Congee is a savory rice porridge that I’ve wanted to make for quite some time. It’s a warm, comforting porridge made with rice, chicken, ginger, and sometimes other fun ingredients. Congee usually needs to simmer for quite some time, so the Instant Pot is a great way to make congee fast, but I’ve included stovetop directions for everyone else (it’s ridiculously simple either way). So, even though I’ve titled this “Instant Pot Congee”, don’t pass up this gem of a recipe just because you don’t own a trendy IP. It’s just toooooo good not to try.
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What is Congee?
Congee is a rice porridge that is a staple food in several countries in Asia. You’ll find many different versions and names for this dish, depending on the region, but they all have one thing in common–they’re warm, comforting, and filling. The base for congee is rice that has been cooked for an extended amount of time in water or both until it breaks down into a really thick porridge. It can be as simple as that, or it can have extra ingredients added, like meat and aromatics, to make it more of a full meal.
But that’s just a snapshot of the history and culture surrounding this classic comfort food. If you’d like to try an authentic congee recipe and learn more about congee, I highly suggest checking out these resources:
- Chicken Congee from Made with Lau
- The Secret to Making Chinese Congee from Tiff & Case (Youtube)
- How to Make Congee (Rice Porridge) from China Sichuan Food
- 20 Minute Congee from The Woks of Life
What Does Congee Taste Like?
Congee is a fairly mild dish, but the flavor is deep. Oh so deliciously deep. This version, made with chicken, has a mild chicken flavor, with a little extra umami kick from mushrooms, and a lovely ginger base note. I found the congee to be so velvety smooth and delicious that I could happily slurp it up on its own, but when I started adding fun toppings the meal was elevated to super-star status.
Add Toppings
I’d suggest using at least the base toppings that I have listed on the recipe card below:
- sesame oil
- soy sauce
- green onion
- cilantro
- chopped peanuts
Beyond that, the sky’s the limit. I gave the congee the “soft boiled egg and sriracha” treatment because I add those two things to just about everything, but the congee was really quite filling on its own, so I probably won’t opt for an egg in the future. The sriracha was a nice touch, though.
Here are a few other topping ideas:
- pickled vegetables
- fried onions or shallots
- sesame seeds
- steamed greens
But really, anything goes here. Sweep the kitchen!
Instant Pot Congee (Rice Porridge)
Servings 6 (1.3 cups each)Ingredients
- 1 cup uncooked jasmine rice ($0.52)
- 2 cloves garlic ($0.16)
- 1-2 inches fresh ginger ($0.10)
- 3 shittake mushrooms ($0.63)
- 2 lb. bone-in chicken pieces ($3.66)
- 7 cups water ($0.00)
- 1/2 Tbsp salt (or to taste) ($0.05)
TOPPINGS
- 3 green onions, sliced ($0.23)
- 1/4 bunch cilantro (optional) ($0.20)
- 1/3 cup peanuts, chopped ($1.12)
- 1 Tbsp soy sauce ($0.05)
- 1 Tbsp toasted sesame oil ($0.33)
Instructions
- Peel and slice the ginger, and crush the cloves of garlic. Slice the mushrooms into thin strips. Remove the skin from the chicken pieces.
- Place the uncooked rice in the bottom of the Instant Pot and add the crushed garlic, sliced ginger, and sliced mushrooms on top. Lay the chicken pieces over the rice and aromatics. Finally, add seven cups of water.
- Close and lock the lid of the Instant Pot. Turn the steam release valve to the “sealing” position. Press the “porridge” button to begin cooking (no need to adjust the time or pressure). After ten seconds the pot will begin to heat and build pressure. Once it reaches the required temperature and pressure, the display will begin to count down 20 minutes.
- After 20 minutes, the pot will switch to the “keep warm” setting and begin to drop in pressure. Allow the pot to reduce in pressure naturally, without opening the steam release valve. When the float valve falls back to the down position, open the steam valve, and then open the lid.
- Using tongs, carefully remove the chicken pieces and place them on a clean cutting board. Use two forks to shred the meat and remove the bones. Return the shredded meat to the pot.
- Stir and taste the porridge, and add salt as needed (I added 1/2 Tbsp). Only add enough salt to amplify the flavors, but leave room for the addition of soy sauce as a topping.
- Ladle the congee into each bowl and drizzle a small amount (1 tsp) of toasted sesame oil and soy sauce on top of each bowl. Sprinkle the sliced green onions, cilantro leaves, and chopped peanuts over top, then serve.
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Equipment
- Instant Pot
- Color Cutting Boards
- Chef’s Knife
Notes
Nutrition
Have you tried this recipe?Mention @budgetbytes or tag #budgetbytes on Instagram!Scroll down for the step by step photos!
How to Make Congee in an Instant Pot – Step by Step Photos
Start by peeling and slicing 1-2 inches of ginger (I really like ginger, so may use more next time). Thinly slice three shittake mushrooms and crush two cloves of garlic. Shittake mushrooms are pretty expensive ($8.99/lb. at my local stores), but since they’re mostly air and weigh next to nothing, I was able to get three fairly large mushrooms for $0.63. Not bad.
Remove the skin from about 2 lbs. of bone-in chicken pieces. Dark meat is going to give you a lot better flavor than breasts, so I highly suggest you stick to thighs and drumsticks. You can remove the excess fat as well, but I found that it made the porridge incredibly rich and velvety. Plus, trimming the fat is tedious. Ha.
