Simple recipe for congee (Chinese rice porridge or jook)

Last Updated on 17 December 2023 by cooksimply

When I was feeling under the weather, my mum always used to make me a hot steaming bowl of jook, as we’d like to pronounce it in Cantonese. Congee is the ultimate comfort food for Chinese people. It’s like a warm hug in a bowl. Great for hangovers, or when you’re feeling a little run down. Or just a great meal to share with family and friends. This is why I want to share this super simple recipe for congee that can be done in a slow cooker. 

What is congee?

Congee is a Chinese rice porridge that is hugely popular in Asian countries. The word “congee” derives from Tamil and there are many different variations in Asian culture of what is essentially a thick savoury rice soup. The great thing about this dish is that you really can make it your own, as it’s the ingredients that you add to the congee that creates the umami flavours. 

When do you eat congee?

In Hong Kong, I recall going to many cafes serving up big bowls of jook for breakfast with plenty of crispy Chinese doughnuts on top and garnished with spring onions and soy sauce. Its simplicity is what makes it so delicious. And I can happily eat a bowl at any time of the day. 

So really, there is no right or wrong time. It can be eaten for any meal or as a filling snack. Ultimately, whenever you want to. It’s also perfect for when you’re feeling under the weather – a bit like a bowl of hearty chicken soup – or for hangovers, I promise. It settles bad tummies and helps to make you feel better. And why it’s so popular is that this silky rice porridge is filling, comforting, and like a hug in a bowl. 

How to make this simple congee recipe

The key ingredients for any congee recipe are fresh ginger,  garlic, jasmine or basmati rice and water. I also like to use chicken stock as I think this imparts extra flavour. Now, some people [like my dad] love their congee to be super thick while others [like my mum] prefer it to be more soup-like and watery. Where do I sit? More in the middle – so you can always add more water at a later stage if you think the congee is too thick. 

For this jook recipe, all you have to do is literally throw all the ingredients into the slow cooker and let it cook. Honestly, it’s that simple. The hardest part is deciding what to garnish it with when serving. For this dish, I went with soft-boiled eggs, spring onions, chopped peanuts and chilli sauce. 

How to make chicken congee

For the congee recipe pictured, I used gammon, as I had some in the freezer. But I also love chicken congee, and if I am making that, I use bone-in-chicken thighs, as they’re cheap and easy to just throw in the pot. The main staple ingredients for congee are:

• Jasmine rice

• fresh ginger

• chicken stock

• garlic

• soy sauce

• spring onions

• peanuts to serve

• soft boiled eggs to serve

What if I don’t have a slow cooker?

You can make congee on the hob which is how it’s traditionally done.  It is also much quicker and easier to judge the consistency while you’re cooking it. But in a slow cooker for this recipe, I tend to add less liquid at the start and add more once it’s nearly done. This simple congee recipe has the saltiness of the ham hock and tender meat that has been cooked slowly for six hours. So you may want to use different ingredients like leftover chicken, or roast the ham beforehand before adding as on the hob, congee will only need 60-90 minutes or so. 

What else can I add to the congee?

If you have access to an Asian supermarket then you can buy dried shrimp or scallops, Chinese fried doughnuts (yàuhjagwái), or fish balls or even beef balls – all fantastic to add. But seriously, some leftover roast chicken, turkey [at Christmas] and beef strips or pork are just as good. Add whatever protein you like to your congee. Some people like it plain, without any meat or fish. 

Here are some other slow cooker recipes

Slow cooker chicken chowmein

Slow cooker Chinese beef curry

Slow cooker Chinese chicken curry

Slow cooker Thai massaman curry 

Chinese congee recipe

4.93 from 13 votes

This is a super easy congee slow cooker recipe that is full of flavour and really comforting.

Servings 6

Prep Time 10 minutes mins

Cook Time 6 hours hrs

Total Time 6 hours hrs 10 minutes mins

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Ingredients

 

US CustomaryMetric

 

1x2x3x

Congee/jook

• 200 g jasmine rice or basmati rice if you don't have any
• 1 small ham hock or gammon joint or you could use 4 chicken bone-in-chicken thighs if you are making chicken congee
• 2 cloves garlic
• 1.5 litres chicken stock
• 2-3 thumb-sized pieces of ginger, sliced

To serve

• 80 g of peanuts roughly chopped
• 3 spring onions finely chopped
• 6 soft boiled eggs
• soy sauce for seasoning
• chiu chow chilli oil

Instructions

 

• Soak the ham hock or gammon joint in cold water for a few hours and rinse well. This will remove the salt and impurities.
• When ready to make the congee, rinse the rice until the water runs clear
• Put everything together in a slow cooker, including the ginger, stock and garlic. Cook on high for 6 hours or low on 8 hours. Some people like it thicker, like I do, others like it runnier in consistency – so you can add more water.
• When the congee is done, remove the ginger pieces. Take the ham out. The meat will be falling off the bone, so carefully shred the meat.
• Put the shredded ham back into the congee. You can also reserve some shredded ham to top on each bowl.
• Serve in large bowls and top with all the toppings including the spring onions, peanuts, soy sauce and boiled eggs. For extra heat, drizzle chilli oil or even Schiracha sauce.

Chicken congee

• Add the chicken thighs to the slow cooker alongside all the ingredients including the garlic, ginger, rice and stock. Cook on low for 6-8 hours.
• When you're ready to serve the congee, carefully remove the chicken bones and the ginger. It will be really tender.
• Once you serve it up in bowls add your toppings and enjoy.

Notes

If you don’t want to use ham, chicken also works well in this congee recipe, particularly leftover chicken. Make sure to add the chicken around an hour from the end of cooking time whichever method you use as it won’t need as long to cook

Nutrition

Calories: 370kcal

Calories: 370kcal

Course: Breakfast, Brunch, Dinner, Lunch

Cuisine: Asian, Chinese

Did you make this congee recipe?

Please let me know if you have tried this recipe. Leave a comment below and tag @cooksimplyathome on Instagram. You can find other delicious meal ideas here.