Hainanese Chicken Rice Recipe (Instant Pot)

Why You’ll Love This this Hainanese Chicken Rice

This recipe gives you restaurant-quality Hainanese chicken rice at home, and honestly, once you taste that fragrant, garlicky rice cooked in rich chicken broth, you’ll wonder why you ever ordered takeout.

The Instant Pot makes everything ridiculously easy – no more babysitting a pot on the stove or worrying about overcooked chicken that tastes like rubber.

Plus, you get three amazing dipping sauces that transform simple poached chicken into something absolutely crave-worthy, because let’s face it, sauce is where the magic happens.

Ingredients List

This Hainanese chicken rice recipe requires surprisingly few ingredients for something that tastes this complex, though you’ll want to make sure you have everything on hand since the magic really happens when all these flavors work together.

For the Chicken:

• 7 tablespoons peanut oil, divided
• 8 stalks green onions, divided
• 2 shallots, roughly chopped
• 2 heads garlic, divided
• 6 tablespoons ginger, divided
• 4 cups chicken broth
• 1 tablespoon coarse sea salt
• 8 large chicken thighs, skin-on, bone-in (3-4 pounds)

For the Rice:

– 2 cups long-grain rice (like Jasmine)

For the Sauces:

• 2 tablespoons dark soy sauce
• 2 tablespoons shaoxing wine
• 2 teaspoons sugar
• 4 drops toasted sesame oil
• 2 tablespoons hot sauce
• 1 lime, juice of

For the Soup:

– 5 baby bok choy, sliced

Health Considerations:

• Chicken thighs provide more flavor than breasts but also contain more fat – though most of the skin fat renders out during cooking.
• The recipe uses a good amount of oil, but you can reduce it slightly in the sauces if you’re watching calories.
• Fresh ginger and garlic pack serious anti-inflammatory benefits, so you’re basically eating medicine that tastes amazing.
• The bok choy adds essential vitamins and fiber to balance out all that rich, comforting rice and chicken.

Step by Step Directions

Making this Hainanese chicken rice requires cooking the chicken first, then using the flavorful broth to cook the rice while preparing the signature sauces.

• Prepare the chicken: Heat Instant Pot on sauté mode, add 2 tablespoons peanut oil, then sauté 6 green onion stalks (cut in 2-inch pieces), 2 chopped shallots, 12 smashed garlic cloves, and 4 tablespoons sliced ginger for 2 minutes until fragrant.
• Cook the chicken: Add 4 cups chicken broth and 1 tablespoon sea salt, then add 8 chicken thighs and cook on high pressure for 8 minutes with natural release.
• Cool the chicken: Remove chicken and place in ice bath, then transfer to cooling rack to firm up the skin before placing on serving dish.
• Strain the broth: Pour cooking liquid through strainer into saucepan, discard solids, and wipe Instant Pot clean.
• Cook the rice: Heat 2 tablespoons peanut oil in cleaned Instant Pot, sauté 4 minced garlic cloves until golden, add 2 cups rinsed jasmine rice with 1 cup reserved broth and 1 cup water, then cook on high pressure for 3 minutes with 10-minute natural release.
• Make sweet soy sauce: Combine 2 tablespoons dark soy sauce, 2 tablespoons shaoxing wine, 2 teaspoons sugar, 4 drops sesame oil, and 1 tablespoon chicken broth.
• Make green onion ginger sauce: Heat 3 tablespoons peanut oil and pour over 2 minced green onion stalks and 2 tablespoons grated ginger in heatproof bowl, then add salt to taste.
• Make chili sauce: Mix 2 tablespoons hot sauce, 2 tablespoons grated ginger, 3 minced garlic cloves, lime juice, and 1 teaspoon chicken broth.
• Prepare soup: Add 2 cups water to remaining broth, bring to boil, add 5 sliced baby bok choy and simmer until tender-crisp.
• Serve: Arrange chicken, rice, sauces, and soup on table for family-style serving.

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Substitutions and Variations

• Vegetable variations: Baby bok choy is classic, but regular bok choy, Chinese broccoli, or even simple blanched vegetables work great in the soup.

Sometimes you just have to work with what’s actually in your fridge.

