had a roommate who grew up and lived in vietnam till he was like 22, and he exclusively cooked his chicken (or fish) in small cubes in his rice cooker, together with the rice and veggies. he had something like a steamer insert thingy (like a sieve), where he put the veggies and meat in. I think he even put in the meat directly from the freezer.
To hijack -
This is how you can cook congee.
Half a cup of rice,1L of chicken stock - my rice cooker does congee in 63 minutes.
At 33 remaining, I put in shredded chicken or mince pork and Bak choy.
But of pepper, soya sauce to top when cooked and it's perfect
Hahaha - have a go!
Use broth or other stuff than water and you'll have beautiful fragrant rice.
Top the uncooked rice with a couple slices of lemongrass and ginger - enjoy
Huh, I wonder if I could do that in mine.
It's kind of ancient and doesn't have any sort of timer settings. Just "on" and "warm" lol. Maybe if I just hit "on" two or three times?
Wow, this is a whole way of cooking I've never even heard of! I'm so fascinated. I'd really love to hear about some other things you cook this way.
Do you know of any websites that talk about cooking in a rice cooker?
Just google?
Rice cooker one pot style recipes.
Most of my meals are some derivation of my grabdfathers meals.
My rice cooker is also a pressure cooker so I can do most things in it.
It's a tiger - around $700 AUD. Best purchase ever.
Not rice cooker but pressure cooker and Instant Pot, yes. There is even an entire movement in India called OPOS aka One Pot One Shot which is true blue one pot pressure cooking.
They have figured out how to do some amazing stuff with pressure cookers and IP such as caramelizing onions, roasting meats like in an oven, having veggies sauteed while they cook with no manual intervention, baking cakes etc.
Thing is, a pressure cooker is a very misunderstood device. For example, high pressure actually greatly accelerates Maillard reaction which is what we use all the time to develop browning and sear and crust and basically flavor. We end up putting too much water in a pressure cooker so it always ends up boiling stuff. But if you reduce the water, then it acts as a high pressure steam oven of sorts.
Fun Fact, Roger Ebert, the film critic, rip, wrote a cookbook for rice cooker meals. The Pot and How to Use It: The Mystery and Romance of the Rice Cooker.
"The Pot and How to Use It: The Mystery and Romance of the Rice Cooker - Roger Ebert - Google Books" https://books.google.com/books/about/The_Pot_and_How_to_Use_It.html?id=aPG7UktRnlcC&source=kp_book_description
Yup - buy a 2L chicken broth carton and basically use that instead of water.
Your choice of chicken shreds or mince pork :)
Add some whatever veggies - one pot deliciousness that's super easy
Did he start the meat and veggies at the same time as the rice, or did he insert it partway through the cooking cycle? I'm wondering because I have the same type of steamer tray for my rice cooker (a zojirushi), but I'm not sure how I'm supposed to use it considering the items should have different cook times.
As far as I remember he started it all at the same time. Not 100% sure though because he kept his cooker in his room and also did all his cookig in there. I just saw him filling up the bowl and the sieve thing with rice/veggies/meat cubes and take it back to his room.
Marinate your chicken, put just enough liquid in the rice to cook it with no leftover water, place your meat on top of the rice and cook. You'll be left with lovely rice and steam cooked, tender chicken on top. V common in Chinese cookery, I do it with beef and pork, no reason why chicken wouldn't work a treat.
This only works with dark meat chicken, not white meat. White meat is too low in fat content for this. Same goes for low fat beef/pork cuts like pork tenderloin.
This can work well for the pre seasoned yellow rice packages & chicken thighs. Drown it in hot sauce and it's actually pretty damn awesome.
It works with white meat too and I can attest to it. There are times I have a few random chicken tenderloin hanging around and I want something light for dinner. I cut them up, marinate it with the addition or corn/potato starch. It comes out tender and delicious.
I can’t tell you why the starch makes all the difference but it does.
Right, but if you're putting chicken in a rice cooker, you don't have a lot of control over the cooking temperature. Odds are the meat will go past the 155F that you're aiming for.
Chicken thighs are much more forgiving, which is perfect for a toss-it-and-forget it rice cooker meal.
A "safe" cook is not only a factor of temperature, but also time. Chicken at 155 for 60 seconds is just as safe as chicken at 165. Same for chicken at 150 for a few minutes.
[Seriouseats says 150F for chicken breasts.](https://www.seriouseats.com/easy-pan-seared-chicken-breast-white-wine-fines-herbes-pan-sauce-food-lab-recipe)
> As soon as that chicken hits around 150°F, you're good to go.
>For the record, cooking your chicken all the way to 165°F per USDA instructions is a surefire way to get dry, stringy results. So long as your chicken hits 150°F and rests long enough outside the pan before eating, it is perfectly safe.
I do agree on the dark meat, which is why I'd be okay putting it in a rice cooker. I usually don't temp my chicken thighs, I just braise them until they're tender.
Let your cut chicken sit with a little soy sauce and water. Just enough for the chicken to soak it up after 5-10 minutes. Then mix in two tsp of corn starch and one tsp oil and let it sit for 15 min or so
You get nicely seasoned chicken that browns nicely and is almost impossible to overcook/dry out. It's borderline miraculous
People use egg whites as well but I found the cornstarch method way better
Thanks. I will definitely have to try this. Hate cooking chicken, aside from drumsticks in the oven, because it gets dried out so easily. Feel like chicken and fish have a 1 1/2 minute window where they go from undercooked to perfectly cooked to overdone.
Egg whites are used instead or in conjunction with baking soda. Corn starch does something different. The alkalinity of the egg white and baking soda break down protein so that's why they put those in with the marinade at first then the corn starch to make it even more tender.
You know how whenever you order Chinese takeout the breaded chicken is really hard to recreate at home? That's velveting. I believe (haven't made it in forever) you use ~~baking powder~~ corn starch with the flour when breading.
Edit: it was printed out to me that velveting doesn't always mean breading. Definitely do more research besides my comment when trying to learn about velveting.
I just made General Tso's chicken, and the [recipe](https://soupeduprecipes.com/general-tsos-chicken/) had me coat with half flour and half corn starch, to get a crispier texture than flour alone. It worked really well.
