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A plate of Hainanese Chicken Rice with sliced chicken, cucumbers, and cilantro, served with three small bowls of dipping sauces brings the authentic recipe to your table.

Authentic Hainanese Chicken Rice Recipe

A man in an apron standing in a kitchen.Liam Chen
A beloved Singaporean dish featuring tender poached chicken served with fragrant rice and accompanied by a trio of dipping sauces.
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Prep Time 20 minutes
Cook Time 1 hour
Total Time 1 hour 20 minutes
Meal Type Lunch, Main Course
Cuisine Singaporean
Servings 4
Calories 971 kcal
Difficulty Medium
Ingredient Cost $18
Shopping Cost$27

Equipment

  • Large pot
  • Rice cooker
  • Mixing bowls

Ingredients
 
 

  • 1 whole chicken about 1.5 kg
  • 4 cups chicken broth
  • 2 cups jasmine rice
  • 4 cloves garlic minced
  • 1 piece ginger 2 inches, sliced
  • 2 tbsp vegetable oil
  • 1 cucumber sliced
  • Fresh cilantro for garnish

For dipping sauces:

Soy sauce mixture:

  • ¼ cup soy sauce
  • 2 tbsp chicken broth
  • 1 tsp sugar

Chili sauce:

  • 4 red chilies
  • 2 cloves garlic
  • 2 tbsp vinegar
  • 1 tbsp sugar

Ginger sauce:

  • 4 tbsp ginger grated
  • 2 tbsp vegetable oil
  • 1 tsp salt

Instructions
 

Prepare the chicken:

  • In a large pot, bring water to a boil and add the whole chicken. Add slices of ginger and garlic. Poach the chicken for about 30-40 minutes until cooked through.
    1 whole chicken, 1 piece ginger, 2 cloves garlic
  • Remove the chicken from the pot and let it cool. Reserve the chicken broth for cooking the rice and making the soy sauce mixture.

Cook the rice:

  • Rinse the jasmine rice and drain.
    2 cups jasmine rice
  • In a rice cooker, heat vegetable oil and sauté minced garlic until fragrant. Add the rice and stir to coat with oil.
    2 tbsp vegetable oil, 4 cloves garlic
  • Add 4 cups of reserved chicken broth to the rice cooker and cook according to the rice cooker instructions.
    4 cups chicken broth

Prepare the dipping sauces:

  • Soy sauce mixture: Combine soy sauce, chicken broth, and sugar in a bowl. Mix well.
    1/4 cup soy sauce, 2 tbsp chicken broth, 1 tsp sugar
  • Chili sauce: Blend red chilies, garlic, vinegar, and sugar until smooth.
    4 red chilies, 2 cloves garlic, 2 tbsp vinegar, 1 tbsp sugar
  • Ginger sauce: Mix grated ginger with vegetable oil and salt.
    4 tbsp ginger, 2 tbsp vegetable oil, 1 tsp salt

Serve:

  • Slice the poached chicken and arrange it on a serving plate.
  • Serve the chicken with fragrant rice, cucumber slices, and a garnish of fresh cilantro.
    1 cucumber, Fresh cilantro
  • Provide the three dipping sauces on the side.

Notes

Adjust the heat level of the chili sauce to your preference by adding more or fewer chilies.
The chicken broth can be enhanced with additional aromatics like pandan leaves for extra fragrance.

Nutrition

Calories: 971kcalCarbohydrates: 93gProtein: 47gFat: 44gSaturated Fat: 11gPolyunsaturated Fat: 14gMonounsaturated Fat: 15gTrans Fat: 0.3gCholesterol: 148mgSodium: 2541mgPotassium: 853mgFiber: 3gSugar: 9gVitamin A: 755IUVitamin C: 72mgCalcium: 89mgIron: 4mg
Keyword Comfort Food, Hainanese Chicken Rice, Poached Chicken, Singaporean Cuisine

Ingredient Costs: Cost of Recipe by Ingredient Measurements

Shopping Costs: Cost of Recipe with Brand New Ingredient Purchases

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