Hainanese Chicken
Hainanese Chicken
Ingredients
For the Poached Chicken
- 2 red onions, peeled
- 2 white onions, peeled
- 4 slices ginger, thick
- 3 stalks green onion, cut into 2-inch pieces
- 2 tablespoons chicken powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 2 tablespoons whole peppercorns
- 2 bone-in chicken thighs
- 2 bone-in chicken quarter legs
- as needed water, for poaching
- as needed ice, for ice bath
For the Ginger Scallion Sauce
- 2 tablespoons rendered chicken fat, from poaching chicken
- 4 tablespoons spring onions, finely chopped
- 2 tablespoons ginger, minced
- 1/2 teaspoon chicken powder
- 1/4 teaspoon granulated sugar
For the Chicken Rice
- 2 cups Jasmine rice
- 2 1/2 cups chicken stock, from poaching chicken
For the Sweet Soy Sauce
- 2 cups water
- 1 cup soy sauce
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
For the Sweet Fish Sauce (Optional)
- 1/4 cup fish sauce
- 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
- 1/4 cup water
- 2 red chilies, thinly sliced
- 6 cloves garlic, minced
Instructions
- 1
Prepare the aromatics for the chicken broth: Peel the red and white onions. Slice the ginger into thick pieces and cut the green onions into 2-inch pieces.
⏱️ 10 min
- 2
Poach the chicken: In a large stockpot, add enough water to fully submerge the chicken. Add the peeled red and white onions, thick ginger slices, green onion pieces, 2 tablespoons of chicken powder, salt, and whole peppercorns. Bring the mixture to a rolling boil. Carefully add the bone-in chicken thighs and quarter legs to the boiling liquid. Simmer for 10 minutes, then turn off the heat. Cover the pot with a lid and let the chicken cook for an additional 30 minutes in the residual heat.
⏱️ 40 min
- 3
Prepare an ice bath: While the chicken rests, fill a large bowl with ice and water. Once the chicken's resting time is complete, immediately remove it from the hot broth and transfer it to the ice bath. This stops the cooking process and helps achieve tender meat with a silky skin. Reserve the chicken broth for the rice and sauces.
⏱️ 5 min
- 4
Prepare the ginger scallion sauce: In a small saucepan, gently render any excess chicken fat obtained from the poached chicken (or use 2 tablespoons of oil if not enough fat is available). In a small mixing bowl, combine the finely chopped spring onions, minced ginger, 1/2 teaspoon chicken powder, and 1/4 teaspoon granulated sugar. Pour the hot rendered chicken fat over this mixture and stir well to combine.
⏱️ 5 min
- 5
Cook the chicken rice: In a rice cooker, combine the Jasmine rice with 2 1/2 cups of the reserved chicken stock from poaching. Cook according to your rice cooker's instructions until the rice is fluffy and fragrant.
⏱️ 25 min
- 6
Make the sweet soy sauce: In a small saucepan, combine 2 cups of water, 1 cup of soy sauce, and 1/2 cup of granulated sugar. Simmer over low heat, stirring occasionally, until the sugar completely dissolves and the sauce slightly thickens, about 5-10 minutes.
⏱️ 10 min
- 7
Prepare the sweet fish sauce (optional): In another small bowl, combine the fish sauce, 2 tablespoons of granulated sugar, 1/4 cup of water, thinly sliced red chilies, and minced garlic. Mix well until the sugar dissolves.
⏱️ 5 min
- 8
Debone and slice the chicken: Once the chicken has cooled in the ice bath, remove it and pat dry. Debone the chicken thighs and quarter legs. Either shred the meat or slice it into bite-sized pieces.
⏱️ 10 min
- 9
Plate and serve: Arrange the deboned and sliced chicken pieces on a serving platter. Ladle a generous amount of the sweet soy sauce over the chicken, then top with a spoonful of the ginger scallion sauce. Serve immediately with the fragrant chicken rice and the sweet fish sauce on the side as a dipping condiment.
