Shanghai Stir Fried Rice Cakes (Chao Nian Gao)

Name: Shanghai Stir Fried Rice Cakes
Prep time: 15 min
Cook time: 10 min
Total time: 25 min
Cuisine: Chinese
Ingredients: 16 ounces (454g) rice cakes; 2 tablespoons vegetable oil, divided; 8 ounces (227g) boneless, skinless chicken breast *; 3 cloves garlic; 3 cups (228g) napa cabbage (aka nappa or Chinese cabbage); 2 cups (140g) baby bok choy (Shanghai or regular variety); 1 cup (75g) shiitake mushrooms; 2 teaspoons soy sauce; 2 teaspoons corn starch; 1 teaspoon oyster sauce; 1/4 teaspoon sugar; 1/4 cup (60ml) chicken broth; 1 tablespoon shaoxing; 2 teaspoons soy sauce; 2 teaspoons oyster sauce; 1 teaspoon sugar; 1/8 teaspoon ground white pepper; green onion, thinly sliced

Jan 17, 2023 by Asha · This post may contain affiliate links · 34 Comments

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A classic Chinese dish from Shanghai, this delicious stir fried rice cakes recipe features flavourful, marinated chicken, shiitake mushrooms, cabbage, and tender, chewy rice cakes in a savoury and umami-packed sauce. It is so easy to make! Also known as Shanghai chao nian gao (chǎo niángāo, 炒年糕), this Asian comfort food is popularly eaten during Chinese New Year.

A bowl of Shanghai stir fried rice cakes on a cloth napkin.

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Ingredients
Substitutions
Variations
Instructions
Equipment
Storage
Pro Tip
FAQ
📖 Recipe

There are several dishes that are considered auspicious and lucky to eat during the New Year in Chinese culture. One of the most popular is nian gao (Mandarin for "sticky cakes"). This is because it shares its pronunciation with the words year (nian) and high (gao): higher year. This gives the meaning of reaching higher every year, bringing yourself to the next level in the year to come.

Soaking the rice cakes (if necessary) and marinating the chicken can both take some time. Luckily, both of these can be done earlier in the day or the night before, making this stir fry super quick and easy to make!

Ingredients

Rice cakes - These are tender and chewy, with a sticky texture. They are made from glutinous rice flour and a bit of regular rice flour. Flavourless on their own, they soak up the flavour of the sauce they are cooked in. Use the flat, oval-shaped variety in this dish (typical in China).
Boneless, skinless chicken breast
Garlic cloves
Napa cabbage - Also known as nappa or Chinese cabbage.
Baby bok choy (Shanghai or regular variety)
Shiitake mushrooms
Vegetable oil
Soy sauce
Corn starch - A layer of cornstarch on the chicken will protect it from the extreme heat of the wok, allowing the chicken to cook more evenly.
Oyster sauce - This Chinese sauce is sweet, a bit salty, and richly savoury; almost caramelized. It also adds a dark caramel colour to dishes. A good quality one will contain real shellfish extracts.
Sugar
Chicken broth
Shaoxing - A traditional Chinese rice wine that is widely used in Chinese cuisine. It tastes somewhat similar to dry sherry (its best substitute) and has a very slight sweetness.
Ground white pepper - Like black pepper, white pepper is made from the berries of the pepper plant. However, the berries are more ripe when picked, and are left to soak and ferment in water before having the outer layer removed. The resulting flavour is milder with an earthy, somewhat musty flavour.
Green onion

See the recipe card below for quantities.

Baby bok choy vs. Shanghai baby bok choy

The Shanghai variety of bok choy (pictured below) has wide, vibrant green leaves with green stalks. This differs from the regular variety's crinkled green leaves and white stalks. The flavours differ as well. The regular has a more mineral flavour, while the Shanghai is a bit sweet and milder. However, they can be used interchangeably in most recipes, like these stir fried rice cakes.

A close up of Shanghai stir fried rice cakes in a bowl.

Substitutions

Chicken breast - You can substitute the chicken breast for the protein of your choice. Chicken thighs or pork are the most popular options for this dish, however, you could also use shrimp or fried tofu.

Shaoxing - Dry sherry is the best substitution.

Chicken broth - Substitute with vegetable broth.

Shiitake mushrooms - You could use Porcini, Portobello, Cremini, or Maitake mushrooms instead.

