“More Pillows please!” This is a common ask when I make rice cake stir-fry at my house, which is becoming more and more common. My kids call them pillows because I like the flat sliced rice cakes that puff up slightly and are soft and chewy (like a pillow). Cooking rice cakes at home is a super-easy dinner idea and one that I wish were more popular in the US.
Let’s dive in and learn more about rice cakes and I’ll give you a super simple sauce you can use to cake them with lots of protein options and variations.
What are rice cakes?
Rice cakes are a common ingredient in Asian kitchens and less common (by a lot) in American kitchens.
Most Americans probably think of rice cakes as the flat, crispy puffed rice snacks that are common as kids’ snacks.
These rice cakes though are something entirely different and take on different shapes. They can be made with rice flour or a mix of rice flour and tapioca flour. While they do come in different shapes, for stir-frying the rice cakes, I like to pick out the sliced version.
These little cakes might look intimidating if you aren’t used to cooking them but they are VERY easy to make. I think they are easier than even pasta and definitely easier than actual rice once you get the hang of it!
Where to buy rice cakes?
You will find a HUGE variety of these in pretty much any Asian market in your area. They are generally in the refrigerated area because they are a fresh product. You can also find them in the frozen section sometimes as well.
I haven’t had luck finding these at many standard US markets, but some higher-end markets like Whole Foods might have a very small variety of rice cakes.
Are rice cakes gluten-free?
To my knowledge, rice cakes are all 100% gluten-free. They don’t use any wheat flour and use a combination of either all rice flour or a mix of rice flour and tapioca flour for a nice, chewy texture.
Different kinds of rice cakes
It can be a little intimidating the first time you see the full assortment of rice cakes in an Asian market. They come in all shapes and sizes from small cakes to round rods. Some cakes are smaller and some are larger.
For steaming, the stick-shaped rice cakes seem to be more popular, but for stir-fry dishes (my preference) the sliced rice cakes are more popular and what I prefer.
Is it better to soak to boil rice cakes?
There are usually instructions on most rice cake packaging for cooking and many times the first instruction involves boiling the rice cakes. I honestly don’t love this preparation because you run the risk of over-cooking the rice cakes which will result in a gummy rice cake.
Instead, I prefer to soak the rice cakes in cold water for 20-30 minutes (or well in advance if you want). This brings them back to life a bit and then, most importantly, you can just stir-fry them with your sauce and they will soften up and be perfect!
In other words, you do NOT need to actually boil the rice cakes if you soak them. They will cook perfectly in the stir-fry skillet.
A simple rice cake sauce
While you don’t need to boil the rice cakes, it does help to stir-fry them in a healthy amount of sauce. These are the ingredients I like to use:
- Broth like beef or chicken broth.
- Soy sauce
- Hoisin or Oyster sauce
- Sesame oil
- Rice vinegar
- Honey or sugar
- Sriracha or chili crisp
I give a basic recipe below for a stir-fry sauce that has more volume than a normal sauce. You will need the extra sauce to bring the rice cakes back to life and you can just simmer them down until they are cooked.
How to cook rice cakes
Once you have soaked your rice cakes, cook any proteins or vegetables you are using in your skillet or wok and then add in your sauce. When the sauce is starting to boil, add in the DRAINED, soaked rice cakes.
It might seem like the rice cakes are rock solid when they go in but when they hit the hot sauce they will start to soften immediately.
After a few minutes of stirring the rice cakes with the sauce, they will start to soften and thicken the sauce. This is what you are looking for!
What to serve with rice cakes?
The nice thing about these rice cakes is that you can serve them with almost any protein or vegetable. I will serve them mixed in with stir-fried chicken, pork, beef, or just a tofu and vegetable mix.
You can also serve them by themself with some scallion, sesame seeds, and chili crisp.
Stir-Fried Rice Cakes
Equipment
- 1 Wok
Ingredients
- 1 pound fresh or frozen rice cakes
- 1 cup chicken, beef, or vegetable stock
- 2 tablespoons soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon hoisin or oyster sauce
- 1 tablespoon sriracha hot sauce
- 1 tablespoon rice wine vinegar
- 2 teaspoons sesame oil
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- Scallions and sesame seeds, garnish
Instructions
- Soak rice cakes for 20 minutes in cold water. Break up the cakes so they don't stick together.
- In a small bowl, whisk together sauce ingredients.
- In a large skillet or wok, cook any other proteins or vegetables you want. Then remove those ingredients and add sauce. When sauce is simmering add drained rice cakes.
- Stir the rice cakes into the sauce as it boils. Simmer cakes for 3-4 minutes until sauce thickens and rice cakes are chewy and soft, but not gummy. Stir in any other ingredients you pre-cooked.
- Serve rice cakes with scallions, sesame seeds, and chili crisp as desired.
