Dak Juk or Chicken Porridge is a comfort food for many Asians. While there are many versions of it, I will teach you how to make this a 30-minute, one-pot meal!
Whenever I feel sick or just feel cold, the first thing that comes to mind is a warm, comforting bowl of juk, just like my mom used to make for me and my sister when we were kids!
Maybe itβs because of how nutritious it is, or how easy it is to digest, or how itβs just delicious that it instantly heals.
What is Juk?
To put it plainly, it is rice boiled in water or stock until it has softened and has turned into a thick soup-like consistency. In Asia, there are many names and versions of it.
Rice Porridge, Congee, Lugaw, Chok, etc.βthey differ in the aromatics, protein, and toppings used but they are all equally delicious and comforting in their own way.
Ingredients for Korean Chicken Porridge
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Leftover Rice
Usually, porridge is made with uncooked short-grain rice or glutinous rice. Once it has softened over the water/broth, it needs to be stirred often so the starch is released to make it thick.
But to cook the porridge faster, you can also use leftover cooked rice! Iβll show you how to make it later on.
Protein
For the protein, chicken is often used. Itβs cheap, easy to prepare, and delicious! I opted to use one piece of boneless chicken thigh and it worked really well!
In the same way, you can use rotisserie chicken, or beef, or skip the meat altogether according to your diet or flavor preference.
Stock
People say that the key to a good porridge is the stock. While using a good quality chicken stock or broth is great, water is also okay!
To make it cost-efficient but also flavorful, I opted to boil the chicken first and used that water for a simple stock for my porridge. To add more flavor, you can season it with soy sauce or fish sauce, pepper, and a little bit of chicken powder later on.
Vegetables
This is where Korean juk becomes unique. In other parts of Asia, you would see porridge with toppings like toasted garlic and shallots, crispy chili garlic, pork floss, egg, etc. They would be mixed after the cooking process to add flavor to the dish.
As for me, we like to dice aromatics and vegetables small and have them incorporated while cooking the porridge. My top choice would be scallions, carrots, zucchini, and mushrooms to add nutrients and flavor, but you can also use garlic, onion, ginger, sweet potato, and the like.
How to Make Korean Chicken Porridge?
The method that I used Juk is different, but I like to cook it this way because I know you will need something easy to whip up when you are feeling under the weather.
First, boil the chicken until cooked. This will take about 8-10 minutes. Meanwhile, prepare your ingredients by chopping the scallions and dicing the carrots, zucchini, and mushrooms.
Once the chicken is done, save the water you used to boil it. On the other hand, allow the chicken to cool then shred it into small, bitesize pieces.
Following that, use three cups of the chicken stock, add the rice, and bring it up to a boil. Once it is boiling and slightly thick, add the vegetables and season with soy sauce, pepper, and chicken powder.
Do not put too much soy sauce so it doesnβt turn too dark. Use pepper and chicken powder to taste. Stir often but gently to keep it from sticking to the bottom and burning. This will also help thicken the juk!
After a few minutes, the rice should have further softened and turned into a thick soup/porridge consistency. Once the vegetables are cooked and you have seasoned them to your liking, then it is good to go!
Transfer the porridge into a bowl and garnish with a splash of sesame oil, crushed sesame seeds, and some nori. Trust me, this will make a huge difference!Β
Serving Dak Juk
This is a super quick, easy, and versatile meal to make. If youβre feeling cold, it will warm you up. If you are sick, it will heal you. And if you are just looking for a satisfying meal, this fits and is loved by babies, adults, and elderlies alike!
I like to serve it with some kimchi, but it is ok as it is! Consume this immediately as the consistency might change if stored for more than two days.
Other healing dishes you might like:
- Samgyetang (Ginseng Chicken Soup)
- Miyeok Guk (Seaweed Soup)
- Gochujang Jjigae (Pepper Paste Stew)
- Kongnamul Guk (Soybean Sprout Soup)
- Dried Pollack Beansprout Soup (Hangover Soup)
Make sure to leave a rating, a comment, or tag me on Facebook, Instagram, or Tiktok when you chop them up! Yeobosayo!
Korean Chicken and Rice Porridge (Dak Juk)
Ingredients
- 15 grams Scallions Chopped
- 50 grams Shiitake Mushroom Diced
- 50 grams Oyster Mushroom Diced
- 50 grams Zucchini Diced
- 10 grams Carrots Diced
- 80 grams Chicken
- 3-3.5 cups Water
- 1 bowl Cooked Rice
- 1 tbsp Soy Sauce
- Pepper To taste
- Chicken Powder To taste
- Sesame Oil For garnish
- Sesame Seeds For garnish
- Nori For garnish
Instructions
- Boil the chicken in water until it is cooked. Set aside the chicken stock for later, and allow the chicken to cool down.
- Meanwhile, prepare the other ingredients by chopping the scallions and dicing the carrots, zucchini, and mushrooms. Shred the chicken too!
- In a pot, combine chicken stock and rice and bring it up to a boil.
- Once the rice has softened and turned slightly thick, add the vegetables and mix in gently.
- Season with soy sauce, pepper, and chicken powder. Once it is up to your liking, stir often but gently until the vegetables are cooked.
- Place the porridge in a bowl and garnish with sesame oil, crushed sesame seeds, and nori. Enjoy!
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