14 Congee Recipes for When Your Rice Porridge Craving Strikes (2024)

While rice is delicious in every form, from rice bowls to rice noodles to sushi burgers, it’s deeply satisfying when it’s served up in congee. The Asian import — a DIY rice porridge — is the perfect opportunity to use up that *leftover* rice, since it has a higher starch content which adds extra creaminess to the dish. Here are 14 congee recipes that show you how it’s done.

Slow-Cooker Ginger Chicken Congee

14 Congee Recipes for When Your Rice Porridge Craving Strikes (1) This recipe calls for just three key ingredients and is made in the slow cooker while you get other stuff done. (via Kitchn)

Congee (Chinese Rice Porridge)

14 Congee Recipes for When Your Rice Porridge Craving Strikes (2) A lot of congee recipes call for bone-in meat, but dried shiitake mushrooms make a gorgeously chewy and flavorful substitute. Toppings like green onions, cilantro, sesame seeds, soy sauce, Sriracha, and a few drops of toasted sesame oil will give it a multi-dimensional flavor. (via It Doesn’t Taste Like Chicken)

Congee With Miso Sauce

14 Congee Recipes for When Your Rice Porridge Craving Strikes (3) This recipe calls for miso, which layers in an umami dimension. (via Playful Cooking)

Congee (Rice Porridge)

14 Congee Recipes for When Your Rice Porridge Craving Strikes (5) If you HEART savory foods in the morning, try a breakfast congee that’s 100 percent vegan. Plus, it tastes just as delicious for lunch or dinner. (via Vegan Heaven)

Seafood Congee

14 Congee Recipes for When Your Rice Porridge Craving Strikes (6) When it comes to congee, simplest is often best. This recipe is flavored with just a handful of dried scallops and a few pieces of shrimp. It has such a rich flavor, it’s hard to believe it’s made with just water, not homemade stock. (via Omnivore’s Cookbook)

Ginger Chicken Brown Rice Congee

14 Congee Recipes for When Your Rice Porridge Craving Strikes (7) Congee is a *healing* meal, and this brown rice version calls for lots of the natural superfood ginger. Next time you feel a cold coming on, start some congee on your back-burner and you’ll be feeling good as new in no time. (via Gather & Dine)

Congee With Homemade Broth

14 Congee Recipes for When Your Rice Porridge Craving Strikes (8) This congee is a great budget meal, because just a cup of rice makes a whole pot of soup. Top yours up with whatever fixins you have in the fridge and it’s all good. (via The Nomadic Wife)

Slow Cooker Rotisserie Chicken Congee

14 Congee Recipes for When Your Rice Porridge Craving Strikes (9) Don’t toss that leftover rotisserie chicken carcass — unless you’re *tossing* it into the slow cooker. Start it in the morning and those leftovers will become a comforting meal by lunchtime. (via Roti ‘n’ Rice)

Vegetarian Brown Rice Congee With Tempeh

14 Congee Recipes for When Your Rice Porridge Craving Strikes (10) If you haven’t tried tempeh yet, this version fried in sesame oil is a great place to start. (via Avocado aDay Nutrition)

Mom’s Pork Bone Congee

14 Congee Recipes for When Your Rice Porridge Craving Strikes (11) You’ll want to make this recipe in the biggest pot in your cooking arsenal, so there will be plenty of leftovers to reheat the next day. Pro tip: Salt the pork bones overnight before cooking and you’ll have yourself a flavor bomb for sure. (via The Woks of Life)

Chicken and Ginger Congee (Rice Porridge)

14 Congee Recipes for When Your Rice Porridge Craving Strikes (12) Anyone who grew up eating congee will tell you they *crave* it anytime they’re feeling under the weather. This three-ingredient recipe is easy to cook, even if you’re feeling low-energy, and it’s as comforting as a warm blanket and fleecy pajamas — which might also be what you wear while you’re eating it. (via The Worktop)

Cozy, Comforting Congee

14 Congee Recipes for When Your Rice Porridge Craving Strikes (13) While you’re scrounging the fridge for delicious toppings, don’t overlook the egg. A protein-rich poached egg is the real star of this show. (via One Lovely Life)

Instant Pot Congee (Jook)

14 Congee Recipes for When Your Rice Porridge Craving Strikes (14) If you don’t have time for slow-cooking methods that break down the rice to the right porridge-y creaminess, you can fast-track this recipe in your Instant Pot. Don’t leave out the little dash of Sriracha for an extra shot of zing to your taste buds. (via Budget Bytes)

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14 Congee Recipes for When Your Rice Porridge Craving Strikes (2024)

FAQs

Is it OK to eat congee every day? ›

Rich in flavour and filled with the goodness of nutrients, rice congee is the perfect dish to have daily for anyone, especially children who are picky eaters. Introduce your fussy baby to a warm bowl of rice congee topped with the things they love. The delicious dish is also beneficial for your overall well-being.

