My Simple Hainanese Chicken Rice is my take on the much-loved dish enjoyed by people across Southeast Asia and beyond. Originating from Hainan, this humble yet flavourful meal has become a culinary icon in Singapore, Malaysia and Vietnam, where it’s known as Cơm Gà Hải Nam.
This dish is built around three elements: perfectly poached chicken, aromatic rice cooked in the chicken broth and a fragrant ginger dipping sauce. My version keeps the essence of the traditional Hainanese Chicken Rice, but I’ve simplified it to make it achievable as a weekday meal. It’s comfort food at its best – simple, wholesome and delicious.
A daily-friendly version with affordable ingredients
To make My Simple Hainanese Chicken Rice suitable for busy days, I use easy-to-find and budget-friendly ingredients. Instead of a whole chicken, I often use chicken legs – they cook faster, stay juicy and are a family favourite in my home.
To make the rice extra aromatics, I infuse it with fried garlic. The result is beautifully fragrant rice that pairs perfectly with tender chicken and the zesty ginger dipping sauce – the true star that ties everything together into one comforting, flavourful plate.
How to perfectly poach the chicken
The secret to My Simple Hainanese Chicken Rice is tender, juicy chicken with smooth, intact skin. Here’s how I do it:
- In a large pot, add 1.5 litres of water, diced fresh ginger, a halved onion and a teaspoon of salt.
- Bring the pot to a gentle boil then add the chicken legs.
- Once boiling, reduce the heat to low-medium and simmer for about 7 minutes.
- Turn off the heat, keep the lid on and let the chicken soak in the hot broth for another 15 minutes.
After that, prepare a large bowl of ice water and transfer the chicken into it. This cooling step helps the skin stay smooth and firm. After about 10 minutes, remove the chicken and cut each leg into 3-4 pieces.
At home, I usually debone the chicken – my husband and kids prefer it that way – and then brush the skin with a touch of turmeric oil. To make this, heat a couple of tablespoons of oil with a teaspoon of turmeric powder, then brush it over the chicken to give it that gorgeous golden hue and glossy finish. Save the rest of the oil for the rice later.
Before serving, warm the chicken slightly in the microwave for a couple of minutes.
Tip: If you prefer to poach a whole chicken, cook it for around 20 minutes after boiling, then let it soak in the broth for another 20-25 minutes with the lid on. When pierced with a skewer, the juices should run clear.
Cooking the garlic-infused rice in chicken broth
The rice in Cơm Gà Hải Nam is just as important as the chicken itself. I like to mix jasmine rice with a small portion of glutinous rice for a slightly sticky, more luxurious texture – though this step is entirely optional.
Using the leftover turmeric oil, sauté minced garlic until fragrant. Add the rice and stir for 5 minutes, coating every grain in the aromatic oil. Then, transfer to your rice cooker, pour in the poached chicken broth, add a pinch of salt and cook as usual.
If you’re cooking rice on the hob, follow the same steps: fry the rice in oil and garlic then add the broth and cook until fluffy. The broth gives the rice a rich depth of flavour that makes this dish so irresistible.
The ginger dipping sauce and spring onion oil
The ginger dipping sauce
No Hainanese Chicken Rice is complete without the vibrant ginger dipping sauce. It’s the heart of the dish – zesty, aromatic and perfectly balanced.
In a blender or mortar, combine peeled ginger, garlic cloves and red chilli. Transfer to a bowl then mix in sugar, fish sauce, a splash of chicken broth and a squeeze of lime juice. This combination brings all the elements of My Simple Hainanese Chicken Rice together beautifully.
The spring onion oil
The spring onion oil adds a touch of freshness from aroma. Simply heat a few tablespoons of olive oil then pour it over a bowl of finely chopped spring onions. The sizzling oil releases their fragrance while keeping that lovely bright green colour.
Assemble and serve
To serve My Simple Hainanese Chicken Rice, spoon the garlic-infused rice onto a plate, then arrange the sliced chicken neatly on the side. Drizzle a little spring onion oil over the chicken and rice and garnish with slices of fresh cucumber for a refreshing finish.
