All you need are a few simple ingredients and you can make this Hong Kong style Clay Pot Rice! Simple but delicious, this clay pot rice is beyond flavorful. Plus, the layer of crispy rice on the bottom? This Chinese Clay Pot Rice recipe is beyond irresistible!
Clay pot rice (or 煲仔饭/bo zai fan) was a staple while growing up. It’s definitely one of H’s favourite recipes as it’s the definition of comfort food for it. Everyone has their own way of making theirs, but this is how my family made ours, and I’m excited to share my recipe with you!
Clay pot rice features soaked rice topped with Chinese sausage (lap cheong) and shiitake mushrooms. Sometimes recipes have chicken or cured pork belly as well but I prefer to only use lap cheong and mushrooms. I love making this at home because it’s so disappointing when you order it at a restaurant and after removing the lid…you see that the toppings were lacking. Making it at home means I can load it up to the brim and indulge.
You’ll love how this is a delicious and flavorful recipe that takes one pot to make. Two pots if you want to make a delicious homemade sauce. Trust me, it’s a foolproof recipe worth making!
Ingredients You’ll Need to Make Chinese Clay Pot Rice
- rice — I use jasmine rice.
- lap cheong — this is Chinese pork sausages with a smoky, savoury, sweet but salty flavour.
- mushrooms — I use fresh shiitake mushrooms and recommend you do as well.
- soy sauce — I usually try to use low sodium soy sauce.
- dark soy sauce — dark soy sauce is saltier than light soy sauce but it gives your rice that beautiful dark glaze and has a stronger soy flavour. Skip this is you don’t want the rice to be as salty.
- oyster sauce — don’t worry, while it’s made from oyster extract, it doesn’t taste like oysters! Read more about oyster sauce in my What is Oyster Sauce post.
- sesame oil — use pure seasame oil.
- oil — you’ll need a neutral oil to drizzle over the rice at the end to help crisp up the rice.
- bok choy — this is optional but I like to blanch or steam some baby choy to go with the clay pot rice.
- optional sauce: if you want extra sauce on the side, you’ll need some soy sauce, dark soy sauce, water, and sugar. This isn’t needed but I like having some on the side to drizzle over my baby bok choy.
- Not so much an ingredient but a tool. I use a clay pot (you might find it under “donabe”) to make this clay pot rice. If you do not have one, this recipe can be made in a Dutch oven or even a rice cooker.
How to Make Clay Pot Rice
- Wash the rice and place the rice and water inside the clay pot. Allow it to soak for 1 hour.
- Place the pot over medium heat and bring it to a boil, uncovered. Meanwhile, in a small bowl or measuring cup, combine soy sauce, dark soy sauce, oyster sauce, and sesame oil.
- Once boiled, add the Chinese sausage and mushrooms over the rice and pour the sauce on top. Cover with the lid and lower the heat to low. Simmer for 10 to 15 minutes.
- If using bok choy, blanch the bok choy in boiled water for 1-2 minutes. Drain and run over cold water and set aside.
- After 10 to 15 minutes, open the lid and check to see if the rice has cooked through. Place the lid back on and drizzle oil around the entire lid. If using a dutch oven, simply add the oil to the side of the pot.
- Leave the pot on medium-low for 3 more minutes before removing it from heat.
- Optional: to make a sauce to drizzle over top of the baby boy chok, add the soy sauce, dark soy sauce, water, and sugar to a small saucepan and simmer until the sugar has dissolved.
Recipe Tips and Notes
- If you do not have a clay pot, no problem, use a dutch oven! I use a dutch oven if I want to double the recipe.
- Do not skip soaking the rice. Doing so helps the rice cook quickly and evenly. If you soak the rice for under an hour or more than an hour, you’ll need to adjust your cooking time.
- I like to cut my mushrooms in different ways. Leaving a couple of shiitake mushrooms whole ensures the mushroom stays flavourful. The sliced mushrooms are less flavorful but add mushroom flavour to the rice. Sometimes I cut them in half or quarters as well.
- I have a donabe so I can drizzle the oil over the lid, and it helps the oil evenly run down the side of the pot. If you do not have one, simply drizzle the oil on the side of the pot you’re using. Do not skip this step, as the oil will give you a layer of crispy rice.
- H like his less salty than I like mine, so I usually add a little less dark soy sauce or omit it entirely from the rice.
- If you are using dried shiitake mushrooms, soak them to rehydrate them. If you want to use the water from the mushrooms for the rice, adjust the water added to the rice accordingly.
Make Ahead Tips
- Meal prep: once cooled, store the cooked clay pot rice in an airtight container for up to 4 days in the fridge.
- Reheat: I usually reheat this in the microwave or on the stovetop. You can also reheat this in the rice cooker!
Clay Pot Rice (煲仔饭)
All you need are a few simple ingredients and you can make this Hong Kong style Clay Pot Rice! Simple but delicious, this clay pot rice is beyond flavorful. Plus, the layer of crispy rice on the bottom? It’s beyond addictive!
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Servings: 2 to 3 servings
Ingredients
- 1½ cup jasmine rice
- 1½ cup water
- 1 tbsp soy sauce
- ½ tbsp dark soy sauce
- 1 tbsp oyster sauce
- 1 tbsp sesame oil
- 3-4 Chinese sausage (lap cheong), sliced
- 5-6 fresh shiitake mushrooms, some sliced, some whole
Optional
- 5-6 baby bok choy, cut in half, rinsed
- 2 tbsp soy sauce
- 2 tbsp dark soy sauce
- 2 tbsp sugar
- ½ cup water
Equipment
- Donabe or Dutch oven
Instructions
- Wash the rice and place the rice and water inside the clay pot. Allow it to soak for 1 hour.
- Place the pot over medium heat and bring it to a boil, uncovered. Meanwhile, in a small bowl or measuring cup, combine soy sauce, dark soy sauce, oyster sauce, and sesame oil.
- Once boiled, add the Chinese sausage and mushrooms over the rice and pour the sauce on top. Cover with the lid and lower the heat to low. Simmer for 10 to 15 minutes.
- If using bok choy, blanch the bok choy in boiled water for 1-2 minutes. Drain and run over cold water and set aside.
- After 10 to 15 minutes, open the lid and check to see if the rice has cooked through. Place the lid back on and drizzle oil around the entire lid. If using a dutch oven, simply add the oil to the side of the pot.
- Leave the pot on medium-low for 3 more minutes before removing it from heat.
- Optional: to make a sauce to drizzle over top of the baby boy chok, add the soy sauce, dark soy sauce, water, and sugar to a small saucepan and simmer until the sugar has dissolved.
Tried this recipe?Did you make this recipe? I’m always so happy to hear about it! I’d love to see how it turned out. Tag me at @CarmysHungry on Instagram so I can see it! If you enjoyed the recipe, I’d really appreciate a comment with a 5 star rating! ♥
Nutrition Disclaimer
More Asian Recipes to Try
- Mayak Eggs
- Silken Tofu Recipe
- Korean Cream Cheese Garlic Bread
- Sriracha Fried Rice
- Black Pepper Beef
- Chow Mein
- Yaki Udon
- Salt and Pepper Shrimp
- Chinese Sausage Fried Rice
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