sodium added)

Seasonings and Garnishes

  • 3 tablespoons fish sauce
  • Salt, to taste
  • Pepper, to taste
  • 6 tablespoons fried garlic
  • 1 calamansi or lemon
  • 2 green onions, thinly sliced

Instructions

  1. Prepare Aromatics: Peel and finely dice or mince the garlic, onions, shallots, and ginger. If using a whole chicken, cut it into parts and remove the skin, leaving the bones intact.
  2. Sauté Aromatics: Heat olive oil in a large pot or Dutch oven over medium heat. Once hot, add garlic, onion, shallots, ginger, and turmeric. Stir constantly to prevent burning and sauté for about 5 minutes until fragrant.
  3. Brown Chicken: Add chicken pieces to the pot and sauté for about 5 minutes until they begin to brown and caramelize, releasing flavorful juices.
  4. Add Fish Sauce and Rice: Pour in the fish sauce and cover the pot, cooking down for 1-2 minutes. Stir in the glutinous and jasmine rice, coating them well with the aromatics and chicken mixture.
  5. Simmer with Broth: Pour in the chicken broth and stir to combine. Bring the mixture to a boil, which may take up to 10 minutes for this large batch, then reduce heat to medium-low. Let it simmer uncovered for 10-15 minutes, stirring occasionally to prevent rice from sticking to the bottom.
  6. Season to Taste: Once the rice achieves a soft, porridge-like consistency, season the dish with additional fish sauce, salt, pepper, and a squeeze of calamansi or lemon juice according to your preference.
  7. Assemble Bowls: Ladle the arroz caldo into serving bowls.
  8. Garnish and Serve: Top each bowl with a halved hard boiled egg, a sprinkle of fried garlic, and sliced green onions. Serve with additional calamansi or lemon wedges on the side for authentic flavor enhancement.

Notes

  • You can substitute glutinous rice with regular short-grain rice, but the texture will be less sticky and creamy.
  • If calamansi is unavailable, fresh lemon juice makes a great alternative.
  • Adjust the turmeric amount based on your preferred color and flavor intensity.
  • Leftover arroz caldo tastes great the next day and can be reheated with a splash of water or broth to loosen the texture.
  • For richer flavor, you can use homemade chicken broth instead of store-bought.
  • Fried garlic can be homemade by thinly slicing garlic and frying until golden brown in oil, then draining on paper towels.

Keywords: arroz caldo, Filipino rice porridge, chicken arroz caldo, Filipino comfort food, ginger rice porridge, Filipino chicken soup

Find it online: https://www.sanacooks.com/authentic-filipino-arroz-caldo-recipe/