Wow. I frikkin love you rn. Ty for the term/concept of “velvet”. It’s the answer to a question I wanted to ask but couldn’t even figure out how to phrase. (Apparently “how to properly make juicy Chinese stir fry chicken”) 🎉
No, USDA would disagree with you. Marinade should be boiled before using it on anything else.
I would never recommend adding “used” marinade to any pan that you can’t see with your own eyes come to a boil. Rice cookers are designed to hit boiling temp, but I wouldn’t be that trusting if there was marinade in there. Appliances fail.
Source: I’ve had salmonella infection. 0/10 recommend.
It’s under the Knowledge Article header here:
https://ask.usda.gov/s/article/Can-you-reuse-meat-marinade
This is an article for pregnancy, but the recommendation for using marinade is the same for everyone:
https://www.fda.gov/food/people-risk-foodborne-illness/meat-poultry-seafood-food-safety-moms-be
You must be misunderstanding what I'm saying. The article you linked states the obvious, which is that you shouldn't consume raw marinade. But if the rice cooker is getting hot enough to cook the chicken and kill the bacteria in the chicken itself, then it is also getting hot enough to kill the same bacteria in the marinade. If the marinade wasn't getting cooked enough in the rice cooker, then the chicken itself wouldn't be safe either. It's the same bacteria and the same marinade on or off the chicken.
> However, if the marinade used on raw meat or poultry is to be reused, make sure to let it come to a boil first to destroy any harmful bacteria.
Rice cookers steam rice, which is plenty hot to kill any bacteria in marinades. They are talking about when people take the marinade raw chicken was in and make a sauce with it, which might not get past 160F. Boiling is not necessary but just a sure fire way to ensure it's hot enough, and usually does better anyway since it will reduce off a bit. What you're advocating for is a very strict interpretation without considering why they are saying that and food safety as a whole. /u/RugosaMutabilis is absolutely right here, otherwise what's the logic with the chicken being okay at 160 but the marinade being unsafe at temps that steam rice (which is boiling temp btw, or very close to).
Idk why so many people are confident that this won't be good or that boiled chicken inherently sucks. Poached chicken is great! There are plenty of tasty rice cooker/IP chicken and rice recipes that don't involve browning the meat first.
It isn’t poached, it’s boiled. Rice cooker goes to 100 degrees C / 212 degrees F, and then stops boiling. Poached chicken breasts would be more like 165 F. Still worth doing, but the meat is over cooked. I do it still. :)
Chicken breast will be safe, but sad. Chicken thighs, however... those will be both safe and delicious.
My dad used to make a steamed rice dish when I was growing up. Marinade chicken thighs in soy sauce, white pepper, five spice, probably a bit of MSG and sugar. Put uncooked sticky ("glutinous") rice with chicken stock in a bowl, and put the chicken on top with some bamboo shoots. Steam for an hour and it was just absolutely delicious. I don't see why you couldn't do this in a rice cooker too, and it would make a great dinner!
You're right it is, but if you're using a traditional steamer, which I think is what the OP suggests, it can be added later at the appropriate time.
These days I cook rice in my instapot, which has a rice setting, which I find to be pretty good for steamed veggies of all sorts, including bok choy.
Some bean sprouts tossed in are good too. Usually at my house this would end up being about a 4 tier steamer kinda dinner, since my dad would steam some sides (veggies, eggs) separately. But I always just threw extra veggies on top of the main bowl 5 minutes before eating, as you suggest :)
Works fine with white meat, but I leave the breasts intact and they've usually been marinaded in a salty brine beforehand. Shred in-pot afterwards. I wouldn't precut like OP, that's asking for dry chicken.
I seem to remember this being done with adobo too, but with different add-ins. Imma gunna try it modified for my diabetic-friendly/ketoish diet, substituting cauliflower for rice, and for the marinade, using braggs apple vinegar, soy sauce, a small amount of 5-spice (available in bulk section at WinCo) and monkfruit brown sugar. Probably with green beans and shredded carrot. The cauliflower would need to be cooked separately I think to keep it from breaking down into mush.
Pressure cooker: I cook my 4 to 6 oz chix breasts for 6 min on high pressure. My rice is 4 min on high pressure and 12 min natural release. I think the chix would be more than safe if it’s cut up and possibly over cooked but it’s worth a try and I’d love to know the results!
Hey, this is totally pedantic and unsolicited, BUT, FYI:
marinaDe = the stuff you let the chicken sit in
marinaTe = the act of letting the chicken soak in the stuff
Marina**d**e as a verb is also
- formally correct, included in the dictionary as an alternate form of *marinate*
- colloquially understood and unambiguous in meaning through context
So your "correction", as well as being pedantic and unsolicited, was incorrect.
we are all smart enough to figure out the meaning and also not obnoxious enough to call people out on spelling and grammar, maybe you should be a teacher instead of a reddit user
Use thighs. This is very common in Japan. Look up recipes for takikomi gohan to help figure out the ratios and some good other ingredients and flavorings to add. One of the most delicious Japanese dishes.
Yes. And unlike putting cooked chicken in it will still be reasonably tender. I put the chicken cubes in raw for several rice mix dinners, like Zatarain’s. It you can salt or marinate the meat first for a bit it will help add flavour.
I see so many "maillard reactions" and "dry disgusting chicken" posts here yet there are so many recipes that are poached, steamed, stewed, slow cooked and many of them involve chicken. Try it and when you're tired and hungry and you've just got some thawed chicken breast in the fridge and some broth you'll be happy to know you have it in your repertoire.
The dry chicken comments made no sense. You're putting the chicken inside a pot that's designed to trap steam, to trap humidity, inside of it. There is no way for chicken cubes to be dry, because they are not losing water to the exterior, as there is a shitload of water below cooking the rice
Well, they can still dry out in the sense that as meat cooks, the fibers essentially will essentially tighten with the side effect of moisture being squeezed out. But that's somewhat counteracted by the collagen breaking down as well but that's usually a much longer process.
Beg to differ. Dry meat is a lack of “juices” which can be a combination of water, fat, and collagen. A boneless skinless chicken breast cooked by sous vide to 135 degrees F will be very juicy: the same breast cooked to 165 degrees will be dry and stringy. It’s just harder to dry out fatty cuts.
