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Rice Cake Stir Fry (炒年糕, Chao Nian Gao) is a Shanghainese classic dish that combines chewy, gooey rice cake with chicken, bok choy, and egg in a tasty brown sauce. This one-dish meal has some really fun textures and the flavors are instantly familiar. {Gluten-Free Adaptable}

Rice Cake Stir Fry (炒年糕, Chao Nian Gao)

5 from 4 votes
Rice Cake Stir Fry (炒年糕, Chao Nian Gao) is a Shanghainese classic dish that combines chewy, gooey rice cake with chicken, bok choy, and egg in a tasty brown sauce. This one-dish meal has some really fun textures and the flavors are instantly familiar. {Gluten-Free Adaptable}
To make the dish gluten free, use dry sherry instead of Shaoxing wine. Use tamari to replace the soy sauce. And use a gluten-free oyster sauce.
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 10 minutes
Total Time: 25 minutes
Course: Main
Cuisine: Chinese
Keyword: homestyle
Servings: 4 servings
Author: Maggie Zhu

Ingredients

Marinating

  • 8 oz (225 g) chicken breast , thinly sliced against the grain (or thigh)
  • 2 teaspoons Shaoxing wine (or dry sherry)
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/2 teaspoon cornstarch

Sauce

Stir Fry

  • 12 oz (340 g) baby bok choy , cut to bite-size pieces (see the video below for the cutting method)
  • 2 eggs , beaten
  • 2 tablespoons peanut oil
  • 2 green onions , sliced
  • 1 tablespoon ginger , minced
  • 4 cups (340 g) rice cake , sliced (pre-soak if using dried) (*Footnote 2)
  • 1/2 cup chicken broth (or water)

Instructions

  • (Optional) If using dried rice cakes, pre-soak them in water for about 3 hours or overnight in the fridge. Once done, separate the rice cakes with your hands so they're not stuck together.
  • Add the chicken in a medium-sized bowl along with the marinating ingredients. Mix well with your hand so the chicken is coated evenly.
  • Mix the sauce ingredients together in a small bowl and set aside.
  • Heat 1/2 tablespoon of oil in a large skillet until hot. Add the beaten eggs. Cook for 30 seconds until the bottom is set, then scramble until the eggs are just cooked. Transfer to a plate and set aside.
  • Add 1 tablespoon of oil to the pan and spread out the chicken with minimal overlap. Let cook without moving until the bottom turns light golden, 30 seconds. Flip to cook the other side until just turning white, another 30 seconds or so. Transfer the chicken to a plate and set aside.
  • Add the remaining 1/2 tablespoon and the rice cake. Stir a few times and spread the rice cake into one layer. Pour in the chicken broth. Cook over low heat for 1 minute. Uncover and add the baby bok choy. Cover and cook for another minute, until the rice cake just turned tender and the bok choy is not quite cooked.
  • Add the green onion and ginger. Give it a quick stir.
  • Pour in the sauce. Stir and cook for 1 minute.
  • Add back the cooked chicken and eggs. Cook and stir until the sauce is absorbed. Serve hot as a main dish.

Notes

  1. Dark soy sauce add a nice dark brown color to the dish, which is a way I prefer but not typical for Shanghai style rice cake stir fry. You can skip it without any issue.
  2. If using frozen rice cakes, you don’t need to thaw them before cooking.

Nutrition

Serving: 1serving, Calories: 482kcal, Carbohydrates: 68.1g, Protein: 23.7g, Fat: 12.8g, Saturated Fat: 2.7g, Cholesterol: 115mg, Sodium: 1047mg, Potassium: 615mg, Fiber: 4.4g, Sugar: 3.9g, Calcium: 125mg, Iron: 3mg