White pepper - Substitute with ground black pepper.

Variations

Vegetarian - Replace the chicken with sliced Portobello mushrooms or fried tofu.

Vegan - Replace the chicken with sliced Portobello mushrooms or fried tofu, and the oyster sauce with vegetarian oyster sauce.

More veg - Additional vegetables you could choose to mix in are bell peppers, broccoli, carrots, onion, bamboo shoots, snow peas, or water chestnuts.

Egg - Some variations include scrambled egg in this dish.

Gluten-free - Use gluten-free soy sauce, gluten-free oyster sauce, and substitute the shaoxing with dry sherry to make these Chinese stir fried rice cakes gluten-free.

Spicy - Traditionally, rather than cooking this dish with spice, you would add chilli sauce to your plate to mix in as you eat it.

Instructions

Prep

Rice cakes can be bought refrigerated and fresh, frozen, or dried. Typically, the frozen ones should be soaked in cold water for 1 hour before cooking. The dried ones should soak for at least 3 hours to overnight. If you are unsure if the ones you purchased need to be soaked, check the package directions.

To soak the rice cakes, simply place them in a bowl of cold water and check after about 30 minutes to make sure that they are not sticking together.

Slice the chicken breast into thin strips.

Thinly sliced chicken on a cutting board.

Add all of the marinade ingredients into a small mixing bowl (soy sauce, oyster sauce, cornstarch, and sugar) and stir until the cornstarch has completely dissolved.

Use your hands to mix the chicken strips into the marinade, ensuring that all the pieces are thoroughly coated.

Cover and refrigerate, marinating for at least 30 minutes, or overnight.

Shortly before you are ready to begin stir frying, prep the vegetables. Chop the napa cabbage or cut it into thin slices. Mince the cloves of garlic. Separate the baby bok choy leaves from each other (I chop off the very bottom of the stem to make them fall apart easily). And remove the shiitake mushroom stems then slice the caps into thin slices.

Vegetables being prepped on a cutting board.

Stir fry

Heat your wok (or large, nonstick skillet) over high heat. Once you see plumes of heat begin to whisp from the pan, add 1 tablespoon of oil.

Spread the marinated chicken over the bottom of the pan and stir fry it until it is cooked through. Transfer the chicken to a plate and set it aside.

If anything has stuck to your pan, give it a wipe before returning it to the heat and adding in the other tablespoon of oil. Add your minced garlic to the pan and sauté for about 15 seconds.

Next, add in the cabbage and mushrooms. Stir fry them together with the garlic for about 2 minutes.

Add in the separated baby bok choy leaves. Stir fry for another 1 minute.

Baby bok choi cooking with the cabbage and mushrooms.

If your rice cakes have been soaking, strain them now. Add your rice cakes to the wok, along with all of the sauce ingredients (chicken broth, shaoxing, soy sauce, oyster sauce, white pepper, and sugar).

Rice cakes cooking with vegetables and sauce.

Stir everything together well, then cover it with a lid and let it cook for 3 minutes. The rice cakes will get nice and soft. Check once to make sure that they don't start to stick together while cooking.

Uncover your wok and give everything a good stir. Return the chicken to the wok and toss everything together to combine. Taste and add more soy sauce to your preference. Top with green onion.

Cooked chicken is tossed into the stir fry.

Serve these Chinese stir fried rice cakes family style - a big serving plate in the middle. And make sure to serve it right away; hot and fresh! The rice cakes need to be hot to stay soft and sticky.

Equipment

Shanghai stir fried rice cakes are traditionally made using a wok, though you could get away with using a large, nonstick skillet with a lid, if necessary.

wok

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A bowl of Shanghai stir fried rice cakes.

Storage

Though best when fresh, you can store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. The rice cakes will harden in the fridge. Reheat in the microwave or in a pan with some oil, making sure to stir occasionally to heat evenly.

Pro Tip

Like all stir fries, once you get started things will move very rapidly. I recommend having all of your ingredients measured and prepped before starting to cook, or at least have them all arranged handily nearby.

Chopsticks lifting a bite of food out of a bowl of Shanghai stir fried rice cakes.

FAQ

What does cornstarch do to chicken?

A layer of cornstarch on the chicken will protect it from the extreme heat of the wok. This allows the chicken to cook more evenly; browning nicely on the outside, yet staying tender and juicy on the inside.

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