This Jamaican Cornmeal Porridge Recipe is one I grew up eating. Now my daughter, hubby, and I enjoy this recipe almost weekly. Make it in the Instant Pot for a hands off breakfast.
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The full recipe with ingredients/instructions is available on the recipe card at the bottom of the post. Important tips/tricks are also included in the blog post.
*Updated on 11/17/19
Update: After feedback by some readers on the Burn Signal this recipe may cause, I've updated this post. I've tested this recipe in multiple Instant Pot machines and could never get a burn signal. I was able to purchase an Instant Pot that was more sensitive to giving off a burn and was able to figure out the cause.
Some of the newer designs are more susceptible to giving off a burn while many older models won't. If your machine does give off a burn with this recipe, simply release the pressure valve to relase all the pressure, open the machine, whisk the ingredients and cook on sauté until thickened, about 8-10 more minutes. Then add in your condensed milk. Or, you can make my stovetop cornmeal porridge recipe.
Instapot!!! Ok, I know...it's called Instant Pot, but I like saying Instapot! I got an instant pot over the Christmas break and I've been loving this thing. What the heck is an Instant Pot you may ask?!? Well that's what I wondered when I ordered it with no clue what it was. But everyone was getting it so I wanted one too. Well, it's pretty much a pressure cooker. An electronic genius pressure cooker that won't blow up in your kitchen if you follow the instructions. It has tons of settings and you can find one on Amazon for a pretty reasonable price.
My instant pot has a bunch of settings, from meat, poultry, soup, saute, slow cooker, and porridge. Yes, there is a setting on the instant pot for porridge. It isn't quite clear what they expect to be made with this setting but I automatically thought about Jamaican cornmeal porridge and got excited. Pretty much the reason I bought mine.
Jamaican cornmeal porridge is simply made with yellow cornmeal, milk, water, spices, and condensed milk. That's it for this easy breakfast. It's served warm and I like to serve mine with a side of bacon. I would serve everything with a side of bacon if I could. Bacon is amazing.
I hope you enjoy this easy peasy breakfast recipe as much as we do. Keep a lookout for some other Instapot recipes to come your way. This thing is pretty cool.
Notes on Instant Pot Jamaican Cornmeal Porridge
- Traditionally, cornmeal porridge is made on the stove and requires stirring. If you're going to use the Instapot, make sure you use super fine cornmeal to avoid any lumps.
- I use condensed milk to sweeten my porridge. Feel free to use sugar as a substitute if you like.
Looking for other Instant Pot Breakfast Recipes? Try these out:
- Pumpkin Pie Instant Pot Oatmeal
- Instant Pot Sausage Gravy for Biscuits and Gravy
- Creamy Cheddar and Jalapeño Instant Pot Grits
- Instant Pot Egg Bites
Instant Pot Jamaican Cornmeal Porridge
Ingredients
- 4 cups water separated
- 1 cup milk
- 1 cup yellow cornmeal fine
- 2 sticks cinnamon
- 3 pimento berries
- 1 teaspoon vanilla extract
- ½ teaspoon nutmeg, ground
- ½ cup sweetened condensed milk
Instructions
- Add 3 cups water and 1 cup milk to Instant pot and stir.In a separate bowl, whisk 1 cup water and cornmeal until fully combined. Add to instant pot and whis. Add cinnamon sticks, pimento berries, vanilla extract, and nutmeg. Cover and cook on porridge for 6 minutes. Once timer goes off, allow to naturally release for at least 10 minutes, then quick release any remaining pressure. Once done with natural release, open Instant Pot and whisk to remove any lumps. Add sweetened condensed milk to sweeten. Enjoy 🙂
Notes
Nutrition
Video for Instant Pot Jamaican Cornmeal Porridge
Pin Jamaican Cornmeal Porridge for Later
Lemuel says
The recipe tastes good but the Instant Pot shut down three times with the overheat warning (OuHt) and I ended up just eating it as is after scraping the stuck cornmeal off the bottom of the pot.
