Sesame Oil Chicken Sticky Rice

As the weather turns cooler, it's the perfect time to make Taiwanese Sesame Oil Chicken Sticky Rice (麻油雞油飯)! This traditional Taiwanese dish combines black sesame oil, aged ginger, shiitake mushrooms, and chicken thighs for a rich, savory aroma. Steamed long-grain glutinous rice is gently mixed with the flavorful chicken and rice wine sauce, bringing together the fragrant aromas of sesame oil, ginger, and rice wine. The result is a deliciously savory, aromatic, and chewy sticky rice dish.

In this recipe, the glutinous rice is steamed separately before being mixed with the sesame oil chicken sauce. The sauce is slightly reduced to prevent the rice from becoming too soft or mushy. Finally, the rice rests covered for about 10 minutes, allowing the flavors to fully absorb while keeping the grains distinct, fragrant, and pleasantly chewy.

For a stronger rice wine flavor, you can use all rice wine or follow the rice wine and shiitake soaking liquid ratio shown in the video. For a milder flavor, simply reduce the rice wine and make up the difference with additional shiitake soaking liquid and water. Either way, the dish remains wonderfully aromatic and flavorful.

Simple, hearty, and full of nostalgic Taiwanese flavors, this Sesame Oil Chicken Sticky Rice is a traditional Taiwanese home-style favorite.

Watch step by step recipe video below:

Ingredients

8–10 dried shiitake mushrooms
60 g aged ginger
10 g dried goji berries
3 Tbsp black sesame oil

Seasonings
180 ml (¾ cup) rice wine
60 ml (¼ cup) shiitake soaking liquid
1 Tbsp soy sauce
1 Tbsp thick soy sauce (soy paste)
¼ – ½ tsp salt, to taste
1 tsp rock sugar

Tips

Pre-soaking the rice ensures more even cooking and helps prevent from sticking to the pot or remaining undercooked in the center.
Rendering chicken fat adds richness and depth of flavor to sesame oil chicken sticky rice.
Gentle heating the sesame oil preserves its aroma and prevents bitterness.
A lightly concentrated sauce prevents steamed glutinous rice from absorbing excess liquid and becoming overly soft or mushy.
Hot rice absorbs sauce more evenly and helps maintain serving temperature.
Avoid crushing grains to maintain their distinct texture.
Resting allows glutinous rice to absorb flavors fully while maintaining its pleasantly chewy, springy texture without becoming mushy.

Method

1. Preparation Soak Glutinous Rice - Rinse long-grain glutinous rice thoroughly. Add enough water to cover and soak for 4–6 hours, or refrigerate overnight. Drain well before steaming. Shiitake Mushrooms - Soak dried shiitake mushrooms until softened, then thinly slice. Reserve 60 ml of the soaking liquid. Chicken - Debone chicken thighs, keeping the skin on. Cut into approximately 3–4 cm (1¼–1½ inch) pieces. Ginger - Rinse aged ginger and cut into thin slices. Goji Berries - Rinse and drain. No extended soaking is needed.
2. Steam Glutinous Rice Spread soaked and drained glutinous rice evenly in a steamer lined with steaming cloth. Once water comes to a boil, place the steamer over boiling water. Steam over medium-high heat for 30–35 minutes, or until rice is fully cooked. Keep rice warm until ready to mix with sesame oil chicken sauce.
3. Render Chicken Fat Place chicken thigh pieces skin-side down in a dry wok over medium-low heat. Cook slowly for 3–5 minutes to render chicken fat. Once skin turns lightly golden and chicken surfaces turn opaque, remove and set aside.
4. Sauté Ginger and Shiitake Mushrooms Add sliced ginger to rendered chicken fat. Sauté over medium-low heat until fragrant. Pour in 3 Tbsp black sesame oil and continue cooking over medium-low heat, allowing ginger and sesame oil aromas to blend. Add sliced shiitake mushrooms and stir-fry until fragrant. Tip: Avoid heating black sesame oil over high heat for extended periods, as it may develop a bitter taste.
5. Add Chicken and Seasonings Return chicken to pan. Add soy sauce, thick soy sauce (soy paste), salt, and rock sugar. Stir-fry gently until chicken and mushrooms are evenly coated with seasonings.
6. Add Rice Wine and Shiitake Liquid Pour in 180 ml (¾ cup) rice wine and 60 ml (¼ cup) shiitake soaking liquid. Bring to a gentle simmer over medium heat for 1–2 minutes. Reduce to medium-low heat and simmer gently for another 6–8 minutes, until chicken is fully cooked and sauce has slightly reduced. Allow sesame oil, ginger, rice wine, and chicken flavors to blend. Do not reduce sauce completely. Leave approximately half of the sauce, keeping it fluid enough to mix evenly with steamed glutinous rice. Before removing from heat, ensure chicken reaches an internal temperature of 74°C (165°F).
7. Mix in Steamed Glutinous Rice Turn off heat. Add freshly steamed, hot glutinous rice to sesame oil chicken sauce. Using residual heat, gently fold rice into sauce with a rice paddle until every grain is evenly coated. Allow rice to absorb rich aromas of sesame oil, aged ginger, rice wine, and chicken.
8. Add Goji Berries Add rinsed and drained goji berries. Gently fold into rice until evenly distributed.
9. Cover and Rest Cover wok with a lid and let rice rest for 10 minutes using residual heat. This allows flavors and aromas to blend and develop further. Remove the lid, gently fluff rice, and serve warm.