Dak Juk (Chicken Porridge) - includes Instant Pot recipe

Ingredients

• 710 ml (3 cups)chicken broth
• 1Cornish hen or chicken carcass (leftover from baeksuk)
• 150 g (1 cup)chicken meat, dark and white (leftover from baeksuk)
• 95 g (½ cup), soaked for 30 minutesshort-grain white rice
• 3perilla leaves, julienned
• 2spring onions, chopped
• to tastesalt
• to tastesesame seeds
• 2 tsp (10 ml)fresh garlic, chopped
• 0.5 tbsp (7.5 ml), optionalsesame oil

Instructions

1. 1

   Soak the rice

   For the stovetop version, rinse the rice and soak it in water for 30 minutes. Drain and set aside.

2. 2

   Make chicken stock

   Prepare baeksuk by cooking a whole chicken, or a Cornish hen for a smaller amount, on the stovetop for 40 minutes. Serve some of the chicken soup with rice, then save at least 710 ml (3 cups) of broth for this recipe.

3. 3

   Remove the meat

   Pull the chicken meat from the bones and set it aside. Roughly cut it into cubes to add near the end.

4. 4

   Crack the bones

   Use the side of a knife to crush the ends of the leg bones at the joints, exposing the marrow.

5. 5

   Start stovetop broth

   Put the crushed chicken bones or carcass and broth in a pot. Bring to the boil, then simmer for 30 minutes.

6. 6

   Prepare the garnish

   While the broth simmers, wash the perilla and spring onions. Slice the perilla into thin strips and chop the spring onions.

7. 7

   Cut the chicken

   Cut the chicken meat removed from the bones into cubes, if you have not already done so.

8. 8

   Strain the broth

   Strain the cooked broth to remove all bone pieces, then discard the bones.

9. 9

   Toast the rice

   Add the sesame oil and soaked rice to the pot. Over medium heat, stir for 1–2 minutes, until the grains are coated, partly cooked and somewhat translucent.

10. 10

    Simmer the porridge

    Add the chicken bone broth and bring it to the boil. Lower the heat to medium-low and simmer for 15–17 minutes, partially covered, stirring often so the rice cooks evenly.

11. 11

    Add the chicken

    When the rice is cooked, stir in the chicken meat and garlic, if using. Simmer for another 3 minutes.

12. 12

    Rinse the rice

    For the Instant Pot version, you do not need to soak the rice. Rinse it and drain it.

13. 13

    Save the broth

    Make baeksuk in the Instant Pot in 18 minutes, following the Instant Pot recipe. Enjoy some chicken soup with rice and save the leftover chicken and broth. Use 530 ml (2¼ cups) of bone broth for 95 g (½ cup) of rice.

14. 14

    Pressure-cook bones

    Remove the chicken meat from the bones and crush the bones as described above. Return only the broth and the smashed bones to the Instant Pot. Close the lid and vent, select Manual, Low pressure for 7 minutes, then allow a 10-minute natural release before opening.

15. 15

    Prepare the garnish

    While the broth cooks, wash the perilla and spring onions. Slice the perilla into thin strips and chop the spring onions. If using fresh garlic, chop it to add at serving or cook it with the meat after the rice is done.

16. 16

    Strain the broth

    Strain the broth and discard the bones.

17. 17

    Sauté the rice

    If using sesame oil, add it and the rice to the Instant Pot. Select Sauté and cook for 1–2 minutes, stirring.

18. 18

    Cook the porridge

    Add the bone broth to the rice. Close the lid and vent, then cook on the Porridge function for 10 minutes. Allow a 5-minute natural release, then use a quick release to open the lid. The rice should be very soft but still hold its shape.

19. 19

    Finish with chicken

    Stir in the chicken meat. With the lid open, simmer on Sauté at High for 3 minutes.

20. 20

    Garnish and serve

    Just before serving, while the porridge is hot, top it with the perilla, spring onions and chopped garlic. For a milder garlic flavour, add the garlic with the chicken earlier so it cooks lightly.

21. 21

    Season at the table

    Let everyone season their bowl with salt and pepper at the table, then sprinkle with sesame seeds or perilla seeds if desired. Do not salt the whole pot ahead unless it will be eaten straight away, as the rice can break down if left sitting with salt.

