Vietnamese Sticky Rice Fried Rice with Caramelized Pork Belly
Caramelized Pork Belly Fried Rice.
If you like fried rice that’s chewy, crispy around the edges, loaded with flavor, and never dry, this is how we make it in our house.
Every Vietnamese family has their own version of fried rice, and this is ours.
The difference is that instead of using leftover jasmine rice, my mom makes hers with sweet sticky rice. It gives the fried rice an almost bouncy, chewy texture while the rice touching the pan gets golden and crispy.
And the best part? You don’t need a rice cooker.
The uncooked sticky rice gets soaked first, then cooked directly in the pan by adding small splashes of water as it fries. It takes a little patience, but that’s exactly what creates the texture.
We usually serve it with my mom’s simple caramelized pork belly, vegetables, lots of scallions, and a little CHIN-SU Chili Sauce for heat.
Why Sticky Rice?
Most fried rice recipes start with previously cooked rice, but my mom has always done this version a little differently.
Sweet rice — also called sticky rice or glutinous rice — has more chew than regular long-grain rice. As it cooks in the pan, the outside starts to crisp while the inside stays soft and chewy.
Instead of boiling it first, you slowly cook the soaked rice by adding just a little water at a time.
Think of it almost like making risotto — except instead of keeping everything creamy, you’re letting the pan dry out between each splash of water so the rice has a chance to fry.
That’s the trick.
Vietnamese Sticky Rice Fried Rice
Serves: 2–3
Prep time: Overnight soaking
Cook time: About 25–30 minutes
Ingredients
For the Sticky Rice
1 cup sweet rice / glutinous rice
Water, for soaking
1–2 tablespoons light olive oil, divided (or any neutral oil)
½–1 cup mixed vegetables, optional
(peas, carrots, green beans and corn work well)1 cup cooked protein, such as caramelized pork belly
2 scallions, thinly sliced
CHIN-SU Chili Sauce, for serving
Fried Rice Sauce
2 tablespoons light soy sauce
1 tablespoon oyster sauce
1 teaspoon sugar
1 tablespoon sesame oil
1 teaspoon CHIN-SU Fish Sauce
1 teaspoon CHIN-SU Chili Sauce
Make the Fried Rice Sauce
In a small bowl, combine the light soy sauce, oyster sauce, sugar, sesame oil, CHIN-SU Fish Sauce and CHIN-SU Chili Sauce.
Stir until the sugar has mostly dissolved and set aside.
You may not need every drop of the sauce depending on how strongly seasoned you like your fried rice, so add it gradually.
Soak the Sticky Rice
Place 1 cup sweet rice in a bowl and cover generously with water.
Let the rice soak overnight.
When you’re ready to cook, drain the rice very well. You want to remove as much excess water as possible before it goes into the pan.
Cook the Sticky Rice
Heat a large skillet or wok over medium to medium-high heat.
Add a small amount of light olive oil, followed by the drained sticky rice.
Stir-fry the rice continuously for several minutes until the surface begins to dry out and the grains start sticking slightly to the pan.
Now add a small splash of water — just enough to create some steam without covering the rice.
Continue stirring and cooking until all of the water has evaporated and the pan looks dry again.
Then add another splash.
Continue this process:
Splash of water → let it absorb → fry until dry → repeat.
Keep doing this for roughly 20 minutes, or until the sticky rice is completely cooked and pleasantly chewy.
Taste a few grains as you go. If the center is still hard, add another splash of water and continue cooking.
The goal is tender, chewy rice with some golden, crispy bits developing around the edges.
Season the Fried Rice
Once the rice is cooked, drizzle a little light olive oil around the outside edge of the pan.
Let the rice fry for another minute or two so some of the bottom becomes lightly crisp.
Drizzle in some of the prepared fried rice sauce and toss everything together.
Start with about half of the sauce, taste, and add more as needed.
Add your optional thawed vegetables and cooked protein.
Continue stir-frying until everything is hot and evenly coated.
Finish with plenty of sliced fresh scallions.
Mom’s Caramelized Pork Belly
This is one of our favorite proteins to add to the fried rice. The pork belly gets browned first, then seasoned with garlic, onion, fish sauce and caramel until it becomes savory, slightly sweet and deeply browned.
Ingredients
8 ounces pork belly
1 teaspoon light olive oil
1 garlic clove, minced
2 tablespoons finely chopped onion
Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
1–2 teaspoons CHIN-SU Fish Sauce, or to taste
1–2 teaspoons Vietnamese caramel sauce, or enough to give the pork a deep caramel color
1 scallion, sliced
Sliced red chili, optional
Prepare the Pork Belly
Cut the pork belly into approximately 1-inch-wide strips, then cut across the strips to make roughly 1-inch pieces.
Heat a skillet over medium-high heat with a small amount of oil.
Add the pork belly and stir-fry until it begins rendering its fat and developing some golden color.
Add the garlic and onion and continue cooking until fragrant.
Season with freshly ground black pepper and CHIN-SU Fish Sauce.
Add a small amount of caramel sauce and toss everything together until the pork belly develops a rich brown caramelized color.
Continue cooking until the pork is cooked through and lightly crisp around the edges.
Turn off the heat and toss in sliced scallions and, if you like, a few slices of fresh red chili.
Put It All Together
Once the sticky rice is cooked and seasoned, add the caramelized pork belly directly to the pan.
Add your vegetables, if using, and toss everything together over medium-high heat.
Let the fried rice sit against the hot pan for short periods between tossing so you get those crispy golden pieces.
Finish with fresh scallions.
Plate the fried rice and add about 1 tablespoon of CHIN-SU Chili Sauce over the top — or serve it on the side — for a little extra heat, color and tang.
Mom’s Tips
Soak the rice overnight.
A long soak helps the sticky rice cook evenly once it hits the pan.
Don’t add too much water at once.
You’re not boiling the rice. Add only small splashes and wait until the pan is dry before adding more.
Let the rice stick a little.
That’s how you develop the crispy pieces. You don’t want it burning, but you also don’t need to constantly scrape every grain from the pan.
Add the sauce gradually.
Sticky rice absorbs seasoning differently than regular fried rice. Add some, taste, and adjust.
Use whatever protein you have.
The caramelized pork belly is our family favorite, but chicken, shrimp, Chinese sausage or leftover grilled meat would all work.
Don’t skip the scallions.
That fresh onion flavor at the end balances all the rich, savory flavors in the fried rice.
Vietnamese Sticky Rice Fried Rice — Quick Recipe
1. Soak 1 cup sweet rice in water overnight and drain well.
2. Mix soy sauce, oyster sauce, sugar, sesame oil, CHIN-SU Fish Sauce and CHIN-SU Chili Sauce.
3. Stir-fry the drained rice until it begins to dry and stick slightly.
4. Add a small splash of water and cook until completely absorbed.
5. Repeat for about 20 minutes, until the rice is tender and chewy.
6. Add a little oil around the edge of the pan and let some of the rice crisp.
7. Add the fried rice sauce to taste.
8. Toss in vegetables and caramelized pork belly.
9. Finish with fresh scallions.
10. Serve with a spoonful of CHIN-SU Chili Sauce for extra heat and color.