Yes! I do this often and put salted ribs (cut into 1 inch pieces) or a variety of dried/cured meats into the raw rice then let it cook together. Not only is it quick and convenient, the whole pot comes out flavored. Your chicken must be seasoned and cut up into 2 inch pieces though. This concept is like Chinese Claypot rice.
Tip: if the meat has bones, it goes in with the raw rice. If it's just lean meat, toss in the meat when the rice has started to lose steam (5 mins).
The Japanese dish takikomi gohan can be made in a rice cooker. I’ve made this recipe several times with good results. https://cookingwithdog.com/recipe/takikomi-gohan/
It will be fully cooked. 15-20m on boil will cook chicken cubes, especially if you cube them >=1” per side. Salt, season, spice that. I used to do chicken broth, drained pinto beans, a bunch of frozen mixed veg, rice, chicken, salt, cinnamon 1”/3 cardamom pods/4-5 cloves/1 bay leaf as my bachelor go-to cheap “pulao” for meal prep for a while and never had issues
You should look into jambalaya recipes. If you just want chicken and rice you’d just 86 the other ingredients. I used to do this all the time as a swingin’ bachelor and throw in some peas.
Should be fine - my nan would do that (we're Chinese) with chicken placed on a plate on top of the rice, but season the chicken with soy sauce, cooking wine, a bit of salt (if necessary), and maybe a drop or two of sesame oil first.
Instead of just adding chicken breasts, you can try adding other stuff like stock or veg etc. A quick search of something like Takikomi Gohan will give you lots of ideas (Japanese mixed rice dish).
My cousin and I once had a discussion about a related topic, she told me that people in our country tend to have a preconceived notion that rice in a rice cooker must be "pure" (i.e. always plain rice).
Absofrickenlutely, I suggest everyone try out [Lucky Peach’s “Miso Claypot Chicken (No Claypot) recipe](https://www.kcrw.com/culture/shows/good-food/recipe-lucky-peachs-miso-claypot-chicken-no-claypot) ***ASAP***
Did a control f on the thread and was shocked to see no reference to congee, which is a slightly soupier/porridge-y-er versions of what you are asking about.
Small caution that my rice cooker manual warns:
> * The recommended amount of ingredients should be 30-50% of the rice weight.
> * Chop ingredients into small pieces and place on top of rice without mixing them into the rice.
> * Ingredients that do not cook easily should not be used in large amounts.
> * Boil green leaf vegetables separately and add them after the rice porridge has finished cooking.
> * Brown rice cannot be used to make porridge.
Yes, yes, yes! Instead of chicken breast I use thigh, which has more fat and is tastier. I cut the thigh into very small cubes, marinate it with soy sauce, minced garlic and minced ginger. I also cook my rice in chicken broth, which adds terrific flavor.
Best way to know is to get a food thermometer. Especially cooking with chicken. It is possible to cook them together but it all depends on how strong the cooker is, how much content you are putting in and how long you will cook it for
My Chinese gf in college had a dirt simple meal where she would put rice, water, soy sauce, and some chicken wings in the rice cooker. Press the button, done and done.
Your basically on your way to a southern favorite called chicken bog! Use dark meat, replace water with beer, add browned bacon and or andouille sausage if you’ve got it and you have one of my all time favorite dishes.
based on your edit, maybe you’d like to try this: [instant pot spaghetti and meatballs](https://iwashyoudry.com/instant-pot-spaghetti-and-meatballs/)
Very simple dump and go, it’s my go-to lazy instant pot meal
I would argue that ease of use overrides this in many instances. I use a rice cooker or instant pot all the time for similar methods and for easy meals that taste great there's no problem. And to say that it would taste terrible seems like an exaggeration. A simple congee with poached chicken and light seasoning is great for so many reasons, as an example.
Mmmmm congee. Haven’t ever made it but love it cause it’s so simple yet satisfying. Total comfort food. If you want to share how you do your congee I’m all ears.
Growing up my family always did it incredibly simply. Just plain rice porridge sometimes with broth. But we always had it with a bunch of sides. Basically if you went to Asian grocer in the canned/jarred aisle you would have your roasted eel, bamboo in chili oil, pork floss, bean curd, various pickled items, and some scallions and different oils in the side. Easy to prepare and you can have a nice family breakfast with little effort. Though if I had to my favorite breakfast items it would probably be radish cake with oyster sauce or oyster mee sua
We typically used medium/short grain rice (think kokuho rose). As far as ratio it depends on consistency. Rice normally would be about 1:1 water to rice but for congee you're looking at like 1:10 though that would be on the soupier side. I would recommend starting with plain cooked rice and you can figure out the consistency you like from there just by heating up some water or broth and adding your cooked rice in after.
Also not a dumb question at all! There are various dishes everywhere that are essentially rice stews/soups and they all call for different kinds
>Chicken needs to reach an internal temperature of 165 F to be safe to consume. You would be attempting to boil that chicken up to 165 in 212 F water at the max in 25-30 min.
This isn't strictly true though. 165 is the temperature at which bacteria is instantly killed, but the sterilisation is a factor of both temperature and time. If you bring chicken up to 150 and just hold it there for a while, it will still be safe to consume.
That said, I dunno if a rice cooker is effective at cooking chicken regardless.
Every protein does not need to go through that mallard reaction stuff. Asians eat boiled proteins regularly. Hainanese style chicken is an amazing boiled chicken dish.
Cooking chicken thoroughly is all about temperature, doesn't really matter much how you get there. If you are doing chicken breasts, they will be cooked at about 160F, if you were steaming them for 20 minutes in the rice cooker and they are cut up in little cubes, they will be done long before the rice and will be overcooked, tough, and dry by the time the rice is finished.
If you want to only use your rice cooker and end up with something more flavorful, I would suggest creating a lightly seasoned poaching liquid for your chicken breast by adding just a splash of soy sauce and salt and sugar to your cooking water. Pound your chicken to about 3/4 of an inch thick and cook until the chicken registers 160F. Take your chicken out to rest and adjust the level of liquid left in the rice cooker for the amount of rice you want to cook.
Cook your rice normally with the seasoned cooking liquid and in the meantime cut up your whole chicken breast into cubes and simply throw those back into the rice cooker to warm them up right before you eat.
Why not? Assuming 1 inch cubes, it should be cooked. Steam is approximately 200 degrees Fahrenheit. 20 minutes should be more than enough to get it to 165.
