Every Chinese person loves a deal. That’s ultimately why we all love Costco. Every time my family went there to shop, we always snagged a box of croissants (they reheat so well), a large supreme pizza (because it was the same price as a regular cheese), and a hot rotisserie chicken off the spit (because in those days it was practically the same price as an uncooked chicken).
We would make that $5 chicken last for as many meals as possible. My sister and I would pick the bird clean for breakfast, lunch, and dinner, and then my mom would turn the remains into a pot of congee, throwing the whole carcass in and letting it slowly simmer away with the rice. Once she ditched the bones, we would have the most flavorful pot of congee for the next few days. Honestly, I still dream about that Costco rotisserie chicken. (And I dream of the day I live in an apartment with big enough closets to store Costco-size bulk purchases.)
You can swap in 10 cups Cantonese chicken broth or store-bought low-sodium broth for the water in this recipe for added flavor and nutrition.
Editor’s note: Eng and Melnick like to serve this with youtai, or yauh ja gwai, alongside for dunking.
Recipe information
Total Time
45 minutes (plus 5 hours for freezing)
Yield
4 servings
Ingredients
Preparation
Step 1
Rinse 1 cup jasmine rice in a fine-mesh strainer under cold running water until the water runs clear. Turn off the tap, shake off as much water as possible from the rice, and then transfer the rice to a small freezer-safe container. Freeze the rice for at least 5 hours or up to 24 hours.
Step 2
In a large pot, bring 10 cups water to a boil over high heat, then gently whisk in the frozen rice. Reduce the heat to medium and whisk every few minutes for 20 minutes. Add 1 rotisserie chicken carcass and 2-inch piece ginger, julienned, and continue to whisk until all the rice grains have broken down into a porridge-like texture with no whole grains, 15 to 20 minutes longer. As the congee simmers, the meat clinging to the bones will slowly come off cleanly into the congee.
Step 3
Season the congee with kosher salt and MSG to taste and remove the carcass from the pot if you wish. (I enjoy sucking on the bones as I’m eating to extract every last bit of flavor and meat.) Stir in 1 cup shredded chicken meat and warm through, about 2 minutes.
Step 4
Ladle the congee into big bowls. Top each bowl with 2 scallions, thinly sliced, 2 Tbsp. chopped fresh cilantro, a pinch of freshly ground white pepper, and a drizzle of sweet soy sauce.
Recipe notes
Back to topSee Related Recipes and Cooking Tips
16 Standout Cookbooks for Spring 2025
Here are the titles our editors are cooking from at home—recipes included.
