How to Make Comforting Khao Man Gai (Thai-Style Chicken and Rice)

After feasting on the deservedly famous chicken and rice at Nong’s Khao Man Gai in Portland, Oregon, we came back to the test kitchen to create a recipe for home cooks.
Get our Khao Man Gai recipe: bit.ly/41843xq
Buy our winning Dutch oven: cooks.io/3DzBbCw
Buy our best-buy Dutch oven: cooks.io/2L40FRB
Buy our winning large saucepan: cooks.io/2QQbsgK
Buy our winning chefs knife: cooks.io/3tQ9mDh
Buy our winning chefs knife in the ATK Shop: bit.ly/3Za51Il
Buy our winning tongs: cooks.io/3Bx35Rt
ABOUT US: Located in Boston’s Seaport District in the historic Innovation and Design Building, America's Test Kitchen features 15,000 square feet of kitchen space including multiple photography and video studios. It is the home of Cook’s Illustrated magazine and Cook’s Country magazine and is the workday destination for more than 60 test cooks, editors, and cookware specialists. Our mission is to test recipes over and over again until we understand how and why they work and until we arrive at the best version.
If you like us, follow us:
cookscountry.com
/ cookscountry
/ testkitchen
/ cookscountry
/ testkitchen

[@akarimyomyat4162]

As an immigrant who left home country where you're raised in, I know it's never an easy task to try to survive in an entirely different place and risk everything into one thing hoping that would turn out well. Really glad for Nong that she earned her place and her hard labour finally gets paid off.

[@christinep327]

Congratulations to Nong for making a place for herself under new circumstances. I know how tough that can be! Can't wait to try this recipe!🍜

[@mastersplinter5966]

Love how Bryan travels everywhere to learn different Recipes to demonstrate for us. 🙏

[@justinblower7598]

I remember watching her on Chopped years ago where she won. It's awesome to see her still doing so well. She's just adorable, and such a great story.

[@ryanneumann5165]

Bryan - your skill as a storyteller is amazing. I love getting to know the people you meet. Well done sir.

[@justaguy6862]

What a beautiful conversation to start this video! Thank-you for making it a part of this ‘recipe’ 🖖

[@jmnindfw]

This dish is almost exactly like Hainanese rice chicken which I've made many times. The difference is the sauce (they make two or three) and Hainanese chicken is served more room temp and plated differently. Otherwise exactly the same. I know Brian didn't want to scare people off with an extra step but if you have the time, boil the chicken on high for five minutes. Take it out and wash the scum off it and wash the pot also. Start with fresh water and proceed as directed. You get a beautiful clean broth for the rice and the soup. I love Thai and can't wait to make this. I also have family in Portland and we are already planning to go to Nong's in June. Moreover, my parents were immigrants so I know what a struggle it can be.

[@carolinegifford819]

Yes, she is on it! 💖

[@jallie_beans]

Khao Man Gai is “chicken fat rice”, of which “chicken fat” doesn’t play a role in your version. My mom taught me to make the rice using finely diced bits of the fat from the chicken and some fat from the broth, cooking it into the rice. So decadent and delicious. Serve with lots of cucumber slices and cilantro for a boost of freshness.

[@aqnaqnaqn]

Since I was noting down the ingredients anyway: sharing that here. 4 lbs chicken, poached in Dutch oven in 12 C water 2“ ginger sliced into 1/4“ coins 6 garlic cloves smashed & peeled 2 Tbsps table salt Bring to a boil, reduce to low, cover w/ foil & lid, simmer until 160' in breast and 175' on legs & thighs, 25 - 35 minutes. Reserve 3 Cs of broth for cooking rice. 2 Cs jasmine rice, rinsed & drained. Heat: 1 Tbsp of oil 1 minced shallot 2“ piece ginger, halved 2 minced garlic cloves 1/4 tsp salt Bloom for 1.5 - 2 minutes. Add rice. Cook for couple of minutes until some grains are translucent around edges. Add broth: 1 part rice to 1.5 part liquid. Bring to a boil. Simmer for 20 minutes. Turn off heat, let sit for 10 minutes. Sauce: 1/4 C Thai soy bean paste 1/4 C white vinegar 1/4 C soy sauce 2 Tbsps sugar 2 minced garlic cloves 2 minced Thai chilis 1 tsp grated fresh ginger Whisk. Slice scallions to garnish soup. Shred dark meat. Slice white meat.

