Tinola Chicken Rice
Inspired by the iconic Hainanese chicken rice, this Tinola Chicken Rice stays true to its regional roots — poached chicken served over fragrant rice steeped in savory broth. Found across Southeast Asia, its variations pop up in Singapore, Malaysia, Thailand, and Vietnam, each putting its own spin on the classic. But this isn’t just a deconstructed tinola. It’s a full fusion that takes tinola’s ginger-chicken flavors and lets it shine. Not hiding it, but elevating it. 🙌 Yes, it does takes work (whole chicken poached, rice cooked in broth), but the payoff is rice so flavorful, you’ll taste the tinola in every bite. 🤤 To serve, we go beyond the usual chicken rice sauce. Traditional ginger‑scallion‑garlic dip or chili blends give way to Palapa, a Maranao condiment with ginger, scallions, chili, and a Filipino twist that complements the dish perfectly while keeping it authentically ours. 🇵🇭 You could totally use chicken bits, I just poached a whole chicken keeps it as authentic as possible.
Ingredients
- whole chicken
- red onion
- ginger
- garlic
- lemongrass
- sili espada (sword pepper)
- water
- chicken cubes
- fish sauce
- sayote (chayote)
- malunggay (moringa) leaves
- oil
- chicken fat
- garlic
- rice
- Tinola broth with malunggay leaves
- green onions
- chili peppers
- garlic
- ginger
- water
- oil
- salt
- turmeric powder
- cucumber
- soy sauce
- green onions
Method
- 1
Dice the red onion.
- 2
Slice the ginger.
- 3
Halve the garlic bulb horizontally.
- 4
Bruise the lemongrass stalks with the back of a knife and tie them into a knot.
- 5
Trim the whole chicken, cutting out excess fatty bits and reserving them for later.
- 6
In a large stockpot over medium heat, add oil.
- 7
Sauté the diced onion and sliced ginger.
- 8
Add chicken bones (from a deboned chicken or use the carcass after cooking) and the halved garlic bulb. Sauté briefly.
- 9
Add the lemongrass bundle and sili espada (sword peppers).
- 10
Pour in the water, add chicken cubes, and season with fish sauce. Bring to a simmer.
- 11
Using tongs, dunk the whole chicken into the simmering broth three times to help the skin tighten.
- 12
Fully submerge the chicken in the broth, cover the pot, and let it simmer slowly until the chicken is cooked through (about 45-60 minutes).
- 13
Once the chicken is cooked, carefully remove it from the pot and set it aside to cool.
- 14
Strain out and discard the solid aromatics (lemongrass, ginger, etc.) from the broth.
- 15
Return the broth to a simmer and add the sliced sayote. Cook until fork-tender, then remove the sayote with a slotted spoon and set aside.
- 16
Turn off the heat. Add the malunggay leaves to the hot broth and let them wilt.
- 17
In a separate pot over medium heat, add a little oil and the reserved chicken fat. Render the fat until it releases its oil.
- 18
Sauté the minced garlic until fragrant.
- 19
Add the uncooked rice and stir-fry for about a minute to toast the grains.
- 20
Ladle in the Tinola broth, including some of the wilted malunggay leaves, until the rice is covered.
- 21
Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat to low, cover, and cook until the rice is fluffy and has absorbed all the liquid.
- 22
In a blender, combine the chopped green onions, chili, garlic, and ginger.
- 23
Blend into a rough paste.
- 24
Transfer the paste to a small pan or skillet.
- 25
Add water and oil to the pan. Cook over medium heat, stirring occasionally.
- 26
Season with salt and turmeric powder. Continue to cook until the sauce thickens and the flavors have melded.
- 27
Carve the poached chicken into serving pieces.
- 28
On a plate, mound the cooked Tinola rice.
- 29
Arrange the sliced chicken, cucumber, and cooked sayote alongside the rice.
- 30
Serve with a small bowl of the palapa sauce, a dipping bowl of soy sauce, and a side bowl of the remaining clear Tinola broth.
- 31
Garnish the rice with finely sliced green onions.
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