What's the difference between congee and rice porridge? ›

The simplest and biggest difference to tell apart what is a congee and a porridge, is the texture of the rice. The rice in congee is utterly cook to the point it dissolved into a glue-ly / starchy texture. Porridge on the other hand, the rice still retain mostly its shape and have clearly soup / water base.

What does rice porridge do to the body? ›

Rice or porridge made from brown rice is easy to digest, very good for people with indigestion or those who have just recovered from an illness. Brown rice is often nutritious, cool and has many uses such as: helping to cool down, quench thirst, relieve nerve pain, and soothe anxiety.

Why is congee good when you're sick? ›

Recovering From Illness

If you need to lose or gain weight congee can help. At Sustain Health we highly recommend this superfood for recovery from any sickness. It promotes recovery as it is light on the stomach and harmonises the imbalance of a chaotic internal environment.

What is the healthiest congee? ›

For a healthier version, I frequently recommend using brown rice, or even barley or millet. Simmer on very low heat for 1-2 hours or until rice is quite broken down.

Does congee spike blood sugar? ›

Congees are a popular year-round breakfast option. However, they can cause a quick rise in your blood glucose levels (BGL) because they are high in Glycaemic Index (GI) as they are made with white rice. Swap or mix your white rice with grains such as pearl barley, red beans, mung beans and rolled oats.

Why do Asians eat congee? ›

Congee has a history as a famine food — rice stretched to last with the addition of extra water — and, more commonly nowadays, the ideal sick dish.

Is rice porridge or oatmeal healthier? ›

Oats are a better option than rice for weight loss and fitness aims. Oats is a better choice for people suffering from Iron Deficiency Anemia. Oats are rich in antioxidants including avenanthramides. Avenanthramides helps in lowering the blood pressure levels.

Which is better for you, oatmeal or porridge? ›

Now that you better understand the difference between porridge and oatmeal, you can decide which dish best suits your lifestyle. Though porridge may offer a wider variety of flavor options, oatmeal is loaded with nutritious and filling ingredients that make it an excellent morning meal.

Does rice porridge make you gassy? ›

Rice is one of the least likely foods to cause bloating, but it is frequently consumed alongside other foods and ingredients that are common causes of symptoms.

Is rice porridge good for hair? ›

Benefits of using rice water for hair growth and appearance may include: Helping support hair growth. Making hair shinier and more “lustrous”

How does congee help you lose weight? ›

Lose Weight with every bite

Slow cooked on a low heat, congee retains most of its nutritional value, and allows for easy absorption of nutrients and less expenditure of digestive energy. It is a highly versatile recipe and offers a delicious base for creating a variety of meals.

Is congee a laxative? ›

Congee really does eliminate constipation. It helps with elimination unbelievably. It softens the fiber so that it's really actually very soothing and moves through your whole digestive system really easily.

Is congee good for inflammation? ›

With its cooling and demulcent (relieving inflammation or irritation) properties, Congee is beneficial during sickness but also popular as a nourishing breakfast choice for those needing spleen and digestive support.

What is the healing power of congee? ›

Slow-cooked with lots of water, congee is exceptionally hydrating. Often fed to babies, nursing mothers, or the ill and depleted. This simple porridge easily delivers needed nutrients to those with compromised digestion, while simultaneously healing and repairing the organs and associated channels.

How many days is congee good for? ›

To store leftover congee, keep it in a sealed container in the refrigerator. It will keep for up to five days. Reheat congee slowly in the microwave or on the stovetop just until warm.

Is congee more fattening than rice? ›

Every 100g of congee has about 65 calories and 7.5g carbohydrate. The same amount of white rice has 140 calories and 31g carbohydrate. TRY IT AT HOME: For homemade congee, use brown rice or whole grain as they are healthier.

Is it healthy to eat porridge every day? ›

Oats offer multiple benefits to health; adding them to your diet helps to improve diet quality, reduce cholesterol, manage blood sugar and weight as well as support the digestive system and the health of the gut.

Is congee good for the gut? ›

Congee is the chicken noodle soup of the East. It is the number one gut-healing food and has many health benefits. Congee is characterized by having a high water to grain ratio and simmered at low heat for hours. The prolonged cooking time breaks down the starch in the process and allows for easier digestion.

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