Place one cup uncooked jasmine rice in the bottom of the Instant Pot and add the ginger slices, crushed garlic, and sliced mushrooms on top.
Then add the chicken pieces…
And finally, add 7 cups water.
If you’re making this on the stove top, just add all the ingredients listed above to a large pot, but use 10 cups water instead of 7 (you’ll get a lot more evaporation with the stove top method). Bring the pot to a boil (with lid) over high heat, then reduce to low and let simmer for 1-2 hours, stirring often, or until a thick porridge has formed. If the porridge is too thin after that time, simply let it simmer without a lid until it thickens.
Close and lock the lid on the Instant Pot and turn the steam release valve (on the left in the photo) to the “sealing” position. Notice the float valve on the right, the small metal circle, is down. This means there is no pressure in the Instant Pot.
Press the “porridge” button over there on the right and it will turn on to the automatic setting of 20 minutes at high pressure. No need to adjust, just wait ten seconds for it to begin.
It may take 10-15 minutes for the pot to come up to temperature and pressure. Once it reaches high pressure, the float valve will be elevated (it’s that small metal circle on the right). That indicates that the pot is under pressure. Once it reaches the proper pressure, the display on the front will begin to count down 20 minutes.
After cooking with high pressure for 20 minutes, the Instant Pot will beep and change to “keep warm” mode. The display will show an “L” and start counting up the time (it’s at seven minutes in the photo). Let the pressure naturally come back down, which may take 15 minutes or so. You’ll know the pressure is safe when that metal float valve has fallen back down.
Once it’s back down to safe pressure, open the steam release valve, then open the lid. It will look a little something like this. It looks a little watery on top, but once it’s stirred it thickens right up. Carefully remove the chicken pieces with tongs and place them on a clean cutting board.
Use two forks to shred and pull the meat from the bones. The meat should be so tender that it literally falls apart when you touch it.
Stir the shredded meat back into the congee. Give it a taste and add salt to your liking (I added 1/2 Tbsp). You want enough salt to make the flavors pop, but not so much that you wouldn’t want to add soy sauce as a topping.
Ladle some congee into a bowl… I gotta say, too, that I love those ginger slices. They become quite mild through the cooking process and have a texture similar to water chestnuts. They’re SO GOOD. More ginger slices next time for sure.
At a minimum, I’d suggest adding a small drizzle of toasted sesame oil & soy sauce to each bowl, along with some sliced green onions, cilantro leaves, and chopped peanuts to your Instant Pot Congee. The chopped peanuts were truly a delight. They added wonderful texture.
Or, you know, you could go crazy and add a soft boiled egg and some sriracha too… Cuz why not? Make your Instant Pot Congee your own!
This recipe turned out so well. Just the right consistency and flavor!
This recipe is great! I’ve had to tweak some things based on what I have on hand (ex. cubed ham instead of chicken), but it always comes out fantastic. The cooking method and time is perfect. Thanks for a super easy recipe!
Should the rice be rinsed before placing in the pot?
Yes we recommend you rinsing the rice prior, but you don’t necessarily have to!
Thanks! I did rinse it and it came out great, perfectly porridgy! :-) I think if you don’t rinse it could become too starchy-maybe that’s what caused that one person to have issues with overflow?
Love it! My family and I have been making it for years!! Thank you so much!!! 😊
So simple and easy! But a little bland – even with the salt, soy sauce, sesame and green onions on top. Next time will make with some broth instead of water for a deeper flavor. Thank you!
I don’t have your exact model of Instant Pot and don’t know how to translate the recipes into time under pressure. Is there a translation table somewhere?
The porridge setting on an instant pot is really just a timer. So you’ll just do high pressure for 20 minutes and then let the pressure release naturally.
Holy cow amazing and so little work. My only change was I used a bag of frozen mixed seafood inst3ad of chicken and 8oz of sliced shitake mushrooms.
Love this recipe and was first introduced to it through the “surprise me” tab that I use to pick recipes for the cook club I’m a part of. I’ve made it several times and it’s become a staple meal. Here are some things that my spouse and I have added to throw our own spin on the recipe.
Better than bouillon, broth or anything similar to flavor the water really adds so much more to this recipe.
Carrots or other vegetables you might enjoy along side mushrooms, chicken and rice is a really great touch to add at the beginning.
Adding a soft boiled egg (like they use for ramen) and Sriracha are great additions for toppings.
Beth, I just wanted to let you know that my wife and I have been eating this for breakfast nearly every day for months! I’m US military stationed overseas so having something to meal prep that’s so easy and delicious has been a terrific time saver. I’m Korean and my wife is Japanese and we both love it!
That makes me so happy to hear, Chris! Thank you!
I need some help, for the first time in the several years I have had an insta pot it boiled over. I was making congee and it made an absolute mess, all over the counter, the sides, under the insta pot. I have 2 of them, a small one and a large one. I filled the small one with a little less than a cup of Jasmine rice and to the top of the max line. I have never had this happen before? Please help.
Very interesting! No, unfortunately, I’ve never had an Instant Pot boil over, so I’m not sure what causes that. I would google “why did my Instant Pot boil over” to see if there have been any discussions about the issue on the internet.
Grains tend to foam up quite a bit during cooking in the instantpot. That’s one reason it is recommended to do a natural pressure release rather than instant release. Also, the max fill line is different with liquid items. I think you can find the max fill amounts online for liquids.