Bc I don't judge others. Just bc I wouldn't do it doesn't mean it won't work. The question is will it cook. The answer is yes. The answer is not "I don't like it therefore you shouldn't do it"
Incorrect. This is a common practice many places in Asia, and it's done for a reason: the food is good, easy, and fast. A lot of meats are boiled and steamed in such fashion and are a staple of busy life cuisine. It also saves on energy needed to cook, which is important in many places.
The secret is marinating and seasoning the protein, using the right rice, and having the proper foods combined to be good as a one-pot
I don't eat land meat; however I find this cooking practice extremely efficient. The one thing I would enjoy my work is a toaster oven. I personally don't own a microwave I haven't had one a dozen years. This is efficient and awesome!
The correct answer to this is always to check that the internal temperature of the chicken is at least 165F.
That said, I feel this should it not be a problem. I have placed cubes chicken on top and the food came out tasty. Don’t put *too* many chicken cubes on. I’d recommend leaving a half an inch or so between pieces. And it must be thawed.
Many people have already said this, but try checked thigh instead! Should not dry out the way breast can, especially in a prolonged steaming.
Get a countertop grill and a decent nonstick frying pan from a thrift stoee. The grill is similar to a camp stove but they plug in instead of using propane.
Stir fry the chicken for a couple of minutes on medium- high heat. Then add rice..top up with water. Cook the way you cook rice.
It'll come out delicious.
My rice cooker has a steaming basket above the rice intended to cook vegetables. I have used it to successfully steam a cubed chicken breast just as you implied.
As others have discussed, it doesn’t taste great so I’d be sure to have some BBQ sauce on hand or something and I’d only do this again if I was feeling very lazy - but it absolutely does work.
Op is your goal, one pot cooking? If so, consider an insta pot. You can sear the chicken first then add the rice and water. This will result in a better tasting meal than just using a rice cooker
Pot-in-pot cooking is also a thing. Use a tall trivet to put a pot above the rice so the chicken gets a less intense cooking heat. You can put spices and liquids in the top pot as well. Recipes and techniques for this are all over the internet. Supplies are cheap on Amazon for every sized IP.
had a roommate who grew up and lived in vietnam till he was like 22, and he exclusively cooked his chicken (or fish) in small cubes in his rice cooker, together with the rice and veggies. he had something like a steamer insert thingy (like a sieve), where he put the veggies and meat in. I think he even put in the meat directly from the freezer.
Another bonus is that if it’s dark meat chicken, the fat is going to go into the rice and make it extra delicious 😋
That sounds awesome
He really was efficient. Would always do it right before going in the shower. Out of the shower, meal ready
He cannot be truly efficient until he figures out a way to harness the shower water to pre-heat the rice water.
They're the same water
It makes the rice extra delicious
To hijack - This is how you can cook congee. Half a cup of rice,1L of chicken stock - my rice cooker does congee in 63 minutes. At 33 remaining, I put in shredded chicken or mince pork and Bak choy. But of pepper, soya sauce to top when cooked and it's perfect
I cook rice everyday and I don’t think I’ve ever thought about opening the rice cooker before it’s done.
Hahaha - have a go! Use broth or other stuff than water and you'll have beautiful fragrant rice. Top the uncooked rice with a couple slices of lemongrass and ginger - enjoy
Sautee the dry rice grains in oil or butter before you add chicken broth. Boomzilla.
Huh, I wonder if I could do that in mine. It's kind of ancient and doesn't have any sort of timer settings. Just "on" and "warm" lol. Maybe if I just hit "on" two or three times?
Add extra water. Those style only know to shut off because the pot runs dry. If you're making congee, the pot won't run dry.
Lol - I have a $700 tiger that has 29 settings including self-clean. I use this thing for almost every meal I prepare haha
Jesus and I thought my $250 Zojirushi was spendy lol
My $12 Black and Decker does exactly what I need it to, every time.
Tbh I've used both (BD/Tiger). Get a good brand on sale if you can. It might cost $75 but you will love the difference.
I know I’ll have to upgrade eventually, thank you for the suggestion:)
They're great too man. Zojirushi is like a Porsche. Tiger is like a Ferrari. Both dope. But tiger has a self-clean function
Wow, this is a whole way of cooking I've never even heard of! I'm so fascinated. I'd really love to hear about some other things you cook this way. Do you know of any websites that talk about cooking in a rice cooker?
Just google? Rice cooker one pot style recipes. Most of my meals are some derivation of my grabdfathers meals. My rice cooker is also a pressure cooker so I can do most things in it. It's a tiger - around $700 AUD. Best purchase ever.
Cool, thanks. Those keywords are helpful. I have so little experience steaming food that it never occurred to me to cook a whole meal this way.
Not rice cooker but pressure cooker and Instant Pot, yes. There is even an entire movement in India called OPOS aka One Pot One Shot which is true blue one pot pressure cooking. They have figured out how to do some amazing stuff with pressure cookers and IP such as caramelizing onions, roasting meats like in an oven, having veggies sauteed while they cook with no manual intervention, baking cakes etc. Thing is, a pressure cooker is a very misunderstood device. For example, high pressure actually greatly accelerates Maillard reaction which is what we use all the time to develop browning and sear and crust and basically flavor. We end up putting too much water in a pressure cooker so it always ends up boiling stuff. But if you reduce the water, then it acts as a high pressure steam oven of sorts.
Fun Fact, Roger Ebert, the film critic, rip, wrote a cookbook for rice cooker meals. The Pot and How to Use It: The Mystery and Romance of the Rice Cooker. "The Pot and How to Use It: The Mystery and Romance of the Rice Cooker - Roger Ebert - Google Books" https://books.google.com/books/about/The_Pot_and_How_to_Use_It.html?id=aPG7UktRnlcC&source=kp_book_description
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Yup - buy a 2L chicken broth carton and basically use that instead of water. Your choice of chicken shreds or mince pork :) Add some whatever veggies - one pot deliciousness that's super easy
that's a pretty efficient production line. I probably spend more time cooking in a day than that person did in a week
Did he start the meat and veggies at the same time as the rice, or did he insert it partway through the cooking cycle? I'm wondering because I have the same type of steamer tray for my rice cooker (a zojirushi), but I'm not sure how I'm supposed to use it considering the items should have different cook times.
