Hainanese Chicken Rice

Setting you up for success – Tips & Tricks

• Use a high-quality chicken: The chicken is the star of the dish, so it’s important to use a good-quality bird. Look for a chicken that is free-range or organic if possible.
• Don’t forget the sauces: They are the best part in my opinion. The red sweet chili is basically a Chinese hot sauce that is a flavour punch!
• The seasoning of the stock is crucial: If your stock isn’t properly seasoned, the chicken, rice or sauces will be bland! Ensure a flavourful stock, taste it after cooking the chicken – it should be strongly savoury. If it tastes weak, add a little salt, stock powder or MSG.
• Want extra flavour- add more chicken: You can add more chicken pieces with meat or carcasses to add flavour to your stock.
• Poach the chicken slowly & don’t overcook: To ensure the chicken is moist and tender, it’s important to poach it slowly over low heat. This will also help to create a flavourful broth for cooking the rice. Simmering for 45 minutes will result in chicken meat that is pale pink in colour and pink bones. If the bones are brown or grey, it means the chicken is overcooked and will be dry. While still edible, for the best flavour and texture, keep an eye on the meat.
• Use a meat thermometer to ensure that the chicken is fully cooked. The internal temperature should be at least 75°C/165°F.
• Let the rice rest: Once the rice is cooked, it’s important to let it sit, covered for at least 5-10 minutes before fluffing it with a fork. This will help to ensure that the rice has absorbed all the remaining liquid.
• Make the sauces ahead of time: The red sweet chilli sauce and green sauces can be made ahead of time and stored in the fridge until needed. This will save you time on the day of cooking and let the flavours meld.
• Serve the dish warm: This Hainanese chicken recipe is best served warm, so make sure to serve it as soon as it’s ready.
• Garnish with fresh herbs and condiments: The dish can be garnished with fresh herbs like cilantro or parsley, as well as condiments like sliced cucumber, deep-fried shallots, and kecap manis. This adds an extra layer of flavour and texture to the dish.

1. The chicken is not cooked through: If you find that the chicken is not cooked through after the poaching time, you can simply return it to the pot and continue cooking until it is done. Alternatively, you can use a meat thermometer to ensure that the internal temperature of the chicken reaches at least 75°C/165°F.
2. The rice is too mushy: If the rice is too mushy, it may be because you added too much water. Make sure to measure the water precisely and adjust accordingly for the next time. Also, try to avoid stirring the rice too much during cooking as this can break up the grains and make the rice mushy.
3. The rice is too dry: If the rice is too dry, it may be because you didn’t add enough water. Try adding a bit more water and adjusting the cooking time accordingly. Also, make sure to fluff the rice with a fork before serving to ensure that the grains are separated.
4. The sauces are too spicy/salty/sweet: If you find that the sauces are too spicy, salty, or sweet, you can adjust the seasoning to your liking. Simply add more sugar or vinegar to balance out the flavours. You can also dilute the sauces with a bit of water if they are too strong.

Hainanese Chicken Rice

Servings 4 Servings

A beloved dish in Southeast Asia. Tender poached chicken served with fragrant rice cooked in chicken broth, chilli sauce and spring onion/scallion oil. The dish is flavourful yet subtle, with a focus on the quality chicken and the amazing sauces (my favourite!!). A comfort chicken & rice that will wow you!

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Prep Time 30 minutes mins

Cook Time 1 hour hr 20 minutes mins

Total Time 1 hour hr 50 minutes mins

Ingredients

 

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The Chicken

• 1½-2 kgs (3-4 lb) whole chicken
• 6 cloves garlic roughly chopped
• 8 thick slices ginger
• 6 stalks spring onion/scallion cut into quarters
• 1 tbsp sesame oil
• 2 tbsp shaoxing chinese cooking wine
• 2 tbsp light soy sauce
• 1 tsp salt

