Today I am sharing a delicious 30-minute recipe for One-Pot Hainan Chicken Rice. It's perfect for dinner or lunch. The chicken is so deliciously silky chicken dish with tasty sauces.
It's actually one of my all time favourite meals because it's so simple yet savoury. My hainan chicken rice recipe is also SUPER easy to make as it's all done in one pot so there are less dishes for you to wash!
This Hainanese chicken rice recipe for 2 doesn't require too many ingredients either or a complicated process like most recipes.

My Hainanese chicken rice recipe tastes very close to the original recipe that usually takes a lot of prep work and time due to the lengthy process of boiling and chilling the chicken for that bouncy skin.
Other Chicken Recipes you may like!
Soy Maple Glazed Chicken
Sweet Soy Sauce Chicken
Steamed Soy Ginger Chicken
About this dish
This is an Asian classic dish that usually takes more than 30 minutes to cook the chicken alone and if you ask me, that's too much time in the kitchen for some chicken!
However, my Hainanese chicken rice from scratch uses quality ingredients and only takes less than 30 minutes to make in one pot and the return is one fulfilling meal.
The chicken is boiled over the rice while being infused with chicken broth, ginger, garlic, green onion and soy sauce. My 1 pot Hainanese chicken rice recipe serves as a healthy dish. It's also perfect for long days after work!
Why is this dish such a favourite in Asia?
"In Singapore, Malaysia, and other Southeast Asian countries, Hainan chicken rice has achieved last-meal cult status, and the dish is known for the clean taste and relative simplicity of its components—poached chicken alongside a bowl of chicken-fat-slicked rice and cool dipping sauce. When I was growing up in Hong Kong, this was my hands-down favorite meal. And why not? It was unfussy, it was homey, it was skin-on chicken." -Saveur Magazine
For this recipe
You will need the following hainan chicken rice ingredients:
- 4 boneless chicken thighs
- 1 cup jasmine white rice Note: use a measuring cup not a rice cooker cup
- 1.5 cups organic chicken broth
- 2 garlic cloves, peeled
- 2 inches ginger peeled & chopped
- 1 stalk green onion chopped in half
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 tbsp low sodium soy sauce
- 2 tsp salt
How to make Hainan Chicken Rice
- With 1.5 teaspoon of salt, rub it onto the skin of the chicken until they're shiny and clean. Pat them dry with a paper towel.
- In a deep non-stick pot, rinse your rice with water a few times until water runs clear. Pour out the water. Then pour in the chicken broth. Add in olive oil, soy sauce, chopped ginger, garlic cloves, and remaining salt. Mix well.
- With the skin side down, place the chicken on top of the rice and broth mixture. Then place the green onion over top. Cover with a lid.
- Set the covered pot on high heat until it reaches a boil. Once it comes to a boil, immediately lower heat to a low and cook for 12 minutes. After the 12 minute mark, shut off the heat but leave the covered pot on the stove to steam out the residual broth.
- Once cooked, remove the green onion, ginger and garlic cloves. Slice your chicken. Serve with some sweet chili sauce and enjoy!
Why I used certified humane chicken?
I always use certified humane chicken for all my meat recipes. It's important to me for several reasons. Chickens are raised without hormones or antibiotics. They live in a cage free environment and can live happier lives. They're not as stressed as caged chickens so we ourselves are not taking in those stress toxins.
It's a benefit for both you and the chicken so it's something I definitely recommend. The price point is only a couple dollars more but it's worthwhile to your health and for the welfare of these animals.
Give it a try!
Well I hope you give my One-Pot Hainan Chicken Rice recipe a try! It always excites me when you guys make my recipes and I hope this is one you try.
Thanks for visiting my blog! If you enjoyed this hainan chicken rice easy recipe, please share it with your family and friends or on social media! Take a picture if you've made my recipe and tag me on Instagram @christieathome in your feed or stories so I can share your creation in my stories with credits to you!
Made this recipe and loved it?
If you could leave a star rating for my hainan chicken rice one pot recipe, I would greatly appreciate it 🙂 Thanks so much!
Take care,
Christie
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One-Pot Hainan Chicken Rice (30-min. Recipe)
Ingredients
- 4 boneless skinless chicken thighs boneless
- 1 cup uncooked jasmine rice Note: use a measuring cup not a rice cooker cup
- 1.5 cups chicken broth
- 2 cloves garlic peeled
- 2 inches ginger peeled & chopped
- 1 stalk green onion chopped in half
- 1 tablespoon extra virgin olive oil
- 1 tablespoon low sodium soy sauce
- 2 teaspoon salt
Instructions
- With 1.5 teaspoon of salt, rub it onto the skin of the chicken until they're shiny and clean. Pat them dry with a paper towel.
- In a deep non-stick pot, rinse your rice with water a few times until water runs clear. Pour out the water. Then pour in the chicken broth. Add in olive oil, soy sauce, chopped ginger, garlic cloves, and remaining salt. Mix well.
- With the skin side down, place the chicken on top of the rice and broth mixture. Then place the green onion over top. Cover with a lid.
- Set the covered pot on high heat until it reaches a boil. Once it comes to a boil, immediately lower heat to a low and cook for 12 minutes. After the 12 minute mark, shut off the heat but leave the covered pot on the stove to steam out the residual broth.
- Once cooked, slice your chicken. Optional: you may remove the aromatics or enjoy with your meal. Serve with some sweet chili sauce.
VL
This was so delicious! Quick and easy to make and super flavourful. Thanks for the recipe!
Molly
This hainan chicken rice was really yummy! So quick and easy to make. Thanks for sharing!
Linda
Totally delicious! So easy to make and tastes very similar to authentic version.
Sandy
Just made this for my boyfriend and I and we both loved it! Very flavorful. I am a vegetarian, so I just ate the rice while my boyfriend enjoyed the juicy chicken and the rice, but I am not complaining at all! It was delicious.
christieathome
Thank you so much for making m recipe Sandy! I am so glad to hear that you enjoyed it with your boyfriend.
Patty
Thanks for sharing this simple recipe. It’s now part of my weekly rotation. I only got confused when you said to remove the ginger when in you list of ingredients you started to peel and chop it. I actually like the chopped ginger in the rice. You got THUMBS UP from my family!!!
christieathome
Thanks so much Patty for making my recipe! So glad you enjoy it on a weekly rotation! Yes feel free to keep the aromatics in your rice. Glad the whole family enjoys it!
Sandy
Can we make this in an instant pot on rice mode?
christieathome
Hi there, I haven't personally tried that for myself so I can't confirm that. But feel free to try and let me know the results 🙂
Kim
So simple and yummy! A lot of other recipes call for 20+ ingredients. Thanks for sharing 🙂
christieathome
Thank you so much for your kind review and for making my recipe, Kim! So glad you enjoyed my recipe!