Recipe: Thai-Style Hainanese Chicken Rice by Nat Thaipun

Chicken rice often brings to mind the Hainanese classic: tender poached chicken with aromatic, fat-cooked rice. The dish is ubiquitous in Malaysia and Singapore, and also has iterations across Southeast and East Asia – including com ga hai nam in Vietnam, chiayi chicken rice in Taiwan, and khao man gai in Thailand.

“So many countries have their own version of this dish, and there’s something special about gathering around a dish that’s both comforting and familiar but with a little bit of magic,” Masterchef 2024 winner Nat Thaipun writes in her debut cookbook, Thai: Anywhere and Everywhere.

In Thailand, people enjoy the street-food favourite at any time of day. It follows a similar method to the Hainanese style, but the key difference is in the dipping sauce, which combines fermented soybeans, vinegar, ginger, sugar, dark soy sauce and green chillies.

“This dish looks simple but packs in flavour and tradition,” Thaipun writes. Here, the chicken is gently boiled until it releases its fats, which are then used to cook the rice with garlic and ginger for depth and fragrance.

Poaching keeps the chicken silky and juicy, while the rice soaks up flavour from the broth. Served with the punchy dipping sauce and a light, clear soup, this dish is comforting yet layered with complexity — ideal for sharing with friends and family.

For more free recipes – from weeknight winners to weekend projects – sign up to our Cooking newsletter.

Khao man gai or Thai-style Hainanese chicken rice by Nat Thaipun

Serves 4

Preparation time: 20 minutes

Cooking time: 1 hour 30 minutes

Ingredients

7 slices of fresh ginger

5 garlic cloves, crushed

4–5 coriander roots (optional)

1 tbsp salt

1 whole chicken (about 1.5 kg)

For the rice

3 tbsp chicken fat (from the poached chicken) or vegetable oil

3 garlic cloves, crushed

400g (2 cups) jasmine rice, rinsed

1 litre (4 cups) poaching broth (from poaching the chicken)

½ tsp salt

1 knotted pandan leaf (optional, for extra flavour)

Dipping sauce

2 tbsp fermented soybean paste

2 tbsp light soy sauce

1 tbsp dark soy sauce

1 tbsp vinegar

1 tbsp sugar

3–4 birdseye chillies, chopped

4 garlic cloves, crushed

2 tbsp finely chopped fresh ginger

Chopped coriander leaves and stems to garnish

For the soup

Poaching broth (leftover from cooking the chicken)

1–2 daikon (white radish), peeled and sliced

3–4 coriander roots

Salt to taste

Sliced spring onions to garnish

Coriander leaves to garnish

To serve

Cucumber slices

Coriander leaves

Soy sauce with sliced chillies (optional)

Method

In a large stockpot, bring enough water to generously cover the chicken to a boil. Add the ginger, garlic, coriander roots and salt.

Once the water is boiling, carefully lower the whole chicken into the pot. Reduce heat to low and poach for 45–60 minutes or until fully cooked, skimming any foam from the surface. Once done, carefully remove the chicken and set aside on a plate to rest. Reserve the poaching broth for the rice and soup.

In a frying pan, heat the chicken fat or vegetable oil over a medium heat and saute the garlic until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add the rice and stir to coat. Transfer the rice to a rice cooker or saucepan and add the poaching broth, salt and pandan leaf, if using. Cook the rice as you would normally until it is fluffy and fragrant.

In a small bowl, combine the fermented soybean paste, light soy sauce, dark soy sauce, vinegar and sugar with 1 tbsp of water. Add the chillies, garlic and ginger and stir until well combined. Garnish with the coriander and set aside.

Return the reserved poaching broth to the stove and bring to a simmer. Add the daikon and coriander roots and simmer for 15–20 minutes, or until the daikon is tender. Season with salt to taste. Garnish with the spring onions and coriander before serving.

Slice the poached chicken and serve it over the fragrant chicken rice. Arrange the cucumber slices and fresh coriander on the side. Serve with the dipping sauce and a bowl of the clear soup on the side. For extra flavour, offer the soy sauce with sliced chillies to be added as desired.

Cooking tips

For perfectly tender chicken, poach the meat gently on a low simmer to ensure it remains tender and juicy.

For extra fragrant rice, frying it with chicken fat and garlic before cooking will provide the signature aroma and flavour.

This is an edited extract from Thai: Anywhere and Everywhere) by Nat Thaipun (Hardie Grant Books, $50). Available in stores nationally.