Vietnamese Chicken Pho Congee (Pho Flavors in Rice Form!)
This Vietnamese chicken pho congee recipe delivers all the cozy, aromatic flavors of pho in silky rice porridge form. Made with pho spices, bone broth, and tender shredded chicken, it's a protein forward comfort food the whole family will love, and you don't have to be sick to enjoy this! It's nourishing, flavorful, comes together in one pot and is ready in under an hour!
Servings: 4
Ingredients
For the congee
- 1 box of frozen sticky white rice or ½ cup dry sushi rice
- 2 lbs bone-in skin-on chicken thighs
- 2 yellow onions halved
- 1 large knob of fresh ginger halved lengthwise
- 1 package pho spices
- 6-8 cups chicken bone broth
- 1 tablespoon fish sauce
- 1 tablespoon rock sugar
- ½ teaspoon salt plus more to taste
For serving
- Fresh cilantro chopped
- Scallions thinly sliced
- Hoisin sauce
- Fried shallots
- Sriracha
- Lime
Instructions
- In a pan over medium-low heat, toast the pho spices until fragrant. Remove them from the pan, add them to a spice or tea bag and tie it securely.
- Remove the skin from the chicken thighs and set aside.
- To a large pot or Dutch oven over medium heat, add the chicken skin. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the fat renders out and the skin becomes crispy. Remove and set aside.
- Add the onion halves and ginger to the rendered chicken fat and cook until fragrant and slightly charred.
- Using a paper towel, carefully blot the excess fat from the pot and discard. Add the skinless chicken thighs and sear on each side until golden brown.
- To the pot, pour in 2 cups of bone broth and add in the pho spice packet. Bring it to a boil and remove any impurities or foam that rise to the top of the broth. Reduce it to a simmer and cover on low heat for 10 minutes until the chicken is cooked through.
- Remove the chicken thighs, onions, ginger, and spice packet from the pot. Shred the chicken and set aside. Discard the onions, ginger, and spice packet.
- Add the frozen sticky white rice directly to the pot along with 4 more cups of broth. Whisk well to break up the rice. If using dry sushi rice, add an extra cup of broth and bring it to a gentle boil and let it simmer on low for 20 minutes. Add more broth as needed.
- Add the shredded chicken back to the pot and bring it to a gentle boil until it begins to thicken and the rice plumps up.
- Stir in rock sugar, fish sauce, and salt. Season with more salt as needed and add more broth for a soupier congee. Remove from heat.
- To serve, ladle the pho congee into bowls and top with fresh cilantro, sliced scallions, fried shallots, chicken skin, sliced limes and a drizzle of hoisin sauce and sriracha!
Video
Notes
Toast the spices for a deeper pho flavor. Get a good sear on the onion and ginger. This will release their sweetness and aroma. Use bone broth for additional protein. Whisk the rice vigorously to break up the grains. Add more broth for a looser congee.
