No claypot, but craving Claypot Chicken Rice? Use your rice cooker instead. You’re going to be impressed with how easy and delicious this is!
We have a NEW rice cooker!
When my sister, Nara, and I purchased our first house, our thrifty parents gifted us with a cheap rice cooker. You know which one I’m talking about, right? Yes, that rice cooker with 2 functions, cook and keep warm.
The funny thing is, here we are approximately 10 years later that the rice cooker is still going strong! I’ve never even thought about replacing it.. Heck, it made us rice, which meant no more cooking rice in a pot!
However, I had a reality check when we stayed over at my in-laws’ place a few weekends ago. They made rice the old-fashioned way, in a modest pot. Eating their rice made me realise I’ve forgotten what it’s like to eat perfectly cooked fluffy rice. How on earth did I ever settle for mediocre rice?
When we got home, I couldn’t stop thinking about my rice situation. So what am I to do? Should I go back to basics and use a simple pot too? or do I just stick my old rice cooker out of loyalty? Much to my hubby’s annoyance, I purchased a new (and expensive) rice cooker and took up more space in my kitchen 🤪
My reasons are… it’s not just a rice cooker! This one promised to cook us all kinds of rice perfectly, and it also does slow-cooking, congee and claypot rice. So here Panasonic, take my money!
Rice Cooker Claypot Chicken Rice
After doing a bit of research, I went with a Japanese rice cooker. The Panasonic SR-CN188WST 10-cup multi-function (not sponsored). After cooking jasmine rice and congee a few times, I am happy about its performance so far.
However, I was most excited to experiment with claypot rice dishes. After a few attempts, and adjusting this Claypot Chicken Rice recipe, I have to tell you that this one is a real winner!
What is Claypot Chicken Rice?
Claypot Chicken rice is a much-loved dish found mainly in China and Malaysia. However, countries such as Singapore and Indonesia also adore this dish and have their own versions.
The most common ingredients in Claypot Chicken Rice are chicken, rice, Chinese sausages and rehydrated shiitake mushrooms. It’s traditionally cooked in a claypot over the stove, and if cooked correctly, it’ll have that irresistible crust at the base (think paella).
How does rice cooker Claypot chicken compare to the real thing?
Surprisingly VERY GOOD! Let’s get real, of course, it may not be as good as using a claypot but it doesn’t mean it’s not flavoursome! I’m very impressed with the results and so is my gang of food critic household.
This is like fancy fried rice! Every grain of rice coated in deliciousness from the aromatics (ginger, garlic, rehydrated shiitake mushrooms, sesame oil) and sauces (light and dark soy sauce, oyster sauce, Shaoxing wine). We also have beautifully tender chicken, and let’s not forget about the sweet and chewy Chinese sausages. How could all these combined ingredients go wrong?
Sadly though, even on the claypot setting on my expensive new rice cooker, it could not create a crusty base. However, let’s forgive this because this method is fuss-free and simple! We’re going to have this dish on repeat in the future for sure! A weeknight meal? Yes, it’s possible!
Ingredients for Rice Cooker Claypot Chicken
Jasmine rice – I used Jasmine rice, but any long-grain white rice would also work. Rinse the rice 3 to 4 times or until the water clears. I like my rice-to-water 1:1 ratio using the same cup to measure, but you may wish to adjust the ratio according to your taste or what’s recommended by your rice cooker.
Dried shiitake mushrooms have a deeper flavour and are more fragrant compared to fresh ones. They need to be soaked before using. Supermarkets stock packets of dried shiitake mushrooms in the Asian section, or you’ll find them at an Asian grocer.
Chinese sausage (lap cheong or lap chong) is made from preserved pork. It’s quite fatty with sweet and savoury flavours with a firm and chewy texture. Supermarkets stock packets of Chinese sausages in the Asian section, or you’ll find them at an Asian grocer.
Light soy sauce or regular soy sauce will work, but not dark or sweet soy sauces, as these aren’t interchangeable.
More amazing Asian recipes to try:
Dark soy sauce is mainly used to add colour to a dish. It’s less salty, but sweeter and thicker than regular or light soy sauce.
Oyster sauce adds more depth to the savoury sauce, but it doesn’t have a strong oyster or fishy flavour. It’s actually more salty and sweet in taste. Supermarkets usually have it in their international or ‘sauces’ section.
Shaoxing cooking wine is a Chinese cooking wine, sometimes known as Shao Xing or Shao Hsing. It comprises water, rice, wheat, salt and alcohol. Bottles of Shaoxing wine are cheap to buy from Asian specialty stores and some supermarkets stock them too. Mirin or dry sherry are good substitutes for Shaoxing wine.
Sesame oil (roasted) is very aromatic with a roasted nutty flavour. Supermarkets usually stock sesame oil in the international or cooking oil section of the supermarket.
