Garlic Ginger Rice

This garlic ginger rice is bursting with aromatic flavors. It is the perfect side dish with any meal, especially for Hainanese Chicken Rice. 

If you've had Hainanese Chicken Rice before you may be familiar with this garlic ginger rice. Many would agree that the rice is actually the star of the Hainanese chicken rice, and it can make or break the dish.

Jump to:

• Aromatic Garlic Ginger Rice
• What Does Garlic Ginger Rice Taste Like? 
• The Ingredients for Garlic Ginger Rice
• How to Make Garlic Ginger Rice 
• How to Store Leftover Garlic Ginger Rice
• How to Reheat the Leftover Rice
• 📖 Recipe

Aromatic Garlic Ginger Rice

In this post, I'll be showing you how to make the perfect garlic ginger rice that I usually serve with Hainanese chicken. It's versatile and compliments the taste of many other dishes.

The original garlic ginger rice uses sesame oil and chicken skin and fat. If you want to westernize the dish or serve it with western-style dishes you can skip the sesame oil and chicken skin and fat, and replace it with butter and oil. It may taste more suitable and mesh better with that style of cuisine. All other ingredients and steps are the same.

The rice is so good that it can be eaten plain, straight from the pot! You can cook this garlic ginger rice in an Instant Pot, on the stove, or in a rice cooker.

What Does Garlic Ginger Rice Taste Like? 

Garlic ginger rice has a slightly crunchy texture due to the rice being toasted prior to cooking. It's also nutty and aromatic from using garlic and ginger as the main ingredients. 

Garlic ginger rice has a subtle flavor, but It can transform a simple recipe into something super tasty.  Be careful, you might soon become addicted to the taste!

The Ingredients for Garlic Ginger Rice

To make this ginger rice, you'll need long-grain rice, chicken fat/skin, garlic, ginger, sesame oil, and a good chicken broth.

Long-grain rice. You can pretty much use any long-grain rice that's available. However, I highly recommend using Jasmine rice because it has a delicate floral scent and a nice fluffy texture when cooked.

Chicken fat and skin. You just need about ¼ cup of chicken fat and skin that you can obtain easily from any part of a whole chicken, especially near the cavity and the tail. 

Sesame oil. You'll be using sesame oil to toast the rice. The oil will also add fragrance and a nutty flavor to the rice.

Garlic. I recommend using fresh garlic instead of powder.

Chicken broth. To make it in an authentic Asian style, it's recommended to use a good quality Chinese style broth. I personally used the poaching broth from this Hainan Chicken Rice recipe. The homemade broth is made of whole chicken, scallions, and ginger, simmer for 45 minutes. 

I also wrote a good recipe for homemade Chinese chicken stock here.

How to Make Garlic Ginger Rice 

You can cook this garlic ginger rice with your rice cooker or Instant Pot or on the stove.

Here are some important steps to follow:

Step 1. Toast the Rice.

To boost the nutty depth of the rice flavor it is very important to toast it for a few minutes before cooking. This extra step will also ensure the rice cooks more evenly and prevent it from sticking together.

• In a skillet over medium-high heat, cook the chopped chicken skin/fat with sesame oil for 4 minutes or until the skin is crispy and the fat is rendered. 

• Add garlic and ginger. Cook for 1 minute. 

• Add the rice and toast it for about 3-4 minutes until it becomes a golden brown color. Do not burn!

Step 2. Cook the Garlic Ginger Rice in an Instant Pot or on the Stove

Instant Pot instructions:

• Transfer the rice mixture to an instant pot.
• Pour in 2 cups of broth and salt.
• Close the lid. Select the "manual" setting and cook for 3 minutes at high pressure. Once the cooking cycle is completed, let the pressure naturally release for 15 minutes before releasing the remaining pressure and opening the lid.
• Fluff the rice with a fork and serve immediately.

Cooking on the stove instructions:

• Transfer the rice mixture to a saucepan.
• Pour in 4 cups of broth and salt.
• Bring the mixture to a boil then reduce the heat to low.
• Cover the pot and cook the rice for 15 minutes.
• Turn off the stove. Let the rice stand, covered, for 5 minutes then fluff with a fork.

How to Store Leftover Garlic Ginger Rice

• First, let the rice cool before storing. The leftover rice shouldn't be left out at room temperature for longer than one hour.
• Transfer the cooled rice to an airtight container. Properly stored, it lasts about 5-7 days in the fridge or up to a month in the freezer.

How to Reheat the Leftover Rice

• Transfer the leftover rice to a microwave-safe bowl.
• Drizzle the rice with a small amount of water, cover the bowl with a damp paper towel, and microwave for 30 seconds per cup or longer until it's hot.

Check Out More Rice Recipes

• Instant Pot Brown Rice
• Instant Pot White Rice
• Indian-Style Rice
• Instant Pot Ground Beef and Rice Recipe
• Instant Pot Cilantro Lime Rice
• Fried Rice with Ham, Egg, and Shrimp
• Nasi Goreng (Indonesian Fried Rice)
• Kimchi Fried Rice
• Instant Pot Fried Rice
• Chinese Sausage Fried Rice

I hope you'll enjoy this recipe and share it with friends! If you try it and don’t mind, please leave me a comment and give this recipe a rating.

📖 Recipe