Sizzling rice soup is an old Chinese American classic that has been all but forgotten. Made with a medley of seafood, tasty meats, and fresh vegetables in a light broth, it’s finished with hot crispy rice for an impressive sizzle right at the table.
It’s a dinner in itself or a fantastic soup to start off a memorable meal with family, friends, and guests.
What is Sizzling Rice Soup?
Sizzling rice soup is made with a flavorful chicken and pork broth, with lots of vegetables, meats, and seafood, topped off with crispy toasted rice that has been fried in oil until puffy.
The hot, freshly fried crispy rice sizzles when frying oil hits the water content of the hot soup. The result is a wok hei-like flavor that truly makes this soup unique.
That crispy rice is known as guō bā, which is often used as a base for saucy dishes. The scorched rice absorbs the flavor of the sauce, while also having a signature crispy texture.
A Fast-Paced Recipe—Grab a Kitchen Helper!
This soup doesn’t need to actually cook for very long, but the preparation does take a little bit of advanced planning to prepare the individual ingredients.
Once you’re ready to make the soup, things come together quickly. When the soup is done cooking, you’ll need to do a little bit of multi-tasking to make sure you’re ready to quickly fry the rice and prepare for the payoff of the sizzle! A second person can help you get it all done.
The ability to prep in advance makes this a fun dish for entertaining guests. When served family style at the table, you and your family and friends will feel like you’re at a restaurant!
Sizzling Rice Soup: Recipe Instructions
1. Make the sizzling rice:
Spread the cooked rice onto a sheet pan lined with parchment paper. Sprinkle the salt evenly over the rice. Let the rice sit overnight on the counter or in the refrigerator to dry. Alternatively, you can toast it in a 325°F oven for 20 minutes.
Tip!
Rice dried overnight will puff up more and take on a lighter texture (we recommend this method). But if you’re short on time, rice toasted in the oven will have a pleasant nutty flavor, though it won’t puff as much.
2. Prepare the soup ingredients:
Soak the dried shiitake mushrooms overnight in 1 cup of room temperature water, or for 2 hours in boiling water. Once rehydrated, squeeze the water from the mushrooms, trim off any tough stems, and thinly slice. Set aside the mushrooms, and reserve the mushroom soaking water.
Velvet the chicken by mixing it with 2 teaspoons water, 1½ teaspoons oyster sauce and 1 teaspoon cornstarch. Set aside.
Also prep the rest of the ingredients and have them ready:
Boil 6 cups of water in your wok. Add the velveted chicken. Using your wok spatula, gently swirl the chicken in the water for 45 seconds, or until just cooked and opaque. Remove using a spider strainer or slotted spoon.
Then add the scallops and shrimp. Again, cook them for 45 seconds, or just until opaque. Take care not to overcook them.
Remove from the wok, set aside, discard the water and wash the wok.
3. Prepare the Soup:
Set your wok over medium heat. Add 2 teaspoons of vegetable oil, the garlic, carrots, and shiitake mushrooms. If using fresh baby bella mushrooms instead of canned straw mushrooms (which are pre-cooked), add them to the wok now. Stir fry for 1 minute, or until the carrots are slightly softened.
Add the bok choy stems…
And the napa cabbage. Stir fry for another minute.
Next, add the pork and chicken stock and the reserved mushroom soaking water, taking care to leave behind any sediment from the mushroom soaking water.
Bring the soup to a simmer.
Add the ham…
And the pre-cooked straw mushrooms. Let the soup come back up to a simmer.
Meanwhile, start heating the oil to fry the sizzling rice. You will want to have it ready once the soup is done. Fill a small, deep pot (or separate wok) about halfway with frying oil, and heat to 350°F.
Once the soup simmers, cook for 1 minute, and add the cooked chicken, shrimp, and scallops.
Stir and cook for 1 more minute. Add the snow peas…
And the leafy portions of the baby bok choy.
Bring the soup back up to a simmer. Add salt, ground white pepper and sesame oil, stirring to dissolve. Taste and add additional seasonings as needed.
Transfer the soup to a large serving bowl and move it to the table.
Now it’s time to make the last element: the sizzling rice!
4. Fry the rice & serve:
Just before serving the soup, fry the dried toasted rice in your pre-heated oil until crispy, for about 30 seconds.
