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This is the Hainanese Chicken and Rice with Ginger Scallion Sauce that you've been looking for!
If this Hainanese Chicken is your go to meal to take out or delivery, this will be your NEW weeknight meal to make at home for a fraction of the cost!
Cooking Hainanese Chicken and rice in a rice cooker simplifies this recipe.
Can you believe you only need 11 ingredients to make this flavorful Hainanese Chicken recipe? The rice cooker does the work for you. All you need to do is prepare the sauce! Then grab a bottle of your favorite wine or turn on your favorite show and relax while the chicken and rice cooks itself.
Toe-Mayto or Toe-Mahto?
In Singapore and Malaysia this Chicken and rice is called Hainanese chicken rice. In Vietnam, this chicken is commonly referred to as "Hai Nam chicken". Where as, In Thailand, this dish is called "khao man gai". Whatever you want to call this dish, the end result is delicious!
Help! I want to make this Hainanese Chicken and rice but I don't have a rice cooker.
No worries! You don't need a rice cooker to make this Hainanese Chicken and rice at all! The steps are just as simple without a rice cooker. After preparing your chicken and washing your rice, add all the ingredients to the pot and bring to a boil on high. Once the pot starts simmering turn down the the lowest setting on your stove and cook for 20-25 minutes. Detailed stovetop instructions below.
Why is this chicken so yellow?
I have opted to add Tumeric powder to color the chicken so the end result isn't a grey colorless chicken skin. If you don't have Tumeric or want to leave it out, it will not affect the recipe as there is little to no taste in the small amount that we use.
I also recently discovered the SECRET ingredient that adds the perfect savory balance to this sauce.
Drumroll please… Seasoning sauce! If you have cooked with me before, you know that I LOVE seasoning sauce. It is a type of fermented soy sauce that just adds a different dimension of flavor compared to regular soy sauce. If you don't have seasoning sauce, regular soy sauce will do !

Are you looking for more One pot meals ? Here are a few of my favorite One pot dishes :
Ingredients
For the Chicken & Rice
- 6 Chicken Thighs ( I used boneless skin on)
- 1.5 cups Washed Rice
- 1 tbsp Chicken Powder
- 1 tbsp Garlic (minced)
- 1 Knob Ginger 1 " (sliced)
- 1.5 cups Water (to cook rice)
- 2 tsp Kosher salt or other coarse salt (for cleaning chicken skin)
- 12 cups Boiling hot water
Chicken Skin Marinade
- ½ tsp Salt
- ½ tsp Tumeric Powder (Optional For Color)
- 1 tbsp Sesame Oil
Chicken Skin after cooking
- ½ tsp Sesame oil
- ½ tsp Seasoning Sauce
For the Ginger Scallion Sauce
- 1 knob Ginger 3" minced (approx 4 tbsp)
- 2 stalks Green onion (sliced)
- ½ tsp Salt
- ½ tsp Seasoning Sauce
- ½ tsp Sesame Oil
- ¼ cup Neutral Oil (I used Vegetable oil - Soybean)
Garnish
- Cucumbers Sliced
- Green onion (Topping)
- Fried Garlic (Rice Topping)
- Thai Pepper (optional)
Instructions
- ** If you would like Bouncy Chicken skin, boil 12 cups of water or heat up your water kettle before moving on to the next step
Making the Chicken Skin Marinade
- 1. Into a bowl combine the following ingredients for the Chicken skin marinade:½ teaspoon Salt,½ teaspoon Tumeric Powder (For Color),1 tablespoon Sesame Oil
- 2. mix together and set aside.
Preparing the Chicken
- 3. If you prefer boneless chicken, you can remove the bones. I love using chicken thigh, and I remove the bones and leave the skin on.
- 4. **Optional** Place the chicken skin side up and use salt to scrub the chicken skin until it is smooth and shiny. Wipe off the salt with damp paper towel once done cleaning if you are not blanching. If you are blanching, no need to wipe off as the hot water will rinse the extra salt off.2 teaspoon Kosher salt or other coarse salt (for cleaning chicken skin)

