Chinese Chicken Rice with Scallion Sauce

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The aromas of ginger, garlic and scallions permeate every component of the dish, resulting in something far more than the sum of its parts. This version relies on weeknight shortcuts while preserving the traditional technique of poaching the chicken.

This recipe is mostly inspired by Hainanese Chicken Rice in its components and style of preparation, with a little bit of Cantonese Poached Chicken vibe in the scallion dipping sauce. Poaching is so underrated!! But so easy. I simmer the chicken for 5 minutes with the lid on, turn off the heat, then let the chicken poach in the residual heat for about 30 minutes. The low and slow method produces tender, succulent chicken. It occurred to me this may be akin to sous-vide, without the equipment or plastic bags.

At its heart, the traditional version of Hainan Chicken Rice comprises of juicy poached chicken served over fluffy rice that is cooked in the tasty poaching liquid. There is also typically a bowl of that poaching broth alongside for sipping as you enjoy the chicken and rice. So cozy!

In Singapore and the nearby region, this dish has taken on a life of its own and is home to some of the world's best iterations of the dish. Anthony Bourdain famously shared his fave in Singapore. There, the dish comes with three sauces — scallion ginger sauce, a red chili-based sauce and a sweet dark soy sauce.  As a simplification, I make only the scallion ginger sauce and serve with a bottle of sriracha at the table.

All these years after I originally wrote this recipe (in 2016!!), social media has exploded with so many iterations of this meal — rice cooker and steamed versions having gained much popularity. It’s rare to see a version like this where the chicken is poached, the OG way! But what those methods miss out on is the gorgeous poaching broth to sip alongside the meal (and to cook rice with). Especially on a chilly evening, a piping hot bowl of that aromatic broth truly warms the body and soul!

While I can appreciate the thoughtful steps involved in the making of the traditional version, this mama’s got no time for that. This is the version that I make a lot.

Eat well + be well,

Sonia x

June 2026: recipe and notes updated with tweaks for improvement and clarity.

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Tips & FAQs:

1. Use chicken pieces instead of whole chicken

   A whole chicken is poached in the OG version of this dish but the easiest shortcut is using bone-in chicken pieces instead. Not everyone has the time nor tenacity to cook and dismantle a whole chicken. Chicken pieces poach much faster, with the added bonus you can select breast/leg pieces based on individual preferences. Try using the best quality chicken you can since it is prepared so simply.

2. Make only one sauce - the scallion sauce

   To some, it isn’t “Hainan chicken” without the red chili sauce and sweet dark soy sauce. I won't deny those are spectacular but the scallion sauce is the crowning jewel and the must-make.

3. Save and freeze extra poaching liquid to cook the rice next time

   Obviously this shortcut applies to subsequent times you make this. Once you’ve read the full recipe, you'll see the linear process whereby chicken is first poached, then the poaching liquid is used to cook the rice. Save 2 cups of it and freeze so the next time you make this meal, you can poach the chicken and cook the rice at the same time. This shaves off 30+ minutes (or more) which is major time-savings in weeknight time! There should still be extra poaching broth to sip with the meal after setting aside the 2 cups.

4. Skip ice bath

   This would be considered sacrilege as far as the tradition of Hainan Chicken Rice. The ice bath halts cooking and tightens the skin so it is taunt and bouncy. How good the skin is, is a key testament to how well the dish is prepared. But it is an extra step so ultimately, I’ll leave this SKIN/ICE BATH choice to you. My family actually prefers eating this with no skin (seen in the photos) so I skip this step.

5. Can I use boneless skinless chicken?

   Yes! But the chicken will cook faster so adjust poaching time as appropriate. Insert a wired meat thermometer into the thickest part of one chicken piece to get real-time visibility on progress without needing to open the lid. It is best not to open the lid during off-heat poaching as it will lower the temperature inside the pot and throw off cooking time.

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Chinese Chicken Rice with Scallion Sauce

Yield: 4

Author: sonia wong | www.saltnpepperhere.com

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Chinese Chicken Rice with Scallion Sauce

The aromas of ginger, garlic and scallions permeate every component of the dish, resulting in something far more than the sum of its parts. This version relies on weeknight shortcuts while preserving the traditional technique of poaching the chicken.

