Easy Hainanese Roasted Chicken Rice

How to make easy Hainanese Roasted Chicken Rice – 2 ways: oven and air fryer!

Editor’s Note: Recipe updated on 20.03.2024 to include an easy air fryer method!

When you go to a chicken rice hawker stall, there are typically two types of chicken rice dishes you can order. Steamed chicken rice – which is the classic Hainanese Chicken Rice – or roasted chicken rice! The steamed chicken has white skin, while roasted chicken has a darker, brown, skin. I have an easy recipe for Hainanese Chicken Rice right here, by the way.

How to Cook Chicken for Hainanese Roasted Chicken Rice?

Method #1: Oven Roasted

Despite its name, Hainanese Roasted Chicken Rice at the hawker stalls, the chicken isn’t actually roasted when you order it… It is in fact fried! That’s how it gets its crispy skin.

This recipe actually roasts the oven in the chicken. Perhaps it might not be as crispy as the hawker stalls, but it’s good enough! Plus, a lot more practical for making this at home, and foolproof with the oven.

All you do is marinade your chicken – overnight preferably – pop it in the oven, and make your chicken rice while the chicken is roasting!

How to get EXTRA CRISPY oven roasted Chicken?

There are a couple key tips to get the crispy skin:

TIP #1: Keep the skin as dry as possible

Basically the less liquid your chicken has, the better. In this recipe I used quite a lot of liquid seasonings – because I want my chicken to absorb all those delicious flavours – but the key is to keep the skin as dry as possible.

1. Air-Drying when marinating

While you would usually cover the marinade container with a lid, this time round keep the lid off so the top of the skin can dry off. I used boneless chicken thighs here, and made sure the bottom of the chicken (without the skin) fully submerges in the marinade.

2. Blot off excess moisture on the surface

After marinating, use paper towels to blot the skin off any excess moisture. To reintroduce some seasoning, simply sprinkle salt and pepper.

TIP#2: Set the oven to “Broil” at the final 10 minutes

Bake the chicken as usual, and at the final 10 minutes, crank the heat up to a maximum and set the oven to broil! This is going to force some top grilling action, to not only get a good colour on the chicken, but dry it out even more for crispier results.

If you are really after the crispy skin, then the solution is even simpler. Omit all of the liquid seasonings! Make do with just salt and pepper.

Method #2: Air Fryer

This method has been my go-to for easy, roasted chicken with amazing colour and crisp skin! Air fry the chicken skin side up, there is no need to flip the chicken over, and you get easy crisp, succulent chicken.

1. Preheat air fryer to 180°C (350°F) for 5 minutes.
2. Place the marinated chicken in the air fryer basket, skin side up.
3. Cook at 180°C (350°F) for about 15-20 minutes, or until chicken is cooked through. If using bone-in chicken thighs, extend cook time by 5 minutes.
4. Once cooked, let the chicken rest for 5 minutes before slicing.

The Seasonings for Roasted Chicken Rice

The seasonings for the Roasted Chicken is straightforward and simple.

• Light Soy Sauce: This is the main salting agent to the chicken.

• Dark Soy Sauce: I love adding this to add colour.

• Honey: This adds sweetness and a lovely sticky glaze to the roasted chicken.

• Chinese Five Spice Powder: Optional, but I enjoy the boost of flavour. Do not add too much so it’s not too overwhelming.

• Ginger and Garlic: Ginger and garlic are classic flavours in Chicken Rice! Grate or mince the two. If you are making this from scratch, combine chopped ginger and garlic in a blender and blend to a thick paste! (To make garlic and ginger paste, see my post: Essential Aromatics Pastes) You will be using this combo for the Chicken Rice and the Chilli Sauce as well.

• Salt and Pepper

How to Make the Rice?

The rice itself is incredibly simple with the use of a rice cooker. Simply combine all of the ingredients in the rice cooker pot and set it to cook!

If you came from my Hainanese Chicken Rice recipe, you would notice the recipe for the chicken rice here is slightly different. They both taste amazing, so you have options to work with! I added melted butter in this recipe to get that same fatty, greasy rice.