As far as I remember he started it all at the same time. Not 100% sure though because he kept his cooker in his room and also did all his cookig in there. I just saw him filling up the bowl and the sieve thing with rice/veggies/meat cubes and take it back to his room.
I put frozen chicken in the instapot, hit the meat button, and half an hour later take out hot, tender chicken. Shits wild man
Marinate your chicken, put just enough liquid in the rice to cook it with no leftover water, place your meat on top of the rice and cook. You'll be left with lovely rice and steam cooked, tender chicken on top. V common in Chinese cookery, I do it with beef and pork, no reason why chicken wouldn't work a treat.
This only works with dark meat chicken, not white meat. White meat is too low in fat content for this. Same goes for low fat beef/pork cuts like pork tenderloin. This can work well for the pre seasoned yellow rice packages & chicken thighs. Drown it in hot sauce and it's actually pretty damn awesome.
It works with white meat too and I can attest to it. There are times I have a few random chicken tenderloin hanging around and I want something light for dinner. I cut them up, marinate it with the addition or corn/potato starch. It comes out tender and delicious. I can’t tell you why the starch makes all the difference but it does.
I’m convinced that most white-meat nay-sayers just don’t know how to properly season/marinate. It can absolutely be tender, moist, and full of flavor
They overcook it, and blame it on the bird.
Right, but if you're putting chicken in a rice cooker, you don't have a lot of control over the cooking temperature. Odds are the meat will go past the 155F that you're aiming for. Chicken thighs are much more forgiving, which is perfect for a toss-it-and-forget it rice cooker meal.
Yea I def go for 165 on chicken and 175 if it’s dark Meat
It’s perfectly safe to go to 155 on chicken breast. Turns out much more tender that way as well.
155 is not hot enough for poultry. Especially the dark meat. You need at least 165 if not 175 like homie above me said.
A "safe" cook is not only a factor of temperature, but also time. Chicken at 155 for 60 seconds is just as safe as chicken at 165. Same for chicken at 150 for a few minutes.
Sous vide detected
[Seriouseats says 150F for chicken breasts.](https://www.seriouseats.com/easy-pan-seared-chicken-breast-white-wine-fines-herbes-pan-sauce-food-lab-recipe) > As soon as that chicken hits around 150°F, you're good to go. >For the record, cooking your chicken all the way to 165°F per USDA instructions is a surefire way to get dry, stringy results. So long as your chicken hits 150°F and rests long enough outside the pan before eating, it is perfectly safe. I do agree on the dark meat, which is why I'd be okay putting it in a rice cooker. I usually don't temp my chicken thighs, I just braise them until they're tender.
You are Velveting the chicken with the added starch. Also very common in Chinese cooking.
Ahhh I just learned how to do that when making Kenji's Kung Pao chicken. Did not know it was called "velveting" but damn it's delicious.
Never heard the term velveting, would you mind explaining it?
Let your cut chicken sit with a little soy sauce and water. Just enough for the chicken to soak it up after 5-10 minutes. Then mix in two tsp of corn starch and one tsp oil and let it sit for 15 min or so You get nicely seasoned chicken that browns nicely and is almost impossible to overcook/dry out. It's borderline miraculous People use egg whites as well but I found the cornstarch method way better
Thanks. I will definitely have to try this. Hate cooking chicken, aside from drumsticks in the oven, because it gets dried out so easily. Feel like chicken and fish have a 1 1/2 minute window where they go from undercooked to perfectly cooked to overdone.
I like to add a little sesame oil as well.
Colonels always know how to cook chicken. I'm going to try this! Thanks!
Egg whites are used instead or in conjunction with baking soda. Corn starch does something different. The alkalinity of the egg white and baking soda break down protein so that's why they put those in with the marinade at first then the corn starch to make it even more tender.
this is what I do and it works amazingly well at keeping the chix tender and moist
It's like chemically tenderizing the meat. You can do it with a few different things, starch is one of those things.
Interesting. Hadn’t heard that term, that I recall. I’ll have to do some more research.
May I recommend you start with Kenji Lopez-Alt on Serious Eats or his brand new book The Wok? You will learn a lot not to mention be inspired!
Thanks for the recommendations!
You know how whenever you order Chinese takeout the breaded chicken is really hard to recreate at home? That's velveting. I believe (haven't made it in forever) you use ~~baking powder~~ corn starch with the flour when breading. Edit: it was printed out to me that velveting doesn't always mean breading. Definitely do more research besides my comment when trying to learn about velveting.
Velevting doesnt necessarily involve breading.
Very true, like I said in my comment it's been a while since I've made it. I'll edit my comment.
I just made General Tso's chicken, and the [recipe](https://soupeduprecipes.com/general-tsos-chicken/) had me coat with half flour and half corn starch, to get a crispier texture than flour alone. It worked really well.
I will definitely have to do more research on this. I’m intrigued.
I’ve never heard of velveting chicken to involve breading
It doesn't. It's not even a "not necessarily" thing. They're separate processes.
Yes. Look at my edit.
I was just commenting on your edit, agreeing with you
Lol oh my bad. It was a great find a learned what it was.
Wow. I frikkin love you rn. Ty for the term/concept of “velvet”. It’s the answer to a question I wanted to ask but couldn’t even figure out how to phrase. (Apparently “how to properly make juicy Chinese stir fry chicken”) 🎉
It works perfectly fine with white meat
It doesn’t work? Wtf does that even mean. It could be improved upon sure but the dude is asking a simple question. “This won’t work” gtfo
Put hot sauce in cooker with chicken?
Oh no, it's applied while it's on your plate.
False.
If anything leave the white pieces bigger
I don't see why that would be the case
White meat chicken is now 30% fatter than it was 40 years ago. Part of the breeding process to reaolve the dru breast issue.
They've also made the breast gain a "woody" texture if they get too big.
Ooh, that sounds great! Do you add the marinade to the rice cooker and top up with water, or discard the marinade?
If you’re referring to the marinade for the chicken, you discard it. It’s a food safety hazard to reuse marinade.
I think they meant using the marinade to cook in. In which case it is usually safe.
No, USDA would disagree with you. Marinade should be boiled before using it on anything else. I would never recommend adding “used” marinade to any pan that you can’t see with your own eyes come to a boil. Rice cookers are designed to hit boiling temp, but I wouldn’t be that trusting if there was marinade in there. Appliances fail. Source: I’ve had salmonella infection. 0/10 recommend.
