This is a one pot Ginger Chicken and Rice dish inspired by Hong Kong clay pot rice – except we’re using a regular pot today! You’ll love the ginger-forward flavour and the secret 2 ingredient sauce that I expect to show off again very, very soon.
One-pot Ginger chicken and rice
I wanted to call this “Hong Kong Ginger Chicken and Rice” because it’s inspired by the traditional method used to make Hong Kong claypot rice where plain rice is cooked in a claypot, topped with meat and vegetables that steams as it cooks, and finished with a drizzle of seasoned sauce at the end.
Everything was written up and ready to go. Then my brother saw it (yes, the same one who tried an early version of my Chilli Lime Fish and gave the famous feedback line “There is nothing about this that I like”), snorted with laughter and declared, “You can’t call it that. Hong Kong will mock you so hard!”🤣🤣
I huffed and puffed and laughingly tried to defend my creative writing. But truthfully, I knew the battle was lost from the moment it started given the absence of a claypot and that my sauce is a (magical! secret!) combination of 2 ingredients not commonly used in Hong Kong.
It’s killing me to think of the smug smirk on this face as he reads this. But I’m placated at the memory of him scoffing down a big bowl of this and giving it his nod of approval! Such is the hilarious banter in my team and family – which, hand on heart, is what keeps our recipe creation bar high.
Ingredients you need
Here’s what you need to make this wannabe-clay-pot chicken and rice. It kind of reminds me of Maze Gohan (“mixed rice”), a Japanese dish where rice is steamed with seasoned meat and vegetables – and my mother always uses Asian mushrooms – except this has a stronger flavour.
1. Chicken and rice part
Long grain rice – This rice type works best because it is less sticky than other types like short grain, medium grain and jasmine rice which are prone to becoming a little too sticky in these sort of one pot recipes (though they will work). Basmati rice will also work but will add a non-Asian perfume of flavour to this Asian flavoured dish. 🙂
Not suitable / recipe not written for these – Brown rice, risotto and paella rice. wild rice, quinoa.
Chicken – I use boneless thighs as it stays juicier than using breast when cooked with the rice, though breast and tenderloin will work.
Stock/broth – Using chicken stock makes a tastier rice than using just water. I always use low-sodium so I can control the amount of salt in a dish.
Ginger – This recipe uses a good amount of fresh ginger, for unmissable ginger flavour! It uses both grated ginger and slices of ginger that is cooked with the rice as it steams.
Garlic – More of a background flavour in this dish, where ginger stars.
Green onion – We use the firm white part like onion, sautéed with the chicken, and the softer green part is tossed in at the end (it wilts within seconds in the hot steamy rice).
2. Any mushrooms
Try to use mushrooms favoured in Asian cooking. They add more interesting texture and flavour than regular button mushrooms, and they are often good value at Asian stores. I used king oyster mushrooms, oyster and shiitake mushrooms, pictured below left to right.
However, this recipe works just fine with any mushrooms at all! I would absolutely make this dish with regular white mushrooms.
We’re using a good amount of mushrooms today – 500g / 1 lb – because it’s the primary vegetable in this dish and we’re using the juice from the mushrooms to flavour the rice and also provide some of the cooking liquid for the rice (which is why the liquid-to-rice ratio is 1 : 1.33 instead of the usual 1 : 1.5)
3. Tasty drizzle sauce
Hong Kong claypot rice is typically cooked with just water and most of the flavour is reliant on a seasoned soy sauce mixture which is drizzled on at the end when serving. Ordinarily, the clay pot sauce calls for a handful of sauces but for this recipe (intended as a handy midweek-er), we’re taking a shortcut with 2 ingredients not traditionally used but delivers similar layers of flavour:
Kecap manis (aka Ketjap Manis) – Indonesian sweet soy sauce with caramely flavour and a syrupy consistency. The flavour is so much more interesting than just using regular soy sauce plus sugar!
Fish sauce – Umami shortcut. No, you won’t taste any fishiness because we don’t use much (we use more kecap manis than fish sauce) and it’s tossed through steaming hot rice which basically “cooks” it anyway.
White pepper – the preferred pepper in Asian cooking. Substitute with black pepper.
