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Meat, South and Southeast Asian

Hainanese chicken rice

Hainanese chicken rice is a Singaporean dish for 4 people, ready in 70 minutes, medium difficulty, for €3.20 per person. The chicken poaches gently in ginger broth, then the rice cooks in that same broth to soak up its flavor. Success depends on never letting the chicken boil and on the ice bath that firms up the skin.

The star of Singapore, Hainanese chicken rice, ultra tender poached chicken, rice cooked in the broth and a ginger chili sauce.

Hainanese chicken rice
Total time
1 h 10
Difficulty
Medium
Cost per person
€3.20
Calories per person
500 kcalcalculated by Kiloach, your weight coach
Season
Spring, Summer, Fall, Winter
The kids
They generally like it

This Singaporean dish relies entirely on gentleness, chicken poached off the heat to stay juicy, rice cooked in the broth to catch all its flavor, and a ginger chili sauce that wakes everything up. The chicken skin, plunged into ice water, takes on a silky, almost gelatinous texture, quite different from a roast chicken.

Make this when you have a bit of time ahead of you, a Sunday or an evening when you want to cook at an easy pace. Kids generally love the fragrant rice and tender chicken, just set the chili sauce aside for them. Raw cucumber and cilantro bring freshness to this otherwise mild dish.

The ingredients

4 people

Butcher

  • Chicken thighs 6

Fruits and vegetables

  • Fresh ginger 50 g
  • Garlic 6 cloves
  • Green onions 4
  • Cucumber 1
  • Cilantro 4 sprigs
  • Fresh red chili 1

Pantry

  • Jasmine riceoften in the pantry 300 g
  • Soy sauceoften in the pantry 3 tbsp
  • Sesame oiloften in the pantry 1 tsp
  • Neutral oiloften in the pantry 3 tbsp
  • Rice vinegaroften in the pantry 1 tbsp
  • Saltoften in the pantry 1 pinch

Allergens Soy

The step by step recipe

  1. In a large pot of water with half the ginger and the green onions, add the chicken thighs, bring to a bare simmer, then turn off the heat and cover. 25 min

    Never let it come to a full boil, the chicken would turn tough.

  2. Remove the chicken and plunge it into ice water. Keep the broth. 10 min

    This cold bath gives the dish its signature texture.

  3. Cook the chopped garlic and a bit of ginger in oil, add the rinsed rice and toast it, then cook it in the broth. 15 min

    Use a volume of broth equal to one and a half times the rice.

  4. Blend the remaining ginger, the chili, the vinegar, a spoonful of hot oil and a pinch of salt for the sauce.

    Pour the oil over the ginger while it's still very hot, it will smell much more fragrant.

  5. Carve the chicken, arrange it over the rice with the cucumber, cilantro, soy sauce mixed with sesame oil and the ginger sauce.

    Serve a small bowl of hot broth on the side.

Our tips to get it right

  • Pick bone in, skin on chicken thighs, the skin protects the meat during poaching and turns silky in the ice bath.
  • Keep all the broth after removing the chicken, it's what flavors the rice, so don't throw any of it away.
  • Rinse the rice until the water runs clear before toasting it, it will be less sticky and the grains will stay separate.

The variations

  • Swap the chicken thighs for a whole chicken if you have a large enough pot, just poach it a bit longer.
  • For a vegetarian version, poach firm tofu blocks in a ginger vegetable broth and keep the same sauce.
  • For a quick version with hungry kids, use leftover roast chicken and simply cook the rice in store bought chicken broth.

What to serve it with

  • A small bowl of hot broth on the side
  • Steamed greens like bok choy
  • Green tea or lemon water

Storage

Chicken, rice and sauce keep separately for 2 to 3 days in the fridge in sealed containers. The broth cooked rice freezes well, just reheat it with a splash of water or broth so it doesn't dry out. Warm the chicken gently so it stays tender, not too long or it will toughen up.

Questions about this dish

Why plunge the chicken into ice water?

This shock stops the cooking instantly and makes the skin silky while keeping the meat juicy. This step gives the dish its signature texture.

Can you make this ahead of time?

Yes, you can poach the chicken and cook the rice a few hours ahead, then reheat gently before serving. The ginger sauce also keeps very well in the fridge.

Can you use a different rice?

You can use another long grain rice like basmati, though the result will be slightly less fragrant. Avoid short grain rice, it would turn sticky in the broth.

Is this dish too spicy for kids?

The chicken and rice aren't spicy at all, only the ginger chili sauce has some heat. Just serve it on the side so everyone can add as much as they like.

How long does it take to make a Hainanese chicken rice, with poached chicken, fragrant rice and ginger sauce?

Count 1 h 10 in total, prep and cooking included. The recipe is rated “medium”.

How many calories are in a Hainanese chicken rice, with poached chicken, fragrant rice and ginger sauce?

About 500 kcal per serving, for a recipe meant for 4 people. Calories are calculated by Kiloach, your weight coach, the app that partners with Mon Chou.

How much does a Hainanese chicken rice, with poached chicken, fragrant rice and ginger sauce cost?

About €3.20 per serving, or €12.80 for 4 people, based on average supermarket prices.

What allergens does this recipe contain?

This recipe contains soy. Always check the labels of the products you buy.

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