Arroz Caldo Recipe

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ByHui Yin

Arroz Caldo, a beloved Filipino dish, is a warm and soothing rice porridge that’s perfect for chilly days or when you’re feeling under the weather. This savory comfort food, often flavored with ginger and garnished with various toppings, is akin to the Chinese congee but with a distinct Filipino twist. Here’s how you can prepare this delightful dish at home.

What is Arroz Caldo?

Arroz Caldo is a traditional Filipino chicken and rice porridge that is typically made with glutinous rice, chicken, ginger, Filipino garlic, and onions, it is cooked in a savory broth until it reaches a creamy consistency. Its name, derived from Spanish, translates to “rice broth,” reflecting its hearty, nourishing nature.

Often garnished with hard-boiled eggs, fried garlic bits, scallions, and a squeeze of lemon or calamansi, Arroz Caldo is a classic comfort food that is best enjoyed as a warm, soothing breakfast or as a remedy for cold days and when feeling under the weather.

What Kind of Chicken Cut Is Best for Arroz Caldo?

You can use a whole chicken to make Arroz Caldo but the dish can take too long to cook. It’s better to incorporate chicken pieces instead. The best kind of chicken meat for Arroz Caldo is bone-in pieces such as wings, thighs, or drumsticks. These cuts add more flavor to the dish as the bones release rich, savory notes into the broth during cooking.

Bone-in chicken not only enhances the depth of flavor but also contributes to a more satisfying and hearty texture. For an even richer taste, using chicken with skin on can add extra depth and a subtle, comforting fattiness to the rice porridge.

Chicken Arroz Caldo Recipe Ingredients

Gather up the following ingredients to make Arroz Caldo from scratch! You can find most in your nearest grocery stores but you might also want to swing by a Filipino food store to get the most authentic ingredients needed.

  • 1 cup glutinous rice or jasmine rice
  • 1 pound chicken pieces (preferably chicken wings or chicken thighs)
  • 6 cups chicken broth or chicken stock
  • 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
  • 1 medium onion, chopped
  • 4 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 cup sliced green onions
  • 4 hard-boiled eggs
  • 1 thumb-sized piece of ginger, peeled and julienned
  • 2 tablespoons fish sauce (patis)
  • 1 calamansi or lemon slice
  • Kosher salt and black pepper to taste

Arroz Caldo (Filipino Chicken and Rice Porridge) Recipe Directions

Making Arroz Caldo is pretty easy! Just follow the steps below and you’ll have a hearty, warm bowl of Arroz Caldo in no time!

  1. Begin by heating the vegetable oil in a large pot or Dutch oven over medium heat. Add the chopped onion and sauté in hot oil until the onion becomes translucent. 
  2. Next, add the minced garlic and ginger. Lower heat then cook and stir constantly until fragrant to avoid burning the garlic.
  3. Remove fried garlic and ginger from the Dutch oven or pot and place on a paper-towel-lined plate. Set the fried garlic and ginger aside.
  4. Add chicken and sauté until they turn golden brown.
  5. Once the chicken starts to brown, add fish sauce and cover the pot. Cook down for 1 to 2 minutes. 
  6. Add rice and stir to coat it in the fish sauce evenly. Pour in chicken broth or chicken stock and stir to combine.
  7. Cook the mixture over medium-high heat and bring to a boil. It may take up to 10 minutes.
  8. Lower heat to medium-low heat and let it cook for another 10 to 15 minutes, stirring occasionally. 
  9. Cook until the rice reaches your desired texture.
  10. Adjust seasoning as necessary. You can increase the taste of the rice soup with additional fish sauce, salt, and black pepper. 
  11. Ladle Arroz Caldo into bowls.
  12. Top each bowl of Arroz Caldo with a hard-boiled egg, crispy garlic or roasted garlic, and green onion pieces.
  13. Squeeze a bit of calamansi or lemon juice on top of each bowl. Serve.

Arroz Caldo (Filipino Chicken Rice Porridge) Recipe Tips

  • Fried garlic can be bought in Asian groceries but you can also make it at home. To cook your own fried garlic, place oil and garlic in a small saucepan over medium heat. Cook and stir occasionally until the garlic turns golden brown. Set the cooked garlic on a dish lined with a paper towel and set aside. Store the fried garlic in a jar and feel free to add to any dish.
  • Fish sauce is a staple in Filipino cuisine, with many dishes making use of this condiment. If you can’t find fish sauce or can’t stand the smell of fish sauce, use soy sauce instead.
  • This Arroz Caldo recipe details the use of glutinous rice or jasmine rice. Sometimes glutinous rice will be labeled as “sweet rice.” If you can’t find those, you can also use any kind of starchy rice like sushi rice. 
  • You can make your own chicken broth for this Filipino rice porridge recipe using an Instant Pot or pressure cooker. You’ll need chicken thighs and legs, a large onion, water, peppercorns, salt, and various greens. All you need to do is to put the chicken thighs and legs in the Instant Pot along with the other ingredients. Cook for 20 minutes, then 10 minutes of natural release. Strain all the solids and use the chicken broth in the Arroz Caldo.
  • A combination of chicken wings and thighs is the best for this Arroz Caldo recipe. You can also add chicken breast.
  • If you’re using chicken breast instead of chicken wings or thighs, you’ll have to cook the chicken for far less time to prevent it from drying out.
  • Don’t be afraid to add a dash of fish sauce before eating. 
  • No Arroz Caldo recipe is complete without onion, garlic, and ginger. These three provide the aromatic flavor that Arroz Caldo is known for.
  • If you feel like the Arroz Caldo is still lacking in the taste of the aromatics, add them in dried or powdered form. You can easily find garlic/onion/ginger in powder form. 
  • There’s really no substitute for the ginger in this Arroz Caldo recipe. 
  • If you don’t like onions, you can use shallots instead. 
  • When cutting green onion stems, leave about 1 to 2 inches of the white roots. You can use them to regrow green onion stems. 
  • Have a ton of leftover crispy garlic? You can use the remaining garlic as a topping in other recipes. 
  • This Filipino rice and chicken soup is usually topped with a hard-boiled egg. If hard-boiled egg isn’t your thing, you can garnish it with fried tofu pieces. 
  • To reheat Arroz Caldo, stick it in the microwave or reheat it in a small pan over the stove. Add a tablespoon of water or chicken broth.
  • If the Arroz Caldo is overly salty, squeeze in some lemon juice to balance it out.

Final Note

Arroz Caldo is more than just a simple dish; it’s a warm hug in a bowl, carrying with it the rich culinary heritage of the Philippines. Even if you have no experience making Filipino food, this rice soup recipe allows you to make the best Arroz Caldo with ease. Enjoy Arroz Caldo as a hearty breakfast, a comforting lunch, or a soothing dinner.

Seeking to elevate your skills in the kitchen? Check out our recipe collection and you’ll surely find a lot of delicious food to cook!

Hui Yin moved from Hong Kong 🇭🇰 to the USA 🇺🇸 when she was just 8 years old. Now in her late 20's she enjoys writing and taking long walks in the park to burn off the copious amounts of rice she eats for dinner.