This 20-minute dish doesn’t compromise on flavor.

“Hainanese chicken rice is one of the world’s greatest chicken-with-rice dishes,” chef and blogger Nagi Maehashi writes in her book Delicious Tonight: Foolproof Recipes for 150+ Easy Dinners. “The idea of gently poaching a whole chicken, then using the broth to cook and flavor the accompanying rice is sheer brilliance.” And if you’ve ever sampled this savory, ever-popular dish, you definitely agree.

“The only problem is it takes a good couple of hours,” Maehashi continues — and we understand that the hefty time investment might make one think twice before crafting the dish from scratch. But if you don’t want to order takeout, Maehashi has devised a genius method to creating chicken and rice that cooks in just 20 minutes. The secret? “Use thighs instead, and cook them together with the rice in a single pot!”

“I also cook the rice in store-bought chicken broth, solving another common issue: bland rice,” she points out — so be mindful to pick up a box or can at the grocery store if you don’t have your own stock on hand.

Want to ensure your chicken and rice is absolutely perfect? “The ginger shallot sauce makes this dish, so don’t even think about skipping it,” Maehashi writes. But considering that the sauce calls for just four simple ingredients and comes together in a few minutes, you won’t even be tempted to cut this corner.

Nagi Maehashi’s One-Pot Hainanese Chicken & Rice

Serves 4

Prep: 15 minutes

Cook: 20 minutes

Ingredients

Four 8-oz bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs(see note #1 below)
¾ tsp kosher salt
¼ tsp white pepper

Ginger shallot sauce (see note #2 below)

1 lightly packed cup (2 oz) finely sliced green onion (about 4 stems)
2 tbsp finely grated ginger
¼ tsp kosher salt
5 tbsp vegetable or grapeseed oil

Chicken rice

1 tbsp unsalted butter
1 tbsp finely julienned peeled ginger
1 tsp finely minced garlic
2 slices (¾-inch) unpeeled ginger
1½ cups long-grain rice, uncooked
2¼ cups low-sodium chicken broth
¼ tsp kosher salt
1 green onion stem, folded in half, then tied in a knot

To serve

Sambal oelek (or other chili paste)
2 cucumbers, sliced

Instructions

Ginger shallot sauce — Place all the sauce ingredients in a bowl and mix to combine. Set aside for at least 5 minutes. The green onion will soften. (I make this while the rice is cooking.)
Season chicken — Pat the chicken dry with paper towels. Sprinkle both sides with the salt and pepper.
Chicken rice — Heat the butter in a large heavy-based pot over medium–low heat. Add the julienned ginger and garlic and sauté for 1 minute until light golden. Add the rice and stir to coat in the butter for 30 seconds.
Cook rice — Add the ginger slices, broth, salt, and green onion. Turn the heat up to high and bring to a simmer. Once there are bubbles all around the edge and the middle of the surface is rippling, gently place the chicken thighs in a single layer on the surface of the rice (tuck them into a ball shape, as needed, to fit). Don’t push them into the liquid. When the water starts bubbling again, cover with a lid and reduce the heat to low. Cook for 14 minutes or until the liquid is absorbed.
Rest rice — With the lid still on, remove the pot from the stove and rest for 10 minutes.
Serve — Transfer the chicken to a cutting board. Fluff the rice. Remove the bone from the chicken and cut the meat into slices. Serve with the rice, ginger shallot sauce, sambal oelek, and cucumber.

NOTES

You could also use 6–8 drumsticks or boneless, skinless chicken thighs. And, though the recipe does work with chicken breast, it’s not recommended because the chicken will be drier than ideal and there won’t be much chicken juice to flavor the rice.
“Shallot” is another name for green onions in Australia. I went with that, as “ginger green onion sauce” just doesn’t have the same ring to it!

Leftovers: They’ll keep in the fridge for three days and in the freezer for three months.