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How to make Rice Cooker Claypot Chicken Rice
Step-by-step guide with photos
Soak the mushrooms – For the best flavour, soak the dried mushrooms in cold water, then cover and leave overnight at room temperature. If you don’t have time, soak mushrooms in boiling water for 20 to 40 minutes. For both methods, add some weight, like a small plate or bowl, to hold the mushrooms down or they’ll float to the top. The mushrooms should look soft and plump after soaking.
Chop the chicken into small bite-sized pieces and place them in a large bowl along with the marinade ingredients. Leave to marinate for 15 minutes at room temperature. Slice the sausages thinly and rinse the rice 3 to 4 times or until the water clears. Get rid of as much water as you can on the last rinse.
Heat oil in a large deep frying pan or wok over high heat, then add the sausages. Stir-fry them for 1 to 2 minutes or until they look translucent. Optional – remove the sausages from the pan. Place in the garlic and ginger and stir-fry quickly for 1 minute or until fragrant, then add the sausage, mushroom, and chicken, including all the marinade. Stir-fry until the chicken has cooked.
Reduce the heat to low, then pour in the water, then add rice, sesame oil, sugar, salt and pepper. Stir to combine. Remove from heat and carefully transfer the mixture into the rice cooker bowl. If your rice has a clay pot setting, select this function. If not, select jasmine rice or the white rice setting. Once cooked, allow the chicken rice to rest in the cooker for 10 minutes. Fluff up the rice, then stir in the spring onions before serving.
Leftovers:
Allow the Claypot Chicken Rice to cool completely at room temperature, then transfer into a sealed container and store in the fridge for up to 3 days.
I’ve used a third-party application to calculate the calories and nutritional information, so please use this as an approximate guide only.
Cooking measurements are in Australian standard spoon and cup measurements. For specific details and conversions, visit our Australian Cooking Measurements page.
I would love your feedback and support if you made this recipe. To do this, please rate this recipe and provide a comment by scrolling down this page or by clicking that green circle on the bottom left. An email address is required (for spam) but it won’t be published). I would also love to see your dish, so don’t forget to tag me on my Instagram account ‘3catsfoodie’
Cheers – Cat T
Claypot Chicken Rice (easy rice cooker method)
Video
Ingredients
- 4 dried shiitake mushrooms (soaked, drained, sliced into strips) (NOTE 1)
- ⅓ cup peanut oil (or vegetable/ canola oil)
- 2 Chinese sausages (sliced thinly) (NOTE 2)
- 4 garlic cloves (minced)
- 2 tsp minced ginger
- 2 cup water (500ml / 17floz)
- 2 cup Jasmine rice (450gm / 16oz) (NOTE 3)
- 1 tsp sesame oil (NOTE 4)
- 1 tsp white sugar
- 1 tsp salt
- ½ tsp ground black pepper
- ⅓ cup thinly sliced spring onions (scallions, green onions)
CHICKEN AND MARINADE
- 500gm / 1.1lb chicken thighs (skinless & boneless, chopped into bite sized cubes)
- 1 tbsp light soy sauce (NOTE 5)
- 1 tbsp dark soy sauce (NOTE 6)
- 1 tbsp oyster sauce (NOTE 7)
- 1 tbsp Shaoxing cooking wine (NOTE 8)
Instructions
- Soak the mushrooms – For the best flavour, soak the dried mushrooms in cold water, then cover and leave overnight at room temperature. If you don't have time, soak mushrooms in boiling water for 20 to 40 minutes. For both methods, add some weight, like a small plate or bowl, to hold the mushrooms down or they'll float to the top. The mushrooms should look soft and plump after soaking.
- Chop the chicken into small bite-sized pieces and place them in a large bowl along with the marinade ingredients. Leave to marinate for 15 minutes at room temperature. Slice the sausages thinly and rinse the rice 3 to 4 times or until the water runs clear. Get rid of as much water as you can on the last rinse.
- Heat oil in a large deep frying pan or wok over high heat, then add the sausages. Stir-fry them for 1 to 2 minutes or until they look translucent. Optional – remove the sausages from the pan. Place in the garlic and ginger and stir-fry quickly for 1 minute or until fragrant, then add the sausage, mushroom, and chicken, including all the marinade. Stir-fry until the chicken has cooked.
- Reduce the heat to low, then pour in the water, then add rice, sesame oil, sugar, salt and pepper. Stir to combine. Remove from heat and carefully transfer the mixture into the rice cooker bowl. If your rice has a clay pot setting, select this function. If not, select jasmine rice or the white rice setting. Once cooked, allow the chicken rice to rest in the cooker for 10 minutes. Fluff up the rice, then stir in the spring onions before serving.
