Sticky rice with Chinese sausage is a staple on dim sum carts (you’ll usually see it in overturned glass bowls––as little sticky rice “domes”), and it’s actually very easy to make. This sticky rice recipe is similar to the sticky rice with chicken (lo mai gai) we already have on the blog, but less complex in terms of ingredients and kitchen prep.
We used the classic trio of Chinese sausage, dried black mushrooms, and dried shrimp. When added to sticky rice, it’s a delicious combination that everyone knows and loves. Any sticky rice dish doesn’t last very long in our house, and this one is no different.
Traditionally, this sticky rice with Chinese sausage dish is often made by taking uncooked sticky rice that’s been soaked for hours, and putting it directly in the wok for stir-frying. However, to shorten the cooking time and to simplify the process, many restaurants used cooked sticky rice instead, which is what we recommend as well. In my opinion, when done right, pre-cooking the rice makes little or no difference in the finished dish.
So the next time you’re having dim sum, you’ll be able to pass on this simple sticky rice with Chinese sausage dish (because you’ll be making it at home!) and leave some room to try other interesting dim sum favorites. If you haven’t already, you can also check out our dim sum recipes for black bean steamed spare ribs, pork and shrimp shumai, sticky rice shumai (which is vegetarian), rice noodle rolls, egg tarts, and roast pork puffs. For our entire dim sum recipe repertoire, click here.
Sticky Rice with Chinese Sausage: Recipe Instructions
Cook the sticky rice (AKA sweet rice). We sometimes make it in our rice cooker, which has a sweet rice setting. If you don’t have a rice cooker, you can also use our method for soaking and steaming the sticky rice to pre-cook it.
When in doubt, use less water to ensure you don’t come out with mushy, overcooked rice. In this case, undercooked is better than overcooked, because you will to cook the rice again when stir-frying in the wok.
Combine the oyster sauce, soy sauce, dark soy sauce, sesame oil, chicken stock, and salt in a small bowl and set aside. Heat the oil in a wok over medium heat. Add the dried shrimp, and stir-fry for 30 seconds to bring out the flavor.
Next, add the onion, dried black/shiitake mushrooms, and Chinese sausage, and stir-fry for another minute, taking care not to burn the onion. Add the Shaoxing wine and stir-fry for another 2 minutes.
Add all of the cooked sticky rice to the wok and break it up as much as possible with your wok spatula.
Spoon half of the sauce mixture over the rice (it helps to add the sauce over any clumps of rice to help break them up).
Mix well, using a scooping motion with your metal wok spatula to ensure the rice doesn’t stick to the bottom of the wok. Add the rest of the sauce and stir-fry until the sticky rice is uniform in color.
Season with white pepper to taste and mix in the scallions.
You can serve it as is…or if you want to get fancy, you can pack the rice into a nice round bowl rinsed in warm water and turn it over on a plate. Garnish your sticky rice with Chinese sausage with cilantro and serve.
Sticky Rice with Chinese Sausage
Ingredients
- 2 cups uncooked sticky rice (400g, also known as “Sweet Rice” or “Glutinous Rice”)
- 1 tablespoon oyster sauce
- 1 ½ tablespoons soy sauce
- 2 teaspoons dark soy sauce
- ¼ teaspoon sesame oil
- ¼ cup chicken stock (60 ml)
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 2 tablespoons oil
- ¼ cup dried shrimp (soaked for 15 minutes in warm water)
- 1 medium onion (finely diced)
- 5 dried shiitake mushrooms (soaked in warm water until softened and diced)
- 3 links Chinese sausage (cut into small discs)
- 1 teaspoon Shaoxing wine
- white pepper (to taste)
- 2 scallions (chopped)
- Cilantro (to garnish, optional)
Instructions
- Cook the sticky rice according to the directions on the package and set aside to cool (we usually just make it in our rice cooker). You can also use our method for soaking and steaming the sticky rice to pre-cook it.
