➤ story by KEVIN NGUYEN • photos by KALEA MARTÍN
Tor a lot of people, “chicken and rice” brings to mind the same thing: plain grilled chicken breast, white rice, and maybe some steamed vegetables. It’s the dependable dinner you make when you’re trying to eat healthy, stretch your grocery budget, or don’t know what else to cook. However, if you’re wanting something a little more flavor-packed than just salt, pepper, paprika, garlic powder, etc., etc., I’d recommend doing your chicken and rice the Asian way.
Key Flavors
In an Asian household, “chicken and rice” can refer to a lot of different dishes — perhaps, Filipino adobo, Cantonese bai qie ji, or Hainanese chicken rice. But sometimes, it just means chicken and rice flavored with any combination of the staples: soy sauce, garlic, scallions, and ginger, and sometimes chili oil and/or sesame oil. Those ingredients are the backbone of so many Asian home-cooked meals, much like mirepoix is in French cooking.
Bachan’s Japanese Barbecue Sauce 17oz. (from $8)
There isn’t one definitive “Asian chicken and rice” recipe because every family has their own version. Some lean sweeter, some saltier, some spicy, some brothy. However, if you don’t know where to start, you can’t go wrong with this particular recipe, shared by fellow Asian writer Kalea Martín. Instead of another plate of dry chicken and plain rice, you get juicy, caramelized chicken coated in Japanese barbecue sauce alongside a fragrant broth flavored with garlic, ginger, citrus, and chili oil.
Related: One-Pan Sweet & Spicy Chicken Thighs Recipe
Honestly, you don’t really need exact measurements to make Asian style chicken and rice, because the ingredients are pretty forgiving. Just think of this recipe as a blueprint that you can adjust to your own taste. However, if you do want a step-by-step guide, you can find it below.
Soy Glazed Sesame Chicken and Rice with Spicy Shoyu Broth (Easy Asian-Style Chicken and Rice Recipe)
Ingredients
- 1½ pounds boneless skinless chicken thighs (or breasts)
- 3-4 tbsp Japanese barbecue sauce (not to be confused with American barbecue sauce; it’s closer to a sweet soy glaze. If you don’t have Japanese barbecue sauce, whisk together 2 tbsp soy sauce with 2 tbsp honey or sugar.)
- 2 cups cooked white rice, for serving
- 2 cups shoyu broth, miso broth, or chicken broth
- Juice of 1 medium orange (about ¼ cup)
- 1 tbsp chili oil (more to taste)
- 3 cloves garlic, minced (or 1 tsp garlic powder)
- 1 tbsp freshly grated ginger (or 1 tsp ground ginger)
- Chopped scallions and grated carrots, for garnishing
- Sesame seeds (optional), for garnishing
Directions
- Coat the chicken evenly with the Japanese barbecue sauce.
- Heat a large skillet over medium heat. Add the chicken and cook for 5–7 minutes per side (depending on thickness), resisting the urge to move it too much so it develops a caramelized crust. Cook until the internal temperature reaches 165°F.
- Meanwhile, combine the broth, orange juice, chili oil, garlic, and ginger in a saucepan. Bring to a gentle simmer for 5–10 minutes.
- Slice the chicken.
- Divide the cooked rice among bowls, top with the sliced chicken, and ladle the broth generously over everything.
- Garnish with scallions, grated carrots, and sesame seeds, if desired.
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