[@PizzaHomie]

I just made the dish. I followed it to the "T". Some of my findings: I think there is too much salt in the broth. I would reduce it by nearly half but also salt under the skin of the chicken ahead of time. Sauce was also a bit salty. I would use a bit less soy sauce. And the rice doesn't need to be cooked for that long. My rice was overcooked and mushy. I would reduce the rice simmer time to 10 minutes. Maybe this helps others.

[@IngaHicks]

Thank you for doing this!! I'm watching the episode now on Cooks Country and wanted to make this

[@reeseford3984]

You are an awesome human!❤

[@lauraelliott7441]

Thanks for writing this. At least two of the Tsp's should be Tbsp's (oil and sugar).

[@aqnaqnaqn]

@@lauraelliott7441 It's a capital "T" (Tsp and Tsps) and not a lower case "t" (tsp and tsps) so they're tablespoons! But, "Tbsp" seems to be the convention and would be more obvious.

[@danielrusso5473]

Nong’s restaurant offers one of the greatest bites of food in the entire country.

[@ruthm8931]

I just love these videos where Bryan hits the road and shows us these new places and new recipes! Great to see this young woman's story!

[@LoveLjubav]

Perfection! My next chicken dinner for the family.

[@puchunful]

CARVING FORK! That's the thing that my parents always used to fluff rice... Over 20 years working at their restaurant and I never thought about what that was. It was just a 'rice fork' to me & my sisters, lol.

[@joer8035]

I love Nongs and everyone that works there! I go there everytime I drive down to Portland. So comforting

[@louisel.sinniger2057]

Just like I love good, well brewed coffee the same goes for rice!… yeah, you can use gadgets but I really do appreciate abilities using stove only. This meal looks so good. Comfort food supreme.

[@AHG1347]

This was a childhood favorite for me and the first dish I would eat everytime I visited Thailand. Khao Man Gai is better than the classic Hainanese Chicken Rice based on my preference. The Singaporean version is on the same level though.

[@thedivide3688]

That's a special lady there.

[@melaneymattson3733]

Thanks for this great recipe, can't wait to make it. Also, thanks for showing me how to make a whole, flavorful, poached chicken, Melaney from SoCal.

[@jenniferkern5650]

I will make this!

[@sunking25]

I'm making this right now

[@MistSoalar]

As a lazy home chef, I cook chicken and rice together in the rice cooker. It appears cross contamination at first, but they both cooked through at the same time, and still tastes amazing.

[@pennylehrer1306]

I believe I saw her on Chopped!!

[@PassiveAgressive319]

It’s hard to comprehend that this lovely hard working woman wishing to start a new life with her family in America would be denied entry in todays system. Unfathomable!

[@ohwowoh7281]

I love this restaurant!!

[@zachkorinis3935]

excellent rice recipe

[@maimee1]

Looks great. As a Thai who never cooked this dish myself, I wonder what's the "Thai soy bean paste" 😂 In restaurants you'll see maybe two differrent mixtures (and textures dpending on the place) of sauces. The ginger and the red chilli really brings the punch for me. Can be blended up like other traditionally pounded/mixed sauces I think.

[@leester9487]

It thought Khao Man Gai was meh. Dry. That melon soup is great though.

[@CornbreadAndChopstix]

Bravo!! I'm so proud of you and extremely happy for your success!! Bless you!!!

[@fakecumberland]

Keep the skin!!!

[@denisenilsson1366]

Isn't poaching chicken out of season illegal? 😉

[@kennethz3366]

What type of rice does it use?

