Hainanese Chicken Rice
Poached chicken served over fragrant ginger-garlic rice with a bright chili-ginger sauce. A beloved Southeast Asian classic that's simpler than it looks and deeply satisfying.
- Total time
- 35 min
- Servings
- 2
- Calories
- 620
- Protein
- 48g
Ingredients
- 1 lb (about 1.5 lbs) whole chicken
- 1.5 cups long-grain white rice
- 3 tablespoons (minced, about 2 oz) ginger, divided
- 5 cloves garlic cloves, divided
- 3 cups chicken broth or water
- 3 tablespoons soy sauce
Instructions
- 1
Peel the ginger and finely mince half of it (about 1.5 tablespoons) until the pieces are smaller than a grain of rice—about pencil-tip sized. Set aside in a small bowl.
- 2
Smash the 5 garlic cloves with the flat side of a chef's knife to break the skin and flatten them slightly. Peel off the papery skin and discard.
- 3
Mince 3 of the smashed garlic cloves until the pieces are smaller than a grain of rice. Set the minced garlic in a small bowl.
- 4
Pour 3 cups of broth into a large pot and bring to a boil over high heat, about 8–10 minutes. You'll see large bubbles rapidly breaking the surface.
- 5
Gently lower the whole chicken into the boiling broth, breast-side down. The broth should come halfway up the chicken's sides; add hot water if needed.
- 6
Reduce heat to medium-low so the broth simmers gently—just small bubbles breaking the surface, not a rolling boil. Cover and cook for 20 minutes.
- 7
Flip the chicken breast-side up using tongs. Cover and simmer for another 8–10 minutes until the meat at the thickest part of the thigh—without touching bone—feels firm and no pink remains.
- 8
Remove the chicken to a cutting board using tongs. Reserve 2 cups of the broth in the pot and discard the rest (or save for another use).
- 9
Add the rice, minced ginger (1.5 tablespoons), minced garlic (from 3 cloves), and 2 tablespoons of soy sauce to the 2 cups of reserved broth in the pot. Stir once to distribute.
- 10
Bring to a boil over high heat, about 3 minutes. You'll see the liquid rise and steam escape. Reduce heat to low, cover, and cook for 15 minutes without lifting the lid.
- 11
Remove from heat and let rest, covered, for 5 minutes. The rice will absorb any remaining liquid and become fluffy.
- 12
Slice the chicken lengthwise along each side of the breastbone and separate the breasts. Cut each breast into strips about the width of your index finger.
- 13
Mince the remaining ginger (1.5 tablespoons) very finely until pieces are smaller than a grain of rice. Mince the remaining 2 garlic cloves the same way.
- 14
Combine the freshly minced ginger, freshly minced garlic, and 1 tablespoon of soy sauce in a small bowl to make the ginger-garlic sauce.
- 15
Fluff the rice with a fork, breaking up any clumps. Divide between two bowls or plates.
- 16
Arrange the chicken strips on top of the rice. Drizzle the ginger-garlic sauce over the chicken and rice.
Tools you’ll need
- large pot with lid (at least 5-quart capacity)
- cutting board
- chef's knife
- tongs
- fork
- small bowl
- measuring cups
- measuring spoons
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