Hainanese Chicken Rice is a deceptively simple dish built around tender poached chicken and exceptionally flavorful rice. This version starts with a whole 3- to 3½-pound chicken gently poached with ginger and scallions. The cooking liquid becomes an important part of the dish, providing the chicken stock used to prepare fragrant jasmine rice. The finished meal is simple, comforting, and packed with flavor.
The technique is what makes this dish special. Rather than continuously boiling the chicken, the recipe brings the water to a boil, adds the chicken, brings the pot back to a boil, and then turns off the heat. The covered chicken gently cooks for 45–50 minutes. It is then transferred to an ice bath for 15 minutes, which stops the cooking process, helps retain the juices, and gives the skin a better texture.
The rice gets its flavor from chicken fat rendered from the cavity of the chicken. Garlic and jasmine rice are briefly cooked in that rendered fat before the rice is transferred to a rice cooker and cooked with the reserved chicken stock and salt. If you don’t have a rice cooker, the recipe also provides a stovetop method.
A large stockpot is the key piece of equipment for this recipe because it needs to comfortably hold the whole chicken, 12–14 cups of water, ginger, and scallions while leaving enough room to safely lower and remove the chicken. A rice cooker is convenient for the second part of the recipe, but a stovetop method is provided as an alternative.
With tender chicken, aromatic ginger and scallion broth, and rich, savory rice, this Hainanese Chicken Rice makes a satisfying homemade meal that is far more interesting than ordinary chicken and rice.
Serve Hainanese Chicken Rice with Green Bean Stir-Fry, Longevity Noodles or some tasty Biang Biang Noodles.
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Hainanese Chicken Rice
- Total Time: 1:15
- Yield: 6 1x
Ingredients
- 1 whole fresh (or organic) chicken, 3-3½ pounds
- 1 tablespoon salt
- 12–14 cups water
- 4–5 slices ginger
- 2 whole scallions
- Ice
To cook the rice
- Chicken fat, taken from the back cavity of the chicken
- 4 cloves of garlic, minced
- 3 cups of white rice, preferably jasmine rice, washed and drained
- Chicken stock, from cooking the chicken
- 2 teaspoons salt
Instructions
- Wash the chicken clean and remember to set aside the piece of chicken fat at the back cavity. Transfer the chicken to a plate and pat dry with a paper towel. Lightly rub the chicken with the salt. This will give the chicken skin a nice sheen. Set it aside.
- Bring the water, along with the ginger and scallions, to a boil in a large stockpot. Before adding the chicken to the pot, rinse the chicken under running water to wash away the salt. Carefully lower the chicken into the boiling water, positioning the chicken breast-side up. Now is a good time to adjust the water level so the chicken breast just pokes above the water (so you aren’t left with dry white meat).
- Once the water boils, carefully lift the chicken out of the water to pour out the colder water that is trapped in the cavity. Carefully lower the chicken back into the pot. Bring the water to boil again, and cover the lid. Turn off the heat, and leave the pot, covered, on the stove for 45-50 minutes (set a timer). To check if the chicken is done, stick a toothpick into the thickest part of the drumstick; if the juices run clear, it’s cooked through.
- When the 45-minute timer (for the chicken) is almost up, prepare a large ice bath. Once the chicken is cooked, carefully lift the chicken out of the pot, drain the water from the cavity and lower it into the ice bath. Take care not to break the skin. After 15 minutes in the ice bath, the chicken should be cooled, drain completely and cover with clear plastic until ready to cut and serve. The ice bath stops the cooking process, locks in the juices, and gives the chicken skin better texture.
- While the chicken is cooling, make the rice. Heat a wok over medium heat. Add the chicken fat and render for about a minute. Stir in the minced garlic and fry briefly, making sure it doesn’t burn.
- Add the uncooked rice. Stir continuously for about two minutes.
- Turn off the heat. Scoop the rice into your rice cooker and add the appropriate amount of chicken stock (instead of the usual water. This amount may vary depending on your rice cooker) and salt. Close the lid and press START.
- If you don’t have a rice cooker, you can follow these steps. When you wash your rice, let it soak for an additional 20 minutes. Then drain the rice and follow the same steps above, but instead of transferring the rice mixture to your rice cooker, transfer it to a medium/large pot. Add 3 cups of chicken stock and the salt, giving it a quick stir. Cover the pot and bring to a boil. Once it boils, immediately turn down the heat to the lowest setting. Let the rice simmer and cook (covered) for 10-15 minutes until the rice is done.
- Prep Time: :25
- Cook Time: :50
- Category: Entree
- Method: Stove Top
- Cuisine: Chinese