Poached chicken, rice cooked in its own stock, and a sharp ginger chilli sauce. Simple ingredients, a lot of flavour.
Hainanese chicken rice
- 1 whole chicken (about 1.5kg)
- 4 cloves garlic
- 50 g fresh ginger, sliced, plus extra for the sauce
- 2 spring onions
- 400 g jasmine rice, rinsed
- 2 tbsp vegetable oil
- 3 tbsp light soy sauce
- 2 tbsp chilli, finely chopped
- 1 tbsp rice vinegar
- Put the chicken in a large pot with the garlic, ginger and spring onions. Cover with water and bring to a gentle simmer.
- Poach for 35 to 40 minutes, until cooked through. Remove the chicken and plunge into iced water to stop the cooking and firm up the skin.
- Skim the fat from the poaching liquid and reserve 700ml of it.
- Fry the rice in the oil for 2 minutes, then cook it in the reserved poaching liquid instead of water, the same way you would cook rice normally.
- Make the chilli sauce by blending extra ginger, the chopped chilli, rice vinegar and a splash of the poaching liquid.
- Carve the chicken, serve over the rice with the chilli sauce and a little soy sauce on the side.
What is Hainanese chicken rice?
Hainanese chicken rice is poached chicken served with rice cooked in chicken fat and stock, along with a clear soup and three sauces: chilli, ginger and dark soy. It was brought to South East Asia by migrants from Hainan island in China and is now seen as a national dish of Singapore and Malaysia.
The chicken is gently poached so it stays silky and juicy, then plunged into iced water so the skin turns firm.
Ingredient notes and UK swaps
- Chicken: a whole chicken gives the best stock. Bone in thighs are a quicker option.
- Rice: jasmine rice fried in chicken fat with garlic and ginger, then cooked in the poaching stock.
- Pandan leaf: a knotted leaf in the rice adds fragrance. It is optional.
- Sauces: a chilli sauce of red chilli, garlic, ginger and lime; grated ginger with oil and salt; and thick dark soy sauce.
Serving and storing
Slice the chicken and serve at room temperature over the rice, with cucumber slices, the sauces and a small bowl of the hot stock. Leftover chicken keeps for 3 days in the fridge. The stock freezes well for soups.
Tips for the best chicken rice
- The iced water plunge is what gives the skin its characteristic silky texture, do not skip it.
- Cooking the rice in the poaching liquid rather than plain water is where most of the flavour comes from.
- Keep the poach gentle, a rolling boil will toughen the chicken.
Getting properly silky rice
Cooking the rice in the poaching liquid from the chicken, along with a little of the rendered chicken fat, is what gives Hainanese chicken rice its signature richness, do not substitute plain water for this step if you want an authentic result.
Frequently asked questions
Can I use chicken thighs instead of a whole chicken?
Yes, though a whole chicken gives more poaching liquid for the rice and a better ratio of skin to meat, which is part of the dish.
What do I do with the leftover stock?
Serve a small bowl of it alongside the meal, seasoned lightly with soy sauce, the way it is traditionally served.
Why is the chicken served cool?
Chilling the poached chicken in iced water firms the skin and keeps the meat juicy. It is meant to be eaten at room temperature with hot rice and soup.