- 5. **Optional** For Bouncier chicken skin and juicier chicken, Place the chicken 2 pieces at a time into a heat safe bowl or plate. Pour hot water about 3 cups at a time over the chicken skin. Right after blanching, remove chicken from the bowl, dump out the old water and repeat with chicken and boiling water until all have been blanched. Pat dry chicken before moving on to the next step.
- 6. Brush the chicken marinade onto the skin side of the chicken



Making the Chicken Rice (Rice Cooker)
- 7. Slice ginger, mince garlic, and wash rice (rinsed at least 3 times or until clear).
- 8. Add your washed rice and following ingredients to the rice cooker:1.5 cups Washed Rice,1 tablespoon Chicken Powder,1 tablespoon Garlic (minced),1 Knob Ginger 1 " (sliced),1.5 cups Water (to cook rice)
- 9. Add your chicken on top of the rice. Try to submerge the chicken into the water for even cooking and press start.

- 10. Check the chicken for doneness before removing the chicken from the rice cooker. Remove the sliced ginger and fluff the rice.

OR Making the Chicken Rice (Stovetop)
- 7. Add your washed rice, and following ingredients to the pot:1.5 cups Washed Rice,1 tablespoon Chicken Powder,1 tablespoon Garlic (minced),1 Knob Ginger 1 " (sliced),1.5 cups Water (to cook rice)
- 8. Once the water and rice start to boil, add the chicken and turn the heat down to low. Cover the pot with a lid and cook for 20-25 minutes. Try to submerge the chicken into the water for even cooking.
- 9. Check the chicken for doneness before removing the chicken from the pot.
- 10. Remove the sliced ginger and fluff the rice
Making the Ginger Scallion Sauce
- 11. While the chicken and rice is cooking, wash and peel ginger, and mince finely. One option is to cut into slices, then matchstick pieces and mince or, put into a food processor.
- 12. Wash and slice 2 green onions
- 13. Combine the following ingredients into a heat safe bowl :1 knob Ginger 3" minced (approx 4 tbsp),2 stalks Green onion (sliced),½ teaspoon Seasoning Sauce,½ teaspoon Salt
- 14. In a small pan, heat up your neutral cooking oil for about 3-4 minutes. You can test to see if the oil is ready by dipping a chopstick in, and if it sizzles your oil is ready to go. You could also throw in a slice of green onion and if it sizzles and dances in the oil, it's ready.

- 15. Turn off your stove and carefully pour the oil into your ginger mix. Stir to combine
- 16. After a minute, add the sesame oil , mix again and you are ready to serve!

Before Serving the Chicken Rice
- 17 .Into a bowl mix together :½ teaspoon Sesame oil,½ teaspoon Seasoning Sauce
- 18 .Brush this mixture one more time on the chicken skin , and let the chicken rest for a few minutes before slicing.
- 19. Prepare your garnishes if using wash and slice cucumber, slice green onions, slice Thai chilis.
- 20. Plate chicken with rice and garnish with your ginger scallion sauce and enjoy!

