Taiwanese Braised Chicken over Rice (Ji Rou Fan)

About This Recipe

Taiwanese Braised Chicken over Rice is a real, traditional Taiwanese dish, known as Ji Rou Fan. Shredded poached chicken over rice moistened with its own savory braising drippings and crisp shallots, a lighter cousin of lu rou fan.\n\nJi rou fan became especially associated with Chiayi in southern Taiwan, where a shortage of pork after World War II reportedly led vendors to substitute poached chicken for the traditional pork topping, creating a now-beloved regional specialty.\n\nThe result is a dish worth making on its own merits: it rewards patience with the technique and delivers real, specific flavor rooted in Taiwanese home cooking, not a generic stand-in for a search term.

Ingredients

Serves 4

• 1 kgbone-in chicken thighs
• 1 Lwater
• 1 piecefresh ginger(sliced)
• 2scallions
• 6shallots(thinly sliced)
• 4 tbspneutral oil
• 3 tbspsoy sauce
• 1 tbspsugar
• 4 cupssteamed rice(to serve)
• 2 tbspchopped scallions(to garnish)
• 100 gTaiwanese pickled radish(to serve)

Instructions

1. 1

   Poach the chicken

   Simmer chicken thighs with water, ginger and scallions for 25 minutes until just cooked through; reserve 200 ml of the poaching broth.

2. 2

   Shred the chicken

   Let the chicken cool slightly, then shred the meat and skin by hand into thin strips.

3. 3

   Fry the shallots

   Fry sliced shallots in oil until golden and crisp, about 10 minutes; reserve both shallots and the flavored oil.

4. 4

   Make the sauce

   Combine the reserved poaching broth, shallot oil, soy sauce and sugar in a small pot, simmering for 5 minutes until slightly reduced.

5. 5

   Assemble

   Scoop steamed rice into bowls and top with the shredded chicken.

6. 6

   Finish

   Drizzle generously with the sauce, scatter fried shallots and chopped scallions on top, and serve with pickled radish on the side.

Variations

• •

  Add a marinated soft-boiled egg for a heartier version.

• •

  Some vendors add a few slices of chicken skin fried extra crisp on top for texture.

• •

  Serve with braised bamboo shoots as a traditional Chiayi-style side.

Storage

Refrigerate leftovers in an airtight container for up to 3 days. Reheat gently on the stovetop or in the microwave with a splash of water or stock to loosen the texture.

Frequently Asked Questions