The Set It and Forget It Arroz Caldo

So I’ve gotten into this habit of making Arroz Caldo during the weekend prep routine - there’s something so satisfying about waking up to the smell of this hearty Filipino rice porridge already waiting for you.

It’s become my little reward system after a long work week - comfort food that actually makes you feel good instead of guilty afterward. Plus, that gingery goodness is exactly what your tummy needs.

The real game changer? A rice cooker with this congee setting that basically does all the work for you. Total time is maybe an hour, but you’re only actively doing stuff for like 5 minutes. The rest of the time you can relax and enjoy the wonderful aroma filling your kitchen.

Takes about an hour total, feeds 4-6 people (perfect for meal prep or feeding a crowd)

The Magic Rice Cooker Situation

The real game changer? A rice cooker with a congee setting that basically does all the work for you. I use the Hanabishi Congee & Rice Cooker Series HRCR2C, but any rice cooker with a congee or porridge function will work. Set it and literally forget it.

Also, pro tip: always use chicken thigh fillets. They’re fattier and more forgiving than breast meat, plus they stay tender even if you cook them a bit longer.

What You’ll Need

The essentials (don’t skip these):

• 6-7 cups water (or chicken broth if you’re feeling fancy)
• 1 cup glutinous rice (malagkit) - rinse it really well or it gets gummy
• 1 kg chicken thigh fillets, cut up into chunks
• 1 Knorr chicken cube or powder
• About 3 inches of fresh ginger, minced - and I mean FRESH, the powdered stuff just isn’t the same
• 4 cloves garlic, chopped
• 2-3 tablespoons fish sauce (patis) - start with less, you can always add more
• Some black pepper

If you want to get fancy:

• Kasubha (safflower) for that golden color - makes it look restaurant-quality
• 1 onion, diced (sometimes I’m lazy and skip this, still tastes great)

Toppings are where you can go wild:

• Kalamansi or lemon (a must!)
• Crispy garlic if you have it
• Green onions
• Hard-boiled eggs
• Whatever else sounds good

How I Make It

Step 1: Chop everything up (5 minutes max) Just get your chicken into bite-sized pieces and mince your aromatics. Don’t stress about perfect cuts - it all breaks down anyway.

Step 2: Dump it all in Everything goes into the rice cooker - rice, chicken, water, seasonings, the works. I usually taste the liquid at this point and adjust the fish sauce. It should taste slightly salty since the rice will absorb a lot of it.

Step 3: Press the button and walk away Hit that congee setting and go do something else for 45-60 minutes. This is literally the best part - no stirring, no babysitting, just pure hands-off cooking.

Step 4: Check and fix When it’s done, give it a stir and see how the consistency looks. Too thick? Add more water. Too soupy? Let it sit on keep warm for a bit longer, or run the congee cycle again for like 10 more minutes.

Things I’ve Learned Along the Way

• Make this ahead of time for easy weekday meals. It tastes even better after sitting overnight and reheats perfectly.
• Fresh ginger makes ALL the difference. You’ll definitely taste it.
• Start with 6 cups of water. You can always thin it out, but it’s harder to thicken it back up.
• Don’t skip the toppings! They transform this from simple comfort food to restaurant-quality amazing.

The texture should be creamy but not mushy, with the rice broken down but still having some bite to it. If you’ve never had good arroz caldo before, think somewhere between risotto and congee.

For Reference

I originally learned this watching Panlasang Pinoy’s version, but I’ve tweaked it over time to work with my rice cooker setup.

Anyway, that’s my Friday night ritual! Let me know if you try it - I’m always curious to hear how other people make their arroz caldo.