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The Filipina Cy

Instant Pot Chicken Lugaw (Filipino Rice Porridge)

Make this Lugaw Recipe Filipino Food favorite in the Instant Pot with chicken, rice, ginger and garlic. Warm, creamy Filipino comfort food made easy.
Print Recipe
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 35 minutes
Total Time 50 minutes
Servings: 6
Course: Soup
Cuisine: filipino
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

  • 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 medium onions chopped
  • 3 thumb-sized pieces ginger cut into thin strips
  • 5 tbsp cooking oil
  • Fish sauce to taste, plus more for serving
  • Ground black pepper to taste
  • 8 hard-boiled eggs
  • 1 cup green onions chopped
  • Calamansi for serving

Equipment

  • 6-quart Instant Pot or electric pressure cooker
  • Cutting board
  • Chef’s knife
  • Wooden or silicone spoon
  • Slotted spoon
  • Measuring cups and spoons

Method
 

  1. 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.
  2. Sauté the ginger. Add the sliced ginger to the remaining oil and sauté for 1–2 minutes, until fragrant.
  3. Add the onions. Add the chopped onions and sauté for 2–3 minutes, until softened and translucent.
  4. Brown the chicken. Add the chicken pieces and cook for a few minutes, turning occasionally, until lightly browned.
  5. Season. Add fish sauce and cook for 30 seconds to 1 minute, stirring to coat the chicken.
  6. Add the rice. Stir in the jasmine rice and glutinous rice until combined.
  7. 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.
  8. Pressure cook. Cancel Sauté and secure the lid. Set the valve to Sealing and cook on High Pressure for 20 minutes.
  9. 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.
  10. 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.
  11. Season to taste. Add more fish sauce and ground black pepper as needed.
  12. 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.