📖 Recipe Card

Easy Hainanese Chicken in the rice cooker
Equipment
Ingredients
For the Chicken & Rice
- 6 Chicken Thighs ( I used boneless skin on)
- 1.5 cups Washed Rice
- 1 tablespoon Chicken Powder
- 1 tablespoon Garlic (minced)
- 1 Knob Ginger 1 " (sliced)
- 1.5 cups Water (to cook rice)
- 2 teaspoon Kosher salt or other coarse salt (for cleaning chicken skin)
- 12 cups Boiling hot water
For the Chicken Skin Marinade
- ½ teaspoon Salt
- ½ teaspoon Tumeric Powder (Optional For Color)
- 1 tablespoon Sesame Oil
For the Chicken Skin after cooking
- ½ teaspoon Sesame oil
- ½ teaspoon Seasoning Sauce
For the Ginger Scallion Sauce
- 1 knob Ginger 3" minced (approx 4 tbsp)
- 2 stalks Green onion (sliced)
- ½ teaspoon Salt
- ½ teaspoon Seasoning Sauce
- ½ teaspoon Sesame Oil
- ¼ cup Neutral Oil (I used Vegetable oil - Soybean)
Garnish (optional)
- Cucumbers Sliced
- Green onion (Topping)
- Fried Garlic (Rice Topping)
- Thai Pepper
Save this recipe! 💌
Instructions
- If you would like Bouncy Chicken skin, boil 12 cups of water or heat up your water kettle before moving on to the next step
Making the Chicken Skin Marinade
- Into a bowl combine the following ingredients for the Chicken skin marinade:½ teaspoon Salt, ½ teaspoon Tumeric Powder (Optional For Color), 1 tablespoon Sesame Oil
- mix together and set aside.
Preparing the Chicken
- If you prefer boneless chicken, you can remove the bones. I love using chicken thigh, and I remove the bones and leave the skin on.
- **Optional** Place the chicken skin side up and use salt to scrub the chicken skin until it is smooth and shiny. Wipe off the salt with damp paper towel once done cleaning if you are not blanching. If you are blanching, no need to wipe off as the hot water will rinse the extra salt off.2 teaspoon Kosher salt or other coarse salt (for cleaning chicken skin)
- **Optional** For Bouncier chicken skin and juicier chicken, Place the chicken 2 pieces at a time into a heat safe bowl or plate. Pour hot water about 3 cups at a time over the chicken skin. Right after blanching, remove chicken from the bowl, dump out the old water and repeat with chicken and boiling water until all have been blanched. Pat dry chicken before moving on to the next step.
- Paint the chicken marinade onto the skin side of the chicken
Making the Chicken Rice (Rice Cooker)
- Slice ginger, mince garlic, and wash rice (rinsed at least 3 times or until clear).
- Add your washed rice and following ingredients to the rice cooker:1.5 cups Washed Rice, 1 tablespoon Chicken Powder, 1 tablespoon Garlic (minced), 1 Knob Ginger 1 " (sliced), 1.5 cups Water (to cook rice)
- Add your chicken on top of the rice. Try to submerge the chicken into the water for even cooking and press start.
- Check the chicken for doneness before removing the chicken from the rice cooker.
- Remove the sliced ginger and fluff the rice.
OR Making the Chicken Rice (Stovetop)
- Add your washed rice, and following ingredients to the pot:1.5 cups Washed Rice, 1 tablespoon Chicken Powder, 1 tablespoon Garlic (minced), 1 Knob Ginger 1 " (sliced), 1.5 cups Water (to cook rice)
- Once the water and rice start to boil, add the chicken and turn the heat down to low. Cover the pot with a lid and cook for 20-25 minutes. Try to submerge the chicken into the water for even cooking.
- Check the chicken for doneness before removing the chicken from the pot.
- Remove the sliced ginger and fluff the rice
Making the Ginger Scallion Sauce
- While the chicken and rice is cooking, wash and peel ginger, and mince finely. One option is to cut into slices, then matchstick pieces and mince or, put into a food processor.
- Wash and slice 2 green onions
- Combine the following ingredients into a heat safe bowl :1 knob Ginger 3" minced (approx 4 tbsp), 2 stalks Green onion (sliced), ½ teaspoon Seasoning Sauce, ½ teaspoon Salt
- In a small pan, heat up your neutral cooking oil for about 3-4 minutes. You can test to see if the oil is ready by dipping a chopstick in, and if it sizzles your oil is ready to go. You could also throw in a slice of green onion and if it sizzles and dances in the oil, it's ready.
- Turn off your stove and carefully pour the oil into your ginger mix. Stir to combine
- After a minute, add the sesame oil , mix again and you are ready to serve!
Before Serving the Chicken Rice
- Into a bowl mix together :½ teaspoon Sesame oil, ½ teaspoon Seasoning Sauce
- Paint this mixture one more time on the chicken skin , and let the chicken rest for a few minutes before slicing.
- Prepare your garnishes if using wash and slice cucumber, slice green onions, slice Thai chilis.
- Plate chicken with rice and garnish with your ginger scallion sauce and enjoy!














Michael L Shavers says
I love one-pot recipes. And this one is especially good. The chicken and rice comes out flavorful and filling. Garnished with the ginger scallion sauce, this is a great one. Was surprised about how delicious the ginger scallion sauce was with all the ginger used making it. But it wasn't overpowering in any way. Thank you for another great meal.
The Savory Chopstick says
Thank you Michael for your review ❤️