Chinese sausage rice (腊肠饭) made easy using the Instant Pot! No rice soaking required, minimal active cooking time, and perfect results. The rich and savory sticky rice is seasoned with soy sauce and mixed with sweet Chinese sausage and crunchy water chestnuts. It’s an ideal one-pot weekday dinner!
Since I published the Sticky Rice Stuffing, I’ve received so much positive feedback and lots of questions on how to cook it in an Instant Pot. After testing it out, I was surprised to find out that the Instant Pot version is so easy and the result turned out just as great.
Why this recipe?
- No rice soaking required. Glutinous rice usually requires overnight soaking to cook it on the stovetop. You can skip that step when using this recipe.
- Minimal active cooking time. All you need to do is to brown the aromatics and the sausage in the Instant Pot. It takes about 10 minutes.
- Shortened cooking time. It takes about 25 minutes to cook this dish on the stovetop. The Instant Pot version only takes 12 minutes.
- Consistent (perfect) result. The rice and sausage will be cooked until soft and buttery and the chestnuts until crunchy.
The Instant Pot Chinese sausage rice is so simple to make that I would totally cook it on a busy weeknight. If you have an Instant Pot, I highly recommend using this version to make your cooking easier.
Chinese sausage rice ingredients
1. What is Chinese sausage (腊肠)?
Chinese sausage (腊肠, lap cheong) is made from fatty pork. It is normally smoked, sweetened, and seasoned with rose water, rice wine, and soy sauce. Once cooked with the rice, it becomes melt-in-your-mouth tender. The fat and sweetness melt into the gooey rice and taste so good.
These days you can easily find Chinese sausages in an Asian market. I’ve even seen Costco carry them a couple of times. If you can’t find them in your local stores, you can also purchase them from Amazon.
2. Dried Shiitake mushrooms
I highly recommend using dried shiitake mushrooms because they have an intense smoky flavor that fresh ones do not have. However, if you prefer using fresh shiitake mushrooms, you can replace the dried mushrooms with 8 to 10 medium-sized fresh ones.
You can find dried shiitake mushrooms in most Asian markets and even in regular grocery stores. You can also purchase them on Amazon.
3. Sticky rice
Sticky rice (糯米, Nuo Mi) is also called glutinous rice or sweet rice. It looks like white rice, but has a sticky and gooey texture once cooked. It is important to use this type of rice in this recipe for the best texture. You can easily find the rice in most Asian markets or on Amazon.
4. Mise en place
When you’re ready to cook, you should have the shiitake mushrooms soaked and sliced. The other ingredients should be chopped and measured out.
How to make instant pot Chinese sausage rice
- Saute the mushrooms and shallots with butter
- Saute the Chineses sausage
- Pour in Shaoxing wine to deglaze and use spatula to scrape off the browns bits from the bottom (very important)
- Mix in the sticky rice
- Add the rest of the ingredients and seasonings
- Cook on high for 12 minutes
That’s it! It is super easy to prepare. The rice will come out tender and gooey, soaked with rich sauces and the fat from the sausage, with a slightly charred bottom.
4. Easy clean up
When I cook Chinese sausage rice on the stovetop, the bottom of the rice usually gets burned (due to the soy sauce). However, I found that the Instant Pot version doesn’t have this issue. The bottom of the rice will brown, but you can easily scrape it off using a wooden spatula. If your rice doesn’t come off easily, simply soak the pot in hot water before scrubbing.
Frequently asked questions
Why does the instant pot keep showing “burn food” error?
I’ve gotten this question quite a few times, but unfortunately I was never able to recreate it when I was testing the recipe.
Over the years, I have used 3 different generations of Instant Pot. I suspect that it may show the “burn food” warning if you did not scrape the brown bits off completely after deglazing the pan with Shaoxing wine. During my latest cooking experience, I did find that it is best to not brown the shallot and sausage too much, so the bottom of the pot does not get too charred. And it will not affect the flavor of the finished dish.
Why did the bottom of the rice burn?
It is quite normal if the bottom of the rice gets browned because of the soy sauce and the sticky texture of the rice. Depending on the type of glutinous rice you use, you might get different results. For example, this recipe specifically uses short grain glutinous rice. If you use long grain glutinous rice, you might need to add 1/2 cup of chicken broth because long grain rice absorbs liquid differently.
I also found that after I upgraded my Instant Pot to the newer version, the result is much better. I noticed that the latest Instant Pot is heavier and distributes heat better. When I used my old IP, the bottom of the rice might burn a little (but could be easily cleaned off). And when I use the new IP, the rice is beautifully charred without any burning at all.
Can I replace the water chestnuts with other vegetables?
Yes! The water chestnuts are sweet and crunchy, adding a nice texture to the dish. But you can also use bamboo shoots or carrots in their place.
