Instant Pot Congee Recipe

By
Leah Maroney
Leah Maroney
Leah Maroney
A recipe developer and food photographer, Leah Maroney is an ardent home cook and food blogger who has written over 300 recipes for The Spruce Eats.
Learn about The Spruce Eats' Editorial Process
Updated on 05/23/22
instant pot congee in a bowl with eggs and crispy shallots

 The Spruce / Leah Maroney

Prep: 10 mins
Cook: 45 mins
Release Time: 20 mins
Total: 75 mins
Servings: 4 servings
Yield: 1 pot

Congee is a rice porridge made with many different variations all over Asia. It is extremely comforting and is the perfect recipe for cold winter days or when you need some extra comfort. It is often given to those who are feeling ill as it contains easy to digest ingredients that are also nutritious.

We made a chicken version with delicious fried shallots and soft-boiled eggs, but there are so many possibilities for different toppings. You can also easily make this vegetarian and vegan with just a few simple tweaks.

Ingredients

  • 1 cup jasmine rice

  • 2 teaspoons sesame oil

  • 2 teaspoons grated ginger

  • 2 cloves garlic, crushed

  • 2 green onions, sliced, with whites and greens divided

  • 2 whole chicken legs

  • 7 1/2 cups chicken broth

  • 2 shallots, sliced thinly

  • 1/2 cup vegetable oil

  • 3 large soft-boiled eggs

  • Fish sauce, or soy sauce, to taste, for garnish

Steps to Make It

  1. Gather the ingredients.

    ingredients for isntant pot congee
     The Spruce / Leah Maroney

  2. Rinse the rice under cold water.

    rice soaked in a bowl of water
     The Spruce / Leah Maroney 

  3. Add the sesame oil to the insert of the Instant Pot add the garlic, ginger, and the whites of the scallions. Press the saute button and saute for 2 to 3 minutes or until the oil has heated and the aromatics have become fragrant.

    scallions, garlic, and ginger sauteed in an instant pot insert
     The Spruce / Leah Maroney

  4. Add the rice to the instant pot and pour in the chicken broth, then add the chicken legs to the pot. Stir gently.

    broth, chicken , and rice in an instant pot insert
     The Spruce / Leah Maroney

  5. Put the lid on top, set to seal and cook at high pressure for 30 minutes. Naturally release for 20 minute, then if there's any pressure remaining you can finish releasing the steam manually. Or if your Instant Pot has the porridge setting, simply press the porridge setting and allow the pot to reduce pressure naturally.

    cooked congee in an instant pot
     The Spruce / Leah Maroney

  6. While the congee is cooking, prepare the crispy shallots. Slice the shallots thinly and add them to the cold oil in a heavy bottomed pan. Heat on medium high heat, stirring frequently until all of the shallots are crispy. Remove them with a slotted spoon and place them on a paper towel lined plate to drain.

    shallots fried in oil in a small pot
     The Spruce / Leah Maroney

  7. Remove the lid from the Instant Pot. Remove the chicken bones and chicken pieces from the pot. Discard the bones.

    congee cooked in an instant pot
     The Spruce / Leah Maroney

  8. If you want the congee thicker you can set the pot to the sauté setting and stir constantly until it reaches your desired thickness. Shred the chicken. Stir the shredded chicken back into the congee.

    shredded chicken
     The Spruce / Leah Maroney

  9. Divide the congee among four bowls. Add the soft-boiled eggs, crispy shallots, sliced green onions, and a dash of fish sauce to each bowl. Top with any of your other favorite toppings.

    Instant pot congree in a bowl with egg and scallions
    The Spruce / Leah Maroney

Tips

  • Make sure you do not manually release the pressure initially. Give it the 20 minutes needed to naturally release first. When very hot, the congee can actually get pulled into the valve and cause a big mess if you manually release right away.

Recipe Variations

  • To make it vegetarian or vegan, replace the chicken broth with vegetable broth. Add crispy tofu instead of the eggs. Sauteed mushrooms are another great addition for toppings, especially if serving it as a vegan dish.
  • Other delicious garnishes: chopped peanuts, hot sauce, chopped Chinese fried donut sticks, sautéed mushrooms, chili oil, sambal olek, shrimp paste, ground pork, corn, cilantro, sautéed bok choy, sesame seeds.
  • You can use brown rice instead of jasmine rice. The cooking time does not need to be changed.
Nutrition Facts (per serving)
548 Calories
40g Fat
20g Carbs
26g Protein
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Nutrition Facts
Servings: 4
Amount per serving
Calories 548
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 40g 52%
Saturated Fat 5g 26%
Cholesterol 231mg 77%
Sodium 2067mg 90%
Total Carbohydrate 20g 7%
Dietary Fiber 1g 5%
Total Sugars 5g
Protein 26g
Vitamin C 4mg 22%
Calcium 71mg 5%
Iron 3mg 14%
Potassium 471mg 10%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)