Serve with a small bowl of the ginger dipping sauce on the side and enjoy this comforting, heart-warming meal that’s sure to become a family favourite.
If you love this dish, you might also enjoy my Vietnamese Yellow Chicken Rice with Slaw (Cơm Gà Hội An). It’s another aromatic rice dish that’s beautifully fragrant, full of colour and inspired by the streets of central Vietnam. It’s a perfect next stop for your Vietnamese cooking journey.
My Simple Hainanese Chicken Rice (Cơm Gà Hải Nam)
Description
My Simple Hainanese Chicken Rice (Cơm Gà Hải An) is an easy, family-friendly version of the famous Southeast Asian dish. Juicy poached chicken is served with aromatic garlic-infused rice cooked in broth, fresh cucumber and a tangy ginger dipping sauce. It’s a comforting, delicious meal that brings the warmth of South East Asian home cooking straight to your table.
Ingredients
For the ginger dipping sauce
Instructions
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Poach the Chicken
- In a large pot, add 1.5 litres of water, sliced fresh ginger, a halved onion and 1 teaspoon of salt.
- Bring to a gentle boil then add the chicken legs (or whole chicken).
- Once boiling, reduce to medium heat and simmer for 7 minutes.
- Turn off the heat, cover with a lid and let the chicken soak in the hot broth for 15 minutes to finish cooking gently.
- Transfer the chicken to a bowl of ice-cold water for 10 minutes to keep the skin smooth and intact.
- Brush the skin with turmeric oil (made by heating 2 tablespoons of oil with 1 teaspoon of turmeric powder) for a lovely golden shine.
If using a whole chicken: simmer for 20 minutes after boiling, then soak for 20-25 minutes with the lid on. The juices should run clear when poked)
-
Make the Garlic-Infused Rice
- Heat the remaining turmeric oil in a pan, then add minced garlic and stir until fragrant.
- Add jasmine rice (optionally mixed in with a small amount of glutinous rice) and stir for 5 minutes to coat each grain in oil.
- Transfer to a rice cooker, pour in chicken broth from the poaching liquid and season with 1/2 teaspoon of salt.
- Cook as normal - the rice will turn out fluffy, fragrant and full of savoury chicken flavour.
If cooking on the hob: add the broth and cook as you would jasmine rice until all the liquid is absorbed.
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Prepare the Ginger Dipping Sauce
- In a blender or mortar, combine ginger, garlic cloves and red chilli.
- Transfer to a bowl and mix in sugar, fish sauce, chicken broth and a squeeze of lime juice.
- Stir well until the sugar dissolves. This sauce is the key to bringing all the elements of My Simple Hainanese Chicken Rice together.
-
Make the Spring Onion Oil
- Place chopped spring onions in a small heatproof bowl.
- Heat 3 tablespoons of olive oil until hot then pour it over the spring onions.
- The sizzling oil releases the fragrance and keeps the onion brith green and glossy.
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Assemble and Serve
- Spoon the garlic-infused rice onto a plate.
- Arrange the sliced chicken neatly on top or beside the rice.
- Drizzle spring onion oil over the rice and chicken.
- Garnish with fresh cucumber slices for a refreshing touch.
- Serve with a small bowl of ginger dipping sauce on the side and enjoy this comforting, flavourful meal.
Nutrition Facts
Servings 5
- Amount Per Serving
- Calories 824.22kcal
- % Daily Value *
- Total Fat 38.26g59%
- Cholesterol 186.35mg63%
- Sodium 1705.67mg72%
- Potassium 782.4mg23%
- Total Carbohydrate 77.27g26%
- Dietary Fiber 2.45g10%
- Sugars 11.43g
- Protein 40.57g82%
- Vitamin A 68.25 mcg
- Vitamin C 21.4 mg
- Calcium 88.22 mg
- Iron 5.62 mg
- Vitamin D 0.2 mcg
- Vitamin E 1.48 mg
- Vitamin K 36.62 mcg
- Vitamin B6 0.99 mg
- Vitamin B12 1.18 mcg
- Phosphorus 439.71 mg
- Magnesium 104.34 mg
- Zinc 4.14 mg
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your daily value may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs.
