Healthy Chao Ga (Vietnamese Congee) Recipe

Vietnamese chao ga is a rice porridge dish that is like the Vietnamese version of congee. It's the ultimate comfort food that is both flavorful and warming to the soul.

While it's definitely delicious, is Chao ga healthy?

Chao ga is a very healthy dish given that it predominantly consists of protein from the chicken, carbs from the rice, and nutrients from the aromatics, making it a well-balanced and nutrient-packed meal. An average serving of Chao ga is only 361 calories with 36 grams of protein, 13 grams of fat, and 39 grams of carbs. 

The key to making this dish low-calorie and macro-friendly is to pick the right lean protein and portion the rice mindfully.

Jump to:

• 💭 What is Chao Ga?
• 🍎 Is It Healthy?
• 🍏 Calories and Nutrition – How to Make It Healthy 
• 📋 Ingredient Notes
• 🔪 Step by Step Instructions 
• 💡Tips and Tricks 
• 📖 Substitutions and Variations
• 🥡 Storage
• 🍳 Recipe

💭 What is Chao Ga?

Chao ga is a rice porridge that is simmered with aromatics including garlic, ginger, and onion, as well as a protein source, in this case, chicken.

So what does Chao ga mean?

“Chao” means porridge in Vietnamese and “ga” means chicken, so the direct translation of the dish is chicken porridge. 

It’s the ultimate comfort food and is often made on a colder day or when you're feeling a bit under the weather.

🍎 Is It Healthy?

Chao ga is a very healthy dish as it is chock full of protein, rice, and nutrients from the aromatics. The main seasoning sources, salt and fish sauce, are also very low in calories. 

As the ingredients are whole foods and are naturally very healthy, the key to making this dish fit into a healthy diet is to use the right cut of protein and portion the rice mindfully.

To understand if Chao ga is healthy, it’s useful to look at the core ingredients that make up the dish. It's made of four main components: chicken aromatics, seasonings, and rice.

• Chicken: Chao ga can sometimes be made with a whole chicken or chicken thighs. In this recipe, I opted for boneless skinless chicken thighs. It has enough fat to give the porridge the flavor it needs but is a lot easier to handle and puts the fat content under control.
• Aromatics: Onions, garlic, and ginger are used. None will add a significant amount of calories to the dish.
• Seasonings: The seasonings consist of fish sauce and salt. Neither pack on many calories.
• Rice: Rice is a vital part of this dish and carbs are a necessary part of a well-rounded diet. However, it's important to portion the rice mindfully as carbs can easily add up calorie-wise if not portioned correctly, hindering progress towards your fitness goals.
• Additional sides and toppings: Chao ga is often served with you tiao, or fried donuts, and can also be topped with an egg. For purposes of managing calorie and fat content, it’s best to omit the fried donut. Topping it with an egg is a great option as it adds another great source of protein.

Looking at each component, it’s easy to see that Chao ga can be made to be low-calorie and macro-conscious if portioned right — this recipe will show you some tweaks that will make a rice porridge that’s easy to fit into your daily calorie intake.

If you liked this recipe, check out the following:

• Vietnamese Beef Carpaccio (Bo Tai Chanh)
• Healthy Chicken Pho
• Healthy Vietnamese Food

🍏 Calories and Nutrition – How to Make It Healthy 

In this recipe, I use a heavier ratio of protein to make this a more macro-friendly and calorie-conscious dish. Here are some key tweaks I made:

• Used 1 serving of rice noodles at 150 calories
• Portioned 5oz skinless chicken thigh for a lean protein source. I took off the skin given its high-fat content.
• Omitted usage of fried donuts to avoid adding excessive carb and fat content – the meal has the right balance of macronutrients with the current ingredients

For a detailed breakdown of each ingredient, their portioning, and how they make up the nutrition profile of this low-calorie Chao ga recipe, you may refer to the table below:

📋 Ingredient Notes

Some of the typical ingredients of Chao ga include the following.

