Seasoned Chinese Steamed Rice

A zoomed in picture of seasoned rice topped with a seasoned fried egg, cucumber moons, pickled carrot and scallions

Seasoned Chinese Steamed Rice

All the flavor, none of the fuss. This rice is made in one pan in the steam oven (or a rice cooker or bamboo steamer), with classic Chinese ingredients for a deeply savory dish. Add a fried egg to turn it into dinner.

Prep Time10

Cook Time25

Total Time35

Course: Main Course, Side Dish

Cuisine: Asian, Chinese, Western

Keyword: chinese steamed rice, chinese style rice, steam oven rice

Servings:

Calories: 294kcal

Ingredients

1 tbs oil something neutral, sunflower is ideal
1 tsp sesame oil
3 cloves garlic minced
1 knob ginger 1-inch piece, grated
1 onion small, finely chopped
2 star anise whole
2 tbs Chinese rice wine Shaoxing wine
2 tbs oyster sauce
1 tbs dark soy sauce
3 cups light chicken stock 750ml or vegetable stock
2 cups long grain rice 400g
2 scallions green onions, sliced, to serve (optional)
pickled cucumber to serve, optional (see post for details)
pickled carrot to serve, optional (see post for details)
6 eggs 1 egg per person, fried, to serve (optional)

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Preheat oven to 212°F/100°C, steam only setting (100% steam).
Put the oil, sesame oil, garlic, ginger, onion and star anise into a large stainless steel pan and give it a stir. Put in the oven for 5 minutes.
1 tbs oil, 1 tsp sesame oil, 3 cloves garlic, 1 knob ginger, 1 onion, 2 star anise
While the garlic, ginger and onions start cooking, mix the vinegar, oyster sauce, soy sauce, pepper and chicken stock together in a jug.
2 tbs Chinese rice wine, 2 tbs oyster sauce, 1 tbs dark soy sauce, 3 cups light chicken stock
When the timer goes off, add the rice and stock mixture to the onion mixture. Give it all a stir and return to the oven for 20 minutes.
2 cups long grain rice
At the end of cooking, fluff the rice with a fork and allow to stand for 1-2 minutes before serving with scallions, pickled vegetables and a fried egg.
2 scallions, pickled cucumber, pickled carrot, 6 eggs

Notes

This rice is adapted and simplified from one over at the wonderful Recipe Tin Eats blog, for one-pot Chinese chicken and rice. I’ve removed the chicken altogether, slightly adapted the ingredients and altered the method for steam oven cooking.
If you don’t have or like oyster sauce, Nagi’s original recipe recommends hoisin sauce as a substitute, and that’s what I’d go with too. The flavor will be a little sweeter and spicier but it does give the depth you need.
The Shaoxing wine, a staple Chinese ingredient, is something you may not have if you don’t cook much Asian food, but it’s worth seeking out a bottle. It’s readily available at Asian supermarkets or online, fairly inexpensive and keeps for a long time in the pantry. Shaoxing wine is a standard addition to many marinades and Chinese style dishes and I find myself pulling it out at least a couple of times a month. If you really can’t get it, 1 tablespoon of rice wine vinegar would be the closest substitute.

Nutrition