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This homemade claypot chicken rice combines tender chicken, savory Chinese sausage, mushrooms, and aromatic rice, all cooked in a traditional claypot. This easy recipe allows for personalization, making it perfect for family meals. Enjoy making this authentic Malaysian claypot chicken rice at home!
Claypot Chicken Rice Recipe
Claypot chicken rice (煲仔饭) is popular in many Asian countries, including Hong Kong, Malaysia, and Singapore. In Malaysia and Singapore, chicken claypot rice is typically found in hawker centers, made to order and cooked over a charcoal fire. Imagine tender, silky smooth chicken, sliced lap cheong (Chinese sausage), and mushrooms with white rice, all cooked in a claypot. Served steaming hot, this dish is utterly satisfying, accompanied by a chili and soy sauce condiment. Just the thought of it makes my mouth water.
This recipe showcases the version commonly found in Malaysia, which happens to be my favorite, another being Hainanese Chicken Rice. Making it at home is easier than you might think, and the end result is absolutely delicious.
While traditionally cooked on a short charcoal stove, you can also use a deep cast-iron pot or a rice cooker. I made this on a gas stove, so adjust the timing if you choose charcoal. Don’t worry if the ingredients at the bottom burn a bit; those crunchy bits are the best part!
Why This Recipe Works
I love homemade recipes; first of all, it’s often better—and healthier—than eating out because:
- Extra Ingredients: I can tailor the ingredients and flavors to my preference. I love adding plenty of tender chicken, extra mushrooms, and lap Cheong for richer flavors. Authentic Malaysian claypot chicken rice often features salted fish as a topping, which you can opt out of if you’re not a fan.
- Customization: You can use skinless and boneless chicken for this recipe, allowing you to create the perfect blend of textures and tastes.
- Authentic Taste: Achieve that satisfying smoky flavor easily with a simple claypot.
Shopping Guide
Here are my tips when shopping for a Chinese claypot or sand pot (shā guō)/砂锅:
- When shopping for a Chinese claypot, I look for one made from unglazed clay because it holds heat well and cooks evenly.
- I prefer a sturdy pot with thick walls for durability and a tight-fitting lid to seal in moisture and flavors during the cooking process.
- I recommend claypot which is 22-24 cm diameter including with a handle for easy handling.
- Make sure it’s compatible with the heat source in your kitchen. If you have an induction cooker, you need to ensure that the claypot is induction-compatible. Look for claypots with a flat, magnetic base, as traditional unglazed claypots typically aren’t suitable for induction cooking.
Sidenote: You can find Chinese claypots at Asian supermarkets or buy them online. There are two types available: with or without handles. I recommend the ones with a handle for easier handling.
Claypot Chicken Rice Ingredients
Here is the list of ingredients that go into this one-pot rice dish:
- Chicken thigh: You can use chicken quarters, chicken breasts, or a combination of different parts of the chicken, including skinless and boneless meat.
- Chinese sausage: Known as lap cheong in Chinese, this sausage imparts iconic flavors to the rice.
- White rice: Use long grain rice and avoid short grain rice, as it is too sticky for this recipe.
- Dried shiitake mushrooms: To prepare, soak them in warm water until tender, rinse to remove any grit, squeeze out excess water, cut off the stems if desired, and slice as needed.
- Soy sauce and oyster sauce: These lend umami flavor to the dish.
- Cooking wine: Use Shaoxing wine or Chinese rice wine for the best flavor.
- Sesame oil: This elevates the dish with its fragrance and aroma.
How to Make Claypot Chicken Rice
Step 1: Pat the chicken dry with paper towels. Prepare the marinade by whisking together soy sauce, oyster sauce, salt, sugar, cornstarch, white pepper, cooking wine, oil, sesame oil, ginger, and scallions in a bowl. Marinate the chicken in the mixture for 30 minutes.
Step 2: Transfer the washed rice to the claypot, drizzle 1 tablespoon of oil over it, and stir well. Add the boiling water, cover with a lid, and cook over medium heat.
Step 3: Continue cooking the rice until half of the water has been absorbed, about 15 minutes. Gently stir the rice to ensure even cooking. Layer the marinated chicken, Chinese sausage, and shiitake mushrooms over the rice. Cover and cook for 30 minutes over low heat, checking after 15 minutes and stirring the rice once or twice.
Step 4: Meanwhile, prepare the serving sauce by whisking together oyster sauce, soy sauce, and sugar in a bowl. Once you hear a sizzling sound, the rice is nearly cooked and a crust is forming. After an additional 5 minutes, turn off the heat. Drizzle the sauce over the rice and garnish with scallions before serving.