• Chicken – Essential protein source that also gives the dish its flavor. I opted for boneless skinless chicken thigh since it has enough fat for the flavor but not too much so that it would make the dish unhealthy. 
  • Pro-tip: You can also use leftover chicken or leftover rotisserie chicken.
• Rice – I used Jasmine rice. White rice also would work well. You can use either cooked or uncooked rice. Instructions for how to make the porridge for both will be included.
• Chicken Stock – Used to cook and liquefy the rice to give it the porridge consistency.
• Aromatics – I used garlic, onion, and ginger, which are vital for the flavor of this dish.
• Seasonings – Fish sauce and salt gives this dish an additional flavor boost. My favorite fish sauce is the Three crabs brand.
• Garnishes – Cilantro, scallions, and chili flakes

🔪 Step by Step Instructions 

Leftover Method

The leftover method uses cooked rice and chicken to make the Chao ga. It’s very fast and a great way to use up some leftover turkey or rotisserie chicken and cooked rice. 

Blend the rice – Add the cooked rice and the chicken stock or water into a blender. Blend until the rice grains are broken and well mixed with the water.

Sauté the aromatics –  Mince the garlic, onions, and ginger. In a pot or saucepan, spray some cooking oil and sauté the aromatics while moving them around to prevent burning until golden, about 1-2 minutes.

Make the porridge – Add the chicken and the rice mixture into a saucepan and turn on the heat. Season with fish sauce and salt to taste while mixing everything together. Add additional water as needed to achieve the desired texture.

Garnish and serve – Add chopped scallions, cilantro, and chili flakes if desired, and enjoy your delicious Chao ga!

Instant Pot Method

The instant pot method utilizes the instant pot to make the porridge, expediting the process substantially compared to the traditional method. The instructions below utilize uncooked rice and chicken.

Wash the rice – Wash the rice and drain until the water is clear. Set the rice aside. 

Prepare the chicken – Cut the excess fat off the chicken and set it aside.

Sauté the aromatics –  Mince the garlic, onions, and ginger. Turn on Sauté mode on the instant pot and spray some cooking oil. Sauté the aromatics while moving them around to prevent burning until golden, about 1-2 minutes.

Pressure cook the porridge – Add the rice, water, and chicken to the instant pot and cook on high pressure for 10 minutes. Let the pot go to natural release for 5 minutes.

Season the porridge – Turn the knob to release the remaining pressure and open the lid. Season the porridge with fish sauce, salt, and pepper, tasting and adjusting as needed. 

Shred the chicken – Take out the chicken and shred it with 2 forks. Mix back into the porridge.

Garnish and serve – Garnish with scallions, cilantro, and chili flakes if using and enjoy!

Traditional Method

The traditional method of making porridge is easy – it just takes a little longer to simmer the ingredients. The instructions below utilize uncooked rice and chicken.

Wash the rice – Wash the rice and drain until the water is clear. Set the rice aside. 

Prepare the chicken – Cut the excess fat off the chicken and set it aside.

Sauté the aromatics –  Mince the garlic, onions, and ginger. In a pot or saucepan, spray some cooking oil and sauté the aromatics while moving them around to prevent burning until golden, about 1-2 minutes.

Cook the porridge – Add the rice, water, and chicken to the pot and bring to a boil. Lower the heat to a simmer and let simmer for about 45 minutes to an hour, or until the porridge is thickened and creamy.

Season the porridge –Season the porridge with fish sauce, salt, and pepper, tasting and adjusting as needed. 

Shred the chicken – Take out the chicken and shred it with 2 forks. Mix back into the porridge.

Garnish and serve – Garnish with scallions, cilantro, and chili flakes if using and enjoy!

💡Tips and Tricks 

Add more water or stock if needed – In the case that you find the porridge’s consistency too thick for your preference, add more water or stock to adjust to your liking.

Season for success – Don’t forget to season the porridge. I usually leave it to the end as people tend to have varying preferences for saltiness. You can also add some chili flakes or chili oil for a kick.

📖 Substitutions and Variations

Leftover turkey – Put your Thanksgiving leftovers to use and use them as the protein base for this porridge

Leftover rotisserie chicken – Leftover rotisserie chicken would also be a great option here.

Make it spicy – Add chili flakes or chili oil.

With egg – Add a soft-boiled egg or salted duck egg for some additional yumminess.

🥡 Storage

Chao ga can last in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-4 days. To reheat, microwave for about 1 minute or reheat on the stove.

🍳 Recipe