Baby and toddler recipes
🥣 Chicken and sweetcorn congee
A soothing, silky rice porridge with shredded chicken, sweetcorn and ginger. Congee is loved across East Asia and its soft texture makes it perfect for new eaters.
Makes about 6 baby portions
Ingredients
- 60g Jasmine rice (rinsed)
- 1 boneless thigh Chicken thigh (skin removed)
- 3 tbsp Sweetcorn (frozen)
- 2 thin slices Ginger (fresh, removed before serving)
- 1 Spring onion (finely sliced)
- a few drops Sesame oil
- Water (about 900ml)
Method
- Put the rice, water, ginger and chicken in a pan and bring to the boil.
- Turn down and simmer gently for 50 minutes, stirring often, until the rice has broken down into a thick porridge.
- Lift out the chicken, shred very finely and return to the pot. Remove the ginger.
- Add the sweetcorn for the last 5 minutes.
- Blend the sweetcorn for younger babies, as the skins can be tough. Stir in the spring onion and sesame oil.
Serving it to your baby
At 7 months, blend lightly so the corn skins are broken down. From 9 months, leave the texture as it is.
For the rest of the family
Top adult bowls with soy sauce, chilli oil, crispy shallots and a soft egg.
Storing and reheating
Cool rice dishes within an hour, keep in the fridge for no more than 1 day and reheat only once, until steaming hot all the way through. You can freeze portions for up to 1 month; defrost in the fridge and reheat until piping hot, then cool before serving.
Weaning with OBubba
Plan meals and log what your baby loved.
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Questions parents ask
What is congee?
Congee is a slow-cooked rice porridge. The long cooking makes it very soft, so it is ideal for babies starting solids.
Are sweetcorn skins a problem for babies?
They can pass through undigested and some babies find them tricky. Blending or mashing helps for younger babies.
OBubba gives general information based on UK guidance. It is not medical advice and does not diagnose anything. Every baby is different. If your baby has a known allergy, severe eczema or a medical condition, speak to your doctor or health visitor before starting solids. Learn baby first aid, and in an emergency call your local emergency number (999 in the UK).