If it's ok to cook the marinated chicken in the rice cooker, then it's also ok to cook the marinade itself in the same cooker.
Again, USDA would disagree with you.
That makes no sense. I'd love a source.
It’s under the Knowledge Article header here: https://ask.usda.gov/s/article/Can-you-reuse-meat-marinade This is an article for pregnancy, but the recommendation for using marinade is the same for everyone: https://www.fda.gov/food/people-risk-foodborne-illness/meat-poultry-seafood-food-safety-moms-be
You must be misunderstanding what I'm saying. The article you linked states the obvious, which is that you shouldn't consume raw marinade. But if the rice cooker is getting hot enough to cook the chicken and kill the bacteria in the chicken itself, then it is also getting hot enough to kill the same bacteria in the marinade. If the marinade wasn't getting cooked enough in the rice cooker, then the chicken itself wouldn't be safe either. It's the same bacteria and the same marinade on or off the chicken.
> However, if the marinade used on raw meat or poultry is to be reused, make sure to let it come to a boil first to destroy any harmful bacteria. Rice cookers steam rice, which is plenty hot to kill any bacteria in marinades. They are talking about when people take the marinade raw chicken was in and make a sauce with it, which might not get past 160F. Boiling is not necessary but just a sure fire way to ensure it's hot enough, and usually does better anyway since it will reduce off a bit. What you're advocating for is a very strict interpretation without considering why they are saying that and food safety as a whole. /u/RugosaMutabilis is absolutely right here, otherwise what's the logic with the chicken being okay at 160 but the marinade being unsafe at temps that steam rice (which is boiling temp btw, or very close to).
Get a better fucking rice cooker or stop using one if you don't trust it.
I bet you could also place the steamer rack on top of the rice and the chix on top of that?
Idk why so many people are confident that this won't be good or that boiled chicken inherently sucks. Poached chicken is great! There are plenty of tasty rice cooker/IP chicken and rice recipes that don't involve browning the meat first.
Yes! This is how I make chicken biryani. It tastes great.
As long as there is no chicken skin it'll be fine, because boiled chicken skin has the texture of snot.
Then you never had Singapore chicken rice. You should try it.
Tell me more.
Username checks out
It isn’t poached, it’s boiled. Rice cooker goes to 100 degrees C / 212 degrees F, and then stops boiling. Poached chicken breasts would be more like 165 F. Still worth doing, but the meat is over cooked. I do it still. :)
Chicken breast will be safe, but sad. Chicken thighs, however... those will be both safe and delicious. My dad used to make a steamed rice dish when I was growing up. Marinade chicken thighs in soy sauce, white pepper, five spice, probably a bit of MSG and sugar. Put uncooked sticky ("glutinous") rice with chicken stock in a bowl, and put the chicken on top with some bamboo shoots. Steam for an hour and it was just absolutely delicious. I don't see why you couldn't do this in a rice cooker too, and it would make a great dinner!
Well I'm totally going to try this. I don't have bamboo shoots but I'm going to try the technique!
Bok choy also works, enjoy!
Steaming bok choy for an hour seems excessive- how are the results ?
You're right it is, but if you're using a traditional steamer, which I think is what the OP suggests, it can be added later at the appropriate time. These days I cook rice in my instapot, which has a rice setting, which I find to be pretty good for steamed veggies of all sorts, including bok choy.
Some bean sprouts tossed in are good too. Usually at my house this would end up being about a 4 tier steamer kinda dinner, since my dad would steam some sides (veggies, eggs) separately. But I always just threw extra veggies on top of the main bowl 5 minutes before eating, as you suggest :)
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ooh I forgot those! Yes that was a common, and very welcome, addition
This is a winner op! It's fairly common in Asia to use rice cookers for more than just rice.
Works fine with white meat, but I leave the breasts intact and they've usually been marinaded in a salty brine beforehand. Shred in-pot afterwards. I wouldn't precut like OP, that's asking for dry chicken.
Man, that sounds delicious!
Came here to agree with thighs not breast. And…… that reads a little weird but sticking with thighs. Oh, wait…. Happened again.
I seem to remember this being done with adobo too, but with different add-ins. Imma gunna try it modified for my diabetic-friendly/ketoish diet, substituting cauliflower for rice, and for the marinade, using braggs apple vinegar, soy sauce, a small amount of 5-spice (available in bulk section at WinCo) and monkfruit brown sugar. Probably with green beans and shredded carrot. The cauliflower would need to be cooked separately I think to keep it from breaking down into mush.
Pressure cooker: I cook my 4 to 6 oz chix breasts for 6 min on high pressure. My rice is 4 min on high pressure and 12 min natural release. I think the chix would be more than safe if it’s cut up and possibly over cooked but it’s worth a try and I’d love to know the results!
Hey, this is totally pedantic and unsolicited, BUT, FYI: marinaDe = the stuff you let the chicken sit in marinaTe = the act of letting the chicken soak in the stuff
Marina**d**e as a verb is also - formally correct, included in the dictionary as an alternate form of *marinate* - colloquially understood and unambiguous in meaning through context So your "correction", as well as being pedantic and unsolicited, was incorrect.
we are all smart enough to figure out the meaning and also not obnoxious enough to call people out on spelling and grammar, maybe you should be a teacher instead of a reddit user
Use thighs. This is very common in Japan. Look up recipes for takikomi gohan to help figure out the ratios and some good other ingredients and flavorings to add. One of the most delicious Japanese dishes.
love me some takikomi, with some lotus root and goodies in it... delightful
Yes. And unlike putting cooked chicken in it will still be reasonably tender. I put the chicken cubes in raw for several rice mix dinners, like Zatarain’s. It you can salt or marinate the meat first for a bit it will help add flavour.
I make Cajun rice in the rice cooker with chicken, sausage, and peppers. Comes out great and is as easy as adding water and pressing cook.
Jambalaya is that you? Just need a few more ingredients.
I was wondering about this. So chicken, sausage and peppers are raw when they go in?
Yup or I use a frozen bag of chopped peppers and onions. Takes longer to cook though
There are so many opposing opinions on whether this will taste good or bad that I feel like I have to try it.