- Combine the oyster sauce, soy sauces, sesame oil, chicken stock, and salt in a small bowl and set aside. Heat the oil in a wok over medium heat. Add the shrimp and stir-fry for 30 seconds to bring out the flavor. Next, add the onion, mushrooms and Chinese sausage, and stir-fry for another minute, taking care not to burn the onion. Add the Shaoxing wine and stir-fry for another 2 minutes.
- Add all of the cooked sticky rice to the wok and break it up as much as possible with a spatula. Spoon half of the sauce mixture over the rice (it helps to add the sauce over any clumps of rice to help break them up). Mix well, using a scooping motion to ensure the rice doesn’t stick to the bottom of the wok. Add the rest of the sauce and stir-fry until the rice is uniform in color.
- Season with white pepper to taste and mix in the scallions. You can serve it as is…or if you want to get fancy, you can pack the rice into a nice round bowl rinsed in warm water and turn it over on a plate. Garnish with cilantro and serve.
nutrition facts
WOW. I just made this the other day and am eating the last of the leftovers. It is SO SO goood! thanks for sharing the recipe and giving so many great details. you’ve empowered us to cook our culture’s cuisine! I never thought it would be so doable and so delicious!!! Added more mushroom bc I love that umami mushroom and that delicate texture :D thank you again. so grateful – you’re my favorite site! especially in quarantine, you make life better — and more tasty!
Hi Win, so happy to read your comment. Keep up the great cooking!
Hi, can i check for cup measurement, 1 cup is equivalent to how many gram? Im confused as my cup and ur cup might be different size.
Hi Noobieve, when we refer to a cup in our recipes, we mean a standard US cup which is 8 fluid ounces in volume. That said, I just weighed one cup of glutinous white rice and it weight 197g. Happy cooking!
Thank you so this delicious recipe & for this great website! My family loved the sticky rice! This is now one of my favorite Wok of Life recipes!
You are so welcome, Lin.
Delicious! And a really easy recipe. My first try at cooking sticky rice, and success. I did cook the rice in my Instant Pot, and it came out perfect. I’ll be making this again, thanks!
That’s great, Cheryl.
My mom made this dish only occasionally, but when she did, it was special. This is my first attempt at making this dish and it was a lot easier then I anticipated thanks to your recipe! Turned out great and I didn’t even have to fish for compliments on this from my husband bc it was freely given ahah!
LOL…love it.
The recipe is really superb. My family loves this. My first attempt to cook this dish.
HAPPY DANCE!
Hi! What would be a good dried shrimp substitute?
Thanks!
Hi Chloe, the flavor of dried shrimp is quite unusual and specific. I can’t think of any substitute for it. Maybe dried scallops, but if you can’t find dried shrimp, you probably can’t find dried scallops. Using small baby shrimp in this dish and stir frying them until slightly crispy may do the job ;-)
Hi there! Is Thai sweet rice the same as the sweet rice you are referring to for this recipe? I have something called Three Elephant Brand Thai Sweet Rice and I dont know if that can be used to make this dish. Also, your website is WONDERFUL and you guys have really helped make cooking at home during this pandemic a lot easier. I hope you and your family all stay safe and well!
Hi Chelsea, yes generally “sweet rice” refers to sticky rice/glutinous rice. What you have should work for this recipe. Also, thank you for your kind words!
Hi,
Do you have a recipe for 红烧肉 – its the most standard dish – but could not find it in your webapage.
Thanks for checking if you could help me with my all time favorite.
Kind regards
Yes! Here it is: https://thewoksoflife.com/shanghai-style-braised-pork-belly/
Hi Woks Of Life! Is sushi rice (kokuho rice) the same as sweet rice? I only have this kind of rice at home and would love to make this recipe!
PS: you guys did an awesome job with this website. I recommend it to all my friends and family !! <3
Hi Van, it’s not quite the same, but you could definitely substitute it to make this recipe if you already have it at home. Thanks so much for spreading the word about our blog!!