• Make it fancy: Some people like to add cucumber slices, tomato wedges, or pickled vegetables on the side because apparently we all need more things to juggle at dinner time.

Additional Things to Serve With This Dish

While this dish is pretty complete on its own, there are a few extra touches that can turn your dinner table into something that looks like you actually planned ahead.

• Pickled vegetables: Quick-pickled cucumber or radish cuts through all that rich chicken fat beautifully, and honestly, the crunch factor alone makes it worth the five minutes of prep time.
• Fresh herbs: Cilantro sprigs and Thai basil leaves scattered around the plate make everything look more restaurant-worthy, plus they add that fresh, bright note your taste buds didn’t know they were missing.
• Crispy shallots or garlic: Store-bought works fine if you’re not feeling ambitious, but if you want to go the extra mile, these little golden bits add serious texture and flavor depth.
• Extra lime wedges: Because there’s never enough citrus when you’re dealing with this much savory goodness, and some people are just lime-obsessed.
• Sliced tomatoes and cucumber: The classic accompaniments that add freshness and help balance out the richness, though let’s be real, they’re mostly there to make us feel better about eating all that delicious chicken skin.

Cooking Tips & Tricks (Chef’s Notes)

Getting this dish right comes down to mastering a few key techniques that separate the okay versions from the absolutely incredible ones.

• Don’t skip the ice bath for the chicken – it might seem like an annoying extra step, but this is what gives you that signature bouncy, firm texture that makes restaurant Hainanese chicken so distinctive.
• Toast your rice before adding liquid – those few minutes of stirring the rice with garlic and oil create a nutty depth that plain steamed rice just can’t match.
• Save every drop of that cooking liquid – this golden broth is liquid gold for the rice, the soup, and even thinning out your sauces, so treat it like the precious ingredient it is.
• Let the chicken rest completely before slicing – rushing this part will give you shredded, messy pieces instead of those clean, Instagram-worthy slices you’re probably picturing.
• Make your sauces while everything else cooks – the flavors need time to meld together, and you’ll thank yourself later when you’re not frantically whisking while hungry people hover around your kitchen.
• Taste and adjust the broth seasoning – every batch of chicken stock is different, so what worked last time might need a pinch more salt or a splash more soy sauce this time around.
• Rinse your rice until the water runs clear – this removes excess starch and prevents your perfectly seasoned rice from turning into a gluey mess that sticks to the bottom of your pot.

Nutritional Facts

This complete Hainanese chicken rice meal provides a well-balanced combination of protein, carbohydrates, and essential nutrients, making it both satisfying and nutritious.

• Calories: Approximately 650-750 per serving (based on 6 servings total)
• Protein: 45-50g per serving, primarily from the chicken thighs which provide complete amino acids essential for muscle maintenance and growth
• Carbohydrates: 55-60g per serving from the jasmine rice, supplying sustained energy and fiber
• Fat: 25-30g per serving, with healthy fats from peanut oil and natural chicken fat that aid in vitamin absorption
• Sodium: Moderate to high (800-1000mg per serving) due to soy sauce and chicken broth – consider reducing salt if watching sodium intake
• Vitamin C: Good source from bok choy and lime juice, supporting immune function
• Iron: Excellent source from dark chicken meat, helping prevent anemia
• B Vitamins: Rich in B6 and B12 from chicken, supporting nervous system health and energy metabolism
• Ginger Benefits: Natural anti-inflammatory properties and digestive support from the generous amount of fresh ginger
• Garlic Benefits: Contains allicin, which may support heart health and immune function
• Bone-in Chicken Advantage: Provides additional minerals like calcium and phosphorus that leach from the bones during cooking

Fun “Did You Know?”

Did you know that Hainanese chicken rice is actually Singapore’s unofficial national dish, despite originating from China’s Hainan province?

I find it fascinating that Hainanese immigrants brought this humble dish to Southeast Asia in the early 20th century, where it evolved into something distinctly different from its origins.

The original Hainan version was much simpler, but Singapore’s version developed the trio of signature sauces we love today.

What’s really interesting is that the rice cooking technique—using chicken fat and broth—transforms plain jasmine rice into something absolutely magical that’s bursting with umami flavor.