Can I use a pressure cooker to cook this dish?
Yes! Make sure you use no higher than medium heat when adding the pressure, then turn to low heat once pressure is added. This will prevent the bottom of the rice from burning.
Afterthoughts
I love receiving requests and questions from you, the reader, because it makes me think outside the box and improve my recipes. This Instant Pot Chinese sausage rice is a great example of a recipe developed in response to readers’ requests. I would not have imagined I could cook glutinous rice in an Instant Pot without soaking. But from now on, this will be my go-to method.
More Instant Pot recipes
- Instant Pot Pork Ribs (Chinese-Style)
- Instant Pot Bolognese (Hong Kong Style)
- Instant Pot Oxtail Soup
- Asian-Style Instant Pot Pulled Pork
- Asian Instant Pot Chicken Noodle Soup
- Instant Pot Eggs (Perfect Hard-Boiled & Soft-Boiled Eggs)
Instant Pot Chinese Sausage Rice (腊肠饭)
Ingredients
- 4 tablespoons unsalted butter
- 2 large shallots , sliced (or 1 onion)
- 8 medium-sized (about 0.5 oz / 15 g) dried shiitake mushrooms (*Footnote 1)
- 5 links (7 oz / 200 g) Chinese sausage , sliced
- 1/4 cup Shaoxing wine (or dry sherry)
- 2 1/2 cups short grain sticky rice (glutinous rice)
- 2 cups chicken broth
- 1/2 cup mushroom soaking liquid
- 1 cup whole water chestnuts , sliced
- 2 tablespoons soy sauce
- 2 teaspoons dark soy sauce (or soy sauce)
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 2 green onions , thinly sliced (for garnish)
Instructions
Prep
- Add the dried shiitake mushrooms in a medium size bowl and pour in hot water. Soak until the mushrooms turn soft, 15 to 20 minutes. Once done, squeeze the liquid out of the mushrooms into the soaking water. Slice the mushrooms thinly. Reserve the soaking water for cooking.
Instant Pot
- Turn on the “Saute” function on your Instant Pot and wait until it’s warmed up (*Footnote 2). Add the butter and stir a few times until it melts.
- Add the shallot and shiitake mushrooms. Stir a few times to coat well with butter. Then spread the ingredients into a single layer. Let cook, stirring occasionally, until softened, 6 minutes or so.
- Add the Chinese sausage. Cook and stir until the edges turn light golden, 2 minutes.
- Pour in the Shaoxing wine. Use your spatula to release any brown bits stuck to the bottom of the pan. This is very important. If you don’t deglaze the pot thoroughly, you might get a “burn food” error later on. Cook until most of the liquid has evaporated.
- Turn off “Saute”. Add the rice. Stir to mix the rice evenly with the other ingredients. Add the chicken stock, 1/2 cup mushroom soaking liquid, water chestnuts, soy sauce, dark soy sauce, and salt. Stir to mix well.
- Cover the Instant Pot and seal the valve. Set on “Manual” at high pressure for 12 minutes.
- Once the Instant Pot is done cooking, wait for at least 5 minutes, then switch to fast release by using the release button on your Instant Pot lid. Stay away from the Instant Pot to avoid being burned by the hot steam coming out of the pot when using fast release.
- Fluff the rice and garnish with sliced green onions. Serve hot as a main or side dish.
- Store the leftovers in a sealed container in the fridge for up to 3 days or in the freezer for 3 months. Reheat in the microwave before serving.
Notes
- If you used fresh shiitake mushrooms, use 1/2 cup chicken broth to replace the mushroom soaking liquid.
- You don’t have to wait until the Instant Pot is “heated” to add the butter. Instant Pot saute function only has one heat setting and I found it too hot to melt butter. You should add the butter once the pot has warmed up.
Hello Maggie, I was wondering if I can add Thai bird eyes pepper and would it change the taste of the recipe? Thank you and merry christmas
Could I cook this recipe on the stove top in a clay pot, or in the oven in a clay pot? As I dont have an instant pot. Thanks
I have a separate recipe for stovetop version: https://omnivorescookbook.com/sticky-rice-stuffing/
Thank you Maggie
Hi, Can I substitute regular non herbed sausages for the Chinese sausages as the only option ones I can find contain gluten and I’m coeliac? Would I need to add more soy sauce (I use tamari) or other flavours to keep the flavour profile? Thank you! X
I’ve never tried making this recipe using regular sausage, but I think you can. I don’t think you need extra soy sauce. However, since Chinese sausage is quite sweet, it does sweeten the rice a bit. I would add 1/2 teaspoon sugar to the mixture. But I think it’s totally fine to skip the sugar as well, since the rice itself is quite savory.
