One Pot Hainanese Chicken and Rice (Easy Rice Cooker Recipe)

This rice cooker version simplifies the traditional cooking method and allows the chicken’s natural juices to season the rice as it cooks, creating a dish that is both efficient and deeply flavorful. It’s a complete, nourishing meal with minimal effort-perfect for weeknights, meal prep, or whenever you want something satisfying without spending hours in the kitchen.

✔️ Ingredients, Substitutions and Swaps

For the complete list of ingredients and exact quantities, check the printable recipe card below.

🍗 For the Chicken and Rice

• Rice: The ideal choice for this dish is Jasmine rice which has a naturally aromatic quality and soft, tender texture that pairs perfectly with chicken. Other rice types such as white rice (calrose), medium or short-grain white rice can be used. I don’t recommend using brown rice as this type of rice needs longer cooking times and additional liquid.
• Chicken stock: Cooking rice in stock instead of water dramatically improves the overall flavor of the dish.
• Chicken (boneless, skin-on breasts and/thighs or legs): Using skin-on chicken protects the meat during cooking time and prevents the meat from drying up. The skin renders its fat and enriches the rice adding layers of savory flavor. Thighs are slightly more forgiving and flavorful, but breasts work beautifully when poached gently.
• Ginger: Fresh ginger adds warmth, depth, and fragrance which is essential to the dish. In a pinch, you can use ginger paste.
• Garlic: Fresh garlic provides flavor and complexity. In a pinch, use garlic paste. Because this is a dish with very few ingredients, the quality of the ingredients really matter.
• Scallions: Used both in the rice and the sauce, scallions add brightness and balance.
• White pepper: Traditional in many Southeast Asian dishes, white pepper provides gentle heat without overpowering the chicken. In a pinch, use regular black pepper.

✔️ For the Scallion Oil Sauce

Scallions, toasted (roasted) sesame oil, neutral oil (such as vegetable or avocado oil), lemon juice and soy sauce. Use tamari for a gluten-free alternative/

Optional: Serve with cucumbers slices and chili sauce like sambal oelek for a spicy kick.

🔎 How to Make Hainanese Chicken and Rice in a Rice Cooker?

Scroll down to the printable recipe card for exact directions and cooking times.

1. Prepare the rice base: Add the rinsed rice, scallions, ginger, garlic, and chicken stock to the rice cooker. Stir in salt and white pepper.

2. Add the chicken: Gently nestle the chicken pieces into the rice, ensuring they sit slightly submerged but not fully buried.

3. Cook: Close the lid and cook using the white rice setting. The rice and chicken will cook together, allowing flavors to develop naturally.
4. Rest: Once the rice cooker finishes, keep the lid closed and allow the rice and chicken to rest for 5 to 10 minutes before serving. This allows moisture to redistribute and improves texture.
5. To make the scallion oil/sauce: Place the sliced scallions in a small heatproof bowl. Heat the vegetable oil and sesame oil in a small skillet over medium-high heat until hot. Carefully pour the hot oil over the scallions. Season with salt (or soy sauce) and a squeeze of fresh lime juice, if desired.

6. Slice and serve: Transfer the chicken to a cutting board and slice. Fluff the rice with a fork and serve topped with sliced chicken, cucumbers, scallion sauce, and chili sauce.

🤔 Frequently Asked Questions

🔎 Making Ahead, Storage and Reheating

• Making Ahead: This dish can be made a day ahead. Store in the fridge.
• Storing: Leftovers can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3-4 days.
• Reheating: My secret for reheating rice perfectly (and the poached chicken). Place the rice in a resealable plastic bag. Seal the bag and microwave until heated through. Remove from the microwave and carefully open the bag (the steam is super hot). Add the chicken, seal the bag, removing as much air as possible. Microwave for a few seconds. Open the bag and serve.

💛 Intentional Cooking

Your priorities, your recipe. Learn about Intentional Cooking.

