Instant Pot Congee

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Instant Pot Congee is cozy, comforting, and incredibly simple to make. The Instant Pot makes this creamy rice porridge fast and entirely hands-off. All you need is three ingredients and about 30 minutes.

Congee in a white bowl

Even though congee originates from China, it’s popular all over Asia and was a staple for Frank and I when we lived in Thailand. When I walked to work on warm Bangkok mornings I would pass vendors ladling steaming hot congee into bowls at stalls along the street. It turns fragrant when handfuls of fresh herbs are piled on top. Morning, noon, or night, if I feel a cold coming on, or just something warm and comforting, congee is my go-to. And if you have an Instant Pot, you should keep this simple, budget-friendly recipe in your back pocket too!

rinsing eggs in a saucepan

What is Congee?

Congee, also called Jook, is rice porridge that is made by simmering a small amount of rice in a large amount of water until the rice breaks down and turns silky and smooth. It is a savory, comforting meal that can be served any time of day and finished with a variety of toppings.

For making congee in the Instant Pot, the ratio should is 1:8 rice to water.

spooning congee into a white bowl

Step-by-Step Instructions: Instant Pot Congee

  1. Rinse the rice to remove excess starch.
  2. Pressure cook. Combine rice, water, and salt in the bowl of an Instant Pot / pressure cooker. Add a knob of fresh ginger for fragrant flavor. Close and lock the lid and pressure cook on high for 22 minutes.
  3. Allow the pressure to release naturally. Don’t open it early or starch may clog the valve.
  4. Serve warm with your favorite toppings

Toppings for Instant Pot Congee

The best part of congee is the toppings! The sky is the limit, but here are some favorites:

  • Fresh herbs (cilantro, green onions)
  • Roasted peanuts
  • Toasted coconut
  • Fish sauce or soy sauce
  • Sriracha
  • Crispy bacon
  • Soft or hard boiled eggs
  • Crispy fried shallots or garlic
  • Sautéed mushrooms
  • Shredded chicken or pork
  • Sliced chili peppers

How to Make Crispy Fried Shallots for Congee

I love mixing up my congee toppings, but there always has to be something with crunch. Crispy fried shallots have the tiniest bit of natural sweetness and awesome crunch. They’re like tiny little onion rings, and disappear crazy fast.

cooking Shallots for Congee

To make crispy fried shallots:

  1. Slice the shallots evenly (so they finish cooking at the same time)
  2. Add the shallots to room temperature oil and bring the heat up slowly
  3. Fry the shallots slowly, stirring often, until golden brown, ~10 minutes
  4. Use a slotted spoon to transfer the shallots to a paper towel-lined plate
  5. Sprinkle with some salt
  6. Serve within 2-3 days!
frying Shallots in a saucepan

Variations on Instant Pot Congee

  • Flavor with chicken – Add skinless chicken drumsticks or thighs to the rice as it cooks. After cooking, shred the chicken back into the congee and discard the bones.
  • Flavor with pork – Same as above, but add pork shoulder or ham bones to the rice while it cooks.
  • Flavor with mushrooms – Add dried shiitakes to the rice as it cooks.

Make-Ahead Congee

Congee can be made ahead and stored in the refrigerator for 4 to 5 days. Reheat in the microwave or on the stove to serve. The congee may thicken as it sits, so stir in some water if needed.

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Congee in a bowl
4.71 from 31 votes

Instant Pot Congee Recipe

Congee is a creamy rice porridge that is most commonly served for breakfast but is cozy and satisfying at any time of day. The Instant Pot makes it an incredibly fast meal.
Prep: 5 minutes
Cook: 30 minutes
Total: 35 minutes
Servings: 6

Equipment

  • 6-quart Instant Pot / pressure cooker

Ingredients 

  • 1 cup uncooked jasmine rice
  • 8 cups water
  • 2 inches fresh ginger, peeled (optional)
  • 1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

Instructions 

  • Rinse rice under cool water.
  • Combine rice, water, ginger, and salt in the bowl of an Instant Pot / pressure cooker. (Note: If using ginger, add the piece of grated ginger whole so that it will infuse the congee with flavor but can be removed at the end of cooking. If you like a more intense ginger flavor, you can grate the ginger into the congee, but use half as much as listed.)
  • Close and lock the lid.
  • Set the pressure cook / manual setting on high for 22 minutes.
  • Allow the pressure to release naturally. (Note: This is important. Congee is very starchy and, if the pressure is manually released, it may foam and clog the pressure release valve.)
  • If you added a whole piece of ginger to the congee, remove and discard the ginger.
  • Unlock the lid. Serve congee warm.