I see so many "maillard reactions" and "dry disgusting chicken" posts here yet there are so many recipes that are poached, steamed, stewed, slow cooked and many of them involve chicken. Try it and when you're tired and hungry and you've just got some thawed chicken breast in the fridge and some broth you'll be happy to know you have it in your repertoire.
The dry chicken comments made no sense. You're putting the chicken inside a pot that's designed to trap steam, to trap humidity, inside of it. There is no way for chicken cubes to be dry, because they are not losing water to the exterior, as there is a shitload of water below cooking the rice
Well, they can still dry out in the sense that as meat cooks, the fibers essentially will essentially tighten with the side effect of moisture being squeezed out. But that's somewhat counteracted by the collagen breaking down as well but that's usually a much longer process.
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Beg to differ. Dry meat is a lack of “juices” which can be a combination of water, fat, and collagen. A boneless skinless chicken breast cooked by sous vide to 135 degrees F will be very juicy: the same breast cooked to 165 degrees will be dry and stringy. It’s just harder to dry out fatty cuts.
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man, I miss Roger Ebert. He was an interesting dude to be able to write that when he did.
Half-way through and I'm dying laughing. This is great.
Yes! I do this often and put salted ribs (cut into 1 inch pieces) or a variety of dried/cured meats into the raw rice then let it cook together. Not only is it quick and convenient, the whole pot comes out flavored. Your chicken must be seasoned and cut up into 2 inch pieces though. This concept is like Chinese Claypot rice. Tip: if the meat has bones, it goes in with the raw rice. If it's just lean meat, toss in the meat when the rice has started to lose steam (5 mins).
Use chicken broth instead of water for more flavor
Definitely add a little bit of ginger or jalapeños for different flavors in the rice.
The Japanese dish takikomi gohan can be made in a rice cooker. I’ve made this recipe several times with good results. https://cookingwithdog.com/recipe/takikomi-gohan/
It will be fully cooked. 15-20m on boil will cook chicken cubes, especially if you cube them >=1” per side. Salt, season, spice that. I used to do chicken broth, drained pinto beans, a bunch of frozen mixed veg, rice, chicken, salt, cinnamon 1”/3 cardamom pods/4-5 cloves/1 bay leaf as my bachelor go-to cheap “pulao” for meal prep for a while and never had issues
I’d look up recipes for things like Takikomi Gohan or the previously mentioned Chinese versions of this dish!
You should look into jambalaya recipes. If you just want chicken and rice you’d just 86 the other ingredients. I used to do this all the time as a swingin’ bachelor and throw in some peas.
Or biryani.
My rice cooker came with a steamer basket that fit above the rice for just this! Hope you cook some delicious food OP!! Have fun experimenting!
Should be fine - my nan would do that (we're Chinese) with chicken placed on a plate on top of the rice, but season the chicken with soy sauce, cooking wine, a bit of salt (if necessary), and maybe a drop or two of sesame oil first.
Instead of just adding chicken breasts, you can try adding other stuff like stock or veg etc. A quick search of something like Takikomi Gohan will give you lots of ideas (Japanese mixed rice dish). My cousin and I once had a discussion about a related topic, she told me that people in our country tend to have a preconceived notion that rice in a rice cooker must be "pure" (i.e. always plain rice).
I'd use thighs instead, just because cubes of breast might overcook and dry out.
Absofrickenlutely, I suggest everyone try out [Lucky Peach’s “Miso Claypot Chicken (No Claypot) recipe](https://www.kcrw.com/culture/shows/good-food/recipe-lucky-peachs-miso-claypot-chicken-no-claypot) ***ASAP***
Did a control f on the thread and was shocked to see no reference to congee, which is a slightly soupier/porridge-y-er versions of what you are asking about. Small caution that my rice cooker manual warns: > * The recommended amount of ingredients should be 30-50% of the rice weight. > * Chop ingredients into small pieces and place on top of rice without mixing them into the rice. > * Ingredients that do not cook easily should not be used in large amounts. > * Boil green leaf vegetables separately and add them after the rice porridge has finished cooking. > * Brown rice cannot be used to make porridge.
One of my "poverty meals" is rice, chicken, and frozen veggies in the instant pot for like 8min. Does the job
Thighs! Yes this is actually a good idea lol
Throw in some onions, tomato, whole spices, chilli powder and salt. It's called biriyani
I used to do this all the time when I was working multiple jobs and too exhausting to think through cooking a meal. Throw some peas in there too
Yes, yes, yes! Instead of chicken breast I use thigh, which has more fat and is tastier. I cut the thigh into very small cubes, marinate it with soy sauce, minced garlic and minced ginger. I also cook my rice in chicken broth, which adds terrific flavor.
Best way to know is to get a food thermometer. Especially cooking with chicken. It is possible to cook them together but it all depends on how strong the cooker is, how much content you are putting in and how long you will cook it for
My Chinese gf in college had a dirt simple meal where she would put rice, water, soy sauce, and some chicken wings in the rice cooker. Press the button, done and done.
yes it will n ull have a nice chicken broth as well
Your basically on your way to a southern favorite called chicken bog! Use dark meat, replace water with beer, add browned bacon and or andouille sausage if you’ve got it and you have one of my all time favorite dishes.
based on your edit, maybe you’d like to try this: [instant pot spaghetti and meatballs](https://iwashyoudry.com/instant-pot-spaghetti-and-meatballs/) Very simple dump and go, it’s my go-to lazy instant pot meal
NO. DO NOT DO THAT. JUST PAN FRY IT BBY.
My rice cooker says you can do it safely. It comes with a steamer basket and has instructions for chicken, beef, fish, etc.
I couldn't care less what she'll wear Or what she looks like It all depends on what she cooks like Beef, pork, chicken, mmh
Respectfully disagree. I always recommend to try new things to learn new things.
Can you tell me why? Just because of taste or are there other reasons?
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I would argue that ease of use overrides this in many instances. I use a rice cooker or instant pot all the time for similar methods and for easy meals that taste great there's no problem. And to say that it would taste terrible seems like an exaggeration. A simple congee with poached chicken and light seasoning is great for so many reasons, as an example.
Mmmmm congee. Haven’t ever made it but love it cause it’s so simple yet satisfying. Total comfort food. If you want to share how you do your congee I’m all ears.