[@borbetomagus]

'Khao Man Gai' is also known as 'Hainan Chicken Rice' and was created by immigrants from Hainan in southern China and adapted from the Hainanese dish Wenchang chicken.

[@SandraDavidson-q2c]

I want some ! I am not looking at the rice !

[@stephquint8757]

The link for the recipe won't download...just keeps spinning endlessly.

[@MissZiss]

She competed on Chopped I believe

[@igiveupfine]

she's the kind of leader i want to be.

[@mayonnaiseeee]

What rice?

[@wnose]

Thai jasmine rice

[@a.sehari6522]

🌺🌺

[@Kwippy]

Virtually all recipes for this dish on KZbin will not produce the dish that will taste like in SE Asia, because of the unjustified aversion to MSG. This dish is ALWAYS made with liberal amounts of MSG in Asia. It isn't cheating to use MSG. Can you make nice khao man gai without MSG? Sure you can, it just won't taste authentic.

[@mddell58]

Brian's pet peeve: ❌ Cutting off far too much of green onion (scallion) end. 😳

[@rockyclick371]

that wasn't too much. just enough

[@01Prodigious]

You blanch chichen frist then skim the stock 😊 you didnt skim before putting tin foil what would uncle Rogar say 🤔

[@KPuppychow]

Skim the scum or the fat? Traditionally yes, skim the scum but you do not skim the fat for this dish.

[@shelly7017]

That's exactly what I did 😉

[@jmnindfw]

I posted about this. You start a pot of water boiling and then boil the chicken for five minutes. Then remove the chicken, discard the water, wash the pot, and start with fresh water. Wash the scum off chicken and return to the pot. If you don't want the fat in the broth, separate it out and use with the rice. Fat is flavor! 😂😂😂

[@DoughboyGod]

🔥🔫🔫🏎❤️🏎🔫🔫🔥

[@meuricehunt3104]

Would you guys care to make the Singaporean version? This recipe below is the last word in chicken rice recipes: kzbin.info/www/bejne/bqOccq2YfpZsrZY

[@michaelvilain8457]

My Nana would have skimmed off that gray scum before you put the foil and the top on to simmer. Feh.

[@nebyenrub]

She definitely knows how to beat a dead horse. Some people just can’t lay a barely funny in the first place joke to rest. 🤦‍♂️

[@coolnewpants]

The soup is missing the traditional winter melon they usually add

[@Coolranchpepe]

government funded programing

[@pastoralia]

It's a recipe. Relax tinfoil hat.

[@tom4wlt]

If you can find pandan leaf (frozen is Ok), place a few leaves in the poaching liquid and one in the rice. It gives a nice subtle aroma that traditional Khoa Mun Gai has.

[@carolinegifford819]

Pandan leaf is difficult to find in much of the remote areas, but canned juice is usually available. It's so much better to see the leaf in the rice pot, and you*can* freeze the canned extract in ice cube tray, then freezer bag it.

[@josephm2817]

Nong is the best!! She deserves all the success. Her food is SOOOOOOOOOOOO GOOOOOOOD!

[@sweetGGbaby]

As soon as I saw the title I thought about the khao man gai I had from a food cart in Portland more than a decade ago and then there she was!!! So happy to learn she continues to thrive, amazing achievements and great job featuring her ATK❤

[@KurtisRader]

I worked for 19 months (between 1997 and 1999) in the Asia-Pacific region. One of my favorite food dishes was chicken-rice in Singapore and Malaysia. A dish that superficially seems simple and uninteresting but is actually quite subtle and pleasing to the palate. I haven't had a decent chicken-rice dish since I returned to the USA. Thanks for reminding me about this under appreciated gem.

[@jeanparker9441]

Nong's is what I want for my last meal. For those making it at home, you can take that poached chicken skin and crisp it up for a delicious treat (if you want to buy the fried chicken skin from Nong's, you'll have to get there when they open or they will run out). Also, for those making at home I would recommend this recipe for the chicken and rice but I'm going to use the Nong's sauce I bought online (no sauce I've made at home even comes close).

