Cơm Gà Hải Nam is a variation of Hainanese chicken rice when it made its way to Vietnam.
Apart from the succulent chicken poached with aromatics, and fragrant rice prepared in chicken broth, it stands out with the special zesty Ginger Fish Sauce accompaniment.
Cơm Gà Hải Nam (Vietnamese-style Hainan chicken rice)
Chicken and rice are a popular combination worldwide. In Vietnam, chicken rice is known as Cơm Gà. There are several variations of Cơm Gà throughout the country, such as:
Cơm Gà Hải Nam: Vietnamese-style Hainan Chicken Rice, popular in Saigon, where there is a large Chinese-Vietnamese community.
Cơm Gà Hội An: Hoi An Chicken Rice. The chicken rice is served with Gỏi Gà (chicken salad with Vietnamese coriander), and vegetable pickles.
Cơm Gà Nha Trang: Nha Trang Chicken Rice. This version is from my hometown and is served with shredded poached chicken. The signature of this chicken rice is the accompanying Vietnamese mayo.
Cơm Gà Xối Mỡ / Cơm Gà Da Giòn: red fried rice with crispy skin fried chicken.
Cơm Gà Nướng: rice with grilled lemongrass chicken or 5-spice chicken.
Cơm Gà Rô Ti: rice with Vietnamese-style roast chicken.
Historically, Hainanese Chicken Rice traveled with the Southern Chinese across Southeast Asia. In each country, locals adapted the ingredients to create their own unique versions:
- In Singapore and Malaysia, it’s served with three popular dipping sauces: ginger-scallion, chili sauce, and sesame soy sauce. The best chicken rice is made with Ayam Kampong, the indigenous chicken breed in these countries.
- In Thailand , the local version is called Khao Man Gai, and it is accompanied by a fermented soybean sauce.
Cơm Gà Hải Nam was also introduced to Southern Vietnam by Chinese immigrants. Once in Vietnam, people adapted it with local ingredients to create a Vietnamese rendition.
The main differences that set this chicken rice apart are Nước Mắm Gừng (ginger fish sauce dipping) and the poached chicken with its turmeric-yellow skin.
Additionally, various Vietnamese local herbs like lemongrass and lime leaves are incorporated into the poaching liquid for the chicken. The recipe still remains quite straightforward to cook, and it’s definitely worth attempting.
If you’re interested, you can also try this Instant Pot Hainanese Chicken Rice , which leans more towards the Singaporean/Malaysian flavor profile.
Ingredients
For the chicken rice
Chicken: You can opt to use half a chicken or 2 chicken leg quarters, similar to what I did.
Turmeric (or turmeric powder): The native chicken breed in Vietnam naturally has yellow and bouncy skin, but Vietnamese cooks often apply additional turmeric to the poached chicken’s skin to enhance its color.
We love incorporating turmeric into our cooking—it not only enhances the vibrant appearance of dishes but also offers health benefits. You’ll find it shining in classics like Bánh Xèo (sizzling pancakes), Mì Quảng (turmeric noodle soup), and Chả Cá Lã Vọng (turmeric fish with dill).
Jasmine Rice: Stick with jasmine rice—basmati just won’t do!
Aromatic Ingredients (onion, ginger, lime leaves, scallions, lemongrass): These ingredients are essential for creating the fragrant liquid used to poach the chicken. If you have pandan leaves and cilantro roots on hand, you can also add them.
Seasonings: chicken powder and salt.
Garnish: sliced cucumber and sliced tomato.
For the dipping sauce
Minced ginger
Chili
Fish sauce
Sugar
Chicken broth (or water)
Vinegar
Sautéed scallions (only the white part) (optional)
Or try this Nước Chấm (garlic – chili fish sauce) if you don’t like ginger.
Helpful Tips
- Choose high-quality organic or free-range chicken.
- It’s even better if you have some chicken fat to sauté the rice, as it enhane the rice’s flavor. (though cooking oil works just fine as well).
More tasty Vietnamese Chicken Recipes
(Hanoi-style)
(Vietnamese Ginger Chicken)
(Spicy Lemongrass Chicken)
Vietnamese Chicken Rice (Cơm Gà Hải Nam)
Equipment
- 1 stock pot
- 1 rice cooker
Ingredients
Chicken Rice
- 2 chicken leg quarters
- 2 cup water (500ml) (just enough to cover the chicken in the pot)
- 1 onion (quartered)
- 1 stalk lemongrass (slightly pounded)
- 1 large piece ginger (3inch or 7cm) (sliced)
- 2 Kaffir leaves
- ½ tbsp turmeric powder
- ½ tsp Salt (adjust to taste)
- 1 tsp Chicken powder (adjust to taste)
- 3 tbsp cooking oil
- ¼ tsp turmeric powder (for cooking rice)
Ginger Fishsauce
- 3 tbsp fish sauce
- 2½ tbsp sugar
- 2 tbsp chicken broth (or water)
- ½ tsp vinegar
- 2 slice ginger (15g) (minced)
- 1 Thai Bird's eye chili (minced)
- Sautéed scallion stem (saved from sautéing the rice)
Instructions
Poaching chicken:
- In a pot, add water along with all the aromatics and seasonings: onion, ginger, lime leaves, scallions, lemongrass, turmeric powder, salt, and chicken powder.
- Bring the water to a boil, then lower the heat and let it simmer for about 20 minutes, allowing the aromatics to infuse their flavors.
- Reduce the heat to the lowest setting. When the water is gently bubbling, gently introduce the chicken legs.
- Poach the chicken over low heat for 20 minutes with the lid on. Afterwards, turn off the heat and let the chicken rest for an additional 15 minutes.
- To check if the chicken is done, use a chopstick to pierce the thickest part. It's fully cooked when no pink juices come out.
- Remove the chicken from the pot and wrap it in plastic wrap. Keep the chicken broth.
Cooking chicken rice:
- While the chicken is simmering, you can prepare the rice. Rinse the rice with water and drain it well.
- In a pot, heat 3 tablespoons of cooking oil (or rendered chicken fat). Add the white part of the scallions and sauté until they become fragrant and slightly golden.
- Remove the scallions and set them aside for making the dipping sauce later.
- Stir-fry the Jasmine rice with the scallion-infused oil and turmeric powder until the rice turns translucent.
- Transfer the rice to a rice cooker pot and add the chicken broth (use slightly less liquid than usual because the rice is already partially cooked). Cook the rice.
Preparing the ginger fish sauce:
- Mix together all the sauce ingredients – fish sauce, sugar, minced ginger, chili, chicken broth, vinegar, and the sautéed scallions.
Serving
- Debone the chicken legs and cut them into bite-sized pieces (optional).
- Serve Cơm Gà Hải Nam with slices of cucumber, tomato, and the ginger fish sauce. Enjoy!!
Notes
- Opt for high-quality organic or free-range chicken.
- Using chicken fat for sautéing the rice. It can enhance the flavor.
- If you don’t need your poached chicken with yellow skin, you can omit the turmeric powder.
