Hainan chicken and rice is the quintessential Asian comfort food. In the Bay Area, we’re lucky to have amazing restaurants that focus on this dish, such as Rooster & Rice, or Chicken Meets Rice. In truth, making traditional Hainan chicken is a long process. The recipe requires poaching and carving an entire chicken. If you’re like me and pressed for time, check out this shortcut recipe and wine pairing for delicious, easy Hainan-style chicken and rice. It has all of the juicy chicken flavor, but takes a fraction of the time!
The secret shortcut? You don’t need to poach an entire chicken. Instead, put chicken thighs on top of the rice, and steam it all together. The dark thigh meat retains a similar amount of moisture as it does in the traditional poaching method. Meanwhile, it lends its delicious, chicken-y flavor to the rice. When you’re done, simply slice up the chicken and you’re ready to eat! No carving, no de-boning.
There is one thing you can’t skip in Hainan chicken: herbs. Ginger, garlic, scallions, and cilantro are all critical ingredients in this dish. They give the chicken its bright, fresh flavor. You’ll stir-fry ginger and garlic into the rice before cooking, imparting a rich flavor. Then, you’ll mince scallions and ginger into a bright, crunchy sauce that makes the whole dish pop. This is one of the sauces served at Rooster and Rice, and it is pretty addictive.
Wine Pairing With Hainan Chicken and Rice
Viognier is our winning match for Hainan chicken. This underrated varietal has an interesting mishmash of characteristics that make it incredibly food-friendly. Viognier has the weight of a Chardonnay, to match the creamy, tender chicken. The bottle we tried, Frey Viognier, had a light spritz that was extra refreshing against the richness of the chicken fat. Combining its cidery, bruised apple flavor with its faint effervescence, the Frey was almost beerlike. So, for those who prefer beer with Asian food, Viognier makes a particularly good match.
Perhaps most importantly, Viognier has the herbal and spice aromatics of a Gewurztraminer. This is important, since scallions, ginger, and garlic have intense flavors that clash with the wrong wine. Viognier’s ginger note melds perfectly with the fresh ginger-scallion sauce. Despite its fruit and floral aromatics, most Viognier is quite dry on the finish. Viognier often has a faint hint of bitter orange peel that works well with the herbs.
Easy Hainan Chicken and Rice
Ingredients
Shortcut Hainan Style Chicken and Rice Recipe
- 2-3 skin-on chicken thighs (see note)
- Salt to taste
- 1 tbsp oil
- 1 tbsp minced ginger
- 3 cloves minced garlic
- 1.5 cups white rice
- 2 cups low-sodium chicken broth
For the Sauce
- ½ cup thinly sliced scallions
- ¼ cup minced ginger
- ⅓ cup oil cup oil (or increase if you prefer a thinner sauce)
- Salt, to taste
Instructions
For the Chicken and Rice
- Massage the chicken skins with salt. Set aside.
- Heat 1 tbsp oil in a pan. Add ginger and garlic. Stir fry until golden and fragrant.
- Add rice. Stir fry for about a minute.
- Transfer rice mixture to a rice cooker. Pour in chicken broth.
- Place chicken on top, skin side up. Cook for about 25 minutes, or until chicken is cooked through. Note: You can also cook the chicken and rice in a pot. However, I find that the rice cooks most evenly in a rice cooker. Pots can vary, and the bottom part of the rice near the heat can cook faster than the top.
Sauce
- While the rice is cooking, make the sauce. Place scallions, garlic, and salt to taste in a heatproof bowl.
- Heat the oil in a saucepan until it is just starting to sizzle.
- Pour it over the scallions and ginger, and mix gently.
Serving
- Remove the cooked chicken and slice. Fluff the rice.
- Serve chicken atop the rice, with scallion and garlic sauce on top.
Notes
If you want a lighter dish, you can technically use boneless, skinless chicken thighs. It will not be as oily, but the chicken will still be tender and flavorful.
Here are more wine pairings with Asian dishes:
