The easiest congee made in an instant pot! Comforting and hearty with the perfect rice porridge texture that is ready in 35 minutes.
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The Easiest Congee Recipe
This is definitely not the traditional way of making congee (also known as jook) but it sure is the EASIEST! Perfect for cold weekdays when you don't have time to make an elaborate dish.
You will love this recipe because:
- Cooking time is shorter than the stove-top version.
- No freezing or overnight soaking involve.
- Made of plain short white grain rice. You won't need glutinous rice.
- You will get that porridge consistency with WAY LESS STIRRING and tending of the pot.
Ingredients
This recipe uses basic congee ingredients. It is reminiscent of Filipino-style congee called arroz caldo but you can easily modify however you like.
Type of Meat
Chicken always goes well with congee. Use bone-in, skin-on for a more flavorful broth. If you are watching your fat intake, you can omit the skin. Ground pork, beef, and turkey can also be used.
Rice
Use regular white rice like Jasmine rice (long-grain rice), Japanese rice, or any short-grain rice.
Garlic, Onion, and Ginger
Gives a nice flavor to congee. Some recipes call for just onion and ginger but I love adding garlic!
Salt or Fish Sauce
This is a savory type of congee and thus uses fish sauce. You can definitely substitute with salt or light soy sauce for a much lighter flavor.
Broth
Use chicken, pork, or vegetable broth. For convenience, I use chicken bouillon dissolved in hot water. If you have homemade chicken broth, please use it with gusto.
How to cook Congee in an Instant Pot
Start off by washing the rice with tap water to remove excess starch. Washing the rice once should be enough for congee.
Drain and discard the water. Set aside and prepare the rest of the ingredients.
How to Cook Congee in an Instant Pot
Saute onion, garlic, and ginger in warm oil to bring out their best flavor. Trust me, it's worth the effort.
Add chicken, rice, and chicken broth or your choice of cooking liquid (e.g. vegetable broth, fish broth, or pork broth). You can also use bouillon cubes dissolved in hot water. Season with fish sauce if using.
Pressure cook for 10 minutes! You read it right. JUST 10 MINUTES! This is enough time to cook the rice and chicken all at the same time.
After pressure cooking, let the pressure release naturally for 25 minutes. Turn the knob to the venting position thereafter to release the remaining pressure.
Transfer the chicken to a plate and remove the bones. Shred the meat using two forks and place it back in the pot. Boil for a minute to incorporate.
That's it! Easy comfort food done in 35 minutes!
The secret to 35 Minutes Instant Pot Congee
And here's why this recipe only takes 35 minutes to make from start to finish. It's not rocket science. Just really simple techniques to make the whole process so much quicker.
Use hot water/broth
Starting with hot water will mean the pot will get up to pressure sooner. And the sooner the pot gets to pressure the sooner it can start "cooking", which will reduce the cooking time.
What I actually did was dissolve the chicken bouillon in hot water from the kettle and then pour it into the pot while still hot.
10 mins Pressure Cooking Time
Set to cook at high pressure That is all you need. If using frozen chicken, adjust to 15 minutes.
Use Natural Release
Using natural release is the key to this recipe. The remaining pressure will continue cooking the chicken and rice for 25 minutes. Do not be tempted to use "quick release" as the starch from the rice will spill everywhere and you'll of course end up with an uncooked porridge.
After 25 minutes, turn the knob to the venting position to release the remaining pressure. This should only take less than a minute.
Variations
For a lighter and less savory congee
Just place all the ingredients in the pot and season with salt instead of fish sauce. Proceed with the rest of the steps and you're done!
Meatless/Vegetarian Congee
Substitute meat with mushrooms like shiitake mushrooms, portobello, and button mushrooms. For extra protein, add diced firm tofu after pressure cooking. Simmer for 1 to 2 minutes then turn off the instant pot.
What to Serve with Congee
The list of toppings and condiments is endless. But here are my personal favorite:
- Boiled egg
- Green Onions/ Scallions
- Toasted Garlic
- Century Egg
- Coriander/Cilantro
- Chili Oil - to make it spicy
- Sesame Oil
- Fried Shallots
- White pepper or black pepper
Storage and Shelf-life
If you have leftover congee, you can keep it in the fridge in an airtight container. It should be consumed within 2-3 days.
Re-heating
To reheat leftovers, place the congee in a pot and reheat it on the stovetop or microwave on high for 1 minute. Add more water or broth and season with salt and black pepper as needed.
Frequently asked questions
If using frozen cut-up chicken pieces adjust the pressure cooking time to 15 minutes. If using half-frozen chicken, adjust the pressure cooking time to 20 minutes. No need to thaw or defrost. Just add it straight to the pot.
Use natural release for 25 minutes.
Watch how to make it
You might like these too...
Looking for more chicken recipes? Try these...
- Braised Chicken in Soy Ginger Sauce
- Air Fryer Crispy and Juicy Chicken Thighs
- Sweet and Sour Chicken with Pineapple
- Easy Oven Roasted Chicken
Complete Recipe
Instant Pot Congee: 35 mins from start to finish
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 cup uncooked rice (see note 1)
- 1 piece chicken bouillon
- 7 cups hot water
- 1 ½ tablespoon vegetable oil (canola)
- 5 cloves garlic (finely chopped)
- 450 grams / 1.5 lbs chicken (bone-in, see note 2)
- 1 medium onion (chopped)
- 2 tablespoon ginger (peeled and grated)
- 1 tablespoon fish sauce (optional)
- salt and pepper (to taste)
Choice of Toppings
- hard-boiled eggs (sliced)
- green onions (chopped)
- toasted garlic
- calamansi, lemon or lime (optional)
Instructions
- RINSE THE RICE: Place rice in a bowl. Pour tap water and rinse with your hands. Drain and discard water.
- SAUTE: Set instant pot to saute mode. Add oil and heat until warm. Add garlic, onion and ginger. Saute until fragrant.
- BROTH: Dissolve chicken bouillon in hot water.
- PRESSURE COOK: Add the chicken pieces, rice, fish sauce and broth. Close and seal the lid. Set to pressure cook for 10 minutes.
- NATURAL RELEASE: When the cooking time is up, let the pressure release NATURALLY for 25 minutes. Do not quick release at this point. After 25 minutes, turn the knob to VENTING to release the remaining pressure. This should only take less than a minute.
- SHRED THE CHICKEN: Remove the lid. Transfer the chicken to a plate. Remove any bones and discard. Shred the chicken with two forks.
- STIR: Set instant pot to saute mode. Add chicken back into the pot. Stir gently. Add hot water to lighten consistency, if preferred. Sprinkle green onions. Cook for another minute.
- SERVE: Transfer to serving bowls. Top with sliced boiled eggs, green onions, and toasted garlic.
Recipe Notes and Tips:
- Rice - measured in a baking cup. Use Jasmine rice (long grain rice) or Japanese rice (medium grain).
- Meat - you can also use 300 grams of ground pork, chicken, turkey, or beef.
- Lighter and less savory congee - skip sauteing the garlic, onion, and ginger. Just place all the ingredients in the pot and season with salt instead of fish sauce.
- Meatless/Vegetarian - substitute meat with mushrooms like shitake, portobello, and button mushrooms. For extra protein, add diced tofu after pressure cooking. Cook it for a minute or two then turn off the instant pot.
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Tyler says
Instant pot congee is such a wonderful idea, it is so versatile, and one of the simplest things to prep. Green onion really brightens it up. I was always nervous to try century egg and it's so yummy in this dish! Thanks for the inspiration to try something new.
Mella says
I love century egg! Glad you enjoyed this recipe, Tyler.
- Mella