Chicken breakfast porridge: with chicken, rice or oats, butter, egg

Not the porridge you think it is

Forget everything you associate with porridge if all you know is sweet sludge with banana slices. This version is warm, savory, and hits you right in the center.
Chicken porridge is quiet comfort — not flashy, not Instagrammable, but it shows up when you need it most.

I’ve made this in restaurant kitchens before the staff meal and at home when nothing else made sense. It never disappoints.

Base first: rice or oats?

You can build this with either:

• Cooked rice (white or brown) — leftover rice works great
• Rolled oats — thicker texture, more breakfasty

Rice gives it more chew and feels like a meal. Oats are faster and smoother. Choose based on your mood and your fridge.

What goes into it

Here’s the working version:

• 1 cup cooked rice or ½ cup oats
• 1 cup chicken broth (or water, but broth is better)
• 1 egg (optional, but don’t skip it)
• 70 g shredded or diced cooked chicken
• A bit of butter
• Salt and pepper to taste
• Optional: scallions, soy sauce, chili oil, sesame seeds

This recipe doesn’t demand precision. If it’s too thick — add liquid. Too bland? Add sauce. It adapts.

Cooking steps (10 minutes max)

1. In a small pot, combine rice or oats with broth. Bring to a simmer.
2. Add shredded chicken and stir it in. Let it warm up and break down slightly.
3. Crack in an egg and stir fast for ribbons, or poach it whole for that yolk pop.
4. Add butter, salt, pepper — finish with whatever topping you’re feeling.

This isn’t fancy. It’s fuel with flavor. Serve hot. Eat slow.

From the chef’s side

You can prep this in bulk — keep cooked rice and shredded chicken in the fridge, and you’re always ten minutes from a real meal.

I often add chopped green onion and a splash of soy sauce. If I’m half-dead, I drizzle chili oil and keep going.

Pro tip: stir in a spoon of peanut butter or tahini if you want something thicker and nuttier.

When to eat this

• Cold mornings
• Hangover days
• Work-from-home grind
• Recovery from “whatever the hell last night was”

Basically, anytime you need to be fed without fighting your stomach.

Nutrition (approx.)

Final notes

This dish won’t win points for style — and that’s exactly the point.
It’s humble. It works. It sticks with you in a way toast and smoothies never will.

If your mornings are cold, long, or just too early — this porridge gets you through it.