The Rice

• 2 tbsp neutral flavoured oil rice bran, canola or peanut
• 2 cloves garlic minced
• 3 thick slices ginger
• 400 g (2 cups) long grain rice basmati or jasmine
• 1 tsp salt
• 2 ½-3 cups (2½-3 cups) chicken stock (from poaching chicken)
• 1 tsp chicken stock powder or msg optional

The Red Sauce

• 3-4 long red chillies roughly sliced
• 3 cloves garlic minced
• 80 mls (⅓ cups) white vinegar
• 80 g (⅓ cups) white sugar
• ½ tsp salt
• 2-3 tbsp chicken stock (from poaching chicken)

The Green Sauce

• 2-3 stalks spring onion/scallion finely sliced
• 1½-2 tbsp ginger finely grated or sliced
• 1 tsp salt
• ⅔ cup neutral flavoured oil rice bran, canola or peanut

Serving

• cucumber sliced
• spring onion finely sliced
• kecap manis

Instructions

• Trim the fat and skin surrounding the inner part of the chicken cavity and set aside for the rice. 
• Place the chicken in a large pot and fill it with enough water to cover the chicken completely.
• Add the garlic, ginger, spring onions, sesame oil, Shaoxing wine, light soy, and salt to the pot. Bring the water to a boil over high heat, then reduce the heat to low. Let the chicken simmer very gently for 45-50 minutes or until the internal temperature of the chicken reaches 75°C/165°F. Skim any frothy impurities from the surface of the stock as it cooks.
• When the chicken is nearly done cooking, taste the stock to see if it is sufficiently seasoned. It should taste like a strong savoury chicken stock. If it tastes weak, add a little more salt. You can also boost with chicken stock powder, a little fish sauce, or some MSG to boost the umami flavour. See notes above for tips.
• In a separate saucepan, heat the oil over medium heat. Fry the reserved chicken fat and skin until the fat renders/melts down and it is about half the size. Add the garlic and ginger and fry until fragrant, about 1-2 minutes. Add the rice and salt and stir to coat the rice with the oil.
• Steal 2½ cups of the chicken stock and bring the mixture to a boil over high heat. Reduce the heat to low and cover the pot with a tight-fitting lid. Let the rice simmer for 15-20 minutes, or until all the liquid is absorbed and the rice is cooked through. Add more stock if the rice isn't sufficiently cooked if necessary.
• Leaving the stock behind, gently lift the chicken from the pot and place it in a large bowl of ice water for 10 minutes, no more as we want the chicken to still be warm when serving. This will help to make the skin firm up and stop the cooking process. After that time, remove the chicken and place it on a plate, rub the sesame oil all over the chicken to prevent the chicken from drying out. Cover until rice is finished cooking.
• For the red sauce, combine the chillies, garlic, white vinegar, caster sugar, and salt in a blender. Blend until smooth or leave a little chunkier. Set aside to allow flavours to meld.
• In a small saucepan, heat the cooking oil until very hot, when you start seeing wisps of smoke. Turn off heat.
• Add the spring onions, ginger and salt to a heatproof bowl and pour over hot oil, allowing to sizzle. When it has cooled, transfer a serving dish.
• To serve, press one cup of rice into a small bowl and invert it onto individual dinner plates.
• Carve the chicken into small pieces and arrange them on a plate with the sliced cucumber and pour about 1 cup of the broth into small bowls to accompany.
• Allow each person 3 small bowls of red, green sauce and kecap manis for dipping. Be generous with the sauces, add a little of each sauce to every spoonful of the dish. The chicken itself is simple it its flavour but comes alive with the sauces

Nutrition

Calories: 1027kcal | Carbohydrates: 109g | Protein: 44g | Fat: 43g | Saturated Fat: 10g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 11g | Monounsaturated Fat: 20g | Trans Fat: 0.2g | Cholesterol: 141mg | Sodium: 1621mg | Potassium: 707mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 23g | Vitamin A: 824IU | Vitamin C: 59mg | Calcium: 89mg | Iron: 3mg

Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.

Recipe Published: April 17, 2023 Last Updated: April 17, 2023