If you’re looking for your next hands-off, delicious one pot dinner, this is it: Hainanese chicken.

Have you ever had Hainanese chicken rice before? Are you as obsessed with it as I am? I’m guessing the answer is no because I have a lifelong, deep obsession with chicken rice.

It’s my ultimate comfort food, my all-time-favorite go to meal, my version of Anton Ego’s mom’s ratatouille. You know, the scene in in the Pixar movie where Anton is taken back to his mom’s kitchen and she serves him ratatouille and all is right with the world. That’s Hainanese chicken rice for me.

Super simple and satisfying Hainanese chicken rice: juicy steamed chicken and ginger garlic rice cooked in the same pot. It’s what you want for dinner, right now! #hainanesechickenrice #chickenrice #recipes #dinner #onepot #easy #chickenrecipe #rice #chickenandrice

What is Hainanese chicken rice?

Hainanese chicken is deceptively simple but somehow complex. It originated in Hainan in Southern China, but its spiritual home is Singapore, where you’ll find renditions of the ever popular dish everywhere, from hawker stands to high end hotels.

I would fight to the death to say that Hainanese chicken rice is the best rendition of chicken and rice out there. It’s so humble, so flavorful, and so pure. At its heart, Hainanese chicken rice is just that: chicken and rice.

The chicken is poached in a simple yet flavorful broth scented with ginger, garlic, and scallions and is silky, firm, and tastes like the most perfect chicken you’ll ever have. The rice that comes with it should stand on its own: full of chicken flavor, slicked with fat, savory, and fragrant.

Chicken and Rice

All cultures have some sort of chicken and rice. The Japanese have oyakodon, Latin Americans have arroz con pollo, and Southeast Asians (and Hainanese people) have Hainanese chicken rice. Like most chicken and rice dishes, it’s simple at heart: poached chicken and seasoned rice served with a variety of sauces.

Like lots of immigrant adapted foods, there are actually a bunch of different types of Hainanese chicken rices: Singaporean, Malaysian, Vietnamese, and Thai. Growing up, it was a staple in our house. Chicken rice is the food that can bring me back to my childhood and transport me to some of my favorite memories as an adult. I’m not embarrassed to say that chicken rice is my everything.

Super simple and satisfying Hainanese chicken rice: juicy steamed chicken and ginger garlic rice cooked in the same pot. It’s what you want for dinner, right now! #hainanesechickenrice #chickenrice #recipes #dinner #onepot #easy #chickenrecipe #rice #chickenandrice

What’s so special about the rice?

You’ve got to taste it to believe it, but I think the secret to why Hainanese chicken rice is so good is the rice. And the secret to the rice is chicken fat. Any good cook knows that when you cook rice in broth, the broth infuses the inside of the grain, giving it extra flavor. A lot of cultures do this, like how Mexican rice is cooked in tomatoes and onions. Chicken rice goes one step further by frying uncooked rice in chicken fat with garlic, shallots, and ginger before cooking in chicken broth, giving the rice another layer of toasty, aromatic deliciousness. The rice should be glossy, luscious and full of flavor.

The best chicken rice is the one you like making

There are a lot of Hainanese chicken rice recipes that call for 24 hour (or more) cures and other very complicated steps. It doesn’t need to be this way, especially if you just want good chicken rice and you’re not competing with a dozen other chicken rice hawkers at a market. It’s the rice that you need to pay careful attention to, and that’s an easy thing that doesn’t take much extra time.

Personally, I love making chicken rice, I find it therapeutic somehow. But sometimes I just want to eat chicken and rice without cooking a whole chicken. This easy recipe is for those times: skin-on boneless chicken thighs and rice are cooked in one pot for ease and fewer dishes to wash. Win-win!

Super simple and satisfying Hainanese chicken rice: juicy steamed chicken and ginger garlic rice cooked in the same pot. It’s what you want for dinner, right now! #hainanesechickenrice #chickenrice #recipes #dinner #onepot #easy #chickenrecipe #rice #chickenandrice

The secret to great Hainanese chicken rice

This is a basic one pot Hainanese chicken rice with all the flavor and none of the fuss. The recipe starts with chicken fat. If you’re like me and love chicken rice and make it on the regular, you’ll want to keep a jar of rendered chicken fat in the fridge. Even if you’re not like me and don’t want to make chicken rice every day of the week, you’ll want to keep a jar of chicken fat in the fridge. Chicken fat is PURE FLAVOR.

Chicken fat is what makes the rice part of chicken rice taste so good. But, if you don’t have any chicken fat, don’t worry, toasting your rice in any fat is going to give it a glossy, delicious flavor coat. The key is cooking the ginger, garlic, and shallots in fat so that the aromatics release their deliciousness into the rice.

