Chinese Ham Bone Rice Soup (Congee)

Name: Chinese Ham Bone Rice Soup (Congee)
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 2 h 30 min
Total time: 2 h 40 min
Yield: 5
Cuisine: Chinese
Ingredients: 1 kg (2 lb) ham bone or ham hock, about 2 lb; 1¼ cups long-grain white rice, uncooked; 9 cups (2.25 L or 2.25 QT) water; salt and white pepper, to taste; green onion, finely sliced; fried Asian shallots or onions, or something else crunchy; optional; sesame oil, optional

Thick ham congee in a white pot, topped with sliced green onion and crispy fried shallots, with a ladleful raised above the soup. — A ladle lifts ham congee topped with green onion and crispy shallots.

Slow-cooked rice and ham bone make a thick, comforting Chinese congee. Choose the stovetop, slow cooker, or pressure cooker method.

By Cookin' KitchenOctober 23, 2026

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Total: 2 hours 40 minutes
Servings: 5 servings

Prep: 10 minutes
Cook: 2 hours 30 minutes
Total: 2 hours 40 minutes
Servings: 5

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Recipe

Chinese Ham Bone Rice Soup (Congee)

Slow-cooked rice and ham bone make a thick, comforting Chinese congee. Choose the stovetop, slow cooker, or pressure cooker method.

Cookin' · https://cookin.club/recipes/chinese-ham-bone-rice-soup-congee

Prep: 10 minutes
Cook: 2 hours 30 minutes
Total: 2 hours 40 minutes
Servings: 5

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Ingredients

5 servings

For 5 servings

Congee

1 kg (2 lb) ham bone or ham hock, about 2 lb
1¼ cups long-grain white rice, uncooked
9 cups (2.25 L or 2.25 QT) water

Garnishes and finishes

salt and white pepper, to taste
green onion, finely sliced
fried Asian shallots or onions, or something else crunchy; optional
sesame oil, optional

Equipment

Large pot
Slow cooker
Pressure cooker
Scissors

Instructions

Method

Step 1: Place the ham bone, rice, and water in a large pot, slow cooker, or pressure cooker. Cover with a lid.
Step 2: Cook using your chosen method until the ham is tender enough to shred.
Step 3: Remove the ham from the soup and shred the meat. Discard the fatty or thick skin and sinew, but keep the bone. Use scissors to chop the meat if needed.
Step 4: Stir the rice well, then return the shredded meat and bone to the soup.
Step 5: Continue cooking using your chosen method until the rice breaks down and the soup has a porridge-like consistency.
Step 6: Remove the bone. Stir vigorously, then add water to adjust the consistency if desired. If the soup needs thickening, simmer it uncovered. Adjust the salt to taste and add a dash of pepper.
Step 7: Serve the rice soup garnished with green onions, a sprinkle of fried shallots, and a drizzle of sesame oil.
Step 8: For storage, return the bone to the soup so it can continue to add flavor.

Cook times

Step 9: Stovetop: Simmer on low for 1 3/4–2 hours without stirring. Shred the meat, then continue on low for 30 minutes, stirring every now and then.
Step 10: Slow cooker: Cook on low for 8 hours. Shred the meat, then cook on low for 1–2 hours more.
Step 11: Pressure cooker: Cook on high for 50 minutes. Shred the meat, then cook on high for 15 minutes or use the sauté function for 20 minutes.

Notes

Useful notes

For a flavorful broth, use a ham bone with plenty of meat still attached. Keep the bone mostly submerged while cooking; turn it if needed.
Ham hocks are mostly bone and fatty skin, which are discarded; the recipe notes that this can account for about 60 to 70% of the hock.
The broth continues to take on flavor after the shredded meat and bone are returned to the soup. Taste carefully before adding salt, as the ham can continue to release salt while the soup sits.
To stretch the soup, the recipe suggests adding 1/4 cup rice and 1 3/4 cups water, but not more than that.
To add vegetables, cook chopped stems of Chinese vegetables in the soup until tender, then stir in the leafy parts just before serving. Spinach can be used the same way.
For make-ahead storage, refrigerate for up to 5 days. The soup will congeal; loosen it with a little water when reheating. Freezing has not been tried.

Nutrition per serving

Calories: 338 kcal
Fat: 12 g
Saturated fat: 4 g
Carbohydrates: 36 g
Protein: 18 g
Sodium: 855 mg
Cholesterol: 43 mg

Estimated values; they will vary with the exact ingredients and brands you use.

About this recipe

Rice slowly cooks in ham-bone broth until it breaks down into a thick, porridge-like congee. Make it on the stove, in a slow cooker, or in a pressure cooker, then finish with green onion and optional crunchy shallots and sesame oil.