This chicken congee is silky smooth, richly flavored, and deeply comforting. It’s perfect for recovering your energy, but tasty and easy enough for any occasion. My recipe uses common ingredients to create authentic Chinese flavor, and you can even make it in your Instant Pot. {Gluten-Free Adaptable}To make this dish gluten-free, use dry sherry instead of Shaoxing wine.
Prep Time: 10 minutesmins
Cook Time: 30 minutesmins
Total Time: 40 minutesmins
Course: Main, Side
Cuisine: Chinese
Keyword: homestyle
Servings: 4servings
Author: Maggie Zhu
Ingredients
Marinating
8ozchicken breastor tender, or thigh, thinly sliced
Add the rice into a medium-sized bowl and water to cover. Gently rinse the rice a few times with your fingers and drain. Repeat one to two more times. Drain well.
Method 1 - Use an Instant Pot
Combine the rice, stock, Shaoxing wine, and ginger in your Instant Pot. Set it to cook at high pressure for 15 minutes. If using a pressure cooker, cook over medium heat until pressure is added, then cook at low heat for 15 minutes. Once done, release the pressure naturally for at least 10 minutes before releasing it quickly. Note, do not use fast release right after cooking, because the congee is starchy and might cause the valve to clog. Once the pressure is fully released, cook the chicken per the steps below.
Method 2 - Stovetop method
Combine the rice, stock, and 4 cups of water in a big pot.
Cook over medium-high heat until brought to a simmer. Turn to low heat. Cover the pot and leave a finger-wide gap between the lid and the edge of the pot, to allow more steam to escape and prevent the congee from spilling or boiling over. Simmer for 30 minutes. The congee will get quite thick and sticky towards the end. Stay near the pot and stir frequently. When the congee reaches the desired texture, start cooking the chicken.
Marinate and cook the chicken
While the congee is cooking, add the chicken, Shaoxing wine, salt and cornstarch in a medium-sized bowl. Mix well until the chicken is evenly coated. Set aside to marinate.
When the congee is cooked, add the marinated chicken, green onion, and chicken bouillon. Turn to medium heat (or saute function for Instant Pot). Stir constantly to separate the chicken pieces. Cook until the chicken just turns white, 2 minutes or so.
Add the sesame oil. Stir to mix well. Taste the congee and add more salt if needed.
Transfer the congee into small bowls and serve hot.
Notes
If you cook the dish on the stovetop, you might need a bit more chicken stock or water, depending on how much liquid evaporates during the cooking process.