Steaming Hainanese Chicken: A Step-By-Step Guide

Hainanese chicken is a classic dish that originated in Hainan, China, but it is also popular in Southeast Asian countries like Singapore, Malaysia, and Thailand. The dish consists of poached chicken, fragrant rice cooked in chicken broth, and a trio of sauces—chilli, ginger garlic, and soy.

The chicken is cooked by poaching or steaming, and the rice is fried in chicken fat and aromatics before being steamed in chicken broth. The chilli sauce is made with fresh chillies, garlic, ginger, lime juice, and chicken broth. The ginger garlic sauce is made with ginger, garlic, peanut oil, rice vinegar, and salt. The soy sauce is made with reserved fried garlic and ginger, oyster sauce, dark and light soy sauce, and chicken broth.

The whole dish is served with sliced cucumbers and fresh cilantro.

Chicken preparation

Firstly, you'll want to clean the chicken by rubbing it all over with a handful of kosher salt, getting rid of any loose skin. Rinse the chicken well inside and out, then pat it dry with paper towels.

Next, remove any excess fat from the chicken and set it aside for later. Season the chicken generously with salt. Stuff the chicken cavity with ginger slices and scallions.

Place the chicken in a large stockpot and cover with cold water by 1 inch (2 cm). Season with salt to taste, then bring to a boil over high heat. Immediately reduce the heat to low to maintain a simmer, cover, and cook for about 30 minutes, or until the internal temperature of the chicken reaches 165°F (75°C).

Remove the chicken from the pot and transfer it to an ice bath for 5 minutes to stop the cooking process and keep the skin springy. Discard the ginger and green onion.

After the chicken has cooled, pat it dry with paper towels and rub it all over with sesame oil. This will help prevent the chicken from drying out.

In a large wok or skillet, heat some sesame oil over medium-high heat. Add the reserved chopped chicken fat, garlic, ginger, and salt, and fry until aromatic (about 10 minutes).

Reserve a quarter of the fried garlic mixture, then add the rice and stir to coat. Cook for about 3 minutes.

Transfer the rice to a rice cooker and add the reserved poaching broth. Steam the rice for around 60 minutes, or until tender.

While the rice is cooking, carve the chicken for serving.

Rice preparation

The rice is a key component of Hainanese chicken. It is cooked in chicken broth, which infuses every grain with a rich savoury flavour.

Ingredients:

• Chicken fat
• 1 teaspoon of oil
• 4 cloves of garlic, minced
• 1 cup of white jasmine rice
• 1 cup of chicken stock
• 2 green onions, whole

Method:

Firstly, heat a wok or large skillet over medium heat. Add the chicken fat along with the oil and cook for 1-2 minutes, or until you have about 1 tablespoon of rendered fat.

Next, stir in the minced garlic and fry briefly, taking care not to burn it.

Add the uncooked rice and stir continuously for about two minutes.

Now, turn off the heat. Scoop the rice into your rice cooker, leaving the chicken fat behind or adding it to the rice—this is your choice.

Add the stock from poaching the chicken (instead of the usual water) until it reaches the '4' line (3 US cups = 4 rice cooker cups). Stir in the salt. Close the lid and press start.

If you don’t have a rice cooker, transfer the toasted rice to a medium/large pot. Add 4 cups of chicken stock and the salt, giving it a quick stir. Soak the rice for 20 minutes. Then cover the pot and bring to a boil. Once it boils, immediately turn down the heat to the lowest setting. Let the rice simmer and cook (covered) for 15 minutes, until the liquid has been absorbed into the rice, and it is tender.

Sauce preparation

The sauces are what make Hainanese chicken rice so special. There are three traditional sauces: a chilli sauce, a ginger-garlic sauce, and a sweet dark soy sauce.

Chilli Sauce

To make the chilli sauce, you will need fresh red chillies, ginger, garlic, sesame oil, lime juice, rice vinegar, and chicken broth.

• Finely chop the chillies, ginger, and garlic, either by hand or using a food processor.
• Add the sesame oil, salt, sugar, lime juice, and vinegar, and pulse a few times to combine.
• Transfer the mixture to a small bowl and add chicken broth, a tablespoon at a time, until you reach your desired consistency.

Ginger-Garlic Sauce

For the ginger-garlic sauce, you will need ginger, neutral oil (such as vegetable, canola, or avocado oil), and salt.

• Grind the ginger and garlic in a food processor until finely minced.
• Heat the oil in a small pot or saucepan.
• Gently fry the ginger and garlic until aromatic and just lightly caramelized. Be careful not to burn them, as this will affect the flavour of the rice.
• Add salt to taste and transfer to a sauce dish.

Sweet Dark Soy Sauce

For the sweet dark soy sauce, you will need rock sugar or granulated sugar, and dark soy sauce.

• Heat water and sugar in a small saucepan over medium heat, stirring constantly, until the sugar dissolves and the liquid thickens into a syrup.
• Add the dark soy sauce, stirring to combine, then transfer to a sauce dish.

Chicken serving suggestions

Hainanese chicken is typically served with rice, cucumber, and a variety of sauces.

The rice is cooked in chicken broth, giving it a rich flavour. The chicken is often served at room temperature, and the skin is silky and tender.

The cucumber is usually sliced thinly and diagonally, and served as a garnish.

There are three traditional sauces: a chilli sauce, a ginger-garlic sauce, and a sweet dark soy sauce. The chilli sauce is made with fresh red chillies, ginger, garlic, sesame oil, lime juice, rice vinegar, and chicken broth. The ginger-garlic sauce is made by frying minced ginger and garlic in oil until aromatic, and seasoning with salt. The sweet dark soy sauce is made by heating rock sugar and water in a saucepan, stirring until the sugar dissolves, and then adding dark soy sauce.

Other sauces include a scallion ginger sauce, made by heating oil and pouring it over a mixture of scallions, ginger, sesame oil, salt, and white pepper, and a spicy bean sauce made from pantry ingredients like soy bean sauce, sambal olek, and rice wine vinegar.

Rice serving suggestions

Hainanese chicken is usually served with rice, which is cooked in chicken broth, giving it a unique flavour. Here are some serving suggestions for the rice:

• The rice is best cooked in chicken broth, which infuses every grain with a rich savoury flavour.
• Fry the rice in chicken fat with aromatics like garlic, shallots, and ginger before cooking in the broth, adding another layer of toasty, aromatic deliciousness.
• For extra flavour, fry uncooked rice grains in chicken fat with aromatics before cooking in the chicken broth. This adds a glossy, delicious coat to the rice.
• For a cheaty version, use low-sodium chicken broth and simmer with ginger and green onions.
• For a vegetarian option, cook the rice in vegetable or canola oil instead of chicken fat.
• For a nuttier flavour, use sesame oil to fry the rice.
• For a more fragrant rice, add pandan leaves while cooking.
• For a simple, plain rice, cook the rice in plain water instead of chicken broth.
• For a more sticky rice, use short-grain rice instead of long-grain.
• For a healthier option, use brown rice instead of white rice.
• For a more colourful dish, serve the rice with thinly sliced cucumbers and a sprig of cilantro on top.
• For a more authentic experience, serve the rice with a trio of condiments: a chilli sauce, a ginger-garlic sauce, and a sweet dark soy sauce.
• For a more luxurious dish, serve the rice with the poaching broth that the chicken was cooked in.

Frequently asked questions