Cook modePrevent screen from turning off

Ingredients

For the Poached Chicken:

• 8-10 bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs (about 2.5 lbs)
• 4 scallions, cut in half
• 4 garlic cloves, smashed with the side of a knife
• 2" knob of ginger, sliced (~35g) (no need to peel)
• 1 medium onion, rough chopped into 4 pieces
• 6 Cups (1.4L) water or enough to just cover the chicken in the pot
• 1½ tsp kosher salt (increase to 1 tbsp if using Diamond Crystal brand)

For the Scallion Ginger Sauce:

• 1 bunch of scallions, sliced thinly
• 2 tbsp grated or finely minced ginger
• 2 garlic cloves, grated or finely minced
• ½ Cup (120ml) neutral high heat oil (I use avocado oil)
• 1 tsp soy sauce
• Salt to taste

For the rice:

• 2 Cups uncooked jasmine rice
• 1 tbsp grated or finely minced ginger
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• 2 Cups (475ml) poaching liquid, from above

For serving:

• Scallion ginger sauce (from above)
• Sriracha (or similar)
• Optional: cucumber slices, tomato slices, cilantro, etc.

Instructions

1. Prep aromatics: There's a lot of ginger, garlic and scallion in the different components of this recipe. The fastest way to go about it is to prep them in parallel in 3 appropriate vessels - into a:
2. (1) Large pot, for poaching chicken: 4 scallions halved, 4 garlic cloves smashed, 2" knob of ginger sliced, 1 onion rough chopped into 4 pieces
3. (2) Small bowl, for flavouring the rice: 1 tbsp grated ginger, 2 cloves of garlic minced
4. (3) Medium heat-proof bowl, for scallion sauce: 1 bunch scallions sliced thinly, 2 tbsp grated ginger, 2 garlic cloves minced
5. Wash rice: Wash rice in fine-mesh colander under cool tap water until water is less opaque but does not need to run clear. Drain well. 2 cups uncooked jasmine rice
6. Poach chicken: Add chicken and salt into the large pot with the prepped aromatics. Add enough water to cover the chicken by 1”. Cover and bring to rolling boil. Skim the scum. Cover and quickly bring back to vigorous boil then immediately lower the heat to a gentle simmer (small bubbles). Poach for 5 minutes. After 5 minutes, remove pot from the heat without removing the lid. Allow to stand undisturbed for 25 to 30 minutes or until temperature of the thickest part is 165°F. Exact cook time depends on size of chicken pieces (they vary widely these days!) and to some extent how well your pot retains heat. As a guide, my bone-in/skin-on chicken thighs weigh ~120g each and take 25 minutes. Cook longer as needed for large pieces. TIP: Insert a wired meat thermometer into the thickest part of one chicken piece to get real-time visibility on progress. 8-10 (2.5 lbs) chicken thighs, 1½ tsp kosher salt increased to 1 tbsp for Diamond Crystal brand)
7. If you have reserved poaching liquid from previous meal, cook the rice now instead of waiting for chicken to finish poaching (see Tips & FAQ #3).
8. Once cooked, remove chicken from the pot, either directly onto a cutting board or optionally into an ice bath to firm up the skin (Tips & FAQ #4). I typically pull off the skin to serve so I skip. Skim any remaining scum from the broth.
9. Cook rice (once chicken is done poaching): Heat a pot over medium heat. Add a drizzle of oil (or chicken fat) and sauté the minced ginger and garlic for 10 seconds, stirring. Turn off heat (but keep on stove for residual heat) and add drained rice, stirring gently a few times to coat grains with the flavourful oil. Be gentle to not break the delicate rice grains. Add 2 cups of the poaching liquid into the pot. Cover. Bring to a boil, then immediately reduce heat to lowest setting to steam undisturbed for 20 minutes. Remove from heat. Fluff rice and keep covered until ready to serve.
10. While chicken is poaching / rice is cooking...
11. Finish scallion sauce: Heat the oil in a small pot until hot and popping and at 350°F. To test readiness without thermometer, insert a dry wooden chopstick into the oil. If bubbles rapidly rise up the sides, oil is ready. Carefully pour hot oil over the prepped scallion mixture while stirring to distribute well. It should sizzle and pop. It may not look like enough oil at first but the heat wilts the mixture way down as it sits. Add soy sauce and salt. Taste and season as needed – the sauce should taste slightly on the salty side. Set aside to wilt down. ½ Cup (120ml) neutral high heat oil, 1 tsp soy sauce, salt to taste
12. Prep optional veggie sides: Slice cucumbers, tomatoes, pick cilantro, etc.
13. Reserve extra poaching liquid: You can either serve the remaining poaching liquid to sip alongside the meal as is customary to do OR save it for next time you make this meal so you can cook chicken and rice simultaneously. Highly recommend!
14. To serve (how I do it): Pull off skin and discard. Pull chicken meat off the bones in large pieces (I do this because of kids). Serve chicken pieces on top of rice, copious amounts of scallion sauce and veggie sides. Enjoy!

Disclaimer: nutritional information is auto-generated and may not be 100% accurate.

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