Name: Cơm gà Hội An (Hội An Chicken Rice)
Prep time: 35 min
Cook time: 75 min
Total time: 130 min
Cuisine: Vietnam
Ingredients: 1.5 kg whole chicken, giblets removed if included, patted dry; 3.2 L cold water, enough to cover the chicken; 30 g fresh ginger, sliced and smashed; 80 g shallots (about 4 medium), peeled and halved; 10 g fine salt; 400 g jasmine rice, rinsed until the water is mostly clear; 15 ml neutral oil; 3 g ground turmeric; 700 ml hot, strained poaching broth; 100 g red onion, thinly sliced; 25 g rau răm (Vietnamese coriander), leaves picked and sliced; 30 ml lime juice; 15 ml fish sauce; 5 g fine sugar; 1 g ground black pepper; 250 g green papaya, peeled and cut into fine matchsticks; 100 g carrot, peeled and cut into fine matchsticks; 60 ml rice vinegar; 12 g fine sugar; 3 g fine salt; 20 g scallions, thinly sliced; 1 lime (about 70 g), cut into wedges; 5 g red chilli, thinly sliced (optional); 10 g crispy fried shallots (optional)

Hội An turmeric rice with hand-torn chicken, rau răm, papaya pickle and a small cup of broth — Yellow chicken rice with fresh herbs and tangy papaya served in the Hội An style.

Yield 4 servings

Cook 1 hour 15 minutes

Passive 20 minutes

Total 2 hours 10 minutes

Calories About 790 kcal per serving

Ingredients ↓

Overview

Cơm gà Hội An (Hội An Chicken Rice)

Cơm gà Hội An pairs fragrant rice cooked in chicken broth with tender chicken, fresh herbs and tangy vegetables. This home version poaches a whole bird, cooks jasmine rice in the strained broth and serves the hand-torn chicken with red onion and rau răm (Vietnamese coriander). A crisp green papaya and carrot pickle and a small cup of broth complete the plate. Hoi An recipes vary, and this is one practical version rather than a single fixed formula.

The hallmark of Hội An chicken rice is the way the poaching broth works twice: first to cook the chicken, then to flavor the rice. Turmeric gives the rice its warm yellow color, while the salad brings a lively contrast through lime, onion, pepper and rau răm. A sour papaya pickle adds crunch. Similar chicken-and-rice traditions appear across Southeast Asia; Hội An’s version is distinctly local in its shredded chicken, herbs and accompaniments, though individual households and eateries make it differently.

Poach the chicken gently rather than boiling it hard, and use a thermometer at the thickest breast and inner thigh. The rice should be tender but separate, so measure the hot broth and let the cooked grains rest before fluffing. Tear the chicken by hand once it is cool enough to handle. Serve the broth in small cups beside the plate, as well as using it to cook the rice.

Ingredients

Chicken and broth

1.5 kg whole chicken, giblets removed if included, patted dry
3.2 L cold water, enough to cover the chicken
30 g fresh ginger, sliced and smashed
80 g shallots (about 4 medium), peeled and halved
10 g fine salt

Turmeric rice

400 g jasmine rice, rinsed until the water is mostly clear
15 ml neutral oil
3 g ground turmeric
700 ml hot, strained poaching broth

Chicken salad

100 g red onion, thinly sliced
25 g rau răm (Vietnamese coriander), leaves picked and sliced
30 ml lime juice
15 ml fish sauce
5 g fine sugar
1 g ground black pepper

Papaya pickle

250 g green papaya, peeled and cut into fine matchsticks
100 g carrot, peeled and cut into fine matchsticks
60 ml rice vinegar
12 g fine sugar
3 g fine salt

For serving

20 g scallions, thinly sliced
1 lime (about 70 g), cut into wedges
5 g red chilli, thinly sliced (optional)
10 g crispy fried shallots (optional)

