Korean Chicken Porridge (Dak Juk) is a comforting dish that can be enjoyed for breakfast or as a light meal. It is particularly served to those who are feeling unwell, as it is easily digestible.
To prepare the porridge, start by making chicken stock. Boil chicken, onion, garlic, green onion, and ginger until the chicken is tender. Once cooked, the broth is used to cook the rice, and shredded chicken is added after the rice is cooked.
If you don’t have the ingredients to make chicken stock from scratch, you can use store-bought chicken broth and boil some chicken in it. Alternatively, you can also use cooked rotisserie chicken or leftover chicken with store-bought chicken broth for a quicker version.
For the rice, it is recommended to use short-grain rice or sweet rice (glutinous rice) for a creamy texture and slightly sweet taste.
You can customize the porridge by adding your favorite vegetables. Mushrooms or zucchini work well in this recipe. If you prefer a vegetarian version, you can check out my previous post on the Vegetarian Porridge Recipe for inspiration.
To prevent the porridge from becoming soggy when storing leftovers, it’s best to season with salt after transferring it to a serving bowl.
Unleash the Flavors: How to Make Korean Chicken Porridge (Dak Juk)
INGREDIENTS
Chicken Stock
- 2-3 lbs of chicken pieces
- 6 cups of water
- 1 onion, roughly chopped
- 3-4 cloves of garlic
- 2 green onions, chopped
- 1-inch piece of ginger
Porridge
- 1 cup of short grain or sweet rice, washed and soaked in cold water for 30-60 minutes
- 1 tablespoon of sesame oil or your preferred cooking oil
- 1 carrot, diced
- 1 celery stalk, diced
- 6 cups of chicken broth
- Shredded chicken
- 1-2 tablespoons of soy sauce
- Optional: 1 teaspoon of sesame oil (if desired)
- Salt and pepper to taste
- Optional garnish: shredded chicken, chopped green onions, or crushed toasted seaweed (if desired)
INSTRUCTIONS
Rinse the rice a few times and soak it in water for 30-60 minutes. Drain the rice.
While the rice is soaking, prepare the chicken broth: In a large pot, combine the chicken, water, onion, garlic, green onions, and ginger. Securely cover the pot with a lid and heat it until it reaches a boiling point. Reduce the heat to medium and simmer covered for 30-40 minutes, or until the chicken is cooked. Strain the broth into a bowl, transfer the chicken to a plate to cool, and discard the remaining solids
Dice the carrots and celery, and gather the rest of the ingredients while the chicken is cooking.
Add 1 tablespoon of oil to the same pot and heat it. Add the rice and stir-fry for a few minutes until fragrant. Then, add the diced carrots and celery and continue sautéing for a couple of minutes until they start to soften.
Pour the reserved broth into the pot, cover it, and bring it to a boil. Reduce the heat to medium-low and cook for 20 minutes, or until the rice is cooked and the liquid is absorbed, stirring occasionally.
While the rice is cooking, shred the chicken. Towards the end of the cooking process, add the shredded chicken to the rice, reserving some for garnishing if desired. Incorporate soy sauce, sesame oil, and black pepper by stirring them in.
Transfer the porridge to a serving bowl, add salt and pepper, and adjust the seasonings as needed.