Super simple and satisfying Hainanese chicken rice: juicy steamed chicken and ginger garlic rice cooked in the same pot. It’s what you want for dinner, right now! #hainanesechickenrice #chickenrice #recipes #dinner #onepot #easy #chickenrecipe #rice #chickenandrice

How to render chicken fat

Chicken fat is the key to a good Hainanese chicken rice. The chicken fat adds so much flavor to the rice, you won’t believe it.

  1. Collect. Trim excess skin off the chicken thighs. Every time you have a recipe that calls for boneless skinless chicken thighs, just buy skin-on, bone-in chicken. Debone and save the bones for stock and save the skin for rendering. I like to freeze a sizable amount then make a big batch of chicken fat and crispy chicken skin.
  2. Chop. Use a sharp knife and chop the chicken skin into small 1/2 inch pieces. You can use a pair of scissors for this too.
  3. Slowly render. Put all of the chicken skins in a non-stick (or cast iron) skillet, pot, or pan. I like using a pot to keep everything from splattering but it’ll be faster in a pan or skillet. Cover and cook on medium low for 15 minutes. The fat will start to render out and collect.
  4. Crisp. After you have a pretty pool of glistening fat, uncover the skillet and turn the heat up to medium. Let the skin and fat cook, stirring and breaking up occasionally, until the chicken skins start to crisp and brown.
  5. Strain. After all the skins are brown, remove the pan from the heat and use a fine mesh strainer over a heat proof liquid measuring cup to strain out the crispy skin. The rendered chicken fat is pure flavor. If desired, return the skin to the pan and crisp up further. The crispy chicken skins are the BEST. They’ll continue to crisp up as they cool, so don’t cook them too long. Store the strained fat in a jar in the fridge for several weeks and use to make chicken rice!

Super simple and satisfying Hainanese chicken rice: juicy steamed chicken and ginger garlic rice cooked in the same pot. It’s what you want for dinner, right now! #hainanesechickenrice #chickenrice #recipes #dinner #onepot #easy #chickenrecipe #rice #chickenandrice

Chicken thigh vs chicken breast

But what about the chicken? Do you need a whole chicken? Should you use dark meat or light if you’re just going with individual pieces? Again, this is personal preference, but I think the whole chicken isn’t necessary. The only question is, do you go with thigh or breast?

When you’re in Singapore, you have to pay extra for dark meat (thighs and drumsticks) because the meat is silkier and more tender. I definitely prefer thighs to chicken breasts when making chicken rice but sometimes I like the texture of breasts too.

What kind of chicken for chicken rice?

Chicken thighs are clearly superior but they don’t tend to sell skin-on boneless chicken thighs. What I do is buy bone in skin on thighs and trim the bones out myself.

How to debone chicken thighs

There’s only one bone to remove from a chicken thigh, making it super simple.

  1. Place the chicken thigh, skin side down on a cutting board.
  2. Find the bone that runs along the length of the thigh. Use a sharp boning knife or paring knife along the side of the bone to reveal it.
  3. Use the knife to scrape along both sides of the bone, being careful not to cut all the way through.
  4. Angle the tip of knife underneath the bone and run the knife alongside the bone to cut the end of the thigh away. Repeat on the other side.

You can use the bones to make a simple chicken stock that will add EVEN more flavor to your Hainanese chicken rice. See below for the recipe.

How do you eat Hainanese chicken rice?

Everyone eats it differently! Some people like to pour all three sauces on top and mix it all up, some people only use certain sauces, really, it’s up to you. Authentically, like with curry rice, it’s usually served on a plate with a spoon and fork – NOT a bowl and chopsticks – to scoop everything up.

Super simple and satisfying Hainanese chicken rice: juicy steamed chicken and ginger garlic rice cooked in the same pot. It’s what you want for dinner, right now! #hainanesechickenrice #chickenrice #recipes #dinner #onepot #easy #chickenrecipe #rice #chickenandrice

What to serve with Hainanese chicken rice

Traditionally it’s served with the poaching broth the chicken was cooked in, as well as chili sauce, scallion-ginger sauce (I kept it simple here with a scallion only sauce), and dark soy sauce. If you’re in Singapore, they’ll probably give you a couple pieces of cucumber, and a sprig of cilantro on top.

Homemade Hainanese scallion oil

Sometimes I keep it simple with a pure scallion oil, but if you have the time to chop up some more aromatics, a ginger garlic scallion oil is an unforgettable umami bomb you’ll want to put on EVERYTHING.

