Eggs aren’t just for breakfast! This delicious Garlic Rice with Fried Egg is made with sticky rice, a sweet soy drizzle, crispy fried garlic, and a sunny-side up egg on top. Break the yolk and mix everything together for delicious spoonfuls of savory, flavorful rice that makes a wonderful and different dinner from the norm!
We love eggs! They are so good and we use them almost every day. Some of our other favorite dishes that celebrate eggs are Eggs Benedict, Classic Egg Salad Recipe, and Green Chili Egg Casserole!
Right after law school, I went to work for a big law firm in California’s Silicon Valley doing corporate litigation. It was an exciting time and I enjoyed my job, even if I ultimately gave it up to stay home with our kids. Besides the work and my colleagues, one thing I miss from practicing law is the food! We use to go out to amazing restaurants for lunch and it was one of my favorite perks of the job.
Nowadays when my husband, who practices law at a firm in San Francisco, calls me after a lunch at a fancy restaurant while I’m at home eating leftovers (if I’m lucky) or a PB&J with my Kindergartner, I sometimes daydream about all the amazing meals I used to get to eat at nice restaurants during my time as a litigator. Like this delicious garlic sticky rice with a fried egg. This dish was inspired by my favorite menu item from Tamarine, a popular Vietnamese-fusion restaurant in Palo Alto, California, where they call it “Empress Rice”.
How to Make Garlic Rice with Fried Eggs
The sticky rice gets mounded in the center of a plate or bowl then sprinkled with crispy fried garlic. If you’ve never had fried garlic before, it adds major flavor and texture to this simple dish and a little goes a long way. I also like to sprinkle on a bunch of cilantro and green onions and drizzle a sweet soy glaze over the whole thing.
But the real star of the show is the fried egg on top. Not only does it make a beautiful presentation, but the runny yolk sort of sauces the dish as you break into it. I recommend mixing everything together with a spoon so each bite has some of that rich egg yolk in it. It’s so good!
I’m happy to represent the California Pacific Egg and Poultry Association since we love to eat eggs so much. And adding eggs to dinner is a really nutritious option since just one large egg boasts six grams of high-quality protein, with no sugar and zero carbs, for just 70 calories. California is home to more than 14.5 million egg-laying hens who lay about 4.3 billion eggs each year! California egg farmers know that happy hens lay healthy eggs! The state’s egg farmers are committed to providing excellent care for their hens, including constant access to fresh food and water and safe, comfortable housing in temperature-controlled barns.
What is Sticky Rice?
Sticky rice is different from regular white rice and this recipe really just isn’t the same without it. It’s not the same as mushy, overcooked rice.
Sticky rice is prepared differently from regular rice and it is actually a specific type of rice known by a few different names – sweet rice, glutinous rice, or sticky rice. You can find it in the grocery store in the Asian food aisle or the rice section under any of those labels.
Without getting into all the science, the reason sticky rice is sticky is because it lacks one of the starches that most other rices have, which makes the grains of sticky rice stick together when cooked.
How to make sticky rice
Sticky rice is traditionally steamed, not boiled, but we can get around that by first soaking the sticky rice before cooking it. Soak 2 cups of sticky rice in a medium saucepan with 3 ½ cups of room temperature water for at least 30 minutes and up to 4 hours before cooking.
Then stir in the salt and place on the stovetop over high heat. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat to medium-low and partially cover the pot with a lid set at a slight angle to vent some of the steam. Simmer without stirring for 10-15 minutes until all of the liquid has been absorbed. Remove from heat and cover securely with the lid to steam the rice for another 10 minutes.
If you want to try steaming the sticky rice the traditional way, I explain how in my post about mango sticky rice, which you should definitely also try!
How to Make Fried Garlic Chips
You are going to want to make these fried garlic chips over and over again. Not only are they delicious in this garlic rice, but they are perfect salad toppers or on baked potatoes as well! The most important thing to remember is that garlic will burn quickly so you want to watch it carefully. I usually do 9-12 cloves of garlic at a time and save any leftovers in a ziploc bag in the fridge for a week or two to use in other things.