Can I use frozen skin on/bone in chicken thighs.? And dried shiitakes /dry or rehydrated?)
I used fresh mushrooms. You can use frozen chicken and you can use skin-on chicken, but just keep in mind the chicken will essentially be boiled, so that skin is going to get very soft and sort of slimy. It does add a nice bit of fat to the porridge, though.
It’s been almost 40 mins and my pressure hasn’t gone down. Should I be concerned? Can I release the steam?
I would go ahead and release the steam latch at that point.
The float valve never drops for me unless I turn the Keep Warm function off. Otherwise the continual addition of heat keeps the pressure up
Has anyone received a burn food error when doing this?
I tried this for the first time (first instant pot recipe I’ve tried after the test run and white rice!), And it pressurized but right when the 20 min cook time kicked in, it gave me the burn food error. I decompressed and uh.. it blew rice bits all over the inside and up on top of the lid. It’s all contained but I read something about not letting food gunk up the vents.
Anyway, the vent was turned to sealing, the food inside was not burnt. I stirred it and re-set the program. So far, no error again. Any tips?
So, I know this comment was from a while ago, but I wanted to offer a suggestion. Sometimes the burn error happens if there is not a sufficient amount of liquid in contact with the bottom of the pot. By adding the water last, it’s possible it was “trapped’ on top of the chicken. Try adding the water before the chicken thighs and give it a stir to ensure the water makes it to the bottom of the pot.
Hopefully this helps someone as I spent a couple years absolutely frustrated that I couldn’t get my instant pot to work without things burning before they got up to pressure. Tried doubling moisture amounts, tried a new seal ring, tried a new instant pot, none of it worked. Finally was told that when cooking with starches, they tend to gum up the pressure piston and cover to the pressure valve and need to be deep cleaned by removing them from the lid and hand washing the parts in warm soapy water and allowing them to dry before the next use. Now I do this every time I cook with potatoes or rice (which is the vast majority of the time) and never have any problems anymore.
Thank you so much for this experienced tip! Also, I’ve made this recipe before and it was great. Trying again now with frozen thighs and drumsticks, dried shiitakes, and some leftover turkey stock from thanksgiving for a flavorful broth.
This is one of those go-to recipes I have been making and enjoying for years. I have used bone-in skin-on chicken legs, thighs, breasts, as well as boneless and skinless parts, whatever I happen to have. I have used jasmine rice, sushi rice, and regular long grain rice. Basically as long as you use some meat and fat, ample garlic and ginger, some mushrooms, the result is creamy comforting simple goodness. Top it with scallions, cilantro, tamari, toasted sesame oil and roasted peanuts or some other crunchies, and you have a show stopper of a breakfasf or lunch for pennies. Add a scoop of chili garlic sauce, siracha or chili crunch oil to all that and you have one of the all-time favorite meals in our house!
What an awesome website! I have two questions about this recipe:
1) Do you rinse the rice before?
2) Why take of the skin off? To make the shredding easier later?
Hi Henry! Thank you! Yes we recommend you rinsing the rice prior, but you don’t necessarily have to. And yes to help with shredding and to prevent the skin from getting rubbery.
I like frying the skin until crispy and throwing it back in as a topping after cutting it up. Chinese definitely don’t waste that chicken skin!
Made it today, was delicious and would definitely make again. Made exactly as written in the recipe, but I have a different pressure cooker so did 20 min on high pressure (12 psi)
Can you use frozen thighs?
Yes you definitely can!
I had forgotten how much I love congee until I found this Instant Pot recipe! I’ve made it with water and with chicken stock. Boneless, skinless chicken thighs work well.
If you have an Asian market in your area, I suggest getting some dried shiitake mushrooms. The place I go to has both whole and sliced dried shiitakes, so I always keep both in the house. I just threw in a handful of dried sliced shiitakes, breaking up the larger slices as needed, and proceeded the the recipe as written.
I’ve also made this using shrimp instead of chicken. I cooked the congee with the other ingredients, adding a tablespoon of shrimp tomalley to the water for added flavor, then when the pressure had dropped, added the shrimp and some frozen peas, stirring it all in and covering the pot with a lid until the shrimp cooked through from the heat.
Great suggestions and swaps Melissa!
I’ve made this a few time and it’s insanely delicious. But I have to put it through three cycles of the Porridge setting on the Instapot to get the right consistency. What am I doing wrong?
Hmm, I’m honestly not sure. The only thing I can think of is that your rice is somehow different?
Has anyone tried this with brown rice? Did you have to differ how much water you put in? If so, how much?
You’ll definitely need more water, but I haven’t tested it to know how much for sure. I have seen recipes for brown rice congee other places on the internet, so you may want to try Googling “brown rice congee” to see if there are any recipes that you can reference for a rice to water ratio.
Hmm, you probably would need more time, not more water. The increased amount of water used to cook brown rice is to compensate for the increased level of evaporation over a longer cook time, in the Instant Pot, there’s no evaporation, so the ratio usually stays the same.
I didn’t add extra water, but I did use more time. I tried 20 minutes first, then another 10, and then another 10, for a total of 40 minutes. Delicious. (I pulled my chicken out after 20 minutes, but I don’t think the extra cook time would hurt it – it’ll just make it fall apart more.)
I made this in the slowcooker, 1 cup Rice and 10 cups water. It was so good!
There’s a brown rice that cooks like white rice – should totally see if you can find that for recipes like this that depend on white rice.
