Stir-Fried Shanghai Rice Cakes (Chao Nian Gao)

Easy, healthy, and incredibly delicious stir-fried Shanghai rice cakes, aka chao nian gao, in under 20 minutes! The chewy rice cakes are stir-fried with chicken, bok choy, cabbage, and mushrooms in a glossy, savory, brown sauce.

Course Dinner, Lunch

Cuisine Chinese

Keyword Chinese rice cake recipe, Chinese rice cakes, din tai fung rice cake, rice cake stir fry, Shanghai rice cakes

Prep Time 5

Cook Time 15

Total Time 20

Servings servings

Calories 600kcal

Author Megan

Equipment

Ingredients

Chicken

1 lb chicken breast thinly sliced
1 teaspoon light soy sauce
1 teaspoon Shaoxing wine
1 tablespoon water
½ teaspoon cornstarch

Stir Fry

1 lb oval shaped rice cakes rinsed
5 cloves garlic minced
6 shiitake mushrooms stems removed, thinly sliced
1 cup napa cabbage thinly sliced
6 bunches baby bok choy separated into individual leaves
3 stalks green onions cut into 1 inch pieces
½ cup chicken broth low sodium

Sauce

2 tablespoon light soy sauce
2 tablespoon dark soy sauce
1 tablespoon oyster sauce
1 tablespoon Shaoxing wine
1 tablespoon sugar

Instructions

Marinate the chicken. In a mixing bowl, add the chicken, light soy sauce, Shaoxing wine, water, and cornstarch. Mix to combine and marinate for at least 15 minutes.
Prepare the rice cakes. For fresh or frozen rice cakes, rinse them under cold water to separate the grains. If using dried rice cakes, soak them in water for at least 3 hours up to overnight.
Mix the sauce. In a small mixing bowl, add light soy sauce, dark soy sauce, oyster sauce, Shaoxing wine, and sugar. Mix until combined and set aside.
Cook the chicken. Heat one tablespoon of oil in a wok or large pan over medium-high heat until hot. Then add the chicken onto a single layer and sear on each side for 1-2 minutes or until cooked through. Remove and set aside.
Stir-fry the vegetables. In the same wok over medium-high heat, heat one tablespoon of oil until hot. Then add the garlic, mushrooms, cabbage, bok choy, and green onion. Sauté for 1 minute or until lightly softened.
Add the rice cakes and broth. Next, add the rice cakes on top of the vegetables and pour in the chicken broth—cover and steam for 4 minutes, or until the rice cakes are tender and soft.
Add the sauce and chicken. Remove the lid and add the sauce and chicken, and toss everything together until combined for about 2-3 minutes or until the sauce has reduced, thickened, and the rice cakes are evenly coated with the sauce.
Serve. Serve immediately and enjoy!

Video

Notes

See the Expert Tips section for more guidance.

Nutrition