A super simple Instant Pot breakfast congee made with chicken broth and seasoned with ginger and green onion. It’s cooked until gooey, then finished up with crispy bacon, a sunny side up egg, and chili oil. It takes no time to put together and is comforting at any time of the day. {Gluten-free Adaptable} Growing up in Beijing, congee was always a family staple that we often serve at any time of the day. When my mom was in the mood for cooking, she’d make my favorite seafood congee or chicken congee with century eggs. When she needed to whip up something fast for a side dish, she’d make millet congee or plain congee so we could use it to wash down dinner. Today I want to share one of my favorite breakfast congee recipes using the Instant Pot.
Why Instant Pot
For most recipes, the Instant Pot serves the main purpose of reducing the cooking time and number of steps. But when it comes to making congee, an Instant Pot (or pressure cooker) actually makes the congee taste better. Not to mention, it makes the process much easier and faster as well. When you make congee on the stovetop, you usually need at least 50 minutes to an hour. You need to constantly keep an eye on the congee so the bottom doesn’t scorch and the water doesn’t spill over. The congee usually comes out a bit thin unless you spend some more time boiling off the liquid. On the other hand, you will not need to supervise at all when using an Instant Pot. The cooking time is 25 minutes. Moreover, because the high pressure releases more starch from the grains of rice, the congee will come out more sticky and gooey.
Breakfast essentials
Bacon and eggs are some of my favorite breakfast essentials because I’m a huge fan of savory breakfast. I used Pete and Gerry’s Organic Eggs in my recipe because I like the quality of their eggs. Their eggs have no GMOs, antibiotics, chemicals, or pesticides involved in their organic farming. The hens can roam freely on the pasture and enjoy the sunshine. You’ll see the difference in the richer yolks, with their beautiful orange hue. You can truly taste the difference, as well, in these eggs, since they are more flavorful. If you love eggs, you’ll want to start your day with the highest quality ingredients to fuel your body!
Instant Pot breakfast congee cooking tips
You can make fried eggs in a small pan, one at a time. To make the process faster, I prefer to use a large nonstick skillet. Once I add the eggs, I use a spatula to gather the egg white, so it forms a round or oval shape. Unlike some traditional Western style fried eggs, which have a more delicate texture, Chinese fried eggs always use high heat so the bottom of each egg is crispy. To cook bacon, I always use a nonstick pan with no oil. Simply cook it over medium or medium-low heat, so the fat will render off and the bacon will crisp up. Cooked at lower heat, there will be no oil splatter at all.
How to serve Instant Pot breakfast congee
To serve the congee, top the porridge with the fried eggs, crispy bacon, and a handful of chopped green onion, then season it with soy sauce and chili oil to your liking. I highly recommend homemade chili oil in your breakfast congee bowl, because it adds so much wonderful flavor. If you want a non-spicy dish, you can use sesame oil to replace the chili oil. The congee is mild and fragrant with the hearty chicken broth and aromatics. It pairs so well with the runny eggs and crispy bacon bites! It’s a breakfast dish but I enjoy cooking it for lunch and dinner as well! I hope you like this one as much as I do 🙂