Hello! Has anyone tried vegetables and beans instead of chicken? Also in a slow cooker?
I haven’t tried any of those options, unfortunately! And those are fairly large changes, so it’s too hard to predict how it would turn out.
This recipe is great! One question: at the end of cooking, my instant pot didn’t naturally release pressure nearly as quickly as yours did. Do you know anything about what would affect something like that?
There can be a lot of factors, including the temperature in your house (colder rooms will help it cool down faster). If it takes longer it shouldn’t affect the outcome of the recipe, though.
Definitely turn off the ‘keep warm’ function.
Hi! I see that you mentioned that boneless skinless chicken breast wouldn’t be as flavorful. Curious if you had an opinion re: don’t bother making it with them, or go ahead and make it but it just won’t be AS good. Know what I mean? Also, would basmati rice work here (can you tell I’m trying to figure out what I could whip up for dinner without packing the children into the car and heading to the store?)
I think it wouldn’t be as good and you run the risk of getting dry chicken because the breast doesn’t have as much fat, so it can get a bit dry sometimes. Basmati would probably be delicious, too!
I make this all the time with boneless, skinless chicken thighs and they are never dry. it is impossible for them to dry out cooked in so much liquid. I also use them from frozen and it works perfectly every time. I have made this recipe many, many times. Mine also has a ton of flavor…though it might be due to the changes I make, I saute the garlic and ginger in some sesame oil, use chicken stock instead of water and add fish sauce and a little Chinese red vinegar at the end of cooking.
I should stress that I use unsalted chicken stock.
They are talking about breasts not thighs -_-
This was out of the world delicious. We licked off even the last scrapes from the pot! Thanks for such a simple and yet tasty recipe!
I made 1/2 the recipe in my 3 quart mini Instant Pot. I put the soy sauce and sesame oil right in with the rice and chicken and cooked it all together. Delicious. I forgot about the cilantro and peanuts afterwards but it was still great. Will be making this again and again. Now for a way to make a tasty vegan version for my son!
I have made a vegan version before, I used vegetable stock, some shredded cabbage and carrot and shiitake mushrooms as well as garlic, ginger and sesame oil. it was delicious
Has anyone made this with the Crock Pot pressure cooker? The options are a little different so I don’t have one for porridge :(
It’s 20 minutes on the porridge cycle so use your bean button and use 20 minutes on that since it allows you to alter the time. (This is what I saw on the Crockpot site under FAQs).
I never use the porridge button. Just set it on pressure cook high and put your time in. The few times i’ve tried to use the specialty buttons there were issues involving time.
While I didn’t see it mentioned the perfect time of year for this is Thanksgiving/Christmas. Take that leftover turkey (after sandwiches of course) and turkey stock and you will have perfect Jook (or Jik in my wife’s dialect). I’ve been making this for her and the family for over 40 years now.
I just wanted to thank you for this recipe. It has become one of our favorites. I make it regularly, so much so that I hardly need consult the recipe any more, but I do anyway because I enjoy the beautiful photos. It is great for any meal, so simple and comforting.
We often have it for breakfast. The garnishes make it a little jewel topped treasure at the table. Anyway, much thanks to you for introducing us to congee!
Do you rinse the rice before cooking? I can’t quite tell from the pictures. Thank you!
You can, yes. It won’t affect how the recipe cooks, so it’s up to you.
I’m curious about removing the skin. Is there a reason for doing it before cooking rather than after? It seems like it would add good flavor to the broth and would slide off easily during the shredding process. Or am I missing something? Can’t wait to make this!
You can leave the skin on, if you prefer. :) I just didn’t want mine to be quite so fatty, bu that’s a personal call.
Wow! This was so good! I modified the recipe a little bit by adding 2 cups of rice instead of 1 to make it a bit more thicker (I didn’t want it to be soupy). I also added in a little bit of Trader Joe’s Chicken Broth packets. This was the easiest recipe and fastest too in the instant pot! I’ll definitely be making this again later this week! The chicken just fell into pieces on its own and is so good!
Just made this for meal prep this week—very delicious! One question-my instant pot took nearly 45 minutes to come down in pressure naturally (I ended up releasing the last bit of pressure with the valve at 45 minutes because it was taking so long). Has anyone else had this issue? Just wondering if something is wrong with my instant pot!
I’ve made this twice now and for both it took between 40-45min for the pressure to release naturally. I’m not sure why this isn’t mentioned in the recipe, however it seems to be normal :)
I’m going to use dried shittaki mushrooms. To I need to rehydrate them first?
I probably would, but then I’d add the soaking liquid to the water called for in the recipe so you don’t miss any of the flavor.
I loved this recipe! I was very glad I cooked it in broth. Have you ever tried this with pork or lamb? I am definitely making it again but want to mix it by. Btw, it freezes beautifully!
This looks amazing! I’m a fan of short-grain rices like the Kohuko Rose brand. Would this change the amount of water used in the recipe? Any suggestions? Thanks in advance!
Yes, you may need a different ratio, but I’m not sure how much. I’d need to test it.
My favorite thing about this was the texture of the chicken – so moist and tender. Do you think I could just cook the chicken pieces in some water or broth for the same amount of time to get those results? I’m thinking this would be great for making shredded cooked chicken I can use in soups, burrito bowls, etc.
Most definitely! I love the instant pot for just making quick shredded chicken. Doing it in chicken broth would add great flavor.