Notes

Ginger is optional but adds a nice fragrance and very subtle flavor.
Congee can be made ahead and stored in the refrigerator for 4 to 5 days. Reheat in the microwave or on the stove to serve. The congee may thicken as it sits, so stir in some water if needed.
For a soft-boiled egg to serve on top of the congee, drop an egg into barely simmering water for 7 to 8 minutes. Run under cool water. Peel and slice in half. Serve immediately.
To make crispy fried shallots to serve on top of congee, thinly slice shallots until you have about ½ cup. Place shallots in a sturdy pot and cover with an inch of vegetable oil. Place over medium heat and bring to a low simmer. Fry the shallots slowly, stirring often, until golden brown, ~10 minutes. Use a slotted spoon to transfer the shallots to a paper towel-lined plate. Season with a pinch of salt.

Nutrition

Serving: 1g | Calories: 123kcal | Carbohydrates: 29g | Protein: 2g | Sodium: 104mg

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

Author: Jess Smith via Inquiring Chef
Cost: $1.50
Calories: 123
Keyword: instant pot
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About Jess Smith

Jess is the recipe creator and photographer at InquiringChef.com. She spent nearly a decade as the Chief Recipe Developer for the award-winning meal planning app Cook Smarts. Her colorful, healthyish recipes have been featured in popular online publications including Parade, Hallmark, and HuffPost.

4.71 from 31 votes (30 ratings without comment)

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15 Comments

  1. 1 star
    This has to be one of the most spam filled ad redirecting recipe sites I have ever seen. 4 times trying to scroll down and I get redirected to phishing sites and pop up pages. Nice job

    1. Hi there. Please keep in mind that I am a real person who reads and response to every comment on this site. I also put a lot of time, energy, and money into every recipe, including this congee which I tested over and over again to get the texture just right. I share all of these recipes with the world at absolutely no cost to you, but the only way that I make any money is through ads on the site. Please look into installing an ad blocker in your browser if it bothers you to see the ads.

  2. This is a WINNER. I’ve made it several times. It works every time and tastes great. It’s a great base for so many flavours. Sometimes I add Thai flavours with fish sauce and lime, or other times I add Parmesan and seasoning. I’ve also taken to adding a splash of soya milk after cooking. It’s a great way to prepare congee.

  3. I have made this recipe COUNTLESS times. It always comes out perfect. We love adding Spam or bacon to it. Sometimes Breakfast sausage. I always make eggs for it ( specific to my family’s liking…. hard fried, medium fried, scrambled and poached) we ALWAYS have lots of green onions on hand, some cheese, coconut aminos and some siracha. I make congee any time I get glutened (I am celiac) and it always helps me heal.

    1. Hi Naveed – just simmer the rice and water on the stovetop over low-medium heat. You’ll need to add more water whenever the rice looks dry.

    1. I don’t think you should need to change the cook time at all. Since it’s cooking under pressure – it should work just fine if you double the recipe and keep the cook time the same. Hope that helps!

  4. Holiday greetings!
    A question about the fresh ginger… ingredient list says 2″peeled. Do I understand correctly that I simply peel the ginger and put it whole into the IP inner pot with the rice and water, no mincing, no grating. Before serving, I would remove the ginger?

    1. Hi Frankie! Happy holidays to you. I’ll add a note to the recipe to clarify. You are correct though that you just put the whole piece of ginger (peeled) into the congee. Then remove it when it’s done. This gives the congee a subtle ginger flavor and makes it easy to remove the ginger after cooking. If you love ginger, it will definitely work to grate it and add it, but I’d reduce the amount to about 1″.

  5. Good evening. Am looking for a congee recipe to try in the instant pot. Yours seems very straight forward.
    Question: Is there any rinsing of the rice before it gets placed in the instant pot? Thank you for sharing.

    1. Hi Ham – absolutely. I would definitely recommend rinsing the rice before making the congee. I’ll make sure we get a note added to the recipe to remind everyone of that!