High Value Hainanese Chicken (Instant Pot)
Silky poached chicken, rice cooked in its own broth, and two sauces. One pot, under an hour.
Why it's High Value
The chicken's poaching liquid becomes the rice's cooking broth, so nothing is wasted. It's a restaurant classic made from affordable, accessible ingredients in one pot.
- Equipment
- Instant Pot, large bowl for an ice bath, small pan
High Value Breakdown
Fuel Score
Source, density, craft.
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Ingredients
The chicken & broth
The fragrant rice
Ginger-scallion oil
Quick chili sauce
Instructions
- Prep the chicken Rub the thighs generously with salt and turmeric.
- Pressure cook Add the chicken, sliced ginger, smashed garlic, whole scallions, salt and broth or water to the Instant Pot. Cook on High Pressure for 8 minutes (10 for bone-in), then natural release for 10 minutes.
- Ice bath & reserve broth Move the chicken straight into an ice bath to firm up the meat. Strain and save the broth. Wipe the pot clean.
- Sauté aromatics Set to Sauté. Heat avocado oil and cook the minced shallot, garlic and ginger until fragrant, 1–2 minutes.
- Cook the rice Stir in the rinsed rice and toast for 1 minute. Add the reserved broth using your standard rice-to-liquid ratio. Cancel Sauté, lock the lid, and cook on High Pressure for 4 minutes, then natural release for 10 minutes.
- Ginger-scallion oil Combine scallions, ginger, garlic and salt in a heatproof bowl. Heat avocado oil until lightly smoking and pour it over to flash-fry. Finish with a splash of sesame oil.
- Quick chili sauce Stir the chili sauce and lime juice together in a small ramekin.
- Assemble Slice the chicken over a bed of fragrant rice. Serve with cucumber, cilantro, ginger-scallion oil and chili-lime sauce.
High value notes
How it scored 86%: average ingredient score 8.54 / 10 (40%), taste 9.0 (30%), cost per serving 8.5 (15%), cook time 8.0 (15%) = 8.59 / 10.
Top ingredient group: the aromatics (garlic, ginger, scallion, shallot) at 9.8 / 10.
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