I love this Hainanese Chicken Rice. It is tender and delicious and full of flavor. This is a multi-step recipe. Start by poaching the chicken. Once the chicken is cooked, place it in an ice bath to stop the cooking process. This also keeps the chicken skin springy. Once cooled, rub all over with sesame oil to prevent the chicken from drying out. Set aside.
Cook rice with garlic, ginger, and broth in a rice cooker. As the rice cooks, make a soy dipping sauce, a chili sauce, and a ginger-garlic sauce to serve alongside the chicken dish. As the rice cooks, carve the chicken to prepare it for serving. Enjoy with sliced cucumbers and chopped cilantro.
To make the Hainanese Chicken Rice, you will need the following ingredients:
Rub the chicken all over with a handful of kosher salt and remove any loose skin. Rinse well inside and out and pat dry using paper towels. Remove any excess chicken fat and set aside for later. Season generously with salt and stuff the cavity with the ginger slices and a bunch of scallions.
Place the chicken in a large saucepan and cover with cold water. Season the water with salt and bring to a boil over high heat. Once the water is boiling, immediately reduce the heat to low to maintain a simmer. Place the lid on the saucepan and cook for about 30 minutes. When the internal temperature reaches 165 °F, remove the pot from the heat.
Remove the poached chicken from the pot and reserve the cooking liquid. Transfer the chicken to an ice bath for 5 minutes. Discard the ginger and green onion. Once the chicken is cooled, pat dry using paper towels. Rub all over with sesame oil.
Heat ¼ cup of sesame oil in a wok or skillet over medium-high heat. Add 2 tablespoons of the reserved chopped chicken fat along with 2 cloves of minced garlic, 1 tablespoon of minced fresh ginger and 1 teaspoon kosher salt. Fry for about 10 minutes until aromatic.
Set ¼ of the fried garlic mixture aside. Add 2 cups of the rice to the remaining fried garlic and stir to coat. Cook for 3 minutes.
Transfer the rice mixture to a rice cooker with 2 cups of the reserved poaching liquid. Steam the rice for 30 minutes until tender.
As the rice cooks, carve the chicken.
In a small bowl, combine 2 tablespoons of sambal, 2 tablespoons of sriracha, 2 teaspoons of sugar, 1 tablespoon each of minced garlic, fresh ginger, lime juice, and 2 tablespoons of the reserved chicken poaching broth. Stir to incorporate.
In a separate small bowl, combine 2 tablespoons each of fresh ginger, finely minced garlic, kosher salt, 3 tablespoons of peanut oil, and 1 tablespoon of rice vinegar. Stir well.
Combine reserved fried garlic and ginger with 1 tablespoon of oyster sauce, 3 tablespoons of dark sweet soy sauce, 1 tablespoon of light soy sauce and 2 tablespoons of reserved chicken poaching broth. Stir well.
Serve the sliced chicken with rice, dipping sauces, sliced cucumbers, and fresh cilantro.
This delicious Hainanese Chicken Rice is a great Friday night dinner! Try making this chicken dish this weekend and don’t forget to come back to leave a review with your thoughts below.
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