⏱️ 5 min
Kitchen Tools
Nutrition Facts (per serving)
Hainanese Chicken
Ingredients
For the Poached Chicken
- 2 red onions, peeled
- 2 white onions, peeled
- 4 slices ginger, thick
- 3 stalks green onion, cut into 2-inch pieces
- 2 tablespoons chicken powder
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 2 tablespoons whole peppercorns
- 2 bone-in chicken thighs
- 2 bone-in chicken quarter legs
- as needed water, for poaching
- as needed ice, for ice bath
For the Ginger Scallion Sauce
- 2 tablespoons rendered chicken fat, from poaching chicken
- 4 tablespoons spring onions, finely chopped
- 2 tablespoons ginger, minced
- 1/2 teaspoon chicken powder
- 1/4 teaspoon granulated sugar
For the Chicken Rice
- 2 cups Jasmine rice
- 2 1/2 cups chicken stock, from poaching chicken
For the Sweet Soy Sauce
- 2 cups water
- 1 cup soy sauce
- 1/2 cup granulated sugar
For the Sweet Fish Sauce (Optional)
- 1/4 cup fish sauce
- 2 tablespoons granulated sugar
- 1/4 cup water
- 2 red chilies, thinly sliced
- 6 cloves garlic, minced
Instructions
- 1
Prepare the aromatics for the chicken broth: Peel the red and white onions. Slice the ginger into thick pieces and cut the green onions into 2-inch pieces.
⏱️ 10 min - 2
Poach the chicken: In a large stockpot, add enough water to fully submerge the chicken. Add the peeled red and white onions, thick ginger slices, green onion pieces, 2 tablespoons of chicken powder, salt, and whole peppercorns. Bring the mixture to a rolling boil. Carefully add the bone-in chicken thighs and quarter legs to the boiling liquid. Simmer for 10 minutes, then turn off the heat. Cover the pot with a lid and let the chicken cook for an additional 30 minutes in the residual heat.
⏱️ 40 min - 3
Prepare an ice bath: While the chicken rests, fill a large bowl with ice and water. Once the chicken's resting time is complete, immediately remove it from the hot broth and transfer it to the ice bath. This stops the cooking process and helps achieve tender meat with a silky skin. Reserve the chicken broth for the rice and sauces.
⏱️ 5 min - 4
Prepare the ginger scallion sauce: In a small saucepan, gently render any excess chicken fat obtained from the poached chicken (or use 2 tablespoons of oil if not enough fat is available). In a small mixing bowl, combine the finely chopped spring onions, minced ginger, 1/2 teaspoon chicken powder, and 1/4 teaspoon granulated sugar. Pour the hot rendered chicken fat over this mixture and stir well to combine.
⏱️ 5 min - 5
Cook the chicken rice: In a rice cooker, combine the Jasmine rice with 2 1/2 cups of the reserved chicken stock from poaching. Cook according to your rice cooker's instructions until the rice is fluffy and fragrant.
⏱️ 25 min - 6
Make the sweet soy sauce: In a small saucepan, combine 2 cups of water, 1 cup of soy sauce, and 1/2 cup of granulated sugar. Simmer over low heat, stirring occasionally, until the sugar completely dissolves and the sauce slightly thickens, about 5-10 minutes.
⏱️ 10 min - 7
Prepare the sweet fish sauce (optional): In another small bowl, combine the fish sauce, 2 tablespoons of granulated sugar, 1/4 cup of water, thinly sliced red chilies, and minced garlic. Mix well until the sugar dissolves.
⏱️ 5 min - 8
Debone and slice the chicken: Once the chicken has cooled in the ice bath, remove it and pat dry. Debone the chicken thighs and quarter legs. Either shred the meat or slice it into bite-sized pieces.
⏱️ 10 min - 9
Plate and serve: Arrange the deboned and sliced chicken pieces on a serving platter. Ladle a generous amount of the sweet soy sauce over the chicken, then top with a spoonful of the ginger scallion sauce. Serve immediately with the fragrant chicken rice and the sweet fish sauce on the side as a dipping condiment.
⏱️ 5 min