To make fried garlic chips, add the garlic to cold oil in a small skillet. Place over medium heat. Cook, stirring frequently, just until the garlic begins to turn a light golden brown. Don’t let it burn! It should take just about 3 minutes. Remove from the heat and immediately transfer the garlic to a plate lined with paper towel to absorb excess oil using a slotted spoon.
How to Fry an Egg
Frying a sunny-side up egg is a little trickier than over-easy eggs since you want to cook the whites without getting a cloudy film over the top of the bright yellow yolk that is the hallmark of a perfectly cooked sunny-side up egg.
The best way to fry sunny-side eggs is to melt butter in a non-stick skillet over medium heat. Then carefully crack the eggs into the pan and immediately reduce the heat to medium-low. Cover with a tight-fitting lid and cook for 2 ½ to 3 minutes, just until the whites are set but the yolk is still runny and has not clouded over. Season with salt and pepper.
I like to scoop the sticky rice with a rounded measuring cup to create a nice presentation on individual plates. Then sprinkle it with the fried garlic, cilantro, green onions, and drizzle with a sweet soy glaze. Finally, take your perfectly fried sunny-side up eggs and place them over mounds of the cooked sticky rice and dig in! I know you’ll love it!
More of the Egg Recipes That Aren’t Just for Breakfast
- Smoked Salmon Scrambled Eggs
- Peppery Scrambled Macaroni & Eggs
- Green Chili Egg Casserole
- Deviled Egg Potato Salad
- Bacon Green Onion Deviled Eggs
Did you make this recipe?
Let me know what you thought with a comment and rating below. You can also take a picture and tag me on Instagram @houseofnasheats or share it on the Pinterest pin so I can see.
Garlic Rice with Fried Egg
Ingredients
- 2 cups uncooked sticky rice
- 3 1/2 cups water
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 9 cloves garlic chopped
- 1/4 cup canola oil
- 4 eggs
- 2 Tablespoons salted butter
- 1/4 cup chopped fresh cilantro
- 1/4 cup chopped green onions
- 1/4 cup soy glaze
Instructions
- Prepare sticky rice by soaking the rice and water in a medium saucepan for at least 30 minutes and up to 4 hours. Stir in the salt, then place on the stovetop over high heat. Bring to a boil, reduce the heat to medium-low and partially cover the pot with a lid set at a slight angle to vent some of the steam. Simmer without stirring for 10-15 minutes until all of the liquid has been absorbed. Remove from heat and cover securely with the lid to steam the rice for another 10 minutes.
- Meanwhile, add the oil and garlic to a small skillet, then place over medium heat. Cook, stirring frequently, just until the garlic begins to turn a light golden brown, about 3 minutes. Remove from heat immediately and transfer the garlic to a plate lined with paper towel using a slotted spoon.
- Fry the eggs sunny-side up by melting butter in a non-stick skillet over medium heat. Crack the eggs into the pan, then immediately reduce the heat to medium-low. Cover with a tight-fitting lid and cook for 2 ½ to 3 minutes, just until the whites are set but the yolk is still runny and has not clouded over. Season with salt and pepper.
- Pile 1 cup of sticky rice on each plate, then sprinkle with the crispy fried garlic, chopped cilantro, and green onions. Drizzle with soy glaze, then top each mound of rice with a sunny-side up egg. Serve immediately. The yolks will combine with the soy glaze to create a sort of sauce for the rice when you break up the egg with a spoon.
Great taste and simple to make. Used regular steamed rice instead and enjoyed the meal. Thank you and recommending the dish to friends.
Hi Amy! Thank you SO much for this recipe. I have been craving Tamarine’s empress rice for so long and I have been meaning to take a stab at making it myself, so I am so glad I came across your recipe. Can’t wait to try it!
I hope you think this does it justice!