How to cook Ginger Chicken and Rice
A key step here is to just sear the mushrooms on high heat so they just get a light colour on the surface rather than cooking them all the way through ie. when they go watery, then the water evaporates and the mushrooms end up floppy. In today’s dish, we want those mushroom juices to come out when they’re cooking with the rice so the rice can soak up all that flavour!
1. Double duty sauce
First up, we make the sauce as we use some to flavour the chicken and the rest for drizzling on the rice later.
Sauce – Just mix the ingredients in a bowl until combined. If your kecap manis was in the fridge, it will be quite thick like honey so be sure to mix well.
Flavour chicken – Toss the chicken in 1 1/2 tablespoons of the sauce. This is just to season it lightly. No need to marinate.
2. MAKE THE ONE-POT CHICKEN AND RICE
Tip of the day for one-pot rice cooking: Be sure to bring the liquid up to a very energetic simmer before putting the lid on and lowering the heat. You need to get enough heat going in the pot before turning the stove down else the rice will just be sitting there, wallowing in hot water, bloating rather than cooking = sticky gluey pot of rice instead of lovely soft, separate rice grains.
Sear mushrooms – Heat oil in a large pot over high heat. Then sear half the mushrooms but do not cook them until soft, we want to finish cooking them with the rice. Aim for just a light hint of gold on most of the mushrooms which should only take around 2 minutes. Remove from the pot, heat more oil and repeat with the remaining mushrooms.
Seal chicken – Next, cook the chicken, just long enough to seal the surface which should take less than a minute.
Sauté and stock – Add the grated ginger, garlic and white part of the green onions. Stir for 30 seconds (the ginger will smell so good!). Add the rice, stir to coat in the flavour, then pour the stock in.
Mushrooms – Get the liquid up to a simmer then scatter the mushrooms across the surface (like a mushroom rice lid!) and add any mushroom juices accumulated in the bowl.
Cook then rest – Bring the liquid back up to a very energetic simmer, then put the lid on and lower the heat to medium low (or low, for large stronger burners). Cook 20 minutes – no peeking, no stirring! – or until the liquid has been absorbed. Take the pot off the stove and rest for 10 minutes (with the lid still on).
Sauce – Remove the lid and drizzle the sauce across the surface.
Green onion – Add the green part of the green onion.
Toss – Then gently toss the rice until most of the rice grains are coated in the sauce and the green onion is wilted. Minimise tossing – excessive tossing makes rice mushy. Then serve!
The sauce!
It’s really, really tasty. The notable step that makes this different to the usual Asian one-pot rice recipes is adding the sauce at the end rather than cooking the rice with it which is what I usually do – like in this One Pot Chinese Chicken and Rice. It makes it taste different, it’s fresher, and coats the rice grains rather than infusing into the rice grains.
And yes, one day I will share a proper claypot rice recipe! Crispy base of rice, actual claypot, proper drizzling sauce and all, one that will do Hong Kong proud! 🙂 – Nagi x
FAQ
No, because Kecap Manis is made with soy sauce which is not gluten free. To make it gluten free, make your own Kecap Manis using tamari – see note in the recipe card.
3 days in the fridge. I don’t like to keep cooked rice longer than 3 days 🙂
Yes you can, though you need to be mindful that if the vegetables you use aren’t watery like mushrooms, then you’ll need to increase the liquid to cook the rice (because the liquid to rice ratio in this recipe factors in the considerable mushroom juices!).
Vegetables you can use in the recipe as written because they’re watery – cabbage (large pieces), zucchini.
Vegetables where you’ll need to add an extra 1/4 cup stock to cook the rice – broccoli, cauliflower (steam these two first), green beans, capsicum, asparagus. For the last 3, given them a light sauté per recipe then steam like the mushrooms are done in the recipe.
Yes! Brilliant. Could make it even more amazing!! So, here’s how I’d do it: toss the fish/prawns with the sauce like I do the chicken. Cook mushrooms per recipe. Then cook the fish/prawns all the way through and remove onto a plate. Then go back to following the recipe as written, including resting the rice and tossing it with the sauce. If you’ve used prawns, you can toss it with the sauce. But if you’ve got fish, gently toss the fish pieces through right at the end so they don’t fall apart into a gazillion little flakes. Then, serve!
Important: make sure you add every drop of fish / prawn juices from the plate into the rice. Free flavour!
