If you are wondering how to use leftover rice, this dak juk (or Korean rice porridge) is a delicious and easy comfort food that takes a fraction of the time than the original version. Think of it as Korean congee!
I still remember very fondly of my grandma making me “dak juk” growing up. It has always been one of my favorite comfort food meals that’s so nourishing and warming. If you’ve never heard of “dak juk” before, it’s a thick Korean rice porridge with shredded chicken. It’s very similar to Chinese congee, and it’s really a soup of love. “Dak” means chicken, and “juk” means porridge.
Watch a Short Video of How to Make Dak Juk
Dak Juk (Korean Chicken Rice Porridge) Recipe
While the traditional version of this Korean congee can takes a long time to make, my version cuts down on time dramatically using leftover rice! I actually created this recipe after getting Asian takeout too many times in a week, and was trying to figure out how to use all the leftover rice that came with the meals. Now this has become one of my favorite easy leftover rice recipes that comes together in no time and it’s just so delicious. Even my toddler loves this meal!
Ingredients in Korean Juk Recipe
The components for this Korean leftover rice congee are so simple and budget-friendly. There are just 7 main ingredients:
- leftover cooked rice: Jasmine or sushi rice are great for this Korean chicken rice porridge. Sweet sticky rice will work well too!
- water: You can also use bone broth for added nutrition, or chicken broth for more flavor. I usually keep it simple by using just water.
- boneless, skinless chicken thighs: You can use breasts as well, but may need to cut them into smaller pieces to get them to cook through in time.
- sesame oil: You can use another cooking oil of your choice, but sesame oil gives such a wonderful flavor to the dish.
- garlic
- onion
- carrot
How to Make Korean Rice Porridge with Leftover Rice
All it takes is 30 minutes to cook up this amazing and comforting recipe. Here’s how to make Korean rice porridge using leftover rice:
- Blend rice and water together until the mixture is cloudy and the rice is broken up into tiny pieces.
- Halve each chicken. This helps the meat to cook faster.
- Heat oil in a saucepan and sauté garlic, onion, and carrot together until softened.
- Add blended rice mixture and chicken to the pot and let it come to a boil. Reduce the heat to low and simmer together until the chicken is cooked through and the porridge is thick in consistency.
- Turn off heat, then remove the chicken from the pot to shred. Add 1/2 of the chicken back into the porridge and stir together.
- Serve, topped with the other half of the chicken.
How to Serve Dak Juk
You may have noticed that this Korean leftover rice congee doesn’t use any salt or seasoning during the cooking process. That’s because these are added in after it’s served, and the diner can season and garnish to his or her liking. Here are some of the things I like to serve Korean chicken rice porridge with:
- Sea salt
- Coconut aminos (or soy sauce or tamari sauce)
- Chopped green onions
- Sesame seeds
I know some like to drizzle sesame oil on top of the porridge, but I find that this is unnecessary when you cook everything in sesame oil. The flavor of sesame really shines through! Hope you enjoy one of my favorite easy leftover rice recipes. Please leave a star rating and a comment below if you make it!
If you enjoyed this Korean juk recipe, you might also like…
- Kkakdugi – Korean Radish Kimchi (Paleo, Whole30, Keto, Vegan Option)
- Kimchi Braised Keto & Whole30 Pork Ribs (Dweji Galbi Kimchi Jjim) – Stove Top & Instant Pot Method!
- Paleo & Whole30 Korean Steak Bites – Stovetop or Air Fryer (AIP Option)
- Instant Pot Chicken Soup (Paleo, Whole30, AIP, Keto)
- Paleo & Whole30 Korean Sloppy Joes (Instant Pot or Stovetp)
Leftover Rice Dak Juk (Korean Rice Porridge)
Ingredients
- 1 cup leftover cooked white rice jasmine, sushi, or sticky rice
- 2 cups water or bone broth or chicken broth
- 2 boneless, skinless chicken thighs about ½-¾ pound
- 1 tbsp sesame oil
- 3 garlic cloves minced
- 1/4 cup onion finely minced
- 1 small carrot finely minced
To serve:
- Sea salt
- Coconut aminos or tamari or soy sauce
- Chopped green onions
- Sesame seeds
Instructions
- Place leftover rice and water in a blender or food processor, blend until the water is cloudy and the rice is broken up into tiny pieces.
- Cut each chicken thigh in half.
- Heat sesame oil in a saucepan over medium high heat. Add garlic, onion, and carrot, and sauté until fragrant and tender, about 4-5 minutes.
- Add blended rice water and chicken, and let it come to a boil. Stir then cover, and reduce the heat to medium low and simmer for 5 minutes. Uncover and simmer for 5-10 minutes while stirring frequently, until the chicken is cooked through and the porridge reaches your desired consistency. If it gets too thick, you can add some water to thin it out.
- Turn off heat. Remove the chicken from the pot and shred. Add 1/2 of the chicken back to the porridge and stir together.
- Divide into 2 bowls and top with the other 1/2 of shredded chicken. Serve with salt, coconut aminos, green onions, and sesame seeds, and garnish and season as desired.
Video
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This looks delicious! Do you think cauliflower rice would work?!
You would have to use regular rice. Cauliflower won’t give that same thick and sticky texture of traditional Dak Juk.
I love how savory & comforting this recipe is. Such a great idea for using up leftover rice!
I love this kind of comfort food: easy, healthy and full of flavor.
Easy and amazing, I love all the different ways I can top this savory porridge dish.
I make very similar Chinese congee too! This is the best comfort food. 🙂