Method

Toss the papaya and carrot with the rice vinegar, 12 g sugar and 3 g salt. Cover and chill for 20 minutes while you prepare the chicken and rice. Drain before serving.
Place the whole chicken in a stockpot with 3.2 L cold water, ginger, shallots and 10 g salt. Bring slowly to a bare simmer, skim the surface, then poach gently. Start checking after 45 minutes; the thickest breast and innermost thigh, measured away from bone with a clean thermometer, must each reach 74°C. A larger bird may take 60 minutes or longer. Transfer the chicken to a clean tray to rest.
Strain the broth. Measure 700 ml hot broth for the rice and keep about 600 ml hot for four small serving cups. Reserve any remaining broth for another use or to top up the rice liquid if needed.
Heat 15 ml oil in a saucepan or rice cooker with a sauté setting. Add the rinsed rice and turmeric; stir for 1–2 minutes until the grains are evenly coated. Add 700 ml hot broth and cook using the rice cooker’s white-rice setting or the saucepan’s usual rice method. When tender, turn off the heat and rest covered for 10 minutes, then fluff with a fork.
When the chicken is cool enough to handle, remove the meat and tear it into bite-size pieces. Discard the bones safely. Keep the cooked chicken and clean utensils separate from the raw poultry area.
Toss the chicken with red onion, rau răm, lime juice, fish sauce, 5 g sugar and black pepper. Taste and serve without adding unmeasured extra seasoning to the shared batch.
Divide the turmeric rice among four plates and top with or serve alongside the chicken salad. Add drained papaya-carrot pickle and lime wedges. Pour the hot broth into four small cups and garnish with scallions and optional chilli. Serve promptly. Cool leftover rice rapidly in shallow containers, ideally within 1 hour; refrigerate at or below 4°C, use within 24 hours and reheat only once until steaming hot throughout, at least 74°C. Refrigerate other perishable leftovers within 2 hours. Optional crispy fried shallots may also be added.

Practical

Practical guidance

Do not rinse raw chicken. Pat it dry with paper towels and wash hands and surfaces after handling it. Keep the poaching liquid at a gentle simmer. A hard boil can break the skin and make the meat less tender. Measure broth for the rice rather than pouring by eye. If using a saucepan, follow its usual rice-cooking method and keep the lid on while the grains steam. Rau răm has a peppery, distinctive aroma. If unavailable, use a small mix of mint and cilantro, understanding the flavor will differ. Make the pickle while the chicken poaches. Drain it well so its vinegar does not water down the chicken salad. Serve the rice soon after cooking. Cooked rice needs especially quick cooling if you plan to keep leftovers.

Troubleshooting

The broth boils hard: Lower the heat until only occasional bubbles rise. Skim foam and keep the pot uncovered or partly covered. The rice is wet or sticky: The broth ratio may be high or the grains may not have rested. Let it stand covered for 10 minutes, then fluff gently. The chicken salad tastes flat: Check that the lime, fish sauce, sugar and pepper are evenly distributed. Add any adjustment to individual portions so the recipe quantities remain clear. The pickle is limp: Cut the vegetables into even thin matchsticks and keep them chilled; drain shortly before serving.

Frequently asked questions

Why cook the rice in chicken broth? The broth carries the chicken’s savory flavor into the rice, which is a defining feature of this style of chicken rice. Can I use chicken pieces instead of a whole bird? Bone-in pieces can work, but cooking time changes and the broth may be less rich. Check every thick piece reaches 74°C. What is rau răm? It is Vietnamese coriander, a fragrant herb with a peppery, distinctive flavor. Mint and cilantro can be used as a practical substitute, though the salad will taste different.

Nutrition

These values are estimates. Chicken yield, skin eaten, fish-sauce brand and broth fat change the result; this is not a laboratory analysis.

Nutrition

Serving sizeOne plate with one quarter of the ingredients and one small cup of broth
Calories790 kcal
Carbohydrate89 g
Protein47 g
Fat25 g
Fibre4 g
Sodium1,050 mg

Allergens and food safety

Contains chicken and fish in the fish sauce. Check condiment labels for fish, wheat, soy and cross-contact warnings; use certified gluten-free fish sauce if needed. Keep raw poultry and its utensils separate from cooked rice, chicken, herbs and other ready-to-eat foods. Wash hands and surfaces after handling raw chicken. Cook the whole bird until both the thickest breast and innermost thigh reach 74°C, measured away from bone. Refrigerate perishable leftovers within 2 hours at or below 4°C. Cool cooked rice rapidly in shallow containers, ideally within 1 hour; keep it refrigerated at or below 4°C, use within 24 hours and reheat only once until steaming hot throughout and at least 74°C.

Serve it this way

Shape the turmeric rice on each plate, then pile the dressed chicken and herbs alongside or on top.
Serve the hot broth in small cups and let everyone add lime or chilli to taste.

Cơm gà Hội An (Hội An Chicken Rice)

Ingredients

Chicken and broth

Turmeric rice

Chicken salad

Papaya pickle

For serving

Method

Practical

Practical guidance

Troubleshooting

Frequently asked questions

Nutrition

Nutrition

Allergens and food safety

Serve it this way

Vietnamese National Dishes

Bún riêu cua (Vietnamese Crab and Tomato Noodle Soup)

Bánh khọt (Vietnamese crispy mini rice pancakes with shrimp)

Bò kho (Vietnamese aromatic beef and carrot stew)