Unlike some recent ones, not very many attempts! I’ve done plenty of one pot rice recipes so I’m well versed in the ins and outs, and there’s infinite combinations possible. It’s really just about getting a little creative with flavour combinations and little tweaks to keep things interesting so it’s not just the usual boring “chicken and rice” recipes.
For this particular one, Asian mushrooms were on clearance at our local grocery store so JB brought an enormous stack, I did a little brainstorming and came up with the idea for this recipe.
The original idea came from a Japanese rice dish my mother has been making all my life called called Maze Gohan where a little bit of meat and vegetables are steamed with rice. I love it! My favourite is this Shimeji Mushroom one, and that’s what gave me the idea to use Asian mushrooms in a one pot rice meal.
But, I wanted to add a little extra flavour to turn it into a meal rather than being a side dish, so I drew inspiration from Hong Kong claypot rice which uses a sauce to add flavour to otherwise plainly cooked rice.
Made it for lunch for the team, got positive feedback although the rice was too mushy for my taste and generally we all felt it could use more sauce. Fixed it in the next couple of goes, then made one to film it, then another to photograph it. Then I also made it on Sunday “just one more time” to check it and made a social media reel for it.
And also, as per our strict policy, JB made it to check it as well using the recipe I’d written up, and picked up little typos like forgetting to add “pinch of salt and pepper” in the ingredients list for sautéing the mushrooms. 🙂
Watch how to make it
Hungry for more? Subscribe to my newsletter and follow along on Facebook, Pinterest and Instagram for all of the latest updates.
Ginger chicken and rice (one pot recipe!)
Ingredients
- 4 tbsp oil
- 500g/ 1 lb chicken thighs , boneless, skinless, cut into small bite size pieces (Note 1)
- 1 1/2 cups long grain rice , NOT RINSED (Note 2)
- 2 cups chicken stock , low sodium
- 4 green onion stems , white part finely sliced, green flopped part cut into 5cm/2" lengths
- 1 1/2 tbsp ginger , grated
- 2 large garlic cloves , finely minced
- 4 – 5 slices ginger ~5mm / 0.2" thick (large enough to easily pick out later), no need to peel
Mushrooms (use any you want – Note 3):
- 150g / 5oz shiitake mushrooms , fresh (~2 heaped cups), small halved, large thickly sliced
- 150g / 5 oz oyster mushrooms (~2 heaped cups), small kept whole, large cut into 2 or 3
- 200g / 7 oz king mushrooms , halved then cut into thick slices 7mm thick
- 2 pinches salt and white pepper (each)
Simple claypot sauce:
- 3 tbsp kecap manis (sweet soy) – Note 4
- 2 tbsp fish sauce
- 1/8 tsp white pepper (sub black)
Instructions
- ABBREVIATED – Toss chicken with 1 1/2 tbsp sauce. Sear mushrooms in 2 batches, remove. SeaL chicken, add garlic, ginger and white part green onions towards end. Stir in rice, add stock and ginger slices, cover with mushrooms, steam 20 min. Rest 10 min, toss with sauce and green onion.
FULL RECIPE:
- Sauce – Mix sauce ingredients in a small bowl. Toss chicken with 1 1/2 tbsp of the sauce, set the rest aside for drizzling.
- Lightly sear mushrooms – Heat 1 1/2 tbsp oil in a large heavy based pot on high heat. Cook half the mushrooms with a pinch of salt and pepper until some of the mushrooms have a light tinge of golden on the surface, but don't try to cook them all the way through (we want to do that in the rice). Remove into bowl. Repeat with remaining mushrooms.
- Seal chicken – Heat the remaining 1 tablespoon of oil until hot. Add the chicken and stir for 1 minute, just until the surface is sealed but inside still raw. Add white part of green onion, garlic and ginger, stir 30 seconds. Add rice, stir briefly just to coat in oil.
- Simmer liquid – Add stock and ginger slices. Bring to a rapid simmer. Scatter mushrooms across surface (add any pooled liquid too), then let it come to a rapid simmer again.
- Steam 20 minutes – Put the lid on, reduce stove to low (or medium low, for weak burners). Cook for 20 minutes (do not stir) until the liquid is fully absorbed.
- Rest 10 minutes – Remove pot from the stove with the lid still on and rest for 10 minutes.