Depending on the size of your pot, you’ll need to fry in 2-3 batches.
Once each batch of crispy rice is finished, remove using a strainer or slotted spoon.
Immediately add it to the soup…
And watch it sizzle as the hot oil hits the soup!
You can add the rice in small batches to get a few more sizzling moments at the table, and maximize the drama!
Ladle into bowls and serve.
Sizzling Rice Soup
Ingredients
For the sizzling rice:
- 1 1/2 cups cooked rice
- 1/8 teaspoon salt
- vegetable oil (for frying; can substitute canola or other frying oil)
For the soup:
- 0.7 ounces small dried shiitake mushrooms (0.7 oz. = 20g = about 6 small dried mushrooms)
- 2 ounces chicken breast (thinly sliced)
- 2 teaspoons water
- 1 1/2 teaspoons oyster sauce
- 1 teaspoon cornstarch
- 2 ounces fresh sea scallops (cut into quarters)
- 4 ounces peeled, deveined shrimp (about eight 21/25 size shrimp)
- 2 teaspoons neutral oil (such as vegetable or canola oil)
- 1 clove garlic (minced)
- 1/4 cup carrots (thinly sliced)
- 1/2 cup whole canned straw mushrooms (or thinly sliced baby bella mushrooms)
- 2 cups baby bok choy (cut into 1-inch pieces, with leafy parts and stems separated)
- 1 cup napa cabbage (cut into 1-inch pieces)
- 8 cups pork and chicken stock
- 2 ounces Virginia ham (sliced into thin strips)
- 1/2 cup snow peas (trimmed and cut in half)
- 1/2 teaspoon salt (or to taste)
- 1/4 teaspoon ground white pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon sesame oil
Instructions
- Spread the cooked rice onto a sheet pan lined with parchment paper. Sprinkle the salt evenly over the rice. Let the rice sit overnight on the counter to dry (recommended). Alternatively, you can toast it in a 325°F oven for 20 minutes.
- Soak the dried shiitake mushrooms overnight in 1 cup of room temperature water, or for 2 hours in boiling water. Once rehydrated, squeeze the water from the mushrooms, trim off any tough stems, and thinly slice. Set aside the mushrooms, and reserve the mushroom soaking water.
- Velvet the chicken by mixing it with 2 teaspoons water, 1½ teaspoons oyster sauce and 1 teaspoon cornstarch. Set aside.
- Boil 6 cups of water in your wok. Add the velveted chicken. Using your wok spatula, gently swirl the chicken in the water for 45 seconds, or until just cooked and opaque. Remove using a spider strainer or slotted spoon.
- Then add the scallops and shrimp. Again, cook them for 45 seconds, or just until opaque. Take care not to overcook them. Remove from the wok, set aside, discard the water and wash the wok.
- Set your wok over medium heat. Add 2 teaspoons of vegetable oil, the garlic, carrots, and shiitake mushrooms. If using fresh baby bella mushrooms instead of canned straw mushrooms (which are pre-cooked), add them to the wok now. Stir fry for 1 minute, or until the carrots are slightly softened.
- Add the bok choy stems and the napa cabbage. Stir fry for another minute. Next, add the pork and chicken stock and the reserved mushroom soaking water, taking care to leave behind any sediment from the mushroom soaking water. Bring the soup to a simmer. Add the ham and the pre-cooked straw mushrooms. Let the soup come back up to a simmer.
- Meanwhile, start heating the oil to fry the sizzling rice. You will want to have it ready once the soup is done. Fill a small, deep pot about halfway with frying oil, and heat to 350°F.
- Once the soup simmers, cook for 1 minute, and add the cooked chicken, shrimp, and scallops. Stir and cook for 1 more minute. Add the snow peas and leafy portions of the baby bok choy.
- Bring the soup back up to a simmer. Add salt, ground white pepper and sesame oil, stirring to dissolve. Taste and add additional seasonings as needed.
- Transfer the soup to a large serving bowl and move it to the table. Just before serving the soup, fry the dried toasted rice in your pre-heated oil until crispy, for about 30 seconds. Depending on the size of your pot, you’ll need to fry in 2-3 batches.
- Once each batch of crispy rice is finished, immediately add it to the soup, and watch it sizzle as the hot oil hits the soup! Serve.