I used homemade unsalted chicken stock here, but feel free to use chicken stock from bouillon cubes. Adjust the additional salt (in this case the light soy sauce), as stock cubes are already seasoned.

No rice cooker? I got you. Follow my instructions on how to make chicken rice right in the pan here.

How to Serve Roasted Chicken Rice?

Chicken Rice is best served the classic way!

Serve the rice on a plate, and top with chopped chicken.

Garnish with some cucumbers, (or a veggie stir fry), cilantro or spring onions, and – my essential – sweet and tangy Chicken Rice Chilli Sauce! Check out my recipe here.

Ginger Garlic Sauce

Chicken Rice is also served with a ginger-garlic sauce. I never have it (the Ginger Garlic Chilli Sauce is all I need) but if you want yours with it, all you do is:

1. Blend or puree equal parts ginger, garlic with a neutral-tasting oil (1:1:1).
2. Place the ginger-garlic oil over a low to medium heat. Let infuse for about 5 minutes, or until fragrant. Stir to not burn the aromatics.
3. Season with salt. Serve!

More Recipes Like This

If you love this Roasted Chicken Rice recipe you might love these too:

• Hainanese Chicken Rice
• One-Pan Chicken Rice
• 10-Minute Rainbow Fried Rice

Easy Roasted Chicken Rice

Recipe by Sha

5.0 from 2 votes

Course: Recipes

Servings

2

servings

Prep time

10

minutes

Cooking time

30

minutes

Ingredients

• Roast Chicken

• 2 x 150g Boneless Chicken Thighs

• 1 tbsp light soy sauce

• 1 tsp dark soy sauce

• 1 tbsp honey

• 1/2 tsp five spice powder (optional)

• 1 tsp ginger, grated

• 1 tsp garlic, grated

• 1/2 tsp black pepper

• 1/2 tsp salt

• Rice

• 1 cup uncooked Jasmine white rice, rinsed

• 1 tbsp melted butter

• 1 tsp ginger, grated

• 1 tsp garlic, grated

• 1 tsp sesame oil

• 1 tbsp light soy sauce

• 1 cup unsalted chicken stock

• Serve With

• Chicken rice Chilli Sauce

• Cucumbers

• Cilantro

• Chicken Soup

• Kicap Manis or Caramel Dark Soy Sauce

Directions

• Marinating the Roasted Chicken
• Rub chicken surface with coarse salt and rinse salt off. This will get you that smooth, glossy skin.
• Combine ingredients for the marinade, and massage onto chicken. Marinade chicken skin side up, and leave uncovered in the fridge overnight. This will dry out the skin surface for extra crispy skin.
  
• Once marinated, option to blot chicken skin with paper towels to remove excess moisture. Season with salt and pepper, if doing this.
• Method #1: Oven Roasted
• Preheat oven to 180°C (350°F). Lay chicken flat on tray and bake in the oven for 25 minutes. Adjust timing according to chicken size. If using bone-in chicken, extend the cook time ny about 5-10 minutes. Optional: At the last 10 minutes, set the oven to ‘Broil’ and turn heat up to 220°C (420°F).
• Once chicken cooks through, allow to rest for 10 minutes before slicing.
• Method #2: Air Fryer
• Preheat air fryer to 180°C (350°F) for 5 minutes.
• Place the marinated chicken in the air fryer basket, skin side up. Air fry 180°C (350°F) for about 15-20 minutes, or until chicken is cooked through. If using bone-in chicken thighs, extend cook time by 5 minutes.
• Once cooked, let the chicken rest for 5 minutes before slicing.
• 
  Chicken Rice
• Rinse rice until water runs clear. Add all of the ingredients to the rice cooker pot. Adjust stock amount according to rice cooker instructions. Stir to combine and set to cook at regular settings.
• Plate rice, top with chicken, cucumbers and cilantro. Serve with chilli sauce and chicken soup.

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