Ingredients

  • 4 cloves garlic
  • 1/2 cup scallions
  • 1 tbsp fresh ginger
  • 1/4 cup neutral oil
  1. In a food processor – or by hand, you wizard you – chop up 4 cloves garlic, 2-3 scallions (about 1/2 cup), and 1 tbsp fresh ginger. Place everything in a deep heat proof bowl.
  2. In the smallest pot you have, heat up 1/4 cup neutral oil (grapeseed, sunflower, safflower, canola) over medium heat until it reaches 275°F. You can also test the heat by placing an uncoated wooden chopstick in the oil. If you see tiny air bubbles escaping from the chopstick in the oil, it should be hot enough.
  3. Carefully remove the pot from the stove and pour over the scallion mix. It will sizzle and bubble. Stir so everything is coated and season with salt to taste.

Hainanese chili garlic sauce

Ingredients

  • 2 fresno peppers (or other red pepper)
  • 1 Thai chili pepper
  • 2 cloves garlic
  • 1″ ginger
  • 2-3 tbsp chicken stock
  • 1 tbsp lime juice
  • 1/2 tsp sugar
  1. In a food processor, chop 2 fresno peppers, 1 Thai chili, 2 cloves garlic, and a 1 inch piece of ginger until it comes together in a paste. Stir in 2-3 tablespoons of chicken stock, 1 tablespoon lime juice, and 1/2 teaspoon of sugar. Add salt to taste.

Hainanese ginger sauce

This is different from the scallion oil and I make it when I want a pure ginger taste. It’s not too spicy because cooking the ginger mellows it out. It’s a perfect “clean” tasting sauce for those Hainanese chicken rice purists out there.

Ingredients

  • 1/4 cup fresh ginger, finely chopped
  • 1/4 cup neutral oil
  • 2 tsp rendered chicken fat
  • salt, to taste
  1. In the smallest pot you have, heat up 1/4 cup neutral oil (grapeseed, sunflower, safflower, canola) over medium heat until it reaches 275°F. You can also test the heat by placing an uncoated wooden chopstick in the oil. If you see tiny air bubbles escaping from the chopstick in the oil, it should be hot enough.
  2. Remove the pot from the heat and stir in the ginger. It will sizzle and bubble. The ginger should be soft and tender. Stir in the rendered chicken fat and season to taste with salt.

Pro-tips

Here are some of my tips for making chicken rice. I do it so much that it’s pretty much second nature to me!

Use a food processor

I like doing prep work but a food processor makes everything easier and more enjoyable. There are a lot of aromatics in Hainanese chicken rice and it’s the aromatics that make everything taste amazing so you don’t want to skip out. A food processor will cut your prep time in half. This is the mini one we use on the regular.

Save your chicken fat!

I have a little freezer bag of frozen chicken fat/skin in the freezer. This is probably not that strange to people who know how amazing chicken fat is. I add to it whenever I’m trimming chicken or if I need skinless chicken in a recipe. Skin on chicken is so much cheaper that skin-off so I just de-skin at home and happily add to my stash. When the bag is full, I render the fat, stash it in the fridge in clean jar and scoop it out to use whenever I have a chicken rice craving. The crispy chicken skins get eaten pretty much right away. Having a stash of chicken fat in the fridge means you’re never too far away from chicken rice.

Use homemade chicken stock

This is my cheat version of Hainanese chicken rice, which is why it calls for store-bought chicken stock. But the truth is, like my endless supply of chicken fat, I also have an endless supply of Hainanese chicken stock in my freezer. To make homemade Hainanese chicken stock, use trimmed chicken bones:

  1. Place as many trimmed chicken bones as you have in a deep pot and cover with water until it is covers the bones by 2 inches.
  2. Add 1 inch ginger, sliced; 1 shallot, halved, 2 cloves garlic, crushed; and 1 whole green onion.
  3. Bring to a simmer over medium heat and when there are lots of tiny little bubbles, cover and turn down the heat.
  4. Simmer for 1 hour. When the hour is done, strain the stock. Use homemade Hainanese chicken stock as directed in the recipe.

Make it in the rice cooker

If you’re not a fan of cooking rice on the stove you can still make this one pot chicken and rice:

  1. Fry up the rice in chicken fat, along with the ginger, garlic and shallot until glossy.
  2. Add the fried rice to your rice cooker and add in the chicken stock, chicken, and green onion.
  3. Set the rice cooker and cook until the rice is finished cooking.
  4. Let the rice and chicken keep warm (on the keep warm setting) for 10 minutes before opening, fluffing, and enjoying.

