Lugaw Recipe Filipino Food – Easy Instant Pot Chicken Lugaw
There’s something about a warm bowl of lugaw that just feels comforting. It’s simple, filling, and one of those Filipino dishes that’s especially good on a rainy day, when someone isn’t feeling well, or when you just want something warm and familiar.
This Lugaw Recipe Filipino Food favorite is made with chicken, jasmine rice, glutinous rice, lots of ginger, garlic, and fish sauce, then topped with crispy toasted garlic, green onions, hard-boiled eggs, and calamansi.
I’m making this version in the Instant Pot, which takes away most of the time you’d normally spend watching and stirring a pot of lugaw on the stove. You still get that soft, creamy rice and gingery chicken broth, but the Instant Pot does most of the work.
What Is Filipino Lugaw?
Lugaw is a Filipino rice porridge made by cooking rice with plenty of liquid until the grains become very soft and the mixture turns thick and creamy.
There are different ways to make it, but the version I grew up knowing is savory and full of ginger, garlic, and chicken flavor. I like using both jasmine rice and glutinous rice because the combination gives the lugaw a really nice, creamy consistency.
The toppings are just as important for me. Crispy fried garlic, green onions, hard-boiled egg, calamansi, and a little extra fish sauce turn a simple bowl of rice porridge into something I could happily eat as a full meal.
Why You’ll Love This Lugaw Recipe
- Made in the Instant Pot. No standing over the stove and constantly checking the rice while it cooks.
- Warm and comforting. It’s exactly the kind of meal I want on a cold or rainy day.
- Full of Filipino flavors. Ginger, garlic, fish sauce, chicken, and calamansi give the lugaw its familiar savory flavor.
- Creamy without adding cream. The rice naturally breaks down and thickens the broth.
- Easy to customize. Add more broth if you like your lugaw thinner, more fish sauce for seasoning, or plenty of crispy garlic on top—which is always a good idea in my house.
Equipment You’ll Need
- Instant Pot or electric pressure cooker
- Wooden or silicone spoon
- Slotted spoon
- Cutting board
- Knife
Ingredients You’ll Need
- 2 lbs chicken, cut into serving pieces
- ¾ cup jasmine rice
- ¾ cup glutinous rice (sweet rice)
- 6 cups water, plus more as needed
- 2 chicken bouillon cubes
- 8 cloves garlic, chopped
- 3 onions, chopped
- 3 thumb-sized pieces ginger, cut into thin strips
- 5 tablespoons cooking oil
- Fish sauce, to taste, plus more for serving
- Ground black pepper, to taste
- 8 hard-boiled eggs
- 1 cup chopped green onions
- Calamansi, for serving
How to Make Filipino Lugaw
1. Fry the garlic
Set the Instant Pot to Sauté and add the cooking oil.
Once the oil is hot, add the chopped garlic and fry until golden brown and crispy. Keep an eye on it because garlic can go from golden to burnt pretty quickly.
Remove the toasted garlic with a slotted spoon and set it aside. We’ll use this for topping the lugaw later.
2. Sauté the ginger
Add the sliced ginger to the remaining oil.
Sauté for 1–2 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the ginger becomes fragrant.
3. Add the onions
Add the chopped onions and sauté for another 2–3 minutes, or until they begin to soften and turn translucent.
4. Brown the chicken
Add the chicken pieces to the Instant Pot.
Cook for a few minutes, turning the pieces occasionally, until the outside of the chicken is lightly browned.
Add some fish sauce and stir everything together. Let it cook for about 30 seconds to 1 minute so the chicken can absorb some of that flavor.
5. Add the rice
Add the jasmine rice and glutinous rice.
Stir briefly to combine the rice with the chicken, ginger, and onions.
6. Add the water and bouillon
Pour in 6 cups of water and add the chicken bouillon cubes.
Stir everything together and make sure to scrape the bottom of the Instant Pot well. You don’t want any browned bits stuck to the bottom before pressure cooking.
7. Pressure cook
Cancel the Sauté function.
Secure the Instant Pot lid and set the valve to Sealing.
Cook on High Pressure for 20 minutes.
Once the cooking time is finished, allow the pressure to release naturally for 10–15 minutes. After that, carefully release any remaining pressure.
Wait until the pressure pin has completely dropped before opening the lid.
8. Stir and adjust the consistency
Give the lugaw a good stir.
The rice should be very soft and the broth thick and creamy. Don’t worry if it looks a little thick—lugaw is easy to adjust.
Add hot water a little at a time and stir until it’s exactly how you like it.
9. Season
Taste the lugaw and season with additional fish sauce and ground black pepper as needed.
10. Add the toppings and serve
Ladle the hot lugaw into bowls.
Top each serving with a hard-boiled egg, chopped green onions, and plenty of the crispy garlic you made earlier.
Serve with calamansi and extra fish sauce on the side.
Tips for Making Lugaw in the Instant Pot
Don’t skip sautéing the ginger
I like to sauté the ginger before adding the onions. Giving it that extra minute or two in the oil brings out its aroma and gives the finished lugaw that gingery flavor I want.
Scrape the bottom before pressure cooking
After browning the chicken and adding the fish sauce, make sure nothing is stuck to the bottom of the Instant Pot before you seal it. Once you add the water, use your spoon to loosen any browned bits.
Adjust the consistency after cooking
Everyone has their own preference when it comes to lugaw. Some like it very thick, while others prefer it more soupy.
Start with the recipe as written, then add hot water after pressure cooking until you reach the consistency you like.
Remember that lugaw gets thicker as it sits
The rice will continue absorbing liquid as the lugaw cools. If you’re coming back for another bowl later, you’ll probably need to add a little water when reheating it.