I just did it tonight! But on poultry instead of porridge, and for 15 minutes instead of 20. Came out perfect. Also, I used 4 cups of water with a couple of teaspoons of better than boullion , some paprika, peppercorns, and a bay leaf, and wound up with a very nice stock as well.
Awesome!!
Absolutely. :)
I have one leg of leftover turkey and uncooked chicken breasts..can I use both (I just wanna make use of the turkey)
can we make it in a slower cooker?
It might work on the high setting, but I’ve never tried it.
Low setting for 8 hours makes perfect congee!
https://www.mccormick.com/gourmet/recipes/breakfast-brunch/spiced-pumpkin-and-pecan-congee?utm_medium=social-media&utm_source=facebook&utm_term=gourmet&utm_content=recipe_0924&utm_campaign=evergreen
Delicious! I left out the meat and added more mushrooms to make it vegetarian, and added some cayenne to the pot. After it was done I added a can of black beans and served with a little soy sauce and a soft boiled egg. It was SOOOO good, and EASY! Thank you!
Can you freeze congee?
Yes, this should freeze well.
This recipe looks so good! Do you think that if I used the slow cooker setting on the instant pot I would have to boil the liquid first?
Hmm, I’m not sure because I’ve not tried cooking rice in a slow cooker to try to get it to break down like this.
Has anyone tried freezing this? I love congee, especially for breakfast, but I think the rest of the family may just tolerate it. Can I freeze it in breakfast-sized portions and enjoy ALL of it myself?! ;)
Hi! I just got an instant pot and this is the first recipe I want to make. I have a question though. When your recipes call for 1 cup of rice is that referring to the rice measuring cup? If you say add 7 cups of water is that a regular American cup or also the rice cup? Thanks!
1 cup rice one dry measuring cup of uncooked rice. I don’t use a measuring cup that is specific for rice, just a regular American measuring cup. Same for the water.
Thanks for the recipe! I just made this for lunch, delicious! I halved the recipe and I used 4 chicken drumsticks.
I added a bit of soy sauce, fish sauce, cut chillies (I love it spicy!), crushed peanuts, green onions and cilantro. Will make this again for sure 😊
Quite good and easy. I needed to add quite a bit of salt to this, but it ended up very good. Added some La-Yu (chili oil) to give it some kick as well.
Great recipe. I loved how fast this was to make using an electric pressure cooker. I loved the recipe but it was missing fish sauce and a pinch of sugar. After adding those additional ingredients, it tasted just like the chao ga my grandma use to make.
I just made this. I LOVE it. Personally, I really only liked having the green onion and maybe a bit of soy sauce added to it. I tried the sesame oil but felt it blocked the other flavors too much. I can’t believe how good this is, and how simple and easy to make! I even made it with chicken breast and still like it. I just need to figure out how to make the mushrooms a bit less tough.
I’ve made congee of various types over the years on the stove and while I love it, it takes a lot of time and stirring! I don’t own an Instant Pot (yet), either, so I went with a suggestion in the comments and tried this in my slow cooker on high for 4 hours. I used chicken stock in place of water and added a glob (about 2 tbsp) of oyster sauce for a kick of umami. No added salt or soy sauce later, though. I also used boneless chicken breasts because I had them on hand and needed to use them, but like Beth has said, the dark meat chicken would probably make it taste better and add richness. The four hours in the slow cooker didn’t get my porridge to the stage I wanted so maybe a longer cook time would work. I was hungry, so I removed my chicken to a separate plate and transferred everything else to a pot on the stove and simmered it for about 30 minutes until thick. Shredded the chicken and added it back in and also stirred in some leftover stir fried cabbage and bean sprouts for texture (did not have the peanuts). It’s common to add a couple of beaten eggs in at the end too (kinda like egg drop soup), so did that too. Those shiitake mushrooms take this congee over the top! And it was a great couple of meals for me and my bf while he’s recuperating from stomach problems. Thanks a lot Beth!
When you first added the ingredients to the pot, did you bring to a boil?
If I use bone in chicken breast, do I need to adjust to MORE on the instant pot?
Thanks!
I’m not sure off hand, I suggest checking the cooking time tables that are in the instruction manual.
I’ve made this three times now. The first time I used a mixture of thighs and drumsticks. The next two times I used frozen boneless/skinless thighs. While all three times have tasted great, I noticed that the two times I used the frozen thighs came out slightly more watery than the first time. I’m guessing this is because of the fact the frozen thighs had some retained liquid in them. I’m wondering if I should try reducing the amount of water I add slightly to compensate. Any suggestions on how much I should try reducing it by?
Very interesting! I wouldn’t think that frozen thighs would have any more moisture than refrigerated. It’s hard to say how much to reduce the liquid without seeing how it turned out, though, so maybe just start with 1/2 cup less and tweak it every time you make it until you find the right consistency.
I know you posted this recipe almost a year ago, but it was a life saver for me today! I woke up feeling crappy due to a combination of a lingering cold and too much red wine last night and was basically a lump in bed all day. I finally developed an appetite this afternoon but still had no energy. I just wanted something warm and filling, something that a little old grandma might make. I immediately thought of congee, then I thought, “ugh, that’s going to be way too complicated,” but THEN I thought, “No wait, I think I remembered seeing a recipe for congee on Beth’s page!” I crossed my fingers and searched and YES… and with the INSTANT POT. BONUS!