Perfectly cooked chicken

I prefer to use boneless chicken for this quick and easy version because boneless thighs finish at the same time as the rice, making this quick and easy. If you want to use bone in chicken, make sure the chicken is tempered (not straight from the fridge) when you’re adding it to the pan. Cook the chicken and rice for 5 more minutes and let it steam with the lid on for an extra 5 minutes as well. The rice will be on the more tender side.

Super silky Hainanese chicken skin

Something people really love about Hainanese chicken is the super silky smooth chicken skin. It’s delicate, tender, and delicious. In Singapore, if the chicken is gelatinous and silky, it’s considered perfect. The secret to super silky chicken skin is a combination of salt scrubbing and temperature control. Because we’re making a one pot Hainanese chicken I’m going to talk mostly about salt scrubbing, but I will lightly touch on the importance of an ice bath too.

Salt scrub

The first thing you should do, if you’re looking for super smooth skin is to give your chicken a nice salt rub. Sprinkle on a generous amount of coarse salt and exfoliate the heck out of the chicken skin, making sure that the salt gets into every nook and cranny of the skin. After exfoliating, rinse the excess salt off the skin (so the chicken doesn’t end up too salty) and the chicken skin should look tighter, cleaner, and generally very pretty. This works super well on whole chickens but it also works on cut pieces of chicken to. Do it, it will definitely make a difference.

hainanese chicken | www.iamafoodblog.com

Temperature Control

As for the other key aspect of silky skin, it’s temperature control. This recipe is for a super simple Hainanese one pot chicken and rice but when you’re making it traditionally (as I do quite a lot as well) you using a whole chicken and poach it gently. After scrubbing and exfoliating with salt, the chicken is gently submerged in a pot of just simmering water and aromatics (scallions, ginger, garlic, shallots) until it cooks through. Immediately afterwards, the chicken is put into an ice cold water bath. The hot then cold shocks the chicken skin, pulling it tighter against it’s body. The skin will be silky and perfect!

hainanese chicken | www.iamafoodblog.com

When chicken rice is done well, you almost don’t need the chicken! Mike pretty much just eats giant bowls of the rice with no chicken at all, that’s how good it is. I hope you give this recipe a try, it’s the perfect comfort food for chilly fall days.

Chicken rice forever and always,
xoxo steph

Super simple and satisfying Hainanese chicken rice: juicy steamed chicken and ginger garlic rice cooked in the same pot. It’s what you want for dinner, right now! #hainanesechickenrice #chickenrice #recipes #dinner #onepot #easy #chickenrecipe #rice #chickenandrice

One Pot Hainanese Chicken and Rice Recipe

Super simple and satisfying Hainanese chicken and rice: juicy steamed chicken and ginger garlic rice cooked in the same pot. It’s what you want for dinner, right now!
Serves 2
4.75 from 85 votes
Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 30 minutes
Total Time 45 minutes

Ingredients

Chicken Rice

  • 1/2 tsp kosher salt
  • 4 boneless, skin-on chicken thighs
  • 1 tbsp rendered chicken fat or neutral oil
  • 1 tbsp minced ginger
  • 1 clove garlic minced
  • 1/2 small shallot finely diced
  • 1 cup white jasmine rice
  • 1 cup chicken stock low sodium
  • 2 green onions whole

