Hainanese chicken may look like an understated dish, but what it lacks in colour it makes up for in flavour and texture. When cooked properly, this classic Chinese recipe yields fragrant rice and melt-in-your-mouth chicken, making for a super easy dinner that keeps well in the fridge for tomorrow’s lunch.

Today, we’ll be covering the basics of how to cook Hainanese Chicken rice in a rice cooker. If you’re craving a heaping forkful of this healthy, filling, savoury dish, this is the simplest and quickest way to get it on your plate! Learn a few tips on how to use your rice cooker.

Ingredients list

While Hainanese Chicken rice is a traditional Chinese food, the ingredients are basic enough that you won’t need to visit a specialized grocery store. In fact, you probably have most of these items in your pantry or fridge already.

For the Chicken:

2 cups / 500mL Dainty Jasmine Rice

2 Chicken breasts, skin-on

2 Chicken legs, bone-in, skin-on

2 tsp / 10mL  Salt

1 1/2 inch (7.5 cm) piece Ginger, sliced

5 Green Onions, trimmed, cut in half

8 cups / 2L Chicken stock, preferably homemade

1 clove Garlic, crushed

¼ cup / 60mL Cilantro, chopped to garnish

Hot sauce for dipping (sriracha is good!)

For the sauce

3 Green Onions, finely sliced

1 tbsp/ 15mL Ginger, finely grated

1/3 cup/ 85 mL Vegetable Oil

½ cup/ 125mL English Cucumber, sliced

Time to cook!

Step 1: Place the chicken on a cutting board and sprinkle both sides with salt. Make sure to rub it in well.

Step 2: Place 2/3 of the sliced ginger, green onions, and 4 1/2 cups (1.125L) of chicken broth in a large pot. Bring to a boil.

Step 3: Add the chicken pieces to the pot and simmer for 10 minutes. Turn the heat off, cover the pot with a lid, and allow it to sit for another 15 minutes. Remove the chicken and set aside.

Step 4: While the ingredients in step 3 are cooking, place the Dainty Jasmine rice, crushed garlic, and remaining sliced ginger in your rice cooker. Add in 3 ½ cups (875mL) of the chicken stock, then turn the cooker on. When the rice is finished, fluff it with a fork then allow it to sit covered for an additional 10 minutes.

Step 5: For the green onion & ginger sauce, add the 3 sliced green onions and grated ginger to a heatproof bowl. In a small pot, heat the oil on high until it starts to smoke. Immediately pour the hot oil over the green onion and ginger mixture, then stir to combine. Set aside to cool.

Step 6: To serve, place the fragrant rice on a plate. Thinly slice the chicken and lay it on top of the rice. Fan out the cucumber slices on the side, sprinkle the dish with cilantro, and serve with hot sauce and the green onion ginger sauce on the side.

Looking for more rice cooker recipes?

There’s no limit to what you can whip up with a rice cooker. Visit our rice recipe corner for more kitchen inspiration: we’ve got healthy lunch recipes, simple dinner ideas, and desserts that will satisfy your sweet tooth!