Jasmine Rice and Glutinous Rice
I use ¾ cup jasmine rice and ¾ cup glutinous rice in this recipe.
Jasmine rice gives the lugaw its familiar rice flavor and texture, while glutinous rice helps make it thicker and creamier.
What Chicken Should I Use for Lugaw?
I prefer chicken cut into serving pieces because cooking the chicken with the rice adds more flavor to the lugaw.
Bone-in chicken can give the broth even more flavor, but you can use the chicken pieces that work best for your family.
If using bone-in pieces, just be careful of small bones when serving, especially for kids.
What to Put on Filipino Lugaw
This is where a simple bowl of lugaw gets really good.
My favorites are:
Crispy toasted garlic – I make this first so the same garlic-infused oil can be used to start the lugaw.
Hard-boiled eggs – They make the lugaw more filling and are especially good with a little fish sauce.
Green onions – For freshness and color.
Calamansi – A squeeze right before eating brightens everything up.
Fish sauce – I always like having a little extra on the side so everyone can season their own bowl.
Can I Make Lugaw Without an Instant Pot?
Yes.
Lugaw is traditionally very easy to make on the stovetop. Follow the same basic process of frying the garlic, sautéing the ginger and onions, browning the chicken, seasoning with fish sauce, and adding the rice, water, and bouillon.
Instead of pressure cooking, simmer everything over low heat until the rice becomes very soft and creamy, stirring occasionally and adding more water as needed.
The Instant Pot version is simply the method I use when I want to make it with less hands-on cooking.
How to Store Leftover Lugaw
Let leftover lugaw cool, then transfer it to an airtight container and refrigerate.
The rice will absorb quite a bit of liquid while it sits, so don’t be surprised if your leftover lugaw looks much thicker the next day.
When reheating, add water or broth a little at a time and stir until the lugaw becomes creamy again. Reheat thoroughly before serving.
I would keep the crispy garlic and other toppings separate and add them after reheating.
What to Serve With Lugaw
Honestly, I can eat a bowl of this with nothing more than crispy garlic, egg, green onions, calamansi, and fish sauce.
But lugaw also works well as part of a bigger Filipino meal or when you want something warm alongside other savory dishes.
If you’re starting to explore more Filipino comfort food, try my Chicken Adobo Instant Pot Recipe, Pork Adobo, or Ginisang Munggo next.
Instant Pot Chicken Lugaw (Filipino Rice Porridge)
Ingredients
Equipment
Method
- Fry the garlic. Set the Instant Pot to Sauté and heat the cooking oil. Add the chopped garlic and fry until golden and crispy. Remove with a slotted spoon and set aside for serving.
- Sauté the ginger. Add the sliced ginger to the remaining oil and sauté for 1–2 minutes, until fragrant.
- Add the onions. Add the chopped onions and sauté for 2–3 minutes, until softened and translucent.
- Brown the chicken. Add the chicken pieces and cook for a few minutes, turning occasionally, until lightly browned.
- Season. Add fish sauce and cook for 30 seconds to 1 minute, stirring to coat the chicken.
- Add the rice. Stir in the jasmine rice and glutinous rice until combined.
- Add the water. Pour in 6 cups water and add the chicken bouillon cubes. Stir well, scraping the bottom of the pot to loosen any browned bits.
- Pressure cook. Cancel Sauté and secure the lid. Set the valve to Sealing and cook on High Pressure for 20 minutes.
- Release the pressure. Allow the pressure to naturally release for 10–15 minutes, then carefully release any remaining pressure. Open the lid once the pressure pin has completely dropped.
- Adjust the consistency. Stir the lugaw well. If it’s thicker than you like, gradually stir in hot water until it reaches your preferred consistency.
- Season to taste. Add more fish sauce and ground black pepper as needed.
- Serve. Ladle into bowls and top with hard-boiled eggs, chopped green onions, and the reserved crispy garlic. Serve hot with calamansi and extra fish sauce on the side.
Notes
- Consistency: Lugaw will continue to thicken as it sits. Stir in a little hot water or broth as needed to loosen it before serving.
- Rice: Using both jasmine rice and glutinous rice gives the lugaw a soft, creamy texture. Glutinous rice is also called sweet or sticky rice.
- Ginger: Sauté the ginger for 1–2 minutes before adding the onions to bring out its flavor and aroma.
- Pressure release: Let the Instant Pot naturally release for 10–15 minutes before carefully releasing the remaining pressure.
- Seasoning: Fish sauce and bouillon can vary in saltiness, so taste the lugaw after cooking before adding more.
- Toppings: Don’t skip the crispy garlic! Serve with hard-boiled eggs, green onions, calamansi, and extra fish sauce on the side.
- Leftovers: Refrigerated lugaw becomes much thicker. Add water or broth when reheating until it returns to your preferred consistency.
The Instant Pot I Use for Filipino Cooking
I love using my Instant Pot for Filipino dishes that normally take more time on the stove. It makes some of our favorite comfort foods easier to prepare, especially on busy days.
For this lugaw, I love being able to pressure cook the chicken and rice together and let the Instant Pot do most of the work. I also use it for my Chicken Adobo Instant Pot Recipe, and I’ll be adding more Filipino Instant Pot recipes as I make and test them.
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A Warm Bowl of Filipino Comfort Food
Lugaw doesn’t need to be complicated. Chicken, rice, ginger, garlic, fish sauce, and a few good toppings come together to make one of those simple Filipino meals that always feel comforting.
Making it in the Instant Pot just makes the process easier for me. I still get the creamy rice, tender chicken, plenty of ginger, crispy garlic, and calamansi I want—without having to spend as much time watching the stove.
If you make this Lugaw Recipe Filipino Food favorite, don’t forget the crispy garlic. For me, the more, the better.