I made this recipe with brown sticky rice and, as I expected, it took much longer to cook. After 12 minutes (plus 5 for resting), it was very watery so I repeated for 15 minutes… 3 more times. For an additional 45 minutes to the 12 originally listed. The rice smells so strongly of mushroom that if I ever make this again, I would leave the mushroom liquid out. Maybe my shiitake mushrooms were more potent, but the earthiness is almost off putting. I also realize now that it makes 8 servings, so I will definitely be taking your recommendation and freezing some.
I have an IP-Duo, and the burn notice wouldn’t stop going off! I ended up chucking it all into a pot and on the stove on low heat for probably 30-40 minutes until the rice cooked through. Still tasty, though!
can this work in a rice cooker
You can use a rice cooker if your rice cooker has brown rice setting. If your rice cooker only has regular setting, I would soak the rice for a few hours to overnight before adding to the pot.
Easy! No burn issue at all! Pretty much followed recipe BUT used sushi rice as that was what I had. I also probably used more dried shitake mushrooms. The recipe called for 1/2 oz or about 8 dried mushrooms. I had 1/2 oz with only 2 mushrooms and it didn’t look like enough, so I used more! I was a bit concerned about it being too salty as I had never used the Chinese sausages before, so I did cut the salt half and I used kosher salt… that was enough salt for me as I was topping it with kimchi and Sriracha. Threw in frozen peas for a one pot meal… Look forward to trying some of your other recipes!
Is it possible to do a pot in pot method for this? I’ve had trouble with the burn warning coming up, and was thinking this could help get around this!
I’ve never tried it so I cannot say for sure. I’m quite surprised that the burn warning is a common problem because I was never able to recreate it at home…
Another alternative is to use this recipe: https://omnivorescookbook.com/sticky-rice-stuffing/
It is essential the same dish but using the stovetop method, which prevent the burning issue.
I have questions. When I cook sticky rice in my IP in the past it is in a pot inside the IP. Do you think this would help with the burnt rice on the bottom of the IP? I cant wait to make this I just picked up some of the sausage at Castco and I have sticky rice and mushrooms and this sounds so good all my favs in one place.
I think you definitely can and that might solve the burning bottom issue. I would follow the recipe to saute all the ingredients. Then combine everything in the pot that you will place inside of the IP. Please let me know how it turns out if you decided to try this method. Happy cooking!
Can I cook this in a 3qt Instapot?
I think you can. I used the 6qt instantpot but the rice didn’t fill up to half of the pot after cooking.
Followed this recipe perfectly. Didn’t miss a step, didn’t get a measurement wrong. Pressure cook didn’t even complete its heating cycle before I got a burn error. Took the lid off, all liquid was gone, rice was burned to the pot, and the rice that wasn’t burned to the pot was crunchy. These measurements are incorrect. How do you expect to cook 1.5 cups of rice with less than 3 cups of liquid. The math doesn’t work. Ruined a special dinner.
Hi Devo, I’m sorry to hear the recipe didn’t work for you.
I suspect that the wrong water ratio was caused by the type of glutionus rice we use. Just like long and short grain white rice, glutinous rice has different varieties too and requires different water ratio.
I used the short grain type, which uses less water usually. I’ve tested this recipe with more liquid before but the rice turned out quite soggy.
The recipe has been had mixed feedback and quite a few people reported the “burn error”. However, I have tried making it in three different generations of Instant Pot and had not been able to replicate the “burn error” issue.
Sticky rice is challenging to cook using the method of regular rice, because it requires soaking in advance then steam.
If you would still like to give this dish a try, I think the dutch oven method might work better: https://omnivorescookbook.com/sticky-rice-stuffing/ because the result is more consistent.
I just made this and the flavors are nice and mellow and comforting. Everything about it is comforting and yummy. I didn’t have any issues with a burn warning or anything like that. It turned out perfectly for me.
I made this recipe with the same ingredients, except I sauteed everything in a separate pan on the stove top because I was concerned about getting the food burn warning. I also warmed up the chicken broth and mushroom liquid a bit before adding, since in the written recipe the pot would have been warmer from all the sauteing so this was a substitute for that. Still got a food burn warning! Was not worth the extra steps lol. I released pressure and then kept it on Keep Warm for 10 minutes and the rice still ended up cooked through, but with all the finagling I would probably just recommend the stove top recipe instead. It was very tasty and we had less leftovers than expected.
I made this in my precursor to the Instant Pot (a rice cooker/slow cooker combo with a sauté function) and it worked perfectly. I just used the white rice function instead of the pressure cooker– it turned out a little extra sticky on the bottom, but definitely not burned. I added a clove of garlic and a Thai chili to suit my taste, but the base recipe definitely has excellent flavor. If I make it again I might try adding some spinach at the very end, and extra water chestnuts.