This one-pot Hainanese chicken rice cooks everything in a single pot, so you get that savory, ginger-garlic flavor without the extra steps. I’ve tested this a few times to keep this recipe simple, reliable, and straightforward to follow at home!
Ingredients and Substitutions
*The Recipe Card below includes all the full measurements for these ingredients!
Chicken thighs: You can either purchase boneless chicken thighs or de-bone them yourself by removing the centre bone with a sharp knife. You may also choose to use bone-in chicken, just be sure to account for a longer cooking time (about 10 to 15 minutes extra) until it’s fully cooked through.
Sesame oil, white pepper, salt: Extra seasonings to give the chicken a bit more depth. Sesame oil can be omitted, though you’ll lose some of its nuttiness in the dish. White pepper can be replaced with freshly ground black pepper.
Garlic, ginger, scallion, ground turmeric: These will be used for the broth (and ginger-scallion sauce) to give it a subtle aroma. Turmeric gives the rice a yellow hue and a light earthy taste, but can be omitted.
Rice: Go for white Jasmine rice. Be sure to rinse it prior to cooking!
Unsalted chicken stock: This will give the rice a savory, chicken flavor to cook in. Water can technically work, the rice will just taste lighter.
Dark soy sauce, sugar: Just two ingredients is all we’ll need to make a quick sweet soy sauce. You can substitute the dark soy sauce for light soy sauce. Granulated or rock sugar is preferred, but brown may also work.
Instructions
*The Recipe Card below includes all the full detailed instructions!
Marinate the chicken briefly in the salt, white pepper, and sesame oil. In the meantime, sauté the garlic and ginger in a nonstick pot.
Add in the rice, chicken stock, turmeric, scallion, and chicken thighs. Bring to a boil, then let simmer for 15 minutes until the rice is soft and the chicken is fully cooked.
Serve warm with the prepared ginger-scallion sauce and sweet soy sauce.
Cooking Tips
Use a non-stick pot: Ideally go for a non-stick pot to prevent your rice from burning underneath since we won’t be stirring it at all while cooking!
Add more flavor, if desired: Feel free to throw in additional spices, such as a pod of star anise, chili flakes, or pandan leaf. You can also make it extra filling by adding slices of Chinese sausage or fresh shiitake mushrooms as well.
One-Pot Hainanese Chicken Rice Recipe
2
servings15
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minutesThis one-pot Hainanese chicken rice cooks everything in a single pot, so you get that savory, ginger-garlic flavor without the extra steps. I’ve tested this a few times to keep this recipe simple, reliable, and straightforward to follow at home!
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Ingredients
- Hainanese Chicken
4 to 6 boneless chicken thighs (depends on the size of the thighs)
3/4 teaspoon kosher salt
1/4 teaspoon ground white pepper
1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil
1 tablespoon neutral oil
3 garlic cloves, minced
2 thumbs ginger, sliced
1 cup rinsed white jasmine rice
1 1/4 cup unsalted chicken stock
1/8 teaspoon ground turmeric, optional
1 scallion, quartered
- Ginger Scallion Sauce
1 tablespoon grated ginger
2 tablespoons chopped scallion (whites and greens)
1 1/2 tablespoons neutral oil
- Sweet Soy Sauce
1 1/2 tablespoons dark soy sauce
1 tablespoons granulated sugar
Directions
- To a medium-sized bowl, season the chicken thighs with the salt, white pepper, and sesame oil, rubbing it well on all sides. Let marinate for 10 minutes.
- Heat the oil in a medium, non-stick pot over medium heat. Sauté the garlic and ginger until fragrant, about 1 to 2 minutes. Add in the rinsed rice and stir well, cooking for another 30 seconds.
- Pour in the chicken stock, turmeric, and quartered scallions. Stir well with the rice. Lay the marinated chicken (skin-side up) on top.
- Bring this to a boil, then cover, and let simmer on medium-low for 15 minutes. Once the time is up, turn off the heat and let sit for another 5 to 10 minutes to finish cooking. The rice should be soft, broth absorbed, and the chicken fully cooked.
- In the meantime, prepare the sauces:
Ginger Scallion Sauce: In a small, heatproof bowl, add the ginger and scallions. Mix well to combine. Heat the oil in small pot or saucepan until it reaches around 350°F. Once to temperature, carefully pour the oil over the ginger-scallion mixture to sizzle. Immediately mix to combine and set aside.
Sweet Soy Sauce: In a small, microwave-safe bowl, combine the dark soy sauce and sugar together. Mix well, then microwave for 20 to 30 seconds, just to dissolve the sugar (you may also do this on stove top if preferred). - Once the chicken rice is cooked, remove the chicken from the rice and slice into bite-sized strips, if desired. Serve with the rice and prepared sauces.
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