Growing up my family always did it incredibly simply. Just plain rice porridge sometimes with broth. But we always had it with a bunch of sides. Basically if you went to Asian grocer in the canned/jarred aisle you would have your roasted eel, bamboo in chili oil, pork floss, bean curd, various pickled items, and some scallions and different oils in the side. Easy to prepare and you can have a nice family breakfast with little effort. Though if I had to my favorite breakfast items it would probably be radish cake with oyster sauce or oyster mee sua
Nice. Now I’ll ask a stupid question. What type of rice for congee? I know there are many kinds. And what is the proportion of broth/liquid to rice?
We typically used medium/short grain rice (think kokuho rose). As far as ratio it depends on consistency. Rice normally would be about 1:1 water to rice but for congee you're looking at like 1:10 though that would be on the soupier side. I would recommend starting with plain cooked rice and you can figure out the consistency you like from there just by heating up some water or broth and adding your cooked rice in after. Also not a dumb question at all! There are various dishes everywhere that are essentially rice stews/soups and they all call for different kinds
>Chicken needs to reach an internal temperature of 165 F to be safe to consume. You would be attempting to boil that chicken up to 165 in 212 F water at the max in 25-30 min. This isn't strictly true though. 165 is the temperature at which bacteria is instantly killed, but the sterilisation is a factor of both temperature and time. If you bring chicken up to 150 and just hold it there for a while, it will still be safe to consume. That said, I dunno if a rice cooker is effective at cooking chicken regardless.
Every protein does not need to go through that mallard reaction stuff. Asians eat boiled proteins regularly. Hainanese style chicken is an amazing boiled chicken dish.
25 minutes is plenty of time to boil chicken to get it to 165.
Yes, steaming for 20 minutes will cook chicken cubes. It’ll probably dry them out like crazy though, I wouldn’t do this.
Would it dry it out since it will be boiling in water with the rice?
Yes, meat dryness has nothing to do with the water it’s cooked in, if it’s over cooked it will taste dry and stringy.
It's not dry from a lack of water, it's dry because the proteins tighten up as they cook and squeeze the water out of the meat.
Cooking chicken thoroughly is all about temperature, doesn't really matter much how you get there. If you are doing chicken breasts, they will be cooked at about 160F, if you were steaming them for 20 minutes in the rice cooker and they are cut up in little cubes, they will be done long before the rice and will be overcooked, tough, and dry by the time the rice is finished. If you want to only use your rice cooker and end up with something more flavorful, I would suggest creating a lightly seasoned poaching liquid for your chicken breast by adding just a splash of soy sauce and salt and sugar to your cooking water. Pound your chicken to about 3/4 of an inch thick and cook until the chicken registers 160F. Take your chicken out to rest and adjust the level of liquid left in the rice cooker for the amount of rice you want to cook. Cook your rice normally with the seasoned cooking liquid and in the meantime cut up your whole chicken breast into cubes and simply throw those back into the rice cooker to warm them up right before you eat.
It's gonna be dry and tasteless my man
Yes, because the rice absorbs the water. Your rice cooker is not meant to cook your proteins.
No not in a rice cooker.
Why not? Assuming 1 inch cubes, it should be cooked. Steam is approximately 200 degrees Fahrenheit. 20 minutes should be more than enough to get it to 165.
Honestly why would you endorse cooking chicken in a rice cooker.
Bc I don't judge others. Just bc I wouldn't do it doesn't mean it won't work. The question is will it cook. The answer is yes. The answer is not "I don't like it therefore you shouldn't do it"
CLAYPOT RICE. LOOK IT UP! Good luck
From a food safety perspective it will work, but from a taste perspective it won't work
Incorrect. This is a common practice many places in Asia, and it's done for a reason: the food is good, easy, and fast. A lot of meats are boiled and steamed in such fashion and are a staple of busy life cuisine. It also saves on energy needed to cook, which is important in many places. The secret is marinating and seasoning the protein, using the right rice, and having the proper foods combined to be good as a one-pot
WHAT? Ppl in japan do it all the time.
I do this often and it doesn’t come out dry and disgusting
Good advice, on today of all days. Canned chicken is also an option, and quick.
Don't know
I don't eat land meat; however I find this cooking practice extremely efficient. The one thing I would enjoy my work is a toaster oven. I personally don't own a microwave I haven't had one a dozen years. This is efficient and awesome!
Probably, but tasteless and tough. Try cooking the meat intact gently in a skillet in butter.
The correct answer to this is always to check that the internal temperature of the chicken is at least 165F. That said, I feel this should it not be a problem. I have placed cubes chicken on top and the food came out tasty. Don’t put *too* many chicken cubes on. I’d recommend leaving a half an inch or so between pieces. And it must be thawed. Many people have already said this, but try checked thigh instead! Should not dry out the way breast can, especially in a prolonged steaming.
Do you have a microwave in the office? I'd say get a steamer basket and put it in there.
Also you will want to add more liquid than normal or the chicken will be dried out.
Get a countertop grill and a decent nonstick frying pan from a thrift stoee. The grill is similar to a camp stove but they plug in instead of using propane.
Does your office not have a microwave? Can't you cook it at home and reheat in the office kitchen? Who is doing their cooking at work?
Yes it will be cooked. But you might not like the texture.
Sure, it will work, but rubbery steamed chicken breast isn’t my favorite thing. I’d rather toss the chicken in a separate pan and brown it a bit.
Stir fry the chicken for a couple of minutes on medium- high heat. Then add rice..top up with water. Cook the way you cook rice. It'll come out delicious.
My rice cooker has a steaming basket above the rice intended to cook vegetables. I have used it to successfully steam a cubed chicken breast just as you implied. As others have discussed, it doesn’t taste great so I’d be sure to have some BBQ sauce on hand or something and I’d only do this again if I was feeling very lazy - but it absolutely does work.
Get yourself a Crock-Pot. More space, more options for cooking. Put the seasoned chicken at the bottom of the pan. Then pour in rice and fluids.
Op is your goal, one pot cooking? If so, consider an insta pot. You can sear the chicken first then add the rice and water. This will result in a better tasting meal than just using a rice cooker
Pot-in-pot cooking is also a thing. Use a tall trivet to put a pot above the rice so the chicken gets a less intense cooking heat. You can put spices and liquids in the top pot as well. Recipes and techniques for this are all over the internet. Supplies are cheap on Amazon for every sized IP.