[@Hx3ney]

Good idea buying sauce. I usually prefer to make sauces fresh but she seems like a smart business lady and probably held on to a secret or 2

[@walkertongdee]

Khaw mun gai-rice fatty chicken

[@ikurasake]

Their banter is hilarious!

[@joseluislarios6036]

Don’t forget to use the chicken skin for cracklings! Dry and fry, or microwave at 30 second bursts if you are pressed for time

[@liindawgg]

free range chicken makes a huge difference in texture and flavor of this dish.

[@kenmore01]

Since I go to Portland a few times a year, I'll go there and let them make it for me! It doesnt look that far from my usual hotel. 😊

[@leendaroberto]

EXCELLENT!

[@KenS1267]

What I love about this dish is how absolutely simple it is. A couple of ingredients take a trip to an Asian market, which is well worth the effort, but the actual cooking just poaching a chicken which is very easy and cooking rice, which can be done in a rice cooker if you are at all nervous about your ability to get it right.

[@KevinBullard]

What a battler! Awesome lady

[@carolinegifford819]

He did not comment on the hole in the lid on his rice, which is something that needs to be discussed, I feel. Thanks

[@jasonbean2764]

That looks good!:)

[@MyFavoriteColorIsBLUE]

This looks great!

[@viralnorn9173]

Looks wonderful! I'm going to make this soon. Someday I hope I can go to this lovely ladies restaurant and try hers!

[@viralnorn9173]

I made this today. I put a star anise pod in my poaching liquid along with some msg. I added 1 1/2 tsp of fish sauce to the sauce, cut the soy sauce back to 2 tablespoons and added an extra tablespoon of sugar, plus used the tablespoon of chili garlic paste.

[@crabc]

Beautiful ❤

[@bschlabs]

Why do you use the aluminum foil AND a lid? Wouldn't just the lid serve the same purpose?

[@Valencenliberty]

congrats Nong for your sucess...hard work paid off for yu. I will try this recipe for sure. I live in canada doubt I can order the bottled sauce

[@MikeRees]

You can't really claim to be making khao man gai if you don't skim the mun gai ffom thr stock and coat the rice in it. This was missing a lot of things I feel.

[@lmdeboom]

This is for Americans that they can make it easily at home with easily accessible ingredients.

[@MikeRees]

@@lmdeboom no additional ingredients needed to separate and render the fat from the chicken and coat the rice in it

[@beammeupscotty1955]

I ate Kao Mun Gai several times at an outdoor restaurant near Bang Na...I want say near Secon Square, but I can't be sure...it has been a really long time. I have tried it once or twice here in the U.S.A. but never had anything close that stunning version I had long ago in Bangkok. It was a huge restaurant and they only served two dishes. Kao Mun Gai and the same thing, but with goat instead of chicken. Had to have seated 300 people. Kao Mun Gai is the very definition of comfort food.

[@shelly7017]

Looks very delicious. We just bought a nice size whole chicken. I'm cooking it just like this. I don't have all of the sauce ingredients, but hey, they chicken will be tasty, and I can make the rice too. Thank you so much for sharing this charming story and recipe.

[@undrayrogers614]

He's making this meal appealing to those with bland pallets.

[@LoebRules]

Mmmmmmmm😋😋🤪

[@peachnehi7340]

YOU READ MY MIND 🤤

[@philoctetes_wordsworth]

One of my favorite comfort foods! In houston, we have a special place, Angry Mom’s Kitchen. They make only this dish, bitter melon soup, and dusty soft boiled eggs (also, a tofu version). Perfection.👍🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻💐💐💐💐💐🫶🏻🫶🏻🫶🏻💋💋🇺🇸🌸That sauce is more complex than what I am accustomed to. Also, here, the dish is served with a cup of the bitter melon soup, no chicken stock/broth soup served. Similar, but different…

[@redcomet0079]

Props 👏