Lugaw
Plain rice simmered slowly until it breaks down into a soft, creamy porridge, seasoned simply and topped with fried garlic, scallions, and calamansi. The humble, budget-friendly base that richer porridges like arroz caldo and goto both build on.
By: Andrew Arcangel | Last Updated: September 27, 2026
Lugaw is what arroz caldo started as before chicken and a heavier hand with toppings turned it into its own named dish. On its own, it's about as basic as Filipino cooking gets — rice, broth, aromatics — which is exactly the point. It's cheap, it's gentle on an upset stomach, and it's endlessly adaptable to whatever you have around to top it with.
What makes lugaw different
Where arroz caldo cooks chicken directly into the pot and goto uses long-simmered beef tripe, lugaw stays deliberately plain — the rice and broth alone are the dish. Any protein or topping is added at the table rather than during cooking, which is why lugaw carts often sell it alongside a separate topping like tokwa't baboy rather than folding meat into the pot itself.
Ingredients
- 1 cup jasmine rice, rinsed
- 6 cups chicken broth, pork broth, or water
- 1-inch knob ginger, julienned
- 3 cloves garlic, minced, divided
- 1/2 onion, chopped
- 1 tbsp fish sauce (patis), or to taste
- Salt and pepper, to taste
- Toasted garlic, scallions, and calamansi, for serving
- Soft-boiled egg or tokwa't baboy, for serving (optional)
Using broth instead of water is the easiest way to add flavor without adding any actual meat to the pot.
Instructions
- Toast the garlic. Fry half the garlic in a little oil until golden and crisp, then set aside for topping. You'll need half of 3 cloves garlic
- Build the base. In the same pot, sauté onion, ginger, and the remaining garlic until fragrant. You'll need 1-inch knob gingerremaining garlic1/2 onion
- Add rice and liquid. Stir in the rinsed rice and broth or water, and bring to a boil. You'll need 6 cups chicken broth
- Simmer. Lower the heat and simmer, stirring occasionally so it doesn't stick, until the rice breaks down into a soft, thick porridge, about 30 minutes.
- Season. Stir in fish sauce, salt, and pepper to taste, splashing in more liquid if it thickens too much. You'll need 1 tbsp fish saucesalt and pepper
- Serve. Ladle into bowls and top with toasted garlic, scallions, and a squeeze of calamansi. You'll need toasted garlic
Tips & variations
- Add chicken: cook shredded or bone-in chicken directly in the broth and you've essentially made arroz caldo.
- Add tripe: swap in long-simmered beef tripe and oxtail for a heartier bowl closer to goto.
- Top it right: a side of tokwa't baboy (fried tofu and pork in vinegar-soy sauce) is the classic Filipino way to dress up a plain bowl.
Nutrition estimated per serving
- 220Calories
- 10gProtein
- 4gFat
- 36gCarbs
- 1gSugar
Estimated automatically from this recipe's ingredients; actual values will vary based on brands and exact quantities used.
Frequently asked questions
What's the difference between lugaw and arroz caldo?
Lugaw is the plain, unadorned version — just rice simmered in broth. Arroz caldo is a specific, richer version built on the same base, with chicken cooked directly into the pot and a heavier hand with toppings.
Is lugaw the same as congee?
They're close cousins — both are rice simmered down into a soft porridge — but lugaw is seasoned and topped in a distinctly Filipino way, usually with fish sauce, toasted garlic, scallions, and calamansi rather than the soy-and-sesame flavors common in Chinese congee.
What do Filipinos eat with lugaw?
Since lugaw itself is plain, it's often ordered alongside a topping sold separately — tokwa't baboy (fried tofu and pork in vinegar-soy sauce) is the most classic pairing, especially from street-side lugawan carts.
Pairs well with
Arroz Caldo
Ginger-chicken rice porridge topped with toasted garlic and calamansi.
Goto
Beef tripe and oxtail simmered into a rich, long-cooked rice porridge.
Champorado
Sticky chocolate rice porridge, sweet where lugaw is savory.
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