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4.7 from 72 votes

Chicken Rice

This tried-and-true Hainanese chicken rice recipe is easy to make at home, with detailed, step-by-step photos to guide you in creating tender, juicy chicken and fragrant rice—just like at your favorite chicken rice stall in Malaysia or Singapore!

Prep Time
10 mins
Cook Time
10 mins
Total Time
1 hr
Servings: 8 people
Calories: 704 kcal
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: Malaysian

Ingredients

Poached Chicken
  • 1 whole chicken preferably free range organic chicken
  • 1 small ginger thumb-sized, cleaned and bruised
  • 6 talks scallion trimmed and washed
  • 3 teaspoons salt
  • 10 bowls chicken stock approximately 3 liters/12 cups
  • 10 bowls ice cold water approximately 3 liters/12 cups
Rice
  • 5 tablespoons vegetable oil
  • 4 cloves shallots finely minced
  • 4 cloves garlic finely minced
  • 3 cups washed rice
  • 2.5 cups + 2 tablespoons chicken broth
  • 1 small ginger thumb-sized, cleaned and bruised
  • 1 tablespoon garlic and shallot oil
  • 70 g (2½ oz) chicken fat
  • 1.5 teaspoons salt or to taste
Soy Sauce Mixture
  • 2 teaspoons light soy sauce
  • 2 teaspoons chicken broth
  • 3 teaspoons sesame oil
  • 3 teaspoons garlic and shallot oil
Chicken Rice Chili Sauce
  • 3 tablespoons chili sauce Huy Fong brand Chili Garlic Sauce
  • 15 g (½ oz) garlic peeled and grated, or finely minced
  • 50 g (1¾ oz) ginger peeled and grated, or finely minced
  • 1 teaspoon salt
  • 1 teaspoon sugar
  • 3 tablespoons chicken broth
  • 1 tablespoon lime juice or to taste
Garnishing
  • 1 cucumber peeled and sliced into rounds
  • 3 prigs cilantro

Instructions

Poached Chicken
    Cup of Yum
  1. Wash the chicken and drain it well. Stuff the ginger and scallions into the chicken’s cavity. Rub 2 teaspoons of salt all over the chicken to create smooth-looking skin.
  2. In a stockpot that fits the chicken snugly, bring the chicken stock and the remaining 1 teaspoon of salt to a boil. Submerge the whole chicken, breast side down, in the boiling stock for 35–45 minutes, depending on the chicken’s size. Immediately reduce the heat to a gentle simmer.
  3. Once the chicken is cooked, remove it and plunge it into prepared cold water for 10 minutes. Reserve the chicken broth for later use. Drain the chicken, discard the ginger and scallions from the cavity, and set it aside to cool before chopping it into the desired serving pieces.
Rice
  1. Heat oil in a wok and fry the chopped shallots and garlic until fragrant and golden. Add the rice and stir to combine. Transfer the rice mixture to a rice cooker.
  2. Once transferred, add the chicken broth, ginger, garlic and shallot oil, chicken fat, and salt to the rice mixture. Cook according to the rice cooker’s instructions.
Soy Sauce Mixture
  1. Combine the soy sauce, chicken broth, sesame oil, and garlic and shallot oil. Stir to mix well and set aside.
Chicken Rice Chili Sauce
  1. Combine the chili sauce, garlic, ginger, salt, sugar, chicken broth, and lime juice. Stir to mix well and adjust with more salt, sugar, and lime juice to taste. Set it aside.
Assembling Chicken Rice
  1. Line a serving plate with cucumber slices. Add a bowl of rice and arrange the chicken pieces on the plate. Drizzle the soy sauce over the chicken and garnish with cilantro. Serve immediately with chili sauce and a side of chicken soup.

Notes

  • Recipe contributed by Maameemoomoo.
  • I always use a fresh, whole chicken because it gives the best flavor and makes the broth super rich. Plus, the chicken stays nice and tender.
  • Once the chicken’s in the pot, I lower the heat to a simmer. This keeps the chicken juicy and tender without making it tough.
  • After cooking, I plunge the chicken into cold water for 10 minutes. This helps the skin firm up and keeps the chicken moist.
  • DO NOT throw away the chicken broth! I use it to cook the rice and make the chili sauce. It’s the secret to making both the rice and chili sauce taste just like the real deal.

Nutrition Information

Serving 1grams Calories 704kcal (35%) Carbohydrates 65g (22%) Protein 26g (52%) Fat 37g (57%) Saturated Fat 9g (45%) Polyunsaturated Fat 11g Monounsaturated Fat 15g Trans Fat 0.1g Cholesterol 79mg (26%) Sodium 1861mg (78%) Potassium 529mg (15%) Fiber 2g (8%) Sugar 3g (6%) Vitamin A 346IU (7%) Vitamin C 9mg (10%) Calcium 60mg (6%) Iron 2mg (11%)

Nutrition Facts

Serving: 8people

Amount Per Serving

Calories 704

% Daily Value*

Serving 1grams
Calories 704kcal 35%
Carbohydrates 65g 22%
Protein 26g 52%
Fat 37g 57%
Saturated Fat 9g 45%
Polyunsaturated Fat 11g 65%
Monounsaturated Fat 15g 75%
Trans Fat 0.1g 5%
Cholesterol 79mg 26%
Sodium 1861mg 78%
Potassium 529mg 11%
Fiber 2g 8%
Sugar 3g 6%
Vitamin A 346IU 7%
Vitamin C 9mg 10%
Calcium 60mg 6%
Iron 2mg 11%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.