- Drizzle and toss – Drizzle remaining sauce all over, add green part of green onions. Gently toss until the green onion is mostly wilted. Serve!
Recipe Notes:
Nutrition Information:
Life of Dozer
Everything Dozer eats in a day:
His homemade food – blitzed, baked in a sheet pan, cut into “Dozer safe” cubes:
chicken mince (easy to digest)
chicken liver (for vitamins)
sardines in water, no added salt (rich in omega-3s, good for joints)
egg (binding and protein)
sweet potato (the starch)
zucchini, kale and carrot (veg)
I live in perpetual fear of running out of homemade food because there’s no shop-bought dog food in a form safe for him to eat (he is at risk of inhaling things into his lungs, due to his laryngeal paralysis, which can be fatal).
His supplements:
spinal repair and joint protect – special mix by Dozer’s magic dog doctor, Neil Barnsley of Animal Holistic Therapies that replaces a laundry list of pills and supplements Dozer would otherwise be on to make his golden years more comfortable. I can’t speak highly enough of Neil.
meal completer supplement Complete Me – extra important these days to ensure Dozer gets all the nutrition he needs now that Dozer can’t eat things he used to, like bones and raw offal, which were an important part of his diet in his pre laryngeal paralysis days.
Treats – critical these days to keep him moving, especially when he’s a bit creaky or sore:
Everything I eat and cook, as long as I can put it into Dozer-safe form!
Cheese sticks and cheese cubes
Nossi! (Mini cabanossi sticks) – handy snack that’s easy to transport. I keep finding random ones in the pocket of jackets, pants, the car, handbag – you name it!
I know, he’s soooo spoilt isn’t he. But, as I constantly remind people, he’s a very important company asset!! 😂
Good day, Nagi!
I absolutely love the way you write! You are creative and I always leave your posts with a smile!
This recipe sounds delicious. And I’ve just retrieved some chicken from the freezer for it, despite being in the wee morning hours here. I’ll report back in when I have made the dish . . . I’m really looking forward to trying it!
You and Dozer are family and I know you would do anything for him, just as you would for your beloved human family. It is just what we do for those we love.
At a time when we in the Canadian Prairies are being consumed by out of control wildfires, and over 17,000 people have needed evacuation from northern and remote communities in our province alone, many people have not been allowed to bring their pet families with them. Sadly, priority was necessarily given to human lives for evacuation by plane and land transport.
Our southrrn communities are rallying and gathering food and supplies to ship up to the first responders and firefighters who will try and feed and care for as many of the animals as possible. A momentous undertaking by a brave group of people along with our animal rescue organizations . . . we are blessed.
All of this is to say, that seeing how well-cared for, and loved that Dozer is, always makes my heart happy, Nagi, and please never apologize for ‘spoiling’
him. This is true and pure love. 💞
Sending my Love and Hugs from
The Canadian Prairies.
Alex, I’m so heartbroken to hear what’s happening with the wildfires – it’s devastating to imagine people being forced to leave their homes and pets behind. I can’t even begin to imagine how hard that must be. Thank you for sharing what your community is doing – it’s incredibly moving, and a reminder of the power of kindness and unity in dark times. Sending huge hugs from afar. Please say strong! – N x
Ditto Suzin’s thoughts. From Michigan neighbor, my heart felt thoughts and prayers are for your country as you again face these devastating wild fires.
Dear Linda,
Your comforting words are very welcome, and thoughtful.
I do believe in the power of prayer, and adding yours to our collective surely can only help.
Please take very good care as well . . . together we can get through all things.
Dear Linda,
Your comforting an
Alex, I’m writing from Ontario. Stay safe. It’s such a worry, thinking about your safety and the safety of your fur family.
Sending prayers for all impacted by the fires throughout Canada 🫂
Dear Suzin,
Thank you for your kind and caring response. Collectively, I know we will all do our best to support those in great need during this catastrophe.
I join you in prayers for everyone affected across our beautiful country and beyond.
What could replace mushrooms in this recipe, please ? For people who don’t eat mushrooms. Thank you.
Hi Kerene! I added an FAQ with some veg suggestions! N x
My hubby doesn’t like mushrooms I just cut them large enough so he can pick round them!