Tanya says
Hi Lemuel, sorry to hear about the IP shutting it down. All Instant Pots cook differently and it appears that some of the newer models are causing more of this issue than older models. I make this recipe in my Instant Pot DUO and the Pioneer Women Lux Instant Pot with no issues.
Kala Curtis says
Loved this. It was just like what I had as a kid.
Tanya says
Yay! Thank you, so glad you liked it 🙂
Trae says
I followed the recipe with instructions and it turned out perfectly.
Tanya says
Awesome! So glad you liked it Trae and thanks for the comment 🙂
celana renang anak laki says
i'm just eat porridge when i'm sick
Tory K says
This looks amazing! I have to eat calming foods for a stupid pancreas that hates me so I was looking for porridge recipes and I came upon this one. It’s now in my Paprika app and will be made this week! I can’t do dairy but a simple sub of almond milk and coconut creme will make this amazing!
Zahra says
Thanks for sharing recipe 🙂
Diane C. says
I made this without the berries and the flavor was really good, it could have used a dab of butter and a small pinch of salt but it was still yummy. However it never pressurized and it stuck to the bottom. After the timer was done I opened it and whisked vigorously with the sauté on low till it was thicker. Even though this was very good sadly I think I'll pass.
Karla says
Same here. My screen just said burn and it was all stuck to the bottom of the pot. I ended up finishing it on the stove and it was delicious, but i sure wonder how everyone else manages to make it in their instant pot!
Cee says
Sadly, I also recieved the same message. I attempted it yesterday, but got the burn message on the screen. I had to finish it on the stove. Came out excellent, but still took the same amount of time that it normally takes me on the stove. I figured I needed to add more water when using the IP. I was so hopeful. I am not sure what I am doing wrong. But I see the potential in the recipe.
Patricia says
I love cornmeal porridge. I just got a instant pot and was eager to see if I was able to make the porridge in the pot. Making it over the stove is such a tedious process but this was simple and easy thanks a lot.
Shelley says
I made this for dinner and it was so yummy. My mother really enjoyed it. Can you please make a plantain porridge instant recipe? Have you cooked Jamaican steam cabbage in the instant pot? If yes please share the recipe.
Thanks,
Shelley
kdrama-ost says
good apliance. I want have it.
Katrin says
This looks like the perfect comfort food - not just for breakfast!
Emily says
This looks so good! I just got an instant pot and am having so much fun trying out new recipes, I hope to try this one soon!
SM says
The only time I have seen BURN on my Instant Pot was the times I've tried to make this recipe! There are others who have had problems but you haven't posted your replies to them so we all can problem solve and enjoy this recipe like you do!!!
HELP!
Tanya says
Hi SM,
I'm not sure why the Instant Pot is giving the BURN signal to some users. I've never received one in either of my Instant Pots for this recipe (the Lux and the Ultra). I do think that some Instant Pot models are more sensitive than others and will indicate a BURN if anything is stuck to the bottom. Here's a great article on the burn signal and why it may happen. https://www.paintthekitchenred.com/instant-pot-burn-message/
This is a easy way to make this breakfast porridge so I would love it to work for you as well. If all else fails, it can me made with the Instant Pot with the pot in pot method. You would need a trivet and smaller bowl for fitting inside the Instant Pot. If you were going to do the pot in pot method, you would need to cut the recipe in half. Here's some additional information on the pot in pot method. https://www.paintthekitchenred.com/pot-in-pot-pip-instant-pot-cooking
April says
I WANT ONE! I have seen the one pot all over the internet. I need to put in my order fast. Yum this has condensed milk in it too! I put it in my oatmeal sometimes. I def have to put your recipe on my to do list. I can't wait to see your other instant pot recipes!
Sarah says
Yet another reason I need an instant pot! Sounds delish!
Sarah James @ Tales From The Kitchen Shed says
I've never had cornmeal porridge before but it sounds delicious with those spices. Love the sound of your Instapot.
Tanya says
Thanks so much!! Yes, I love this kitchen appliance and this porridge 🙂