Hainanese Chicken Rice

Chicken is topped with sesame oil and served with rice, garlic sauce, and hot pepper sauce in this popular Hainanese chicken rice dish.

• Preparation Time: 30 mins
• Cooking Time: 45 mins
• Total Time: 1 hr 15 mins
• Calories: 521 Calories

Ingredients

• water to cover
• salt to taste
• 1 tablespoon light soy sauce
• 1 (3 pound) whole chicken
• 1 teaspoon sesame oil
• 1 tomato, sliced
• 3 cups long-grain white rice
• 5 cloves garlic, sliced
• 1 cucumber, peeled and sliced
• 4 cloves garlic, peeled
• salt and ground white pepper to taste
• 8 cloves garlic, peeled
• 2 teaspoons oil
• 1 (1 inch) piece fresh ginger, sliced
• 1 slice fresh ginger
• 1 onion, halved (skin on)
• 1 (1/2 inch) piece fresh ginger, sliced
• 5 pandan leaves, knotted
• 3 fresh red chile peppers, halved and seeded
• 1 lime, juiced, or as needed
• 10 leaves lettuce, or as desired

Recipe Instructions

Step 1

Remove fat from the chicken and reserve it for later use. Season chicken, inside and out, with salt.

Step 2

Bring a large pot of water to a boil; add chicken, onion, 8 garlic cloves, sliced 1-inch piece ginger, salt, and white pepper. Bring liquid back to a boil, reduce heat, and simmer until chicken is fully cooked, 20 to 25 minutes. An instant-read thermometer inserted into the thickest part of the thigh, near the bone should read 165 degrees F (74 degrees C).

Step 3

Carefully remove chicken and plunge into a large bowl of ice water until cooled. Remove chicken, dry, and cut chicken into bite-size pieces. Strain chicken broth and reserve liquid.

Step 4

Wash and drain rice.

Step 5

Heat reserved chicken fat in a skillet over medium heat; cook and stir 5 sliced garlic cloves and sliced 1/2-inch piece ginger until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add rice and oil; cook and stir until rice is coated in oil. Pour in enough reserved chicken broth to cook rice, about 6 cups. Add pandan leaves. Cover skillet and cook rice until tender and broth is absorbed, 20 to 30 minutes.

Step 6

Pound red chile peppers using a mortar and pestle, adding a small amount of salt, until peppers transform into a fine paste. Stir enough lime juice into paste to make smooth; transfer to a serving dish.

Step 7

Pound 4 garlic cloves and 1 slice ginger using a mortar and pestle until paste is formed; transfer to a separate serving dish.

Step 8

Place lettuce leaves on a serving plate and arrange cucumber slices and tomatoes around dish. Place the chicken pieces in the center. Mix soy sauce and sesame oil together in a bowl; pour over chicken. Serve a bowl of reserved chicken broth on the side with a bowl of rice and the 2 dipping sauces.