Green Onion Oil

  • 1/2 cup thinly sliced green onions
  • 1/4 cup neutral oil
  • salt to taste

To Serve

  • chili sauce
  • sliced cucumbers

Instructions

  • Rub the chicken skin with the salt and set aside.
  • In a pan or pot with a lid, heat up the chicken fat or oil. Add the ginger, garlic, and shallot. Cook, stirring, until fragrant. Stir in the rice and fry gently until glossy.
    Super simple and satisfying Hainanese chicken rice: juicy steamed chicken and ginger garlic rice cooked in the same pot. It’s what you want for dinner, right now! #hainanesechickenrice #chickenrice #recipes #dinner #onepot #easy #chickenrecipe #rice #chickenandrice
  • Add chicken stock, then place the chicken, skin side up, in the pan. Add the green onions on top. Bring to boil over medium high heat and when it starts to simmer, cover and turn the heat down to low. Cook for 17 minutes, turn off the heat, and let rest for 10 minutes.
    Super simple and satisfying Hainanese chicken rice: juicy steamed chicken and ginger garlic rice cooked in the same pot. It’s what you want for dinner, right now! #hainanesechickenrice #chickenrice #recipes #dinner #onepot #easy #chickenrecipe #rice #chickenandrice
  • While the rice is cooking, make the green onion oil: place the green onions in a deep heat proof bowl and set aside.
    Super simple and satisfying Hainanese chicken rice: juicy steamed chicken and ginger garlic rice cooked in the same pot. It’s what you want for dinner, right now! #hainanesechickenrice #chickenrice #recipes #dinner #onepot #easy #chickenrecipe #rice #chickenandrice
  • In a small pot, heat 1/4 cup oil over medium heat until it reaches 275°F. Remove the pot from the stove and very carefully pour over the green onions – they will sizzle and bubble up. Stir in salt to taste.
    Super simple and satisfying Hainanese chicken rice: juicy steamed chicken and ginger garlic rice cooked in the same pot. It’s what you want for dinner, right now! #hainanesechickenrice #chickenrice #recipes #dinner #onepot #easy #chickenrecipe #rice #chickenandrice
  • When the 10 minute rest is up, remove and discard the green onions. Remove the chicken and slice. Fluff up the rice and serve with thinly sliced cucumbers and green onion oil. Enjoy immediately!
    Super simple and satisfying Hainanese chicken rice: juicy steamed chicken and ginger garlic rice cooked in the same pot. It’s what you want for dinner, right now! #hainanesechickenrice #chickenrice #recipes #dinner #onepot #easy #chickenrecipe #rice #chickenandrice

Notes

Estimated nutrition facts don't include the green onion oil.

Estimated Nutrition

Nutrition Facts
One Pot Hainanese Chicken and Rice Recipe
Amount Per Serving
Calories 396 Calories from Fat 147
% Daily Value*
Fat 16.3g25%
Saturated Fat 0.9g6%
Cholesterol 0.01mg0%
Sodium 641mg28%
Potassium 369mg11%
Carbohydrates 23.2g8%
Fiber 1.3g5%
Sugar 0.5g1%
Protein 37.6g75%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

85 Comments

  1. Samantha says:

    5 stars
    This looks like an amazing, quick version! I’ve always been too intimidated to make this dish because it involves a whole chicken but using chicken thighs instead is pretty genius. Just one question: what about the soup/broth that is usually served with it? My mom would be very sad if I served it without that!

    1. Stephanie says:

      it’s usually the broth that the chicken has been cooked it. you can make a little cheat version by using low sodium chicken broth that you simmer with some ginger and green onions :)

      1. Joy says:

        5 stars
        So so good!!! I’m not a great chef but I followed this recipe to a T and it paid off!

  2. Kennedy Poi says:

    I’m sure you’re brought up by this method, and its so exciting to see you prepare this way, I’m of the another method of boiling whole chicken and dunking the steaming chicken into ice water so as to glaze the skin from breaking up, stop blood flow and sealing in the flavours. Use the boiled chicken stock with ginger and garlic to be the water stock that cooks the rice fried gently in butter and then into the rice cooker for cooking until a shade of yellowness in the chicken flavored rice. Then there’s the garlic, the onions and chillis all chopped up and mixed into a rich chillipaste with oil. Lastly chop your boiled chicken without breaking any bones cleanly and drizzled soya sauce. Add thinly sliced cucumbers the longer the better to the dish for a crunchy experience of the dish. My mouth is salivating already thinking about swallowing my first chomp.

    1. Heather Tyler says:

      4 stars
      Yes, I’ve often used this method as well. It’s my favourite chicken-and-rice dish of all time. My ultimate comfort food.

  3. Kennedy Poi says:

    To be honest my eyes watered just seeing your images here!

  4. Kath says:

    This looks amazing. Can I cook it in a wok, or would it turn out differently?

    1. Stephanie says:

      i think it’ll be okay in a wok, but it’ll depend on if the rice is submerged in the chicken stock or not. you can use any size pot though!

      1. Kath says:

        Thank you! Does the rice need to be washed before cooking it in the pan?

        1. Stephanie says:

          hi kath,
          i don’t wash my rice (a bad asian, i know! but apparently the rice washing thing is debunk?!) but if you prefer to, you can definitely do that, just make sure that you toast it well :)

        2. Gillian Didier Serre says:

          4 stars
          Making this dec 30

  5. Joanne says:

    5 stars
    I made this the day after you first posted it and it was AMAZING. My husband and I are both from Singapore and when we tasted this we both agreed that this was super legit!!! So glad I now have a recipe I can use to whip up my favorite childhood food anytime!!! THANK YOU!!
    P.S. I am back here because I want to make this again :)

    1. Stephanie says:

      oh yay! that makes me so happy :)
      i’ll have to post my hardcore “real” version soon and see what you think!