I had to omit the mushrooms because I didn’t have any and used boneless thighs (which meant that I only had to stir the congee when it was done since the meat just broke apart) but it was still awesome. I topped it with green onions, Sriracha, and soy sauce. I’ll try a soft boiled egg next time, but that was just too much effort today :-) I devoured 2 bowls.
I still don’t feel great, but I’m no longer hungry!
Awesome!! I’m so glad it still turned out tasty and comforting for you. :) Feel better!
I’m sorry to say that I didn’t care for this at all… I think that the main problem for me was that it was made with water and not chicken stock/broth. It ended up being too bland for me. Even adding a bit of Sriracha and salt didn’t help.
Hi Beth! I’m really excited to make this tonight – I don’t have an Instant Pot, but I do have a really nice Pressure Cooker. Rice typically takes about 5 minutes to cook at pressure – is that the same for the Instant Pot, do you know? I was thinking I would just bring it to pressure and cook for the 20 minutes, but didn’t want to steam it to death. No worries if you don’t know – I’ll just experiment and hope for the best!
Actually, for this recipe you kind of want to “steam it to death.” :D You want the rice to cook down until it is completely broken down and creamy. I think 20 minutes is a good place to start.
Ah – I get it! I’ve never had Congee but love similar foods. Looking forward to it. Thank you!
I’ve been a huge fan of congee for ages but always thought it would be difficult to make at home. When I saw this recipe I knew I had to try it. It came out perfect and tasted just like the restaurant versions! When my daughter came home from school and smelled the cooking, she told me she assumed that I must have ordered in from a Chinese restaurant. I will definitely be making this again. BTW, I don’t have an IP so it simmered on my stove at low for a couple hours — definitely worth the wait.
I made this for dinner last night and this recipe alone was worth the cost of the Instant Pot. I had boneless chicken thighs so I added some chicken stock to the water when I cooked it, and it was amaaazing.
I would add that frozen chicken works great with InstantPot congee, requires no adjustment whatsoever (the pre-heating time is automatically prolonged). When I’m in a rush, I’ll do a quick and rustic version with carrots and drumsticks/boneless thighs so that de-boning isn’t even necessary. The prep is 10 mins – or however long it takes you to cut the veggies!
This is a great recipe! My fiancé just got me an instant pot last night. We’ve been sick for the past few days (flu season 😔). I was running out of soup ideas and remembered he loves congee. I googled a recipe and yours was the first to pop up AND it was sheer coincidence that it utilizes an instant pot. Woke up this morning at 3 and threw the ingredients in the pot minus the mushrooms, with a chicken breast and a tsp of better than buillon vegetable and a tsp better than buillon chicken. Made myself tea and opened the pot 35 mins later (20 mins to cook and a 15 min wait). It was delicious! Thank you for sharing this recipe, my first attempt at congee was made super easy.
Got my Black Friday on-sale instant pot yesterday and made this immediately! So great! I usually make congee in a Dutch oven on the stovetop but the chicken comes out much better in the IP. Dried shiitake are the way to go here– I just crunched up a few in my hands and threw them in and they were fantastic. No need to presoak. Awesome with the leftover Trader Joe’s fried onions from turkey day on top– similar to the fried shallots you get in Asian markets. I’m going to have congee and game night parties this winter… mmmm….
Thanks for making my introduction to the instant pot such a success!!
Rich and comforting! Made in crock pot. Used 8 cups water and cooked for 5 hours on high. Came out perfect. Thanks!
Making it again and drooling ;)
Has anyone tried this with brown rice? I know it’s not authentic, but much better for my family.
I have seen recipes on the internet for brown rice congee, so I know it can be done. I’m sure you just need to increase the cooking time and probably the liquid ratio as well.
Did you try it with brown rice?
My Vietnamese roommate made this once when we were all sick at the same time and I started requesting it all the time as its so amazing :)
She would beat a few eggs together in a bowl and then pour them over the rice as it simmered. Kimchi is also an amazing topping!
Thank you for sharing this recipe now I can make it for myself all the time :)
Hi, it was fantastic and will make it again but I did add 2 cups of stock and the rest water, used dried shiitake because I always have them on hand and grated my ginger into it since I like to keep mine frozen as I rarely use it and it keeps for ages this way. Added some fried shallots on top you buy in little jars at the Asian supermarket too. Thanks!
This recipe was quite amazing. I had read often that the longer you cook congee the more “healing” it was supposed to be. So I always used manual pressure, about a cup or a half rice with 6c water, and set it for like three hours.
It always turned out yummy, but I love this cook time much more. The rice comes out “fluffier” and lighter than the other way. Most recipes I ever read just said to use manual so I was skeptical at using the preset functions.
Thanks for this!
Oh my gosh! Thank you for this wonderful recipe! My daugher is Korean and I cook a lot of Korean food but I’ve never made Juk/Jook and I’ve always wanted to! Well, I got my Instant Pot yesterday and this was the first recipe I wanted to try. It was fantastic! I will be making this very, very often! Thanks again!
We often ate this for breakfast when we lived temporarily in Singapore. You can find it most anywhere there, from your neighbors kitchen, to food courts, & even at the fancy breakfast buffets. Mostly we had it with added white fish like cod. Of course that increases the cost to make it, but it is still reasonable. I bake the fish separately, flake with a fork, and add to the finished porridge. This is wonderful if you are recovering from any illness, especially intestinal problems (but, make it plainer then) Soothing, mild, and nourishing. Babies, elderly, & every age in between enjoy Congee. Yeah, another use for my Instant Pot. Thanks for the recipe.
