This article shows you how to make Hainanese Chicken Rice!
If you'd like to learn more about what Hainanese Chicken Rice is, its history, and some fun facts, please check out the page below!
How to Make Hainanese Chicken Rice
Ingredients
Chicken
- Chicken thighs … 2 (approx. 500–600 g)
- Or 2 bone-in chicken thighs
- Salt ... 1 teaspoon
- Green part of a green onion … 1 stalk
- Sliced ginger … 3–4 slices
Rice
- Rice … 2 cups
- Garlic … 2 cloves
- Ginger … 1 piece (about 15 g)
- Sesame oil … 2 teaspoons
- Chicken broth … as needed
- Salt ... 1/2 teaspoon
Sauce (Easy Version)
Ginger sauce
- Grated ginger … 1 tablespoon
- Sesame oil … 1 tablespoon
- Salt ... a pinch
Soy sauce glaze
- Soy sauce … 1 tablespoon
- Oyster sauce … 1 teaspoon
- Sugar … 1/2 teaspoon
Chili sauce
- Sweet chili sauce … 1 tablespoon
- Lemon juice … a little
How to make them
1. Preparing the Chicken
- Sprinkle salt on the chicken thighs
- Let it sit for about 10 minutes
- If you're concerned about any odor, rinse it lightly with water and wipe it dry
If you sprinkle salt on the meat first, it will absorb the flavor and stay juicy.
2. Boil the chicken
- Pour enough water into a pot to cover the chicken (about 1.5 liters)
- Add the green part of the green onion and ginger
- Place the pot on the stove and bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to low.
- Add the chicken and simmer over low heat for about 20 minutes.
- Turn off the heat and let it sit for about 10 minutes, using the residual heat.
It is important not to let it boil vigorously.
Cook over low heat and let it sit to keep it moist and tender.
3. Cook the rice
- Rinse the rice, soak it for 30 minutes, then drain it in a colander or similar strainer.
- Finely chop the garlic and ginger
- Heat the sesame oil in a frying pan and sauté the garlic and ginger over low heat (1–2 minutes).
- Add the uncooked rice and stir-fry briefly (about 2 minutes)
- Put it in the rice cooker
- Add the chicken broth until it reaches the 2-cup mark
- Add salt and cook as usual
Using the cooking liquid results in rice with the rich, savory flavor characteristic of Hainanese Chicken Rice.
4. Make the sauce
Just mix all the ingredients together.
If you're a beginner, just the two types—ginger sauce and soy sauce—are more than enough to make it delicious.
5. Plating
- Cut the chicken into bite-sized pieces
- Serve the rice on a plate
- Place the chicken on top
- Serve with cucumbers and tomatoes
- Serve with the sauce to finish
Tips for Beginners to Avoid Mistakes
① Don’t overcook the chicken
If you boil the chicken vigorously, the moisture will escape from the meat, making it dry and tough.
Keep the heat on low so that the surface just simmers gently, and let the residual heat finish cooking the dish after turning off the heat to achieve a moist and tender texture.
Since the texture of the chicken is particularly important in Hainanese Chicken Rice, this step has a significant impact on the flavor.
② Don’t throw away the cooking water
The broth from boiling the chicken is rich with the chicken's umami and fat, as well as the aromatic flavors of ginger and green onions.
Cooking the rice in this cooking liquid adds a rich depth of flavor, instantly giving it an authentic taste.
We recommend adding water only if there isn’t enough soup, and using as much of the cooking liquid as possible.
③ The sauce brings the dish together
Since Hainanese Chicken Rice is a relatively light dish, the sauce can make a big difference in how it tastes.
The ginger sauce adds a refreshing touch, the soy sauce adds depth, and the chili sauce adds a kick, so having a variety on hand lets you enjoy different flavor combinations.
Even a simple sauce that you just mix together is delicious enough to start with, and it creates an authentic atmosphere.
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