Hainanese Chicken Rice

Name: Hainanese Chicken Rice
Prep time: 20 min
Cook time: 45 min
Total time: 65 min
Yield: 4 servings
Cuisine: Singapore
Ingredients: 1 whole chicken; 4-inch piece ginger, sliced; 4 cloves garlic; 4 scallions; 10 cups water; 2 cups jasmine rice; 2 tbsp chicken fat, reserved from poaching; 1 cucumber, sliced; 3 tbsp soy sauce; 2 tbsp sesame oil; 2 tbsp ginger, minced, for sauce; 2 red chilies, minced, for chili sauce; 2 tbsp lime juice

4 servings20 min prep45 min cookMedium Singapore

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The Story Behind It

The Tale of Hainanese Chicken Rice

Story updated September 17, 2026

Hainanese chicken rice was brought to Singapore and Malaysia by immigrants from Hainan Island in southern China in the early-to-mid 20th century, adapted from a Hainanese dish called Wenchang chicken. Poached chicken served over rice cooked in its own fat and broth became so central to Singaporean identity that it's often called the country's unofficial national dish.

Ingredients

Scale:· 4 servings

1 whole chicken
4-inch piece ginger, sliced
4 cloves garlic
4 scallions
10 cups water
2 cups jasmine rice
2 tbsp chicken fat, reserved from poaching
1 cucumber, sliced
3 tbsp soy sauce
2 tbsp sesame oil
2 tbsp ginger, minced, for sauce
2 red chilies, minced, for chili sauce
2 tbsp lime juice

Instructions

1Stuff the chicken cavity with ginger, garlic, and scallions, then lower it into a pot of boiling water.
2Reduce heat and poach gently for 35-40 minutes until just cooked through, then plunge into an ice bath to firm the skin.
3Reserve the poaching liquid as stock and skim off the fat from the top.
4Sauté rice in the reserved chicken fat with a little garlic, then cook the rice in the reserved chicken stock instead of water.
5Chop the cooled chicken into pieces and arrange over sliced cucumber.
6Whisk soy sauce and sesame oil for a simple dipping sauce, and blend minced ginger and chilies with lime juice for two more condiments.
7Serve the chicken with the fragrant rice, a bowl of the poaching broth, and all three dipping sauces.

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