What is dak juk?

Dak juk is Korean chicken porridge: rice simmered until soft in a chicken-rich broth. It is commonly made with leftover baeksuk, a whole-chicken soup, so the porridge makes good use of both the broth and the meat.

This version builds extra depth by simmering the broth with crushed chicken bones, then finishes with fresh perilla, spring onions and optional garlic.

Nutrition and macros by portion

The nutrition label shows one serving as written: 675 calories, 47g protein, 44g carbs, 33g fat.

The rice supplies most of the carbohydrates, while chicken contributes protein and sesame oil and sesame seeds add fat. Serve a bowl with fresh vegetables or a crunchy side for contrast and a more balanced plate.

The broth makes the difference

Leftover baeksuk broth brings the chicken flavour, while simmering it with the crushed bones gives it more depth. Exposing the marrow at the leg joints is the recipe’s particular stock-making step.

Strain carefully before adding rice so no bone fragments remain in the porridge.

Choose the right rice

Short-grain white rice softens and releases starch as it cooks, giving the porridge its cohesive texture. The stovetop method soaks the rice for 30 minutes; the Instant Pot method uses rinsed, drained rice without soaking.

Stirring the soaked rice briefly in sesame oil before adding broth coats the grains and starts them cooking.

Watch the texture

Stovetop porridge should simmer gently, partially covered, with frequent stirring so the rice cooks evenly and does not catch on the base. It is ready when the rice is tender and the mixture has thickened.

In the Instant Pot, the rice should be very soft but still hold its shape after the pressure-cooking and release stages.

Add the meat near the end

The chicken is already cooked, so it only needs a short time in the porridge to warm through. On the stovetop, add it after the rice is cooked and simmer for 3 minutes; use the same finishing time on Sauté at High in the Instant Pot.

Add garlic with the chicken if you prefer its flavour softened by cooking, or use it raw as a garnish.

Finish with fresh toppings

Perilla brings a fresh, herbal note that contrasts with the savoury broth. Spring onions and sesame seeds add further flavour at the table.

Keep salt for individual bowls unless you plan to serve the porridge straight away. The recipe cautions that the rice can disintegrate if the salted porridge sits.

What to serve alongside

Serve the porridge hot as a meal on its own, topped with perilla, spring onions and sesame seeds. If you made baeksuk for the broth, the chicken soup can be enjoyed separately before the leftovers are used for the juk.

A small side of crisp, tangy vegetables can offer contrast to the soft rice, if you have one on hand.

Recipe notes & tips

• Reserve at least 710 ml (3 cups) of broth for the stovetop version.
• Crush the leg-bone joints to expose the marrow before simmering the broth.
• Stir the rice often as it simmers to help it cook evenly.
• Keep the pot partially covered during the stovetop simmer.
• Add salt to individual bowls if the porridge will not be eaten straight away.
• For a milder garlic flavour, cook the garlic briefly with the chicken.

Variations

• Use the Instant Pot: Rinse the rice instead of soaking it, then follow the pressure-cooking method.
• Skip the sesame oil: The recipe makes the oil optional, so you can leave it out.
• Soften the garlic: Stir it in with the chicken and cook it for the final 3 minutes.
• Add perilla seeds: Sprinkle them over the finished porridge for extra flavour.
• Use a Cornish hen: Choose one for a smaller baeksuk batch, as suggested in the recipe.

Common mistakes to avoid

• Leaving bone fragments in the broth: Strain it carefully and discard all the bones before adding rice.
• Salting the whole pot early: Season at the table if the porridge will sit, as the rice can break down.
• Skipping the stirring: Stir frequently during the stovetop simmer so the rice cooks evenly.
• Overcooking the chicken: Add the already-cooked meat near the end and simmer it for only 3 minutes.
• Expecting soaked rice in the Instant Pot: Rinse and drain it instead; the recipe does not require soaking for that method.

How to store

Refrigerate leftovers in a covered container and use within 3 days. Reheat gently on the hob or in the microwave, stirring and adding a little water or broth if the porridge has thickened.

Frequently asked questions