Over the last while I have come across several posts for Hainanese chicken rice which have sounded really good. Hainanese chicken rice is a Chinese dish that consists of a poached chicken along with rice that is cooked in chicken broth. Chicken rice is commonly served with a chili sauce and other condiments to dip the chicken into. Every time I come across chicken rice I have heard nothing but good things about it and it seems that it is very popular in several Asian countries including Singapore where it is considered a national dish. I liked the simplicity of the dish and I was looking forward to trying a poached chicken as opposed to a roasted chicken which I am more familiar with.
The Hainanese chicken rice was pretty straight forward to make though it did take a bit of time. First you poach the chicken and only then can you make the rice using the liquid that the chicken was cooked in. You have to wait for the chicken to cool so that you can strip the meat from it so that you can use the bones to make the simple chicken soup. I liked that this meal used so much of the chicken all the way down to the bones and the water that the chicken was cooked in. The Hainanese chicken rice turned out pretty well! The chicken was nice and moist and tender and good. I served it with the chili sauce and some ginger sauce and some cucumbers and tomatoes. The cucumbers and tomatoes were a nice cool relief from the heat of the chili sauce. The rice that was made in the chicken broth was nice and creamy and flavourful and it also provided some relief from the chili heat. Overall it was a really tasty and filling meal.
Hainanese Chicken Rice
ingredients
- 1 chicken
- 7 cloves garlic
- 5 slices ginger
- 1 teaspoon salt
- water
- 1 tablespoon sesame oil
- 1 tablespoon light soy sauce
- 1/2 teaspoon brown sugar
- 3 cloves garlic (chopped)
directions
- Stuff the garlic and ginger into the chicken.
- Place the chicken into a large pot and cover with water.
- Bring to a boil, reduce the heat and simmer for 20 minutes.
- Plunge the chicken into ice water until no longer hot, about 15 minutes. (Retain the water that the chicken was cooked in.)
- Mix the sesame oil, soy sauce, sugar and garlic and brush onto the chicken.
- Cut the chicken into pieces.
Chicken Rice
ingredients
- 1 teaspoon oil
- 2 cloves garlic (peeled and smashed)
- 4 slices ginger
- 1 cup long grained rice
- 2 cups broth from cooking chicken
directions
- Heat the oil in a pan.
- Add the garlic and ginger and saute until fragrant.
- Add the rice and broth and bring to a boil.
- Reduce the heat, cover and simmer until the rice is tender, about 20 minutes.
Chicken Soup
ingredients
- all but 2 tablespoons the remaining chicken broth
- the bones from the chicken
- lettuce or cabbage
- green onions
directions
- Simmer the bones in the broth for an hour.
- Strain the solids from the broth.
- Serve with lettuce.
Chicken Rice Chili Sauce
ingredients
- 4 tablespoons chili sauce
- 1 inch ginger
- 4 cloves garlic
- 1 lime (juice)
- 2 tablespoons of chicken broth
directions
- Puree everything in a food processor.
Ginger Sauce
ingredients
- ginger
- sesame oil
- salt
directions
- Puree the ginger and season with sesame oil and salt.
Dragon says
January 13, 2009 at 1:34 amI’m sure it was worth the wait. Yum!
Mrs Ergül says
January 13, 2009 at 1:46 amI have to take my hat off to you Kevin! I am a Chinese and I have been putting aside the making of Hainanese Chicken Rice…
When I go to a hawker centre and I don’t know what to order, I go for the safeest bet – Hainanese Chicken Rice!
With your post, I’m highly motivated to make this!
Sara says
January 13, 2009 at 2:41 amThis looks great – I just got a new chinese food cookbook, but haven’t made anything from it yet.
Sara says
January 13, 2009 at 3:46 amGosh that all sounds wonderful. This is the 3rd chicken and rice recipe I’ve seen today, so obviously I must make some. I think it will be your recipe!
Indonesia-Eats says
January 13, 2009 at 4:13 amLovely! This one is very popular in Indonesia, Malaysia and Singapore.
My version is a bit different to yours. You may take a look my version.
http://indonesia-eats.blogspot.com/2007/04/hainase-chicken-rice.html
Esi says
January 13, 2009 at 4:28 amThis looks so good! I bet all the flavors came out great!