I absolutely loved this recipe! I’ve already made it for times. I was wondering if you will post more pressure cooker recipes? I love what you do here! Thank you!
Do you think you could use a slow cooker for this?
Yes, probably! I think I’ve seen slow cooker versions of congee. You can google “slow cooker congee” to get recommended cooking times and settings.
Man, this looks delicious! I have a combination cooker similar to yours, but instead of a porridge setting, it has an oatmeal setting, do you think that would work?
I bet those two settings are similar. :)
Made a vegan version of this today using short grain brown rice in IP for 35 minutes (Porridge setting). I love a lot of scallions, cilantro, sambal oelek and a tiny drizzle of toasted sesame oil and low-sodium tamari on it. Yum!
I love almost all of Beth’s recipes, but this one didn’t do it for me. Full disclosure, I did make it on the stove instead of in an Instant Pot. I wasn’t satisfied with the taste even after adding a hard-boiled egg, Sriracha, soy sauce, sesame oil, peanuts, cilantro, and green onions. You’d think that that would be too many flavors but it was still somehow bland for me. Still, most of the Budget Bytes recipes I try are super great.
Try cooking it in chicken stock instead of water next time, that’s what I plan to do :D
Can you use plain white rice for this?
You can, but jasmine rice has a lot more flavor. :)
I was a little skeptical on whether I’d like this or not but I’ve wanted to try it for a while so I gave it a go.
It turned out great!
I simmered on the stovetop for about an hour and 25 minutes. The chicken was super tender.
The toppings I used where ponzu sauce, fish sauce, sriracha, green onions and salted peanuts. I think I’ll like this recipe as the base is good and I can keep it interesting by changing up the toppings.
I’m so glad I saw this! I had most of the ingredients in the house (well, chicken breasts, but whatever, they’ll work) and I’ve thrown it into the slowcooker. I’m so looking forward to breakfast. I always forget about congee, and never thought of making it in the slowcooker. Glad to see that some other commenters have had success. :)
This looks amazing!
Ah, Thank Goodness you have an Instant Pot too! We got it at the same sale and I love that you’re able to help me throw things together in it!!
hemm.. I want try it.. look so delicious..
This Congee is amazing. When I read the recipe, I couldn’t see how it would be special but it really is wonderful. I’d never heard of it until I saw it here. My husband couldn’t believe how good it iwas. I used dried shitake mushrooms and cut them dry. I did use chicken broth for the extra flavor. The ginger was still quite hot when I bit into it but not too much.
I used frozen chicken legs which made my total cooking time 1 hour from setting the porridge button to end of the natural release. My understanding is that it takes extra time to heat from frozen to pressure.
Great job on this lovely recipe!
Nice, I didn’t know if dried mushrooms would work so I got fresh ones but that’s good to know for next time!
You can use dried mushrooms too, just soak them in warm water until they become soft, and don’t throw away the soaking water, add it into the pot, it will make your jook more fragrant. As for the ginger, we usually slice them in thick pieces and pick them out when it’s cooked so we don’t bite into them.
I made this in my house since we were all down with the flu. I put a fried egg and a lot of Sriracha on top to help clear the sinuses. It was such a nice comforting meal for all the patients.
Hey Beth, it’s great to see you finally cook (and rock) congee! It’s a very popular dish in Vietnam. Great for either breakfast, lunch, dinner or a savory snack in between. And yes, the topping options are endless. A few other protein options we do here in the Nam are minced beef, spare ribs and even fish or clams. If you ever want a quick slurp (and be more Vietnamese), try some plain congee with salty duck eggs. And if you want the congee to be smoother and more velvety, blitz it up with a hand mixer and you’ll get this super smooth, paste-like, heaven-in-the-mouth substance. Mmmm… Oh, you can also toast the rice before cooking it for some more flavour. Oh my, writing this makes me crave some congee!
Yum!! Excellent options, thank you! :D
I just made this, and oh my goodness!! It’s amazing! Also convinced me to get an insta pot. Who knew such a device existed, but I digress.
I served this with the marinated Japanese soft boiled eggs that are often served in ramen. Also, at the end, I added some frozen peas for color. My kids and husband all loved it and it was a breeze to put together.
I’m so happy you were able to make this for yourself! It seems like you really loved it, and I’m glad you are getting lots of use out of the instant pot!
Though I have been hearing about congee for awhile, this is my first time making and eating it and I have to say – it is DELICIOUS. I made mine on the stovetop with bok choy instead of shiitake mushrooms and a few extra chicken thighs, and it is the definition of “hella good”. I can definitely see myself eating this on the regular from now on. Thank you once again for the incredible recipe, you are the bomb!
I know, right? I had always heard about how good it was, but I still under estimated it. I was really blown away as well. I guess with such a simple list of ingredients it seems like it would just be good, not OMG AMAZING, but it sure is. ;)
How long did you leave it on the stove and what temperature?
This was delicious! I used a combination of Jasmine/Arborio rice; it’s what I had on hand. I also used dried porcini mushrooms, and didn’t have any peanuts. Delicious, comforting, and revitalizing! I cooked in an electric pressure cooker for 15 minutes, natural release for another 15 (which wasn’t long enough – I did get some starchy rice liquid in my steam release valve!).