  6. Davena says:

    5 stars
    From a Singaporean explant to New York City (and its tiny kitchens) this makes HCR look manageable. Especially for one person + leftovers!

    p.s. love the step-by-step pictures

  7. Anna says:

    5 stars
    Never had Hainanese chicken but though this recipe was so good! Couldn’t find boneless thighs that still had the skin on so used bone-in and extended the cooking time. I agree, could just eat a bowl of the rice. YUM!

    1. Gillian Didier-Serre says:

      5 stars
      Congrats Steph, its the most well explained recipe for hainanese chicken and since my visit to singapore in 2018 I have a craving for this food many thanks

  8. Christine says:

    If I double the recipe, does the cooking and resting time change? Thank you!

    1. Stephanie says:

      hi christine,
      it shouldn’t affect the cooking and resting time!

      1. Christine says:

        Thank you so much!!

  9. Jess says:

    4 stars
    Absolutely love this recipe – so easy and I love the ginger taste coming out. I grated my garlic, ginger and shallots which is just a personal preference.

    One question though, my chicken wasn’t cooked through with the time scale provided. Didn’t want to put it longer in case the rice starts to stick and adding more water would just make mushy rice. Any advice anyone?

    1. Stephanie says:

      hi jess,
      i would look for smaller pieces of chicken or even cutting the thighs into smaller pieces – a smaller mass means the heat will do more and cook the meat faster. hope that helps!

  10. Maria says:

    5 stars
    I am a longtime huge fan of your recipes, photos and writing !

    What would you recommend as a neutral oil?

    1. Stephanie says:

      hi maria,
      we tend to use grapeseed oil or canola :)

  11. Melissa says:

    5 stars
    Having lived in Asia for many years I am looking forward to trying this recipe! Can this recipe be doubled in equal portions in a 7.5 quart sauteuse? Also, is the jasmine rice pre-cooked? Love your blog!

    1. Stephanie says:

      you can definitely double it and the recipe is uncooked! :) hope you love it!

  12. Albert says:

    Thanks for sharing the recipe. Like you, I’m a huge fan of the dish!

    I’m hoping to get your suggestions on how I can improve the outcome. I’ve followed your recipe twice and each time the rice has either been too wet or greasy. Not sure if I’m trimming enough fat off the chicken? Heat is too low? Too much water? While the flavors are great, sadly my rice hasn’t been fluffy.

    Any tips would be appreciated!

    1. Stephanie says:

      hi albert,
      it’s hard to diagnose without seeing it but it’s probably that your heat is too low. try turning it up a bit :) if you find it too greasy, i would trim off more chicken fat, but the chicken fat is pretty essential to the authentic taste :)

  13. Jamie says:

    Hello! I just wanted to know how many people this recipe serves, since 4 chicken thighs are needed. I plan on making this dish for myself, so I was wondering how I could change the recipe to serve just one. And I don’t have kosher salt. What would be a good substitute?

    1. Stephanie says:

      hi jamie,
      i would say it serves 2 so you can make the recipe as is and have leftovers :)
      as for kosher salt, you can use regular table salt, just sprinkle it on the chicken to taste. hope that helps!

  14. Naz says:

    Hello! How did you render the fat out of the chicken skin? Is it just chopped up raw chicken skin heated up in a pan?

    1. Stephanie says:

      hi naz,
      yes, i just heated up chopped up chicken skin in a non-stick pan over low to medium low heat, stirring occasionally. it takes a while :)

  15. Ray says:

    Hi. How would I adjust this recipe if I wanted to cook the rice in a rice cooker instead of stovetop?

    1. Stephanie says:

      hi ray,
      i would measure out the rice using the cup that your rice cooker came with (2 cups) and then add chicken stock up to the line for 2 cups then add the chicken and green onions on top. turn on the rice cooker and when the rice cooker is done cooking, let it sit for an extra ten minutes.

  16. Lucy says:

    Hello! What time/other adjustments might I need to make if using bone-in thighs? Thank you!

    1. Stephanie says:

      hi lucy,
      i haven’t tried with bone in thighs – their cook time is a bit longer which means that the rice would get over cooked. if you don’t mind the rice being a bit on the well done side, i would increase the cook time by 5 minutes. hope that helps!

  17. Brendan says:

    Is the rice precooked before you fry it?

    1. Stephanie says:

      hi brendan,
      it’s uncooked!

  18. musta hana says:

    5 stars
    Very nice. I like the way you describe it.

  19. Lisa says:

    5 stars
    This recipe was so delicious & easy! Way easier than poaching a whole chicken and the traditional way of making this dish! Thank you for all the tips and step by step instructions.