Now that’s a brilliant idea! It would work very well for large mushrooms like king oyster and oyster kept whole 🙂 N x
Thanks so much, Debra. That’ll solve the problem very elegantly ! Kind regards, Kerene
Aww, Dozer, you are one lucky doggy! I’m more than happy to eat all those ingredients, too. I could probably do with some of the joint meds as well, lol. Nagi, you are such a caring person – Dozer loves you so much, we can it in his eyes.
Lizzy, thank you – your message gave me a big smile (and yes, I think I need those joint meds too 😂). Dozer sends a tail wag! – N x
He is a very important part of your life. As you are to him.
The love is just wonderful. Give him lots of kisses and hugs.
Much prayers for both of you. Love, Joan
Joan, thank you for your beautiful words – Dozer’s getting extra hugs today just for you! – N x
Sounds yum & love the one pot cooking concept. Am curious if the 2 ingredient sauce is a a take on Hainanese chicken rice? Look forward to it.
Shanquala, love that you picked up on the Hainanese chicken rice vibes! It’s similar actually 🙂 I plan to share it soon! – N x
You are absolutely just like Dozer, adorable Nagi. You are so kind to Dozer what lovely pics. Oh yes the food i am going to try this yumm looking dish
Carolyn, you’re too sweet – thank you! Hope you love the dish as much as I do! – N x
I already told you on Instagram – my vitamins may come from sales at Chemist Warehouse, BUT I eat everything Dozer does – even the same sardines! Well, I DO eat with chopsticks or knife and fork and don’t need stuff cubed, but!!! Fit for the elderly, right :)! But, seriously, love your version of the chicken/rice and can get everything from Coles-on-line > my way of shopping! Have cooked with ketjap manis since before you were born > love it! And there is always long grain rice in the house! And Goh was joking . . . am certain of that . . . !
Eha, your messages always make me smile! So glad the recipe got your tick of approval – sardines, ketjap and all! – N x
Hi Nagi and Dozer (a question for you though, Nagi).
I love the sound of your Ginger chicken and rice dish… but, the only meat ii eat is fish! Can I sorta sub it? Or do you have another more appropriate dish amongst your amazingly yummy repertoire??
Loving everything you do (even the meaty stuff for my carnivore husband)!
Kez
Hi Kez! Absolutely – here’s how I’d do it: sauce the fish like I do the chicken, sear pieces to cook through entirely then remove onto plate. Cook rice with mushrooms per recipe (use the same pot so you use the fond from searing the fish), toss and drizzle with sauce etc. But then JUST before serving, gently toss the fish through (including every drop of juice on the plate). Delicious! – N x PS I’ll pop this in the recipe too.
I definitely like the sound of that recipe, but I don’t have a clay pot. Can I cook it in a large frying pan, it has a glass lid as well.
I love all that you are doing for your adorable Dozer, they are our family and best friend. My little girl has just been diagnosed with cancer and I am devastated, she is my best friend as well.
I’m so, so sorry to hear about your girl, my heart is breaking for you. Please pass on a huge hug from me – N x PS I use a regular pot 🙂
Nagi didn’t use a clay pot. Just a regular pot (or pan) will work.
I have read your comment and am sending my very, very best for your daughter’s speedy recovery. I belong in the ‘medical world’ and am thrilled by the many new and very effective ways cancer can now be treated. Day-by-day . . . I hope and pray you both can soon smile!
I am just sooo sorry to hear this Valerie, of course you will be devastated and i wish you strength as you journey through this time with your daughter and family. may God bless you
That’s so nice of you to message Valerie Carolyn – N x
Are vegetable substitutions possible with this recipe? It sounds yummy but nobody in my household like mushrooms (myself included). Could zucchini or broccoli be used instead or does it change the recipe too much? Thanks!
The mushrooms add savoury flavour into the rice but you could absolutely change the vegetables! I would try 6 – 8 cups of chopped cabbage (it will wilt LOADS) and some julienned carrots for colour, sauté briefly like the mushrooms for flavour then cook like the mushrooms are done (layer on rice). – N x
Swapping out the mushrooms will reduce that deep umami flavour they usually bring to a dish like this. You might want to look into mushroom alternatives that still offer that savoury depth.
looks sooooo good Nagi!!! defs going to make it for a cosy dinner! ❤️
Thanks Sandra, hope you love it as much as I do! – N x