Thank you for sharing this recipe. My husband is Chinese and introduced me to Jook years ago. I’ve always wanted to make my own, there is a version made with tofu and corn that I absolutely love that I am going to try. Thanks again. Also, love the multi-cooker, was looking for a new one to replace one that quit, I’m getting this one off Amazon, thanks for the recommendation. :)
Oh wow! This was sooo good. I used the short grain rice that someone mentioned and added one sliced carrot. Pure comfort food. I love my Instant Pot
This looks like something that would work in a slow cooker. If I was going to try that, any idea how long to cook it for?
my guess the longer the better to make sure boned chicken is fully cooked
I’ve been making congee in my crock pot for years. I cook mine for 6 hours with chicken thighs, onion, and garlic. Then I get to add the yummy toppings. (I have some in my fridge as we speak.)
It does freeze well…if it lasts long enough at my house that is.
I would guess either 4 hours on high or 8 hours on low… but that’s just a guess. I bet you anything there are directions out there somewhere, though, because congee is such a popular recipe. :) Give google a shot with “slow cooker congee” to see if anyone has posted a recipe.
Thanks for replying. I’ll give it a try and see what I can find.
Hi Beth, the recipe looks great, do you know if it might freeze well?
I bet it would. Regular rice freezes really well, so I would assume this “thinner” rice would as well. If some water does separate out upon reheating, just stir it right back in. :)
jook (or congee) isn’t gibberish to those of us who have grown up with it. i would be careful not to alienate part of your audience and run the risk of losing followers.
I meant gibberish for the fact that people aren’t familiar with “instant pot” or “congee”. :)
This looks great! Any tips for storing it past the first day? Does it reheat well?
I just stored mine in the fridge and it reheats beautifully in the microwave. :)
Yay!!! Back in college, I spent a summer in Malaysia. I stayed at a Chinese college and there was a huge open area close to the school where 20-30 something food stalls were set up around a dining area. Congee was sold at a few of the stalls and was a popular breakfast item. I always think back to that summer and how awesome the food was (and totally unfindable here in America…at least in the areas I’ve lived! :(). So glad I’ll be able to at least recreate porridge now :)
I’ve wanted to make congee forever! Will definitely be trying this on the stove
This looks really great! My mom would make this for us all the time when we were sick. I love the toppings that used!
You should try it with a little bit of fish sauce as a topping. That’s what we use in our family and it gives it that extra kick of umami flavor.
Thanks for sharing!
How could I make a vegan version of this?
I’ve never made a vegetarian version, but a quick google search revealed that most people just use more mushrooms and a vegetable broth in place of the water. Here’s a great version from a friend/fellow blogger: http://www.macheesmo.com/vegetarian-congee/
How would you compare the texture to something like polenta? My family can be texture oriented, and several of my kids don’t care for polenta, grits, risotto, or other things with that creamy texture. They eat oatmeal fine, though!
Emily, the texture is basically oatmeal but instead of the oatmeal being made of oats, it’s made of rice.
– from a person whose Southeast Asian home country eats congee/jook for breakfast as one of many, many savory options and has grown up eating it her entire life.
It’s a little different than both, but I’d put it a little closer to grits or cream of wheat than oatmeal. It’s definitely smoother than oatmeal, and mine was a bit thinner as well (you can adjust the thickness by adding more or less water).
I love congee!!! My favorite topping is kimchi, you should try it.
I’ve only made jook in my IP a couple times so far. I like to add sliced up century egg to my jook at the end of the cooking process.
One thing you need to emphasize is why you need to let it do NPR (natural pressure release) versus QPR (quick pressure release). Jook is one of those things that will sputter out the valve if you try to do the QPR. Messy! :D
Ewww, good to know! I’ll add that. :)
You should also try this with Century eggs. They’re a bit of an acquired taste, but they add the strangest, yet most delicious depth to congee.
Congee is also a really good stomach settler if you’re ill. Leave out everything except the ginger slices
That looks really good. Have you considered using dried shiitakes? I can usually get a package for less than $2 at my local asian market, and they last forever in my pantry. I’d probably put them in whole, and then fish them out and slice them after cooking. Or you could pre-soak, slice, and then use the soaking water as part of your cooking liquid.
I’m definitely going to pick some up! Thanks for the tip. :)
JOOK is a Korean word that basically means thickened soup. Specifically we would call this Dak-Jook, as Dak means Chicken in Korean! Amazing dish that will bring back some fond memories for me. I shall give this a whirl. Of course, the way we do it is with the regular short-grain rice rather than the jasmine variety, and it does release more starch that creates the thick & delicious texture. I’m curious to see how it works with jasmine as you prescribed here.
I’m considering trying this out soon. It seems like a perfect meal for when you’re sick or it’s cold/rainy/snowy out.
Jeff – I have sushi rice (calrose) at home as well as standard white/brown long grain rice. Would the sushi rice give a more authentic texture?
I will also probably use dried shitakes (as mentioned by another commenter) since they are readily available and store somewhat indefinitely.
Kimchee topping sounds like a must as well.
I used calrose in mine and it worked great, making the rice very glutenous and thick. Since my husband is half-Chinese and is used to Chinese-style jook, we skipped cilantro, peanuts, and sriracha and went for the green onions, sesame oil, and soy sauce. I also stirred in some sambal olek. My husband said his mum used to make it with pork sometimes as well, and she always used dried shitake mushrooms with no problems. He said the only difference between fresh and dried is that the dried end up a fair bit chewier.