2 ways to make crispy and delicious sticky rice chicken using an air fryer, super easy

Rinse the sticky rice

First, rinse the sticky rice you bought 1 – 2 times with water to clean off any remaining dirt, then drain.

Next, put the rinsed sticky rice in a bowl along with 50ml of fresh turmeric juice, use chopsticks to mix well and let it sit for 20 minutes for the turmeric to soak into the sticky rice.

Then, rinse the soaked sticky rice again.

Cook sticky rice

You add all of the prepared sticky rice into the rice cooker along with 1 teaspoon of salt and 100ml of water (just enough to cover the surface of the sticky rice), then switch to the cooking mode.

Once the sticky rice has evenly expanded into a smooth and sticky texture, you turn off the cooker, and use a rice spatula to stir the sticky rice evenly.

Prepare and Marinate Chicken

With 500g of chicken thighs bought, rub some salt over the entire surface of the meat, rinse a few times with clean water, and let it dry.

To allow the chicken thighs to absorb the seasoning more easily, use a knife to make about 2 – 3 cuts on both sides of the chicken thigh.

At the same time, take a bowl and add 1 teaspoon of seasoning, 1/2 teaspoon of ground pepper, 1 teaspoon of fish sauce, 1/4 teaspoon of five-spice powder, 1 teaspoon of chili sauce, and 1/2 teaspoon of oyster sauce, then mix well with a spoon.

Next, place the entire chicken in a bowl along with the mixed sauce, continue to mix well, and let the chicken thighs marinate for about 30 minutes.

Grill the Chicken

After that, arrange the marinated chicken thighs in the air fryer and grill at a temperature of 170 degrees Celsius for 15 – 20 minutes.

Once the chicken thighs are golden brown on both sides, turn off the fryer and take the thighs out onto a plate.

Wrap chicken with sticky rice

You take a sufficient amount of sticky rice and place it on a flat surface like a cutting board, using a rolling pin to roll it out evenly so that the sticky rice is flattened.

Next, you place the chicken thigh in the center of the flattened sticky rice, continue to roll it up so that the chicken is completely wrapped in sticky rice. Keep doing this until all the sticky rice and chicken thighs are used up.

Fried Chicken

To prevent the finished product from sticking to the air fryer, line the bottom of the pot with parchment paper before gradually placing the entire chicken wrapped in sticky rice inside.

Use a brush to evenly spread 1 tablespoon of cooking oil over the sticky rice, then fry at a temperature of 180 degrees Celsius for 15 minutes.

Next, turn the chicken thighs over and brush with another tablespoon of cooking oil, continue frying at 200 degrees Celsius for about 15 minutes.

Once the sticky rice is evenly golden and cooked, turn off the pot and serve the chicken on a plate to enjoy!

Finished Product

Fried sticky rice chicken using an air fryer is really quick, isn’t it? The sticky rice outside has a beautiful golden color from turmeric, and biting into it is incredibly crispy!

Moreover, each piece of chicken is firm and flavorful inside, still deliciously sweet as it was at the beginning, and dipping it in chili sauce is truly exhilarating.

Rinse the rice and cook the sticky rice

First, soak 500g of glutinous rice in cold water overnight, or soak it in warm water for about 3-4 hours. After soaking, rinse the rice thoroughly, drain the water, and add 1 teaspoon of seasoning powder to mix well with the rice.

Next, use a steamer to cook the sticky rice. Pour 1 liter of clean water into the bottom tier of the pot and bring it to a boil.

While waiting for the water to boil, pour the prepared glutinous rice into the steamer and spread it evenly, using your hands to make a few deep holes on the surface of the rice to help the steam escape more easily, ensuring that the rice cooks evenly.

Once the water has boiled, place the steamer in the pot, cover it, and cook over medium heat.

After about 10 – 15 minutes, check if the sticky rice is cooked, then reduce the heat to low and cook for another 10 minutes. Keep the water simmering to steam the rice softer and stickier, which will make it easier to shape the sticky rice around the chicken.

Preparation and marinating chicken

With 500g of chicken after purchasing, you wash it clean and cut it into bite-sized pieces.

You mix the chicken evenly with 1 teaspoon of seasoning powder, 1 teaspoon of ginger powder, 1 teaspoon of onion powder, 1 teaspoon of lemongrass powder, and 1 teaspoon of finely ground chili, then marinate for 30 minutes for the chicken to absorb all the spices evenly.

Steaming and frying chicken

Next, you can prepare the chicken by either steaming or frying it.

If steaming the chicken, use a steaming pot, boil water in the pot, and then place the chicken in steam for 10 minutes. After that, take the chicken out and let it cool.

If frying the chicken, pour 350ml of cooking oil into a deep pan and heat the oil. When the oil is hot, drop the chicken into fry for about 10 minutes over high heat, and when you see the chicken skin turning golden, remove it and let it drain.

Sticky Rice

You take a piece of plastic wrap and lay it flat on the surface of the cutting board or tray. Next, you spread a thin layer of sticky rice over the plastic wrap, place the chicken in the middle, and press the two edges of the sticky rice together to completely wrap the chicken.

You prepare a piece of food wrap and then place the sticky rice bundle inside, using your hands to roll the sticky rice tightly so that the chicken does not leak out, and twist both ends of the food wrap tightly.

Then you put the sticky rice bundle in the freezer refrigerator for about 25 – 30 minutes until the sticky rice hardens, then take it out to fry.

Fried sticky rice with chicken

Take the sticky rice out of the refrigerator, then tear off the plastic wrap and brush a thin layer of oil evenly on all sides of the sticky rice to make it taste better when frying.

Next, preheat the air fryer, place a layer of parchment paper at the bottom of the fryer, then add the sticky rice, set to fry at a temperature of 200 degrees Celsius for 30 minutes.

Every 10 minutes, open the fryer to check and flip the sticky rice once to ensure all sides are fried evenly. When you see the sticky rice is golden brown, you can take it out and enjoy.

Final Product

The chicken wrapped in sticky rice using an air fryer will have an eye-catching golden color, with the fragrant aroma of sticky rice and fried chicken.

When eating, you will notice the crispy, fragrant outer layer, while the sticky rice inside is chewy and rich, and the chicken is cooked just right, marinated with flavorful spices, still hot and retaining the tenderness and sweetness of the meat.

You can dip it in a mixture of lime chili salt, adding a bit of shredded kaffir lime leaves, and it will definitely taste amazing.