Elra says
January 13, 2009 at 4:29 amDelicious, I love Hainan Chicken. It’s a popular dish in Indonesia. It’s very very delicious, eat with lots of chili sambal.
Anonymous says
January 13, 2009 at 5:08 amLooks fantastic, Kevin!
Manger La Ville says
January 13, 2009 at 6:00 amThis sounds so delicious. I really like the idea of using the all the chicken to use this. I bet the flavor of the rice is beautiful.
Rosa's Yummy Yums says
January 13, 2009 at 6:09 amHealthy and delicious! A wonderful recipe!
Cheers,
Rosa
lisa (dandysugar) says
January 13, 2009 at 6:31 amThis dish looks delicious and healthy! Two things that I like. Looks like a wonderful dish.
pen and paper says
January 13, 2009 at 8:36 amOoh, that looks good. I’ve been craving this sort of clean, soothing dish a lot this month. This looks perfect.
HoneyB says
January 13, 2009 at 12:21 pmWhat a beautiful setting! The dinner looks awesome!
Natashya says
January 13, 2009 at 12:23 pmSo colourful and healthy, what a great dish.
VeggieGirl says
January 13, 2009 at 12:52 pmGorgeously-plated meal!!
Nick says
January 13, 2009 at 1:21 pmWow Kevin. That is a big old bowl of chili sauce there.
I’m assuming you ate that like a soup right? 😉
Looks awesome.
Nick
Macheesmo
kateypie35 says
January 13, 2009 at 1:45 pmThis looks yummy!
Jessica@Foodmayhem says
January 13, 2009 at 2:12 pmI haven’t had Hainanese Chicken in so long and there’s a Malaysian place that makes it wonderfully here…now, you’ve got me craving it.
Anonymous says
January 13, 2009 at 2:22 pmman…I want to be eating in your kitchen! Love the flavor combination you come up with.
Lori says
January 13, 2009 at 3:13 pmWow, this looks like a complex recipe that is totally worth it. Such a beautiful display!
Marjie says
January 13, 2009 at 4:46 pmI love rice cooked in the chicken broth. I also love boiled chicken; it has so many possibilities!
lisaiscooking says
January 13, 2009 at 4:54 pmI’ve been seeing this a lot lately too, and your’s looks awesome! I’m inspired to make it now.
Cheryl says
January 13, 2009 at 6:02 pmWow, I have never heard of that before, sounds tasty tho!
sugarlens says
January 13, 2009 at 6:44 pmI have never heard of Hainanese Chicken Rice, thanks for educating me!
Your plate looks great, healthy too!
Mike of Mike's Table says
January 13, 2009 at 7:12 pmI’ve heard similar good things and it always looked like a deceptively simple dish to me…I’ll have to try this one of these days!
Anonymous says
January 13, 2009 at 8:11 pmSo I am clear, did you use a whole roasting chicken and then strip both the white and dark meat?
I am all over the chili sauce!!!!
Lorraine E says
January 13, 2009 at 9:56 pmI LOVE Hainanese chicken rice but have been scared off making it by reports that it involved something akin to magical powers as it was so fiddly and difficult. I might give this a go as it looks delicious!
Homecooked says
January 13, 2009 at 10:04 pmWow…this looks delicious and the process though long seems to be worth it!
VeggieGirl says
January 13, 2009 at 10:13 pm**Just as a heads up: I will not be able to comment on blogs as often now, during this semester, due to work overload (I’m stressed already) – PLEASE know that I’m still loyally reading, but just won’t have time to comment. I hope you understand!!
Kevin says
January 13, 2009 at 10:42 pmbiz319: I poached one whole chicken and then stripped the meat to serve. The bones from the chicken were then used to make the simple chicken soup.
Helene says
January 13, 2009 at 11:01 pmAnother one of your beautiful creations Kevin. This looks like a meal someone would devour every bites.
Bridgett says
January 13, 2009 at 11:47 pmI am always impressed with the meals you try. This one sounds tasty!
