Hainanese Chicken Rice (Thai Style)

Name: Hainanese Chicken Rice (Thai Style)
Cook time: 80 min
Yield: 4 servings
Cuisine: TH

🇹🇭 Thailand80 minChicken

Start Cooking Customize

Servings

Ingredients

Proteins

1.2 kg whole chicken
1.5 liters water or chicken stock
2 tbsp chicken fat
4 cups chicken broth (for rice)
2 tbsp chicken broth (for sauce)

Aromatics

10 cm ginger, sliced
5 cloves garlic, smashed
2 sections spring onions
4 cloves garlic, minced (for rice)
2 cm ginger, minced (for rice)
4 chilies bird's eye chilies, sliced
3 cloves garlic, minced (for sauce)
2 tbsp ginger, grated or finely minced (for sauce)
1 bunch fresh cilantro, chopped (for sauce)
1 sprig fresh cilantro sprigs (for garnish)

Sauces & Seasonings

1 tsp salt (for poaching)
1 tsp salt (for rice)
2 tbsp fermented soybean paste (Tao Jiao)
2 tbsp dark soy sauce
2 tbsp light soy sauce
1 tbsp vinegar
1 tbsp sugar

Vegetables

1 cucumber fresh cucumber, sliced (for garnish)

Other

3 cups jasmine rice, washed and drained
1 leaf pandan leaves, knotted
1 tbsp lime juice

Instructions

1
Prepare the Chicken: Clean the whole chicken thoroughly. Remove any excess fat, especially around the cavity, and set it aside for rendering. Rub the chicken all over with salt.
2
Poach the Chicken: In a large pot, add water/chicken stock, sliced ginger, smashed garlic, and spring onions. Bring to a boil. Carefully lower the chicken into the pot. Once it returns to a simmer, reduce heat to low, cover, and poach for 30-40 minutes, or until cooked through. To check, pierce the thickest part of the thigh with a skewer; clear juices should run out.
3
Chill the Chicken: Once cooked, immediately remove the chicken from the hot broth and plunge it into an ice bath for 10-15 minutes. This stops the cooking process and results in tender, succulent meat with firm skin.
4
Prepare Chicken Fat for Rice: While the chicken chills, render the excess chicken fat in a small pan over low heat until crispy and golden brown. Strain and set aside the rendered chicken fat.
5
Cook the Rice: In a rice cooker or heavy-bottomed pot, heat the rendered chicken fat. Sauté minced garlic and minced ginger until fragrant. Add the washed jasmine rice and stir for 1-2 minutes until coated. Add chicken broth (from poaching the chicken), salt, and knotted pandan leaves. Cook the rice according to your rice cooker's instructions or until the liquid is absorbed and rice is fluffy (about 15-20 minutes).
6
Make the Thai Dipping Sauce: In a mortar and pestle or food processor, combine bird's eye chilies, minced garlic, and grated ginger. Pound or process until a coarse paste forms. Transfer to a bowl and mix with fermented soybean paste, dark soy sauce, light soy sauce, vinegar, lime juice, sugar, and a few tablespoons of warm chicken broth. Taste and adjust seasoning as needed. Stir in chopped cilantro.
7
Carve and Serve: Drain the chilled chicken and pat dry. Carefully chop the chicken into serving pieces. Ladle the fragrant rice onto plates. Arrange the chicken pieces next to the rice. Serve with slices of fresh cucumber, cilantro sprigs, and a generous portion of the spicy Thai dipping sauce. Offer a side of warm chicken broth from the poaching liquid.

Cook this in the app — save it & get tonight’s menu

Get the app

Ingredients

Proteins

1.2 kg whole chicken
1.5 liters water or chicken stock
2 tbsp chicken fat
4 cups chicken broth (for rice)
2 tbsp chicken broth (for sauce)

Aromatics

10 cm ginger, sliced
5 cloves garlic, smashed
2 sections spring onions
4 cloves garlic, minced (for rice)
2 cm ginger, minced (for rice)
4 chilies bird's eye chilies, sliced
3 cloves garlic, minced (for sauce)
2 tbsp ginger, grated or finely minced (for sauce)
1 bunch fresh cilantro, chopped (for sauce)
1 sprig fresh cilantro sprigs (for garnish)

Sauces & Seasonings

1 tsp salt (for poaching)
1 tsp salt (for rice)
2 tbsp fermented soybean paste (Tao Jiao)
2 tbsp dark soy sauce
2 tbsp light soy sauce
1 tbsp vinegar
1 tbsp sugar

Vegetables

1 cucumber fresh cucumber, sliced (for garnish)

Other

3 cups jasmine rice, washed and drained
1 leaf pandan leaves, knotted
1 tbsp lime juice

Instructions

Prepare the Chicken: Clean the whole chicken thoroughly. Remove any excess fat, especially around the cavity, and set it aside for rendering. Rub the chicken all over with salt.

Poach the Chicken: In a large pot, add water/chicken stock, sliced ginger, smashed garlic, and spring onions. Bring to a boil. Carefully lower the chicken into the pot. Once it returns to a simmer, reduce heat to low, cover, and poach for 30-40 minutes, or until cooked through. To check, pierce the thickest part of the thigh with a skewer; clear juices should run out.

Chill the Chicken: Once cooked, immediately remove the chicken from the hot broth and plunge it into an ice bath for 10-15 minutes. This stops the cooking process and results in tender, succulent meat with firm skin.

Prepare Chicken Fat for Rice: While the chicken chills, render the excess chicken fat in a small pan over low heat until crispy and golden brown. Strain and set aside the rendered chicken fat.

Cook the Rice: In a rice cooker or heavy-bottomed pot, heat the rendered chicken fat. Sauté minced garlic and minced ginger until fragrant. Add the washed jasmine rice and stir for 1-2 minutes until coated. Add chicken broth (from poaching the chicken), salt, and knotted pandan leaves. Cook the rice according to your rice cooker's instructions or until the liquid is absorbed and rice is fluffy (about 15-20 minutes).

Make the Thai Dipping Sauce: In a mortar and pestle or food processor, combine bird's eye chilies, minced garlic, and grated ginger. Pound or process until a coarse paste forms. Transfer to a bowl and mix with fermented soybean paste, dark soy sauce, light soy sauce, vinegar, lime juice, sugar, and a few tablespoons of warm chicken broth. Taste and adjust seasoning as needed. Stir in chopped cilantro.

Carve and Serve: Drain the chilled chicken and pat dry. Carefully chop the chicken into serving pieces. Ladle the fragrant rice onto plates. Arrange the chicken pieces next to the rice. Serve with slices of fresh cucumber, cilantro sprigs, and a generous portion of the spicy Thai dipping sauce. Offer a side of warm chicken broth from the poaching liquid.