Instant Pot Chicken Juk With Scallion Sauce

By Kay Chun

Updated Jan. 22, 2021

Instant Pot Chicken Juk With Scallion Sauce
David Malosh for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Simon Andrews.
Total Time
20 minutes, plus pressure release time
Rating
5(1,709)
Comments
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This Korean savory porridge was originally created as a comforting meal to soothe an upset stomach, but it’s satisfying no matter how you feel. A stovetop version typically requires a few hours to prepare, but the process is reduced to a mere 30 minutes with the use of a pressure cooker, and boneless, skinless chicken thighs, which cook faster than a whole chicken. In the cooker, combine the chicken, rice, vegetables and store-bought chicken broth with aromatics, and your work is done. The chicken emerges meltingly tender and practically shreds itself. A fresh and vibrant ginger sauce brightens the rich, warming soup.

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Ingredients

Yield:4 servings
  • 1cup short-grain white rice (about 7½ ounces), rinsed until water runs clear
  • 3ounces white button mushrooms, very thinly sliced (about 1 packed cup)
  • 1small carrot, peeled and chopped into ¼-inch pieces (about ½ cup)
  • 1garlic clove, minced
  • ¼teaspoon toasted sesame oil
  • 6cups low-sodium chicken broth
  • 1(2-inch) piece fresh ginger, peeled and julienned
  • 1½pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs
  • 2scallions, trimmed and finely chopped (about ⅓ cup)
  • 3tablespoons safflower or canola oil
  • 2tablespoons white vinegar
  • Kosher salt and black pepper
  • 2ounces baby spinach (about 2 cups)
  • Any combination of soy sauce, chile oil and hot sauce, for serving
Ingredient Substitution Guide
Nutritional analysis per serving (4 servings)

384 calories; 20 grams fat; 3 grams saturated fat; 0 grams trans fat; 10 grams monounsaturated fat; 5 grams polyunsaturated fat; 9 grams carbohydrates; 1 gram dietary fiber; 2 grams sugars; 42 grams protein; 1538 milligrams sodium

Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.

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Preparation

  1. Step 1

    In a pressure cooker, combine rice, mushrooms, carrot, garlic, sesame oil, broth and half the ginger. Mix well. Add chicken, taking care to submerge the thighs in the liquid. Lock pressure cooker lid in place and set steam vent to sealing position. Select manual pressure cook and cook for 20 minutes on high pressure. Let pressure release naturally or manually release. (Be careful: It may splatter, so manually release gradually. A kitchen towel can be placed over the knob to catch any liquid.) Transfer chicken to a cutting board and shred.

  2. Step 2

    While the juk cooks, prepare the scallion sauce: In a small bowl, combine scallions, safflower oil, vinegar and the remaining ginger. Season with salt and pepper, and mix well.

  3. Step 3

    Stir the spinach and half the chicken into the cooked juk. Season with salt and pepper.

  4. Step 4

    Divide juk among bowls. Top each with some of the remaining chicken and drizzle with the scallion sauce. Serve with soy sauce and chile oil or hot sauce on the side, if desired.

Ratings

5 out of 5
1,709 user ratings
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Comments

atw

Great flavors and I will make again! Added extra carrot and mushroom. The green onion sauce makes it sublime. But it’s really deceiving to list this recipe as 20 minutes. Prep, time for cooker to come to pressure, and release time make it 2 hours.

melmcv

This is very good congee/juk. It’s more rich than I remember from Hong Long. If I made it again I might put some water instead of all the broth (half and half). Also it’s soupier than I like it so I would take the moisture down a bit. The chicken shredded itself so I don’t see the need to remove it and put it back in. The scallion sauce is very good and just right with the juk. I used rice vinegar (natural) and avocado oil. (What I had). I flavored with soy sauce and Chile oil.

Chris M

So is juk a Korean word as well as Cantonese? Congee has many forms and is common and varied throughout Asia. Can 'upgrade' to shittake mushrooms and don't skimp on the ginger! I like coins of ginger at least 3mm thick and an inch in diameter which makes it easy to remove from the serving. Some love to eat the ginger so feel free to leave it in. Regardless the congee will improve after a night in the fridge. Is a great base to leftovers though I often I have them in a separate bowl

Jacob

This is a great recipe. To not have any waste, I’ve found it works great with 5oz of prepackaged baby spinach and 8oz pre sliced mushrooms. And 4 cups of broth with 1 cup of water also works perfectly. I just let the pressure release naturally but it would be fine to do manual release after 10-15 minutes.

thenitcherkitchen

Things really improved from the last time I made this recipe. I first made this while living with my inlaws. I don’t know what I did wrong, but my instant pot started sputtering rice porridge all over their kitchen, even before I hit the pressure release button. It was a dark time. Fast forward two years, I now have a great job and got a nice house 2 hours away from the inlaws. I remember this recipe tasting good even despite the mishap, so I figured it might be a cozy alternative to chicken soup for my sick husband. Turns out we had all the ingredients but chicken broth, a statement I never thought I would say as a Costco shopper. I ventured out in the snowy weather to the grocery store to finish my quest for velvety sick day porridge. And wow, the final result did not disappoint. The chicken thighs were so tender that I simply stirred the mixture and they fell apart completely. The taste was so simple and yet I couldn’t get enough. It was perfect for my husband that needed something neutral enough to not upset his stomach further. This will be in the winter rotation for sure! If you’ve read this far, thanks for the investment in my petty life’s happenings.

Kindra

Loved this recipe and will definitely cook it again. I hadn't used my pressure cooker for awhile and I forgot that the time to pressure takes awhile...therefore I did quick release, which was fine. It was still delicious. Definitely plan for the time it takes for the pressure cooker to get up to pressure...

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