Instant Pot Hainanese Chicken Rice

Name: Instant Pot Hainanese Chicken Rice
Prep time: 5 min
Cook time: 25 min
Total time: 45 min
Ingredients: 6 pieces chicken drumsticks; 3 tablespoons sesame oil; 2 teaspoons salt; pepper (to taste); 2 cups uncooked white rice; 3 tablespoons cooking oil; 1/2 inch ginger (julienned); 3 cloves garlic (minced); 2 cups chicken stock; chopped scallions (for garnish); sambal oelek (for serving); dark soy sauce (for serving)

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Hainanese Chicken Rice features aromatic seasoned rice paired with tender poached chicken. Cook this entire dish in your Instant Pot quickly and easily without compromising any flavor.

Dubbed the national dish of Singapore, Hainanese Chicken Rice was originally adapted by immigrants from the Hainan province in China. This dish is also highly popular in other Southeast-Asian countries like Malaysia and Indonesia.

What makes Hainanese Chicken Rice so special and so delicious is that the uncooked rice is typically first sauteed in garlic and ginger oil, before it is cooked right in chicken stock, giving it the most incredible aroma and flavor. This seasoned rice is then paired with the most tender and juiciest poached chicken ever.

The Instant Pot is the perfect solution for making Hainanese Chicken Rice quickly and easily because you can sauté the rice, then cook the rice with the chicken all in one pot which makes for super easy cleanup.

No Instant Pot? Make Hainanese Chicken Rice in your rice cooker instead (this tried and true method is one of the most popular recipes on my site). Click here for the recipe!

How to Make Hainanese Chicken Rice in an Instant Pot

Pour 2 tablespoons of sesame oil over 6 chicken drumsticks. Add 1 teaspoon of salt and a dash of ground black pepper.

pouring sesame oil over chicken drumsticks

Mix well and allow the chicken to marinate for 15 minutes.

marinating chicken drumsticks with salt and pepper

While waiting for the chicken to marinate, pour 2 cups of uncooked white rice into a sieve. Rinse the rise under running tap water just until the water starts to run clear.

Allow the water to drain as much as possible from the rice.

rinsing rice in a sieve for hainanese chicken rice

Set your Instant Pot to "Sauté" mode. When it is done pre-heating, pour 3 tablespoons of cooking oil into the inner pot.

Sauté ½ inch of ginger (julienned) and 3 cloves of garlic (minced) for about 1 minute until aromatic.

sauteing ginger and garlic in Instant Pot

Add the uncooked rice to the Instant Pot and use a wooden spatula to sauté the rice in the garlic and ginger oil for about 3 minutes.

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sauteing uncooked rice, ginger and garlic in Instant Pot

Pour 2 cups of chicken stock (store-bought or homemade) and 1 teaspoon of salt into the Instant Pot, then press the Cancel button to turn off the Sauté feature.

Use a wooden spatula to gently scrape the bottom of the pan. This step is crucial in preventing the rice from sticking to the bottom of the pan and burning.

Place the chicken drumsticks on top of the rice, then drizzle a splash of sesame oil and a dash of ground black pepper over the chicken.

chicken drumsticks over rice in Instant Pot

Set the Instant Pot to "Pressure Cook" at Low for 10 minutes. Allow it to sit for 10 more minutes to naturally release the pressure, then finish with a Quick Pressure Release.

Remove the Instant Pot lid, then set the chicken drumsticks aside. Fluff up the rice using a fork or rice paddle, then let it sit for a couple more minutes before serving to allow the rice to dry out a bit for better texture.

cooked Hainanese chicken rice in Instant Pot

Top with fresh chopped scallions, then serve with your favorite hot sauce (sambal oelek is perfect for this dish) and some dark soy sauce.

Enjoy!

Frequently Asked Questions

What should I do if my Instant Pot shows me the "BURN" warning?

This usually means that the rice at the bottom of the inner pot has started to burn. If this happens, turn off your Instant Pot but keep the lid on. Let it sit for 15 minutes, then check the consistency of the rice and the doneness of the chicken.
If both are still undercooked, gently scrape the bottom of the inner pot with a wooden spatula, turn the Instant Pot back on and continue to cook in "Rice" mode.

Should I really use equal parts for rice and chicken stock? Other cooking methods call for more liquid than rice, tho.

When using your rice cooker or stovetop, there is a lot of water that evaporates as steam during the cooking process. When using your Instant Pot to cook rice, there is no steam that escapes so less water is required.

What type of rice should I use for this recipe?

I recommend using a longer grain rice such as jasmine rice (my personal favorite). Calrose or sushi rice could be a bit too starchy and gummy so I would not recommend that variety for this recipe.

Can I use chicken thighs instead of chicken drumsticks?

Yes, you can. If you are using chicken leg (drumstick and thigh combined), I recommend cutting them into separate pieces (so that the drumstick is separated from the thigh) to ensure that the chicken is thoroughly cooked.

Jumped straight here to the recipe? Please consider coming back to read the whole post when you have the time as I have included step-by-step instructions with photos.