Hainanese Chicken Rice
Hainanese Chicken Rice
Ingredients
For the Chicken and Rice
- 1 piece ginger, sliced, about 2 inches
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 4 chicken thighs, deboned, skin reserved
- 2 cups rice, washed
- 3 cups chicken stock
- 1 teaspoon salt, or to taste
- 1/2 teaspoon pepper, or to taste
- 1 tablespoon soy sauce
- 2 stalks green onion, chopped, for cooking
For the Green Onion Sauce
- 3 stalks green onion, chopped, for sauce
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 cup oil, neutral, heated until shimmering
For Garnish
- 1/4 cup cilantro, fresh, chopped
- 1/2 cucumber, sliced
Instructions
- 1
Prepare the aromatics: Slice the 2-inch piece of ginger and mince 4 cloves of garlic.
⏱️ 5 min
- 2
Prepare the chicken: Pat the chicken thighs dry with paper towels. Carefully debone the chicken thighs, reserving all the skin.
⏱️ 5 min
- 3
Render chicken skin: In a large pot or Dutch oven, add the reserved chicken skin pieces. Cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until the fat has rendered out and the skin pieces are crispy. Remove the crispy skin pieces (you can snack on them!) and leave the rendered fat in the pot.
⏱️ 5 min
- 4
Sauté aromatics: Add the sliced ginger and minced garlic (from step 1) to the pot with the rendered chicken fat. Sauté for 2-3 minutes until fragrant.
⏱️ 3 min
- 5
Add rice: Add the washed rice to the pot. Stir continuously for 2-3 minutes to coat the rice grains with the chicken fat and aromatics.
⏱️ 3 min
- 6
Season the rice: Pour in the chicken stock. Season with pepper, soy sauce, and salt. Stir the mixture well to combine.
⏱️ 2 min
- 7
Cook chicken and rice: Place the deboned chicken thighs on top of the rice mixture in the pot. Sprinkle the chopped green onion (for cooking) over the chicken.
⏱️ 2 min
- 8
Steam: Cover the pot tightly and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to low and steam for 20 minutes, or until the rice is cooked and the chicken is tender.
⏱️ 20 min
- 9
Prepare the green onion sauce: While the chicken and rice are cooking, combine the chopped green onion (for sauce), minced garlic (2 cloves), and salt in a heatproof bowl.
⏱️ 3 min
- 10
Add hot oil to sauce: Heat the neutral oil in a small saucepan until it is shimmering and just beginning to smoke. Carefully pour the hot oil over the green onion mixture in the bowl. It should sizzle vigorously. Stir to combine.
⏱️ 2 min
- 11
Slice chicken: Once the chicken and rice are cooked, remove the chicken thighs from the pot and let them rest on a cutting board for a few minutes. Slice the chicken into serving pieces.
⏱️ 3 min
- 12
Serve: Fluff the Hainanese rice with a fork and scoop it into individual serving bowls. Arrange the sliced chicken next to the rice.
⏱️ 2 min
- 13
Garnish: Garnish the dish with fresh cilantro and cucumber slices. Drizzle the prepared green onion sauce generously over the chicken.
⏱️ 1 min
Kitchen Tools
Nutrition Facts (per serving)
Hainanese Chicken Rice
For the Chicken and Rice
- 1 piece ginger, sliced, about 2 inches
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 4 chicken thighs, deboned, skin reserved
- 2 cups rice, washed
- 3 cups chicken stock
- 1 teaspoon salt, or to taste
- 1/2 teaspoon pepper, or to taste
- 1 tablespoon soy sauce
- 2 stalks green onion, chopped, for cooking
For the Green Onion Sauce
- 3 stalks green onion, chopped, for sauce
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 cup oil, neutral, heated until shimmering
For Garnish
- 1/4 cup cilantro, fresh, chopped
- 1/2 cucumber, sliced
Instructions
- 1
Prepare the aromatics: Slice the 2-inch piece of ginger and mince 4 cloves of garlic.
⏱️ 5 min - 2
Prepare the chicken: Pat the chicken thighs dry with paper towels. Carefully debone the chicken thighs, reserving all the skin.
⏱️ 5 min - 3
Render chicken skin: In a large pot or Dutch oven, add the reserved chicken skin pieces. Cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until the fat has rendered out and the skin pieces are crispy. Remove the crispy skin pieces (you can snack on them!) and leave the rendered fat in the pot.
⏱️ 5 min - 4
Sauté aromatics: Add the sliced ginger and minced garlic (from step 1) to the pot with the rendered chicken fat. Sauté for 2-3 minutes until fragrant.
⏱️ 3 min - 5
Add rice: Add the washed rice to the pot. Stir continuously for 2-3 minutes to coat the rice grains with the chicken fat and aromatics.
⏱️ 3 min - 6
Season the rice: Pour in the chicken stock. Season with pepper, soy sauce, and salt. Stir the mixture well to combine.
⏱️ 2 min - 7
Cook chicken and rice: Place the deboned chicken thighs on top of the rice mixture in the pot. Sprinkle the chopped green onion (for cooking) over the chicken.
⏱️ 2 min - 8
Steam: Cover the pot tightly and bring to a boil. Reduce the heat to low and steam for 20 minutes, or until the rice is cooked and the chicken is tender.
⏱️ 20 min - 9
Prepare the green onion sauce: While the chicken and rice are cooking, combine the chopped green onion (for sauce), minced garlic (2 cloves), and salt in a heatproof bowl.
⏱️ 3 min - 10
Add hot oil to sauce: Heat the neutral oil in a small saucepan until it is shimmering and just beginning to smoke. Carefully pour the hot oil over the green onion mixture in the bowl. It should sizzle vigorously. Stir to combine.
⏱️ 2 min - 11
Slice chicken: Once the chicken and rice are cooked, remove the chicken thighs from the pot and let them rest on a cutting board for a few minutes. Slice the chicken into serving pieces.
⏱️ 3 min - 12
Serve: Fluff the Hainanese rice with a fork and scoop it into individual serving bowls. Arrange the sliced chicken next to the rice.
⏱️ 2 min - 13
Garnish: Garnish the dish with fresh cilantro and cucumber slices. Drizzle the prepared green onion sauce generously over the chicken.
⏱️ 1 min