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Super easy to make, this beef and vegetable rice porridge for babies is easy-to-digest, nutritious, and suitable for 6 months and up. It’s also a great meal to serve when your child is feeling sick or teething.
While I’m calling it baby porridge, this dish is for all ages! Rice porridge is commonly enjoyed in Asian cultures as a hearty savory breakfast. It’s also our “chicken soup.” Warm and comforting, it’s the perfect meal during an illness.
If your child is running a fever, teething, having diarrhea, etc., make this porridge ASAP!
Porridge is such a great way to invite variety into your baby’s diet! It can be made with any types meat, seafood, vegetables, and other flavorful toppings.
Here I’m sharing a veggie-loaded version with beef! But if you’re craving something lighter, try this Instant Pot Chicken Rice Porridge for another cozy, nourishing option!
Is rice safe for babies?
Being Korean, we eat a lot of rice. That’s why when the report about rice containing about 10 times as much inorganic arsenic as other cereal crop came out, my anxiety initially skyrocketed. Perhaps you can relate.
Why so much in rice? It’s due to the way they’re grown and rice tend to absorb more heavy metals from the soil in which they are grown.
Arsenic is especially concerning for babies and young children as their bodies are so small and therefore getting much higher exposure than the adults. Arsenic is also a neurotoxic compound and thus can lead to impaired brain development. I know. Scary.
BUT! don’t let fear get the best of you. I share this information because knowledge is important. It helps us to learn and make informed decisions.
What this knowledge further motivated me to do, and I hope it does for you, is to focus on offering a wide variety of grains instead of relying heavily on rice.
Overall, oatmeal (we make variations of this ALL the time for a quick breakfast), barley, buckwheat, quinoa, and wheat contain much lower amounts of inorganic arsenic.
Related post: Instant Pot Multigrain rice with lentils
How to cook rice for baby 6 months and up
Here’s a simple way you can significantly reduce arsenic from rice while preserving its nutrients.
According to the research, parboiling rice removes about 54 percent of arsenic in brown rice and about 73 percent in white rice, while retaining the most amount of the nutrients potassium, magnesium, zinc, phosphorous, and manganese.
For this recipe, not only will this extra step remove the arsenic content considerably, it also shortens the cooking time.
Ingredients
Rice – Sushi or jasmine rice will work best. I don’t recommend basmati as it doesn’t break down into a creamy, “gluey” consistency.
Vegetables
Feel free to use whatever vegetables you wish – bell pepper, broccoli, asparagus, spinach…endless possibilities!
You can finely chop using a knife or a food processor. I like to prep a lot while the baby is napping so this manual food chopper is my go-to (affiliate link). It’s super quiet, lightweight, and powerful.
Step-by-Step Instructions
- cook beef in sesame oil
- add onion and garlic
3. add parboiled rice
4. add the rest of the vegetables
5. Add water and cook for 15-20 minutes
6. Add a drizzle of sesame oil before serving
Expert tips
It’s important that you stir frequently. The more you do so, the more the rice will break down and become silky.
While water is used in this recipe, you can use stock for more depth of flavor. Just be sure to use low-sodium or no-salt-added variety.
Storage Suggestions
Leftover porridge can be stored in an airtight container for up to 5 days. The longer it sits, the thicker it gets. Reheat in the microwave or on the stovetop. Stir in a little water, breastmilk, or formula to loosen it up, if necessary.
How to freeze baby porridge
If intending to freeze, be sure to cool first. Do NOT leave the porridge in the large pot at room temperature to cool. Instead, transfer to shallow containers (I like to divide into single-serving portions) in the fridge before transferring to the freezer. Here’s an in-depth post on how to store leftovers safely and effectively.
This baby porridge can be frozen for up to 3 months. Thaw in the fridge overnight.
Do you want to minimize picky eating and set a solid foundation for a lifetime of healthy eating habits?
Check out this 3 month mastering self-feeding program! It’s the closest thing to me being in your kitchen
rice porridge for babies
Video
Ingredients
- 1 cup (220g) sushi or jasmine rice
- 1 tablespoon sesame oil
- 1/2 pound lean ground beef
- 1/2 cup (70g) finely chopped yellow onion
- 2 teaspoons minced garlic
- 1/2 cup (70g) finely chopped zucchini
- 1/2 cup (70g) finely chopped carrots
- 1/2 cup (15g) finely chopped kale
- 4 cups water or low-sodium broth of choice
Instructions
First, parboil rice
- Rinse rice in a strainer. Add 4 cups of water to a large pot and bring to a boil. Add rice and boil for 5 minutes. Strain the rice. Discard the water.
For the porridge
- In a large pot add 1 tablespoon sesame oil. Add beef and cook over medium high heat for 2-3 minutes, breaking up large clumps, until no longer pink.
- Add onion and garlic and cook for 2-3 minutes.
- Add strained rice and cook for 3-4 minutes over medium heat, stirring frequently to prevent it from sticking to the bottom of the pan.
- Add the rest of the vegetables and stir for about a minute or so.
- Pour 4 cups of water into pot and bring to a boil. Lower heat to medium low and cook, stirring occasionally, for about 15-20 minutes. Be sure to keep scraping the bottom of the pot to prevent rice from sticking.
- At this point, you can add more water if thinner consistency is desired. Before serving, add a drizzle of sesame oil. For older child and adults, can season to taste with salt and pepper, or add a splash of soy sauce.
It’s ok for my 9 month baby and he is almost 10 month next February and i love to make it for him
Yes!
I have a sick baby and toddler and have been desperate to get them to get something they could eat and this is it!! My very picky toddler said “this is the best food in all my life” the highest praise possible. This will be in our constant rotations!
OH wow! I’m SO happy to hear that your little ones loved this so much!!! Totally made my day! Thank you for sharing ❤️
This beef and vegetable rice porridge is a brilliant way to introduce nutritious flavors to babies! It’s easy to make and comforting, making it perfect for those tough days when they’re teething or under the weather. I appreciate how it balances nutrition and comfort in one simple dish!
Thanks for the recipe. Perfect food when someone is sick.
Thank you for the information regarding parboiling the rice to remove inorganic arsenic. I never knew about this until I read it here. I was wondering how I would be able to remove the inorganic arsenic, but using a rice cooker instead of stove top.
The best thing you can do is to rinse really well until the water runs clear. I mention arsenic here because it is important to parents with babies to be aware of BUT being Korean, I also know that rice is an integral part of many cuisines worldwide. Honestly I only parboil rice if I’m making porridge. Otherwise I just rinse and cook in the rice cooker as well because parboiling really alters the texture. What I do encourage you is to enjoy rice with your little one(s) but don’t let it be the only grain you serve. Variety is always the answer :).
This is my go to for when my little one is sick and it also tastes great!
So happy to hear that this provides nourishment during hard times for both mama and baby!
My 12 month old is obsessed with this recipe. Can I substitute 1:1 ground beef with ground chicken? I feed my kid a bit too much red meat. Trying to cut down. Ty!!
Yay!! And absolutely!
Can you use quinoa instead of rice? I’ve been feeding my 14 month old the porridge. I was wondering since she eats variations of the porridge often, should I be concerned about arsenic levels. I do parboil the rice first. Just curious if quinoa would work well either alone or mixed with the rice.
Hi! Yes rice does have arsenic so it’s best to not eliminate completely but vary it up with other grains so quinoa would be a great alternative! Check out my quinoa baby cereal for ideas!
Hello, my baby has potential nut allergy. I’m worried she has sesame allergy too. Do you have any substitute for the sesame oil? Thank you
You can just leave it out as it’s mainly for flavor. Or you can try perilla oil if you can find it!