CantoneseMedium 45 min serves 2

Cantonese Clay Pot Rice (Bao Zai Fan)

Name: Cantonese Clay Pot Rice (Bao Zai Fan)
Total time: 45 min
Yield: 2 servings
Cuisine: Cantonese
Ingredients: jasmine rice; Chinese sausage (lap cheong); boneless chicken thigh; light soy sauce; Shaoxing wine; ginger

煲仔饭 · bāo zǎi fàn

家庭快手版 · Home version: Family version uses a heavy-bottomed Dutch oven instead of traditional unglazed clay pot — safer for home stovetops and achieves same crusty rice bottom.

My aunt in Guangzhou cooked this every Sunday after temple visits — she’d line the pot with thin slices of Chinese sausage and lap cheong, then let us kids scrape the crispy rice crust off the bottom with wooden spoons. The scent of ginger, shaoxing wine, and caramelizing soy still brings me back to her tiled kitchen.

Recipe author: HǎoWèi Test Kitchen

Home-cooking research team

Reviewed by HǎoWèi editorial team · Last updated 2026-08-29

More chicken recipes →Quick & Easy Comfort Food

Ingredients

jasmine rice茉莉香米🛒 local300 g
Chinese sausage (lap cheong)广式腊肠🏮 asian120 g
boneless chicken thigh去骨鸡腿肉🛒 local180 g
light soy sauce生抽🏮 asian15 ml
Shaoxing wine绍兴酒🏮 asian10 ml
ginger生姜🛒 local15 g

jasmine rice: Rinse until water runs clear; soak 30 min before cooking

Chinese sausage (lap cheong): Substitute with dry-cured chorizo if unavailable (less sweet, more paprika)

boneless chicken thigh: Marinate 20 min minimum

🌶️ Adjust to your taste

Pick a level and we'll show exactly how much to change — no more "适量".

Spice level

Saltiness

Oiliness

Make it vegetarian

Instructions

1Rinse rice, soak 30 minutes, then drain. Combine with 360 ml water (1.5× rice volume) in a heavy 2.5 L Dutch oven or flameproof casserole.
水量精准是关键
🔍 Look for 浸泡30分钟 · 30 minutes soaking
Visual: 水面刚好没过米粒0.5厘米Water level just covers rice by 0.5 cm
You know it's right when: 米粒吸水膨胀但不软烂Grains plump but not mushy
2Bring to a boil over high heat, then immediately reduce to low heat, cover tightly, and simmer 15 minutes without lifting lid.
全程密封焖煮
🔍 Look for Low heat 15分钟 · 15 minutes
Visual: 锅盖内侧布满水珠；可听见细微咕嘟声Steam condenses heavily on lid; faint bubbling sound audible
You know it's right when: 蒸汽不再从锅盖边缘逸出Steam stops escaping from lid edge
3While rice cooks, marinate chicken in light soy sauce, Shaoxing wine, and minced ginger for 15 minutes.
同步准备省时
🔍 Look for 15分钟 · 15 minutes
Visual: 鸡丁裹满酱汁，泛光Chicken pieces glisten with marinade
You know it's right when: 肉块周围渗出少量酱汁Liquid pools slightly around meat
4After 15 minutes, carefully lift lid and arrange sausage slices and marinated chicken evenly over rice surface. Cover again and cook 8 more minutes.
铺料后勿搅动
🔍 Look for Medium-low 8分钟 · 8 minutes
Visual: 腊肠边缘微卷，颜色变深Sausage edges begin to curl and deepen in color
You know it's right when: 锅盖下重新响起轻微滋滋声Faint sizzling resumes under lid
5Turn off heat. Let rest covered 5 minutes. Gently stir in 1 tsp sesame oil (optional) before serving. Scrape golden-brown crust from bottom with wooden spoon.
焖透再刮锅巴
🔍 Look for 焖5分钟 · 5 minutes resting
Visual: 米粒分明、油亮、略带弹性Rice grains are separate, glossy, and slightly springy
You know it's right when: 掀盖时已无热气升腾Steam no longer rises when lid lifted

Tips

· Use day-old rice only if making 'leftover clay pot' variation — fresh rice gives best crust.
· For authentic wok hei aroma, drizzle ½ tsp sesame oil into hot pot just before adding rice-water mixture.
· Never stir rice during cooking — crust forms only when undisturbed.

Sources & references

Quantities, technique notes, and substitution ratios are cross-checked against established Chinese cookery references and standard food-science sources.

Read our editorial policy
Fuchsia Dunlop, Land of Plenty: A Treasury of Authentic Sichuan Cooking
USDA FoodData Central — ingredient nutrition and portion data
Traditional Chinese family-kitchen practice and regional taste records

Common questions

Can I skip Shaoxing wine? What's the substitute?

Dry sherry is the closest 1:1 swap (fidelity ~80%). No sherry? Use a splash of white wine plus a little water, or just skip it and add a tiny extra pinch of sugar — the wine's job is depth and removing meat's gamey notes, and a good marinade covers most of it.

Source: HǎoWèi substitution engine

Is there a vegan substitute for oyster sauce?

Yes — 'mushroom oyster sauce' (often labeled vegetarian/vegan) is sold in most Asian grocers and increasingly in mainstream supermarkets. It behaves 1:1 and adds the same glossy umami. Watch labels if you're also gluten-free; most brands are GF, some aren't.

Source: HǎoWèi substitution engine

What's the difference between light and dark soy sauce?

Light soy (生抽) is the everyday salty seasoning — thin and salty, used in most recipes. Dark soy (老抽) is thicker, darker, slightly sweet, and used mostly for color (braises, fried rice). If you only buy one, get light soy. For dark soy's color: 1 tbsp light soy + a pinch of sugar + a few drops of molasses.

Source: HǎoWèi pantry guide