Is there a good substitute for oyster sauce. Shellfish allergies in the family prohibits me from using it. Thanks
Hi Lisa, you can use vegetarian oyster sauce which uses mushrooms instead of oysters as a base.
If you can’t find that when I was vegan I used a mix of hoisin sauce and soysauce (~2:1) ratio and it works!
Sizzling Rice soup was a childhood favorite of mine from the local Chinese restaurant! They took it off the menu a few years ago and I’ve missed it terribly (thought they have an excellent hour and sour). I’m very exited to try this one out at home, I’ll update my review once I try it.
Hi Kate, I’m not sure why it lost popularity because when made right it is delicious. Hope you try and enjoy our recipe soon :)
Wow! what a dramatic recipe!
And the combination of flavours sounds soooo tasty..
Definitely will try next weekend.
Hi Ana, I’m sure you will find it tasty but definitely let us know ;-)
Love the ingredients, nut need to skip fatty oil. Could I just season the rice overnight and skip the fry? P.S. you are the best site for Asian I have fun across. Please keep up the good work.
Hi Larry, the rice won’t sizzle if you don’t fry it, but you can add cooked rice or rice toasted in the oventhough it won’t sizzle and won’t be as light.
How do I make a chicken/pork broth? Is there a special way, or do I just make as I would any broth? What cut of pork is best? Thanks a million!
I am making this today. I made the broth yesterday. Bill’s recipe suggests chicken backs and pork necks, about 2 pounds of each. Then just 3 scallions and 4 slices of fresh ginger. One key is to thoroughly soak your meat for an hour, changing the water 3 times. I rinsed mine 4 times until I stopped getting blood. This will help you get a nice clear broth. This makes about 16 cups of broth so be prepared to store some in jar to keep in the refrigerator. You bring your broth to boiling and then turn it down way low just so the water is stirring, not boiling. Boil for 5 hours. I used a fat separator to help clean the broth but cheesecloth works for this as well. I believe a nice, clear broth is essential in this dish.
Thanks for that explanation David. It’s actually Judy’s recipe for pork and chicken stock
Hi Gail, See Judy’s recipe for pork and chicken stock. It’s easy to make and a game changer to use in soups and any dishes calling for broth.
May I just say that you guys are INCREDIBLY AWESOME! This is the third recipe of yours I’ve tried, and even though I messed up several things, it was absolutely delicious.
I didn’t have half the ingredients, used spinach instead of bok choy (but I screwed up and put it in with the garlic and carrots), white mushrooms instead of shiitake/straw, chopped Asian salad mix instead of shredded cabbage, leftover grilled curry-rubbed chicken tenders instead of velvet, ginger and bean sprouts (?!) instead of ham. And I used all chicken broth.
I can’t wait to see what it tastes like when I actually stick to the recipe!
My family wants to know why I haven’t cooked this well all along.
Thank you SO much for sharing these wonderful recipes, and for writing easy-to-follow directions along with enjoyable blog posts.
Full disclosure: I have never met nor communicated with any of the authors, and nobody bribed me to write this, unless you count a family with happy tummies as bribery. (I don’t.)
Hi Alison, happy to hear you made this sizzling rice soup and thanks for sharing your substitutions with us and our readers!
As always, excellent recipe.
I assume that:
“Then add the scallops and shrimp. Again, cook them for 45 seconds, or just until opaque. Take care not to cook them.”
should be
“Then add the scallops and shrimp. Again, cook them for 45 seconds, or just until opaque. Take care not to OVER cook them.”
Joe
Hi Joe, thank you for catching that typo! :) It is fixed now.
Can it really be a type if it wasn’t typed?
Inquiring minds, and all that…
JoeW
“typo”, d…. it!
If I don’t want to use the seafood, I assume I could use 8oz of chicken? Or 4 of chicken and 4 of boneless pork, cut into similar size pieces and also velveted?
Hi DrRandy, yes, you can use more chicken and sliced raw pork or sliced cha siu instead of the seafood
Bacillus cereus would be a concern with rice kept at room temperature for such an extended period.
Hi Wayman, please dry the rice in the refrigerator.
Any idea of the history of this soup? What is its origin?
The recipe does not state to discard the cooking water used for chicken & fish. One can assume?
Hi margaret, Yes, blanching water is discarded
Hi stevenHB, I actually don’t know the origins of sizzling rice soup but it sure is tasty!