Sticky rice stuffing recipe
Learn how to make authentic Chinese sticky rice stuffing with crispy edges, soft center, and a blend of savory sweet flavors. Perfect for the holiday season!
Servings: 8 servings
Ingredients
- 1.4 oz dried shiitake mushrooms see notes
- 300 gram Glutinous sticky rice also known as sweet rice
- 4 oz shallot 2 large, slice into small rounds
- 0.6 oz garlic cloves 3 large, minced
- 0.35 oz ginger 1 knob, minced
- 4 oz Chinese or Taiwanese sausage 3 links
- 5.2 oz ready-to-eat peeled and roasted chestnuts roughly chopped
- 6 tbsp avocado oil
- Splash Chinese cooking wine Taiwanese michu, gluten-free sake, or dry sherry
- ⅛ tsp ground white pepper
- ½ tsp coarse sea salt
- 2 green onions diced or handful of chopped cilantro, garnish
Sauce:
- 2 tbsp light soy sauce
- 1 tbsp dark soy sauce
- 1 tbsp oyster sauce
- 6 tbsp mushroom liquid from soaking
- 1 tbsp toasted sesame oil
- ¼ tsp five spice powder optional
Instructions
Prep:
- Soak the dried shiitake overnight: In a large bowl or container, add the dried shiitake with 2 to 2.5 cups of room temperature water. Arrange the mushrooms to have stems side facing down. Loosely cover the bowl and let them soak overnight in a cool spot by the kitchen counter.
- Save the broth: After the mushrooms are rehydrated, gently squeeze them to remove excess water. Use a sieve or strainer to drain the mushrooms, reserving the soaking liquid for cooking.
- Slice shiitake: For large shiitake, slice it into small bits. For small shiitake, slice it. For mini baby sized, you can leave them in whole.
- Cook sticky rice (no soaking needed): You can either use my rice cooker method or my microwave method.
- Prep aromatics, sausage, chestnuts: Prepare the shallot, garlic, ginger. Slice the sausage into small rounds. Roughly chop the cooked chestnuts.
- Combine the sauce: In a large measuring cup, stir together the ingredients from soy sauce to five spice powder.
- Preheat the oven: If you plan on baking the rice in step 16, preheat it to 400°F (204°C).
Make crispy shallot and shallot oil:
- In an oven safe 15-inch wide cast iron skillet or braiser, start the pan cold, add 6 tbsp oil and shallot, fry the shallot over medium to medium-low heat. Use a pair of chopsticks to separate the strands and flip often until the shallots turn golden brown, about 9-10 minutes.
- Transfer the shallot out and leave the oil behind.
Saute the sausage:
- Use the shallot oil to fry sausage for 2 minutes over medium-heat.
Aromatics, shiitake, Chestnuts:
- Use medium to medium-low heat, add the garlic and ginger. Stir for 10 seconds then add the shiitake. Saute for 2 minutes. Take care not to burn the garlic.
- Add the chestnuts and toss to combine for 1 minute.
Deglaze:
- Deglaze the pan with wine. If there are any brown bits, use a wooden spoon to scrape and lift it off the pan.
Add sticky rice:
- Add the cooked sticky rice and pour in the sauce. Gently toss the rice to combine with the sauce. Try not to smash the rice grains but rather toss from the bottom up to coat the sauce evenly over the rice.
- Season with white pepper. Taste and add more salt if needed. Return the crispy shallot to the pan and sprinkle it all over.
Optional bake:
- To make the rice crispy, send the skillet to the oven, uncovered, Bake at 400°F (204 °C), middle rack, for 10 minutes.
Final garnish and serve:
- Use an oven mitten to carefully transfer the pan to the serving table. Sprinkle with scallions. Serve hot or warm.
Video
Notes
- Using a Kitchen Scale: Dried shiitake mushrooms vary in weight, so it's helpful to weigh them for precision. For 1.4 oz -
- Large caps: 6-8 pieces
- Small caps: 12-16 pieces
- Why Dried Shiitake Over Fresh: Fresh shiitake mushrooms absorb more oil, making the dish greasy and the sticky rice prone to sticking to the skillet. Dried shiitake provides a stronger, more authentic flavor.
- Chinese/Taiwanese Sausage Substitution: These sausages release flavorful oils when fried. If substituting, go for a fattier, sweeter sausage like chorizo (find gluten-free chorizo options here).
- Soaking Dried Shiitake: Soak in room temperature water overnight or up to 24 hours. Strain the soaking liquid and use it as stock—it’s loaded with umami and natural MSG. Do not discard it! (See our guide on how to use dried shiitake mushrooms.)
- Tips: Minimize Rice Sticking to the Pan: Sticky rice tends to stick to the bottom of the pan due to its nature, but here’s how to minimize it:
- Use enough oil, including oil from the sausage, to keep the ingredients moist.
- Cook on gentle heat to prevent burning.
- Some brown bits at the bottom are desirable, adding a crispy, nutty crunch—similar to Spanish paella or Korean hot stone rice (bibimbap).
- Crispy vs. Burnt Rice: Crispy brown rice adds a nutty, savory crunch, but burnt rice tastes bitter and harsh. Keep an eye on the heat and remove it from the stove when the rice turns golden brown for perfect crispiness.
- Recommended Cookware: If using the oven, a wide, shallow, oven-safe braiser works best. Check out the cast iron braiser I use here.
- Make-Ahead: Prepare the sticky rice 2-3 days in advance and store it in the fridge.
- Reheating: Transfer the rice to a microwave-safe bowl, drizzle with 1 tbsp water, and cover loosely. Microwave on high for 1 minute. Flip the rice from bottom to top, then microwave another 30 seconds to 1 minute until soft and sticky.
- Storage: Store leftover sticky rice stuffing in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3-4 days. Use the same reheating method—add water, stir, and microwave again until the grains are soft and sticky.
Nutrition
Serving: 1serving | Calories: 342kcal | Carbohydrates: 47g | Protein: 6g | Fat: 15g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 8g | Cholesterol: 10mg | Sodium: 537mg | Potassium: 283mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 1g | Vitamin A: 107IU | Vitamin C: 13mg | Calcium: 26mg | Iron: 1mg