    1. Stephanie says:

      hi lisa,
      thanks so much for taking the time to comment! so happy you loved it :)

  20. Horse Saddlery Shop says:

    5 stars
    Thank you for sharing all the tips and step by step instructions for making this delicious recipe.

  21. Kupferbecken says:

    5 stars
    I love your blog. Great job

  22. Haiwen says:

    5 stars
    Been eyeing this recipe for a while for a weeknight and finally made it tonight. My husband said it was one of his all time favorite dishes already and the best new dish he’s had in the past 2 years! I ended up sautéing and finishing the cooking in the rice cooker (I have a bad track record for burning rice on the stove). Thanks for the recipe!

  23. Louie says:

    5 stars
    Hello Stephanie, excellent, uncomplicated hainanese chicken rice recipe ever. If I use the rice cooker to finish off the recipe, do I still need to fry the rice as you described before putting it in the rice cooker with the chicken to boil? Thanks for sharing your recipes.

    1. Stephanie says:

      hi louie,

      yes, definitely fry the rice before putting it in the rice cooker, it’ll add an extra layer of flavor :)

      1. Lynne says:

        Thanks Stephanie. Could I use a stock pot to cook the chicken and rice?

        1. Stephanie says:

          hi, you can use a stock pot, it might be a bit deep for you to brown the aromatics, but it will work :)

  24. Lynne says:

    Hi do I stir in uncooked rice in step2? If I use brown rice does it affect the overall result

    1. Stephanie says:

      hi lynne,
      yes, it’s uncooked rice – brown rice takes quite a bit longer to cook and it needs extra liquid. i don’t really recommend it because the chicken will end up being overcooked

  25. S. Chan says:

    5 stars
    So good, it passed muster with my Singaporean husband. Can’t think of a higher compliment than that! We served with a little of the special sticky soy sauce I got from my mother in law. Using homemade stock made it so rich and flavorful.

  26. Rina Tee says:

    5 stars
    Thanks for the recipe. I will try it out tomorrow Cheers!

  27. Mira says:

    5 stars
    What a delicious meal!

  28. Cara says:

    5 stars
    Thank you so much for this! Was missing home and the other methods were just too daunting! This is perfect!

  29. Kathy says:

    5 stars
    Excellent recipe. Love the flavors.

  30. Erin says:

    5 stars
    I just wanted to comment and say I have been making this dish every week for almost 2 years! It has become a staple in our house and the ultimate comfort food. Thank you for this recipe!

  31. Gelly says:

    4 stars
    Hi. I’ve been craving this Hainanese chicken but the only place selling it in our neighborhood temporarily closed due to COVID. I never even thought of cooking it myself ever only because it was so easy to order whenever I felt the craving. When I couldn’t get it, I googled how to cook Hainanese chicken and viola! Your recipe stood out.

    I tried it last night in a wok-like pan, which is where I cook most of my rice dishes. I followed your recipe to a tee, except for the dip as I still have lots of my fave ginger and oil from our last take-out. I even learned how to rend the chicken fat from the skin (and ate the crackling skin afterwards). I salt-rubbed my chicken thighs…everything seemed to be doing ok, until I turned off the stove…I was disappointed bec I thought the rice cooked perfectly with the steamed pieces of chicken perfectly cooked as well. However, the bottom rice was burned. The consistency of the rice was perfect. Not too oily, very fluffy, except for the burnt bottom. Did I have the fire too high? It didn’t taste burned, though and it wasn’t crispy at all…

    1. Stephanie says:

      hi, the heat was probably too high or maybe the burner was too large for the pan. the bottom of the rice does tend to get color on it because of the oil!

  32. Jen says:

    4 stars
    I don’t know what i did wrong but the chicken was raw while the rice was overcooked and mushy. The rice tasted great even though it was mushy. As for the chicken, i threw it in the instant pot to cook up as i was rushed on time. I’ll try it again but it was definitely a me problem and not the recipe. The ginger scallion sauce was delightful!

  33. Anna says:

    Hi! Could I use skinless chicken for this recipe? Thank you!

    1. Stephanie says:

      hey, it won’t have as much chicken flavor but you can definitely do it :)

  34. Lauren says:

    3 stars
    I love this recipe. My only issue is that both times I’ve made it, the rice came out hard. Should the rice be 2:1 instead of 1:1? This is driving me mad

    1. Stephanie says:

      if you like your rice on the softer side, i would go 1:1.25 or 1:1.5 :)

  35. Melissa says:

    5 stars
    I have made Hainan chicken 3 times in the last week, and it was only possible through this recipe. I could not ever find the time or reason as a single person to exfoliate and dunk a whole chicken in a pot, poach it, ice it, then cut it up…and after start rendering chicken fat and chopping aromatics for the chicken rice. I had all but given up on enjoying the taste and tenderness of Hainan chicken at home when I came across this recipe. This was a perfect and easy substitute. Thank you so much for sharing this.

