sweet potato congee: how to make rice porridge

This sweet potato congee is an easy version of a traditionally soothing and nourishing Taiwanese staple. A favorite sweet rice porridge recipe that can be eaten on its own or with a variety of different toppings.

It’s commonly enjoyed as a way to sooth an upset stomach or when someone’s feeling under the weather, but this simple dish (with a dash of sweetness!) is also delicious as an everyday breakfast. With this shortcut recipe, you can make it in just 25 minutes.

✨ why you'll love this Taiwanese congee recipe

Congee, otherwise known as rice porridge, is a go-to dish in Taiwanese and Chinese households, especially if someone is under the weather, has an upset stomach, or has a low appetite. Other than hot pot, it has always been my go-to comfort meal.

This is a classic Taiwanese and Chinese congee recipe that's cozy and comforting with a hint of sweetness. Different versions of congee are also popular, such as Cantonese-, Japanese-, and Korean-style rice porridge, but this is a shortcut version of what I grew up eating.

This congee recipe also makes an easy breakfast (that’s how I enjoy it) since it takes less than 30 minutes to make. Plus, it's freezer friendly. Serve it with a bowl of easy miso soup and you have a complete meal!

It’s super customizable so you can enjoy it with savory toppings that you like... like a quick homemade Din Tai Fung cucumber salad.

It works great for meal prep too – I’ll prepare a large batch and store it in individual containers that I can easily reheat in the morning.

If you’re feeling under the weather, enjoy your congee with a ginger lemon honey tea and you’ll be feeling better in no time!

🍚 what to eat with congee

One of my favorite things about congee is that you can enjoy it in so many different ways. It’s a simple dish that pairs well with most foods and flavors. Here are some ideas for customizing your own sweet potato rice porridge. 

• If you want to make it a little more filling, add protein! You can eat it with shredded chicken or a poached or boiled egg. 
• The sweet potato adds a subtle sweetness, but if you want it sweet congee you can add things like goji berries, jujubes, or candied kumquats. 
• Serve it with purple daikon radish, Taiwanese cabbage, or stir-fry spinach for a super simple veggie side dish (or topping).
• My favorite toppings are all dependent on my mood. Sometimes I add a pan-seared salmon filet or shredded chicken. Other times I prefer a soft boiled egg or vegetables (either blanched, stir-fried, or pickled).

Let me know how you like to eat your sweet potato congee in the comments below!

📋 key ingredients

The recipe itself only calls for four ingredients - including water! This is both a vegetarian and vegan recipe (Buddhist-friendly too since it doesn't have any allium vegetables) as a base, but then you can customize it with additional toppings if you'd like.

• sweet potato - this is a great recipe for purple sweet potato, but any sweet potato will work too.
• white rice - I use medium-grain rice (affiliate link) for my preferred texture.
• water
• ginger - this ingredient is optional, but if you're eating congee because you're under the weather or feeling nauseous I highly recommend it (my registered dietitian nutritionist brain talking).

See the recipe card for specific quantities.

📖 substitutions

• different sweet potatoes - different varieties of sweet potatoes work great in this recipe too. I chose purple for its color and more subtle sweetness, but also enjoy it with regular sweet potato. When I feel like something sweeter with a creamier texture, I'll pick Japanese sweet potato.
• rice - I use medium-grain white rice here, though you can also use a more fragrant variety like jasmine rice.

📖 variations

Congee can be kept super simple or dressed up with different toppings and protein sources.

• protein options - add an egg (cooked to your preference), lean thinly sliced pork, shredded chicken, fish, shrimp, tofu, bean curd, or pork/fish/mushroom floss.
• pickled vegetables - the most popular pickled vegetable for rice porridge are Chinese soy sauce pickled cucumbers (called 醬瓜: jiàng guā in Mandarin or chiùⁿ-koe in Taiwanese). They pack a savory punch. Any quick pickled vegetables would taste great too.
• plant-based - to keep this a vegetarian or vegan congee, top it with tofu or bean curd as a protein option. Some popular toppings include marinated bamboo shoots, canned braised peanuts and gluten, and fresh scallions and cilantro.

Congee also tastes great with century egg. Pair it with this century egg silken tofu.

🔪 instructions

I’m going to go show you how to make rice porridge with purple sweet potato in detail below, including step-by-step photos of how to prepare your ingredients. In a hurry? You can jump straight to the printable recipe.

For 4 servings, begin your congee by preparing the rice, sweet potato, and ginger.

Put 1 cup medium grain white rice in a mixing bowl and fill it with cold water. Use your hand to stir the rice to wash it.

Pour the water out over a fine mesh strainer.

Allow the rice to fall into the strainer so the liquid can drain out. Repeat steps 1-3 until the rice is clean (about 3 rinses).

Then, prep 1 small purple sweet potato (or regular sweet potato, about 8 ounces or 230 grams) by peeling it and cutting it into smaller cubed pieces.

importance of washing rice: Rinse rice with cold water until the water runs clear (about 3 times) and strain. This might sound counterintuitive since we’ll be adding back water to make congee, but it’s an important step to remove any debris and excess starch on the outer surface of the rice. It’ll help to prevent the rice from clumping.

Next, use a microplane to grate 1 teaspoon of fresh ginger (optional).

Add the washed and drained rice to a medium-sized pot along with about 6.5 cups (2.4 liters) of cold/lukewarm water, prepared sweet potato, and optional ginger.

pro tip #1: I use a 1:6.5 (1-to-6.5) ratio of rice to water in this recipe, but feel free to add more water if you like a thinner consistency.

Bring the mixture to a boil, then turn the heat down to medium-low, and stir.

Cover with the lid partially closed (to avoid the liquid overflowing) and simmer for 20 minutes.

pro tip #2: This recipe is a quicker version of congee. If you’d like to have the grains more broken down, give it a 1-2 minute whisk during the last 5 minutes of cooking and/or simmer for an additional 15 minutes. Make sure to keep an eye on the pot and add more water if needed.

🍲 equipment

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• 3-quart medium saucepan with lid
• ladle
• small strainer
• chefs knife
• cutting board

❄️ storage

Allow the congee to cool to room temperature and then you can store it in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 1-3 days.

Let me know if you have any questions in the comments below.

Happy cooking! ~ Cin