Karen says
January 14, 2009 at 12:15 amThat chili sauce looks amazing – I hope it tasted as good 🙂 Another great recipe with a beautiful presentation.
noobcook says
January 14, 2009 at 1:10 amwoah now you added Hainanese chicken rice to your resume! ;p looks good, I’m from Singapore and I love this dish 🙂
Cynthia says
January 14, 2009 at 1:38 amI am so jealous that you made this before me! 🙂
Beachlover says
January 14, 2009 at 4:12 amBravo Kevin!! I love Hainanese Chicken Rice.In fact I just cooked for myself yestersday! you’re really good in making this dish,so detail.I just use the short cut version! lol!lazy me!..must salut you now!
Jude says
January 14, 2009 at 5:47 amDefinitely a favorite of mine. It’s a lot of work but always worth it in the end.
Cakebrain says
January 14, 2009 at 5:47 amGee Kevin, I’m impressed by your Hainanese Chicken Rice dish. Though simple sounding and looking, this dish is quite difficult to make taste deliciously authentic. Good job with keeping true to all the authentic accompaniments and techniques! way to go! looks delish!
mikky says
January 14, 2009 at 9:53 amthis is an old favorite… and yours look just great!!! 🙂
Maya says
January 14, 2009 at 12:05 pmThis was a quick take out lunch of my childhood!
Jeanne says
January 14, 2009 at 3:56 pmMmm, the idea of moist chicken together with chicken-flavoured rice is very appealing right now. And as you say, nice to see that every bit of chicken gets used!
Noodlegirl says
January 14, 2009 at 4:13 pmOMG I used to eat that all the time in Singapore oh how I miss that dish!
Deborah says
January 14, 2009 at 11:34 pmI love that you are always trying things I’ve never heard of before! And this one sounds great!
tigerfish says
January 14, 2009 at 11:55 pmIn Singapore, some say it is the chili that makes a good plate of chicken rice. Of course, there are some who says it is the rice and others who says the chicken. Hahhaa! In short, chicken rice is a whole entity 😀
I have made it before too. The tip I got from others was never allow the chicken to come to a boil when poaching. That ensures the most tender meat.
mycookinghut says
January 15, 2009 at 1:27 pmYou can’t imagine how I would like to eat this dish off the screen! I wish I could take a piece of the chicken and dip into the chili sauce, then put into my mouth!
This is a dish that I have long missed!
It’s great to see this and I am hoping to make it one day!
Amanda says
January 16, 2009 at 7:52 amYikes! How did you even manage to cut the chicken? That’s the one step I NEVER like doing, so kudos to you. This is awesome.
Nilmandra says
January 19, 2009 at 8:32 pmThe dish looks fantastic and authentic in the photo, and when I read the ingredients list and cooking method, it’s pretty much spot on too. Well done! My husband and I love chicken rice and I cook it at home quite often. You’re right, it is straight forward but plenty of prep work and chopping to do. That’s why I normally do that on weekends.
[eatingclub] vancouver || js says
January 20, 2009 at 1:16 amHainanese chicken, with rice, and soup, and all the condiments: one of my favourite all-time meals. Your version looks authentic and delicious!
Elaine says
May 6, 2009 at 12:08 amyum, have been thinking about making this for a while and after seeing this post, my craving for it soared!
love your posts, recipes and photography.. you post so frequently, whats your day job?? (where do you find the time?)
heres the link to my photo on flickr.
Kevin says
May 6, 2009 at 11:33 pmElaine: Your chicken looks really good! I work full time in the software programing field and food blogging takes up most of me free time.
Anonymous says
October 19, 2009 at 2:52 pmWhen my mom went to cooking school in HK, they taught her to reserve the oil from the chicken broth, use the oil to saute shallot, ginger, and rice – then add chicken broth and a little coconut milk to cook the rice. It tasted amazing, but fattening!!!
Balakrishna Saraswathy says
February 13, 2010 at 2:42 pmFirst time in ur blog..great collection of recipe..i'm a Singapore and love chicken rice very much,,feel like I have being to S'pore for a treat..
Tom says
February 27, 2010 at 3:44 pmI work with a gentleman from mainland China and every company potluck we ALL wait for his Chicken rice. This dish is fabulous. It's amazing how something simple; if done correctly can make one drool!!
annmariemarie says
December 18, 2010 at 1:38 amI used to order this when I was in college as it is flavorful and ofcourse affordable yet filling! I imagined Hainanese chicken and rice to be difficult to make but now I'm inspired to make it myself! Nice post!