  36. Liz says:

    5 stars
    I love this one pot Nasi ayam, chicken rice. It’s a hit in the house and so quick to make with basic cupboard ingredients especially living in London. I have altered the recipe to add pandan leaves and a bit of sesame oil for that fragrance. It’s probably a Malay thing to add pandan leaves, haha. Thanks for this recipe, I’m always coming back to it. X

  37. Tyson D. says:

    4 stars
    Quick & easy! Instead of chicken broth, I used “tinola mix”, its a Filipino ginger based soup. Thank you for sharing this yummy recipe.

  38. Renee Khoo says:

    hi, my chicken stock is gelatinous, may I ask how much am I supposed to put? Am I supposed to add water to it before adding the chicken stock inside the pan?

    1. Stephanie says:

      hi! if you’re chicken stock is gelatinous, you just put the same amount it, it will warm up to the same in liquid, you don’t need to add water :)

  39. Fred Nimely says:

    This is great! What would you recommend for cookware?

    1. Stephanie says:

      honestly any sauté pan with high straight sides will work, as well as a pot or small dutch oven.

  40. Rick says:

    Do I need a separate chicken to render the fat prior to boiling the chicken I use for the chicken rice? i have one whole chicken and trying to figure out how to keep the skin!

    1. Stephanie says:

      hi rick,
      are you trying to make a whole chicken instead of chicken thighs? are you going to break down the chicken into pieces? when you do, there will be lots of extra fatty bits that you can use to render out fat.

  41. Nora says:

    5 stars
    so easy and so delicious!!! i added some chilies, garlic, and basil to the green onion oil and it’s delicious. The rice is to die for and the chicken is perfect.

  42. Ambar says:

    Incredible recipe, was delicious! Thank you. One question, I’m unable to open the link of the mini food processor you use. If anyone can please reply with the model name and number that would be awesome. Thank you.

  43. Irene says:

    I need to double this recipe. Would it be safe to just double the ingredients? How would the cooking times change?

    1. Stephanie says:

      hi irene, the cooking time wound change for the rice but you might need to add some extra time for the extra chicken. the best thing to do would be to use a shallow pan so the chicken is in a single layer. adding an extra 5-10 minutes might result in slightly overdone rice but that’s what i would do! hope that helps :)

  44. Emmeline says:

    5 stars
    great recipe. used it for my school project but it became the new family favourite dinner dish.

  45. Emmeline Teh says:

    5 stars
    Great recipe :) What do I do if the rice is a little hard?

    1. Stephanie says:

      hi emmeline, let it steam longer with the lid on, for 5-10 extra minutes. hope that helps!

  46. F says:

    4 stars
    Great recipe, an absolute go-to and much easier than having to cook a whole chicken. Only thing i’ve found is that the stated amount of time results in undercooked chicken for me (145’F after resting + looks undercooked)

  47. Li says:

    5 stars
    Hi! Finally ate Hainan chicken and rice for the first time~~delicious!
    Only thing, can I really do a good rinse to remove as much salt as possible? I have to limit my salt intake. Thanks.

    1. Stephanie says:

      yes, absolutely! give it a really good rinse!

  48. Paras says:

    5 stars
    Hey! I just love the stove-top recipe and this has become a staple in my diet.
    Just wanted tk check with you, since I planning pn meal prepping this.
    Can I stack up the chicken thighs on the rice in the saute-pan on the stove-top?
    I am planning on using 10-12 chicken thighs and I dont have a pan to fit all of them in a single layer.
    Thanks! Appreciate for sharing this recipe!

    1. Stephanie says:

      i feel like with a layers of chicken, it might not cook through – i would do some of the chicken separately. do one layer of chicken in the pot with the rice and simply steam the rest of the chicken in another pot. hope that helps!

  49. LaVondilyn says:

    5 stars
    My husband and I enjoyed this recipe! Definitely comfort food at its finest. I made the mistake of using a short grain rice instead of Jasmine. In that case, I needed to cut back on the stock a bit, as it was a little softer than the firm rice I am used to. But, it was so delish and flavorful…especially with the Scallion Sauce. The garlic, ginger and onion flavors shine beautifully. So simple, yet so, so good! Thank you for sharing!

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