Animal Welfare: When possible, choose humanely raised pasture raised chicken. These birds are typically given more space and raised in healthier conditions that allow for more natural behaviors. It’s a small but meaningful way to support better animal welfare compared to conventional industrial systems, where chickens are often raised in crowded indoor environments.

Time and Convenience: This one-pot meal respects your time without sacrificing quality or flavor. By cooking both the chicken and rice together eliminates extra steps and additional cleaning.

Community and Tradition: Hainanese chicken and rice originated in China and became the national dish of Singapore. Its simplicity reflects an important culinary principle shared across cultures: honoring ingredients by preparing them thoughtfully rather than overcomplicating them. This rice cooker version preserves that spirit while adapting to modern kitchens, making traditional flavors accessible without sacrificing integrity.

One Pot Hainanese Chicken and Rice (Easy Rice Cooker Recipe)

Kathy McDaniel

This easy one pot Hainanese chicken and rice is made entirely in the rice cooker. Tender chicken poaches over fragrant ginger-garlic rice for a simple, flavorful meal. Serve it drizzled with scallion oil, sliced cucumbers and chili sauce (optional).

Print Pin Text

Prep 10 minutes mins

Cook 32 minutes mins

Total 42 minutes mins

Makes 4 servings

Ingredients 

1x2x3x

• ▢ 2 cups uncooked white rice, preferably jasmine rice, rinsed
• ▢ 2 scallions, trimmed and cut into thirds
• ▢ 4 slices fresh ginger
• ▢ 2 garlic cloves, minced
• ▢ 2 ½ cups chicken stock
• ▢ 1 teaspoon salt
• ▢ Ground white pepper to taste
• ▢ 2 pounds chicken breast and/or thighs, skin-on and boneless (choose small breasts and/or thighs), trimmed from excess fat.

To serve:

• ▢ Sliced cucumbers
• ▢ Chili sauce such as sambal oelek

Scallion Sauce

• ▢ ½ cup scallions, sliced very finely (white and light green parts only)
• ▢ 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
• ▢ 1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil
• ▢ Salt or soy sauce, to taste
• ▢ Fresh lime juice, to taste

Instructions 

1. Place the rice, scallions, ginger garlic and stock in a rice cooker. Stir in the salt and ground white pepper.
2. Gently, nestle the chicken pieces into the rice. Close the lid and press start to cook (white rice setting), cook until both rice and chicken are cooked through.
3. When the cooking is done, keep the rice maker with the lid closed for an additional 5 to 10 minutes.
4. Transfer the chicken to a cutting board to slice it. You can keep or remove the chicken skin. Fluff the rice with a fork and serve with sliced chicken, sliced cucumbers, scallion sauce and chili sauce (optional)

To make the scallion sauce:

1. Place the scallions in a small heat-proof bowl. In a small skillet, heat the vegetable oil and sesame oil over medium-high heat. When the oil is hot, remove from the heat and pour over the sliced scallions. Season to taste with salt (or soy sauce) and fresh lime juice (optional)

Notes

• Use skin-on chicken for best results: Use boneless, skin-on chicken thighs or chicken breast (or a combination of both). For best results and even cooking, choose smaller breasts and/or thighs.
• Skin-on chicken is best: As the chicken cooks, fat slowly renders and coats the rice grains, enhancing flavor and improving mouthfeel.
• Rice: The ideal choice for this dish is Jasmine rice which has a naturally aromatic quality. Other types of rice, such as long or medium-grain white rice (calrose) can be used. Make sure to rinse the rice to remove some of the excess starch.
• Use Stock/Broth: Instead of water, to boost flavor.

Nutrition

Calories: 656 kcal, Carbohydrates: 81 g, Protein: 59 g, Fat: 8 g, Saturated Fat: 2 g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 1 g, Monounsaturated Fat: 3 g, Trans Fat: 0.03 g, Cholesterol: 150 mg, Sodium: 1065 mg, Potassium: 1134 mg, Fiber: 1 g, Sugar: 3 g, Vitamin A: 132 IU, Vitamin C: 5 mg, Calcium: 49 mg, Iron: 2 mg

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