Hainanese Chicken Rice with Ginger, Soup and Chilli Sauce
Silky poached chicken on fragrant garlic and ginger rice, served with a clear soup and a fiery chilli dipping sauce.
Made with Sambal oelek (chilli sambal) and Homemade chicken stock. Make a batch of the base first, then this takes minutes. Skip to the method
- Time1 hr 30
- LevelMedium
- Costabout £4.28 a head
Cost is worked out from Aldi and Tesco shelf prices in October 2026. Your shop and brands will differ.
Ingredients
Tick what you need to buy. It goes on your shopping list.
Method
- 1
Rub the chicken all over with half the salt. Put it in a deep pan that fits snugly, add the sliced ginger, knotted spring onions and the cold water. Bring slowly to a gentle simmer, cover and cook for 40 minutes, turning once, until the juices run clear.
40 min - 2
Lift the chicken into a bowl of iced water for 10 minutes to firm the skin. Keep the poaching liquid and skim off the fat, saving 3 tablespoons of it.
10 min - 3
Heat the saved chicken fat with 1 tablespoon of sesame oil in a pan. Fry the grated garlic and half the grated ginger for 1 minute. Add the rinsed rice and stir for 2 minutes.
3 min - 4
Add 450 ml of your ready made homemade chicken stock (see the base recipe) and a pinch of salt. Bring to the boil, cover tightly, turn to the lowest heat and cook for 12 minutes. Rest, covered, for 10 minutes.
22 min - 5
For the chilli sauce, stir together the sambal (see the base recipe), lime juice, remaining grated ginger and 2 tablespoons of stock. For the soy dressing, mix the tamari with the remaining sesame oil and 2 tablespoons of poaching liquid.
- 6
Heat 300 ml of stock with 200 ml of poaching liquid, season with salt and the sliced spring onion. Chop the chicken through the bone into pieces, lay on cucumber and serve with the rice, soup, dressing and chilli sauce.
Tips
- Poach the chicken at the barest simmer, not a boil. Hard boiling toughens the meat and makes the skin split.
- The iced water bath is what gives the skin its smooth, slightly jellied texture. Do not skip it.
- Use gluten free tamari rather than ordinary soy sauce. Ordinary soy sauce contains wheat.
- Rinse the rice in cold water until it runs almost clear, so the grains cook up separate and fluffy.
Storing and freezing
Keep the chicken, rice and soup separate in the fridge for up to 2 days. Cool within 1 to 2 hours, reheat rice only once, and make sure everything is steaming hot all the way through.
Questions
Is Hainanese chicken rice gluten free?
It is when made with gluten free tamari and gluten free sambal. The chicken, rice, ginger and broth contain no gluten. Always check labels on the tamari and chilli.
Can I use chicken thighs instead of a whole chicken?
Yes. Poach bone in thighs for 25 to 30 minutes. The skin is less smooth than from a whole bird, but the rice and flavour are just as good.
Why is the chicken pink near the bone?
Pink around the bone can still be safe, but check the juices run clear and the thickest part reads at least 75 C. If it is not cooked, return it to the hot poaching liquid for 10 minutes.
More made with sambal oelek (chilli sambal)
Double check before you cook. Recipes can contain mistakes. Any diet labels come from the ingredients as written in this recipe and are a guide, not a guarantee. Always check every ingredient and the packet label for allergens and cross contamination, and ask your doctor or dietitian what is right for you, especially with coeliac disease, diabetes or a serious allergy. This is not medical advice.