Helpful Tips For Home Cooks
Here are my top five (5) cooking tips for the best claypot rice with chicken:
- Marinate the chicken for at least 30 minutes to enhance its flavor. Use soy sauce, oyster sauce, ginger, cooking wine, sesame oil and cornstarch for deep flavors. The cornstarch tenderizes the chicken, ensuring they are smooth and tender once cooked.
- Use long-grain rice for the best results. Avoid short-grain rice, like Cal-Rose or Japanese and Korean varieties, as they can become too sticky.
- Use a wider claypot with a diameter of 22-24 cm. This allows for better layering of ingredients without overcrowding the pot.
- Start cooking the rice over medium heat, then reduce to low heat for even cooking. This ensures both the rice and chicken cook evenly without burning.
- Let It Rest: After cooking, let the claypot sit covered for about 5-10 minutes before serving. This allows the flavors to meld and the steam to finish cooking the rice for a perfect texture.
Frequently Asked Questions
Absolutely! Salted fish complements the dish beautifully. Just chop it into small pieces and layer it in the pot along with the chicken and rice. You may also deep-fry the salted fish pieces first before adding them to the rice.
You can find this dish at certain Cantonese restaurants or Hong Kong-style cafes.
A traditional clay pot is ideal, but if you don’t have one, a Dutch oven will work just fine.
Each serving is 663 calories.
What To Serve With Claypot Chicken Rice
This one-pot rice is commonly served with a simple vegetable dish. Here are some recipes I recommend to accompany it:
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Other Recipes You Might Like
Claypot Chicken Rice Recipe
Ingredients
Main Ingredients:
- 2 dried shiitake mushrooms, rehydrated in hot water and sliced
- 1 pound (500g) boneless chicken thighs, cut into small pieces
- 10 oz (250g) white rice, rinsed in cold water until the water runs clear and drained
- 2 tablespoon oil
- 1 1/4 cups boiling water
- 2 oz (60g) dried Chinese sausage, thinly sliced
Chicken Marinade:
- 1 tablespoon soy sauce
- 2 tablespoons oyster sauce
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
- 1/4 teaspoon ground white pepper
- 1 teaspoon cooking wine , Shaoxing wine or Chinese rice wine
- 1 tablespoon oil
- 1 tablespoon sesame oil
- 1 tablespoon ginger, peeled and jullianed
- 2 stalks scallions, chopped
Serving Sauce:
- 1 tablespoon oyster sauce
- 1 teaspoon soy sauce
- 1 teaspoon sugar
Instructions
- Soak the dried shiitake mushrooms in boiling water for 30 minutes or until rehydrated. Squeeze out the excess water from the rehydrated mushrooms, trim away the stems, and cut them into thin slices. Set aside.
Chicken:
- Meanwhile, pat the chicken dry with paper towels. Prepare the Chicken Marinade by whisking together soy sauce, oyster sauce, salt, sugar, cornstarch, white pepper, cooking wine, oil, sesame oil, ginger, and scallions in a bowl. Marinate the chicken in the mixture for 30 minutes.
Claypot Rice:
- Transfer the washed rice to the claypot, drizzle 1 tablespoon of oil over it, and stir well. Add the boiling water, cover with a lid, and cook over medium heat.
- Continue cooking the rice until half of the water has been absorbed, about 15 minutes. Gently stir the rice to ensure even cooking. Layer the marinated chicken, Chinese sausage, and shiitake mushrooms over the rice. Cover and cook for 30 minutes over low heat, checking after 15 minutes and stirring the rice once or twice.
- Meanwhile, prepare the serving sauce by whisking together oyster sauce, soy sauce, and sugar in a bowl. Once you hear a sizzling sound, the rice is nearly cooked and a crust is forming. After an additional 5 minutes, turn off the heat. Drizzle the sauce over the rice and garnish with scallions before serving.
Notes
- Marinate the chicken for at least 30 minutes to enhance its flavor. Use soy sauce, oyster sauce, ginger, cooking wine, sesame oil and cornstarch for deep flavors. The cornstarch tenderizes the chicken, ensuring they are smooth and tender once cooked.
- Use long-grain rice for the best results. Avoid short-grain rice, like Cal-Rose or Japanese and Korean varieties, as they can become too sticky.
- Use a wider claypot with a diameter of 22-24 cm. This allows for better layering of ingredients without overcrowding the pot.
- Start cooking the rice over medium heat, then reduce to low heat for even cooking. This ensures both the rice and chicken cook evenly without burning.
- Let It Rest: After cooking, let the claypot sit covered for about 5-10 minutes before serving. This allows the flavors to meld and the steam to finish cooking the rice for a perfect texture.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
