Hainanese Chicken Rice Balls
Hainanese Chicken Rice Balls
Ingredients
For Poaching the Chicken
- 1 whole corn-fed/free-range chicken
- 3 spring onions, whites only
- 10 g ginger
- 1 tablespoon sea salt
- 1 tablespoon black peppercorns
For the Chilli Sauce
- 3 red chillies
- 8 garlic cloves
- 1 lime, juice of
- 1 1/2 tablespoons sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon MSG
- 1-2 tablespoons chicken broth, from poaching liquid
For the Ginger Spring Onion Sauce
- 50 g ginger
- 3 spring onions, greens only
- 4 tablespoons sesame oil
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon MSG
- 1 tablespoon light soy sauce
For the Pandan Rice
- 15 g salted butter
- 2 garlic cloves
- 10 g ginger
- 50 g glutinous rice
- 250 g jasmine rice
- 1 pandan leaf
- as needed chicken broth, from poaching liquid
To Serve
- 1 small cucumber, sliced
Instructions
- 1
Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add the spring onion whites, 10g ginger, sea salt, and black peppercorns to the boiling water.
⏱️ 10 min
- 2
Carefully add the whole chicken breast-side down to the pot. Cook for 30-40 minutes until tender. The cooking time will vary depending on the size of your chicken.
⏱️ 40 min
- 3
While the chicken cooks, prepare an ice water bath in a large bowl. Once the chicken is cooked, immediately transfer it from the hot water into the ice water bath to shock it. Let it cool for about 10-15 minutes.
⏱️ 15 min
- 4
For the chilli sauce, pound the red chillies and garlic cloves in a pestle and mortar until a smooth paste forms. Transfer to a small bowl and mix in the lime juice, sugar, salt, and MSG. Stir well, then add 1-2 tablespoons of the chicken broth from the poaching pot to achieve desired consistency.
⏱️ 10 min
- 5
Return the shocked chicken to the pot with the poaching liquid. Cook on low heat for an additional 20 minutes. This second cook helps to ensure tender chicken with silky skin.
⏱️ 20 min
- 6
For the ginger-spring onion sauce, pound the 50g ginger in a pestle and mortar until finely minced. Transfer to a heatproof bowl. Finely slice the spring onion greens and add them to the bowl with the ginger.
⏱️ 5 min
- 7
Heat the sesame oil in a small pot over medium-high heat until it is lightly smoking. Carefully pour the hot sesame oil over the ginger and spring onion mixture. Stir in the salt, MSG, and light soy sauce.
⏱️ 5 min
- 8
For the pandan rice, wash both the glutinous rice and jasmine rice thoroughly under cold running water until the water runs clear. Drain well.
⏱️ 5 min
- 9
In a medium pot, melt the salted butter over medium heat. Add the garlic cloves and sliced 10g ginger and sauté until fragrant, about 1-2 minutes.
⏱️ 2 min
- 10
Add the washed rice to the pot with the butter, garlic, and ginger. Pour in enough chicken broth from the poaching liquid to cover the rice until the liquid reaches the first knuckle of your finger when placed on top of the rice. Add the pandan leaf.
⏱️ 3 min
- 11
Bring the rice to a boil, then immediately reduce the heat to low, cover the pot tightly, and cook until the rice is fluffy and all the liquid is absorbed, about 15-20 minutes. Let it rest, covered, for 5 minutes after cooking.
⏱️ 25 min
- 12
Once the chicken has finished its second cook, remove it from the broth and let it rest for a few minutes. Then, chop the chicken into bite-sized pieces.
⏱️ 5 min
- 13
To serve, form the pandan rice into small balls (traditionally done by hand). Arrange the chopped chicken, rice balls, and sliced cucumber on plates. Serve with bowls of the chilli sauce and ginger spring onion sauce on the side. A small bowl of the chicken broth can also be served alongside.
⏱️ 5 min
Kitchen Tools
Nutrition Facts (per serving)
Hainanese Chicken Rice Balls
For Poaching the Chicken
- 1 whole corn-fed/free-range chicken
- 3 spring onions, whites only
- 10 g ginger
- 1 tablespoon sea salt
- 1 tablespoon black peppercorns
For the Chilli Sauce
- 3 red chillies
- 8 garlic cloves
- 1 lime, juice of
- 1 1/2 tablespoons sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon MSG
- 1-2 tablespoons chicken broth, from poaching liquid
For the Ginger Spring Onion Sauce
- 50 g ginger
- 3 spring onions, greens only
- 4 tablespoons sesame oil
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon MSG
- 1 tablespoon light soy sauce
For the Pandan Rice
- 15 g salted butter
- 2 garlic cloves
- 10 g ginger
- 50 g glutinous rice
- 250 g jasmine rice
- 1 pandan leaf
- as needed chicken broth, from poaching liquid
To Serve
- 1 small cucumber, sliced
Instructions
- 1
Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Add the spring onion whites, 10g ginger, sea salt, and black peppercorns to the boiling water.
⏱️ 10 min - 2
Carefully add the whole chicken breast-side down to the pot. Cook for 30-40 minutes until tender. The cooking time will vary depending on the size of your chicken.
⏱️ 40 min - 3
While the chicken cooks, prepare an ice water bath in a large bowl. Once the chicken is cooked, immediately transfer it from the hot water into the ice water bath to shock it. Let it cool for about 10-15 minutes.
⏱️ 15 min - 4
For the chilli sauce, pound the red chillies and garlic cloves in a pestle and mortar until a smooth paste forms. Transfer to a small bowl and mix in the lime juice, sugar, salt, and MSG. Stir well, then add 1-2 tablespoons of the chicken broth from the poaching pot to achieve desired consistency.
⏱️ 10 min - 5
Return the shocked chicken to the pot with the poaching liquid. Cook on low heat for an additional 20 minutes. This second cook helps to ensure tender chicken with silky skin.
⏱️ 20 min - 6
For the ginger-spring onion sauce, pound the 50g ginger in a pestle and mortar until finely minced. Transfer to a heatproof bowl. Finely slice the spring onion greens and add them to the bowl with the ginger.
⏱️ 5 min - 7
Heat the sesame oil in a small pot over medium-high heat until it is lightly smoking. Carefully pour the hot sesame oil over the ginger and spring onion mixture. Stir in the salt, MSG, and light soy sauce.
⏱️ 5 min - 8
For the pandan rice, wash both the glutinous rice and jasmine rice thoroughly under cold running water until the water runs clear. Drain well.
⏱️ 5 min - 9
In a medium pot, melt the salted butter over medium heat. Add the garlic cloves and sliced 10g ginger and sauté until fragrant, about 1-2 minutes.
⏱️ 2 min - 10
Add the washed rice to the pot with the butter, garlic, and ginger. Pour in enough chicken broth from the poaching liquid to cover the rice until the liquid reaches the first knuckle of your finger when placed on top of the rice. Add the pandan leaf.
⏱️ 3 min - 11
Bring the rice to a boil, then immediately reduce the heat to low, cover the pot tightly, and cook until the rice is fluffy and all the liquid is absorbed, about 15-20 minutes. Let it rest, covered, for 5 minutes after cooking.
⏱️ 25 min - 12
Once the chicken has finished its second cook, remove it from the broth and let it rest for a few minutes. Then, chop the chicken into bite-sized pieces.
⏱️ 5 min - 13
To serve, form the pandan rice into small balls (traditionally done by hand). Arrange the chopped chicken, rice balls, and sliced cucumber on plates. Serve with bowls of the chilli sauce and ginger spring onion sauce on the side. A small bowl of the chicken broth can also be served alongside.
⏱️ 5 min