Khao Mok Gai (Thai Chicken Biryani)
Turmeric-and-coriander marinated chicken thighs steam on top of fragrant coconut jasmine rice in one pot, then get crowned with crispy fried shallots and served with a sweet-tangy chili dipping sauce and cool cucumber.
- Prep
- 28 min
- Cook
- 47 min
- Wait
- 1 hr 10 min
- Total
- 2 hr 25 min
- Makes
- 4 generous servings (one 12-inch pot of rice with 4 chicken thighs)
Steps
Before you start
- Marinate the chicken at least 1 hour (up to 12 hours in the fridge). Start there; everything else happens during or after.
- Use a 12-inch (30 cm) deep skillet or Dutch oven, at least 3 inches (7.5 cm) deep, with a tight-fitting lid, so the rice cooks in an even layer.
- Rinse the jasmine rice until the water runs almost clear so the grains stay separate and fluffy.
- Do not lift the lid during the 22-minute steaming step; the trapped steam cooks the rice.
Marinate the chicken
- In a medium bowl, stir together the yogurt, turmeric, ground coriander, cumin, white pepper, minced garlic, grated ginger, fish sauce and ½ tsp marinade salt into a thick paste.
- Add the chicken thighs and turn them, rubbing the paste under and over the skin.
- Cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour and up to 12 hours.
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Ready when: Chicken is evenly coated in a bright yellow paste
Tip: Yogurt's gentle acidity tenderizes the meat; do not marinate longer than 12 hours or the texture turns mushy.
Make the dipping sauce
- In a small saucepan, combine the rice vinegar, sugar and 3 tbsp water.
- Bring to a simmer over medium heat, stirring, and cook for 3 minutes until the sugar dissolves and the liquid looks slightly syrupy.
- Remove from the heat and stir in the minced garlic, chili and chopped cilantro.
- Let cool to room temperature; it will thicken a little as it cools.
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Ready when: Sugar is fully dissolved and the syrup coats a spoon lightly
Tip: Do not boil hard, or the sauce reduces into candy once cooled.
Prep rice and vegetables
- While the chicken marinates, rinse the jasmine rice in a bowl, swirling and changing the water 4 to 5 times until it runs nearly clear.
- Drain in a fine-mesh strainer and let it sit for at least 10 minutes.
- Slice the onion, crush the cardamom pods, slice the cucumber and cut the lime into wedges.
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Ready when: Rinse water is only slightly cloudy and the rice looks opaque white
Sear the chicken
- Remove the chicken from the bowl and scrape most of the marinade back into the bowl, reserving it (leave a thin coating on the thighs).
- Heat 1 tbsp of the oil in the 12-inch pot over medium-high heat until shimmering.
- Sear the thighs skin-side down for 5 minutes without moving them until the skin is deep golden, then flip and sear 3 minutes.
- Transfer to a plate; the chicken will not be fully cooked.
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Ready when: Skin is deep golden and releases easily from the pot
Tip: Scraping off excess marinade prevents the yogurt from scorching and turning bitter.
Cook spices and onion
- Pour off all but 2 tbsp of fat from the pot if there is more (otherwise add oil to make up the difference from the remaining 2 tbsp oil).
- Reduce the heat to medium.
- Add the cinnamon stick, star anise and crushed cardamom and stir for 30 seconds until fragrant.
- Add the sliced onion and cook, stirring often, for 6 minutes until soft and golden at the edges.
- Stir in the reserved marinade and cook 1 minute, stirring, until it darkens slightly and smells toasty.
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Ready when: Onion is soft and golden; spices smell strongly aromatic
Tip: Scrape up the browned bits from the chicken; they dissolve into the rice and add flavor.
Toast rice and add liquid
- Add the drained rice and stir for 1 minute to coat each grain in the spiced oil.
- Pour in the coconut milk and 270 ml (1⅛ cups) water, add ¾ tsp rice salt, and stir once.
- Raise the heat to medium-high and bring to a boil, about 3 minutes.
- Level the rice with a spoon.
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Ready when: Liquid is bubbling across the whole surface
Tip: Stir only once after adding the liquid; more stirring makes the rice gummy.
Steam chicken on rice
- Nestle the chicken thighs skin-side up into the rice, along with any juices on the plate.
- Cover with the tight lid, reduce the heat to low, and cook undisturbed for 22 minutes.
- The rice should absorb all the liquid and the chicken should cook through in the steam.
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Ready when: Chicken reads 175°F (80°C) in the thickest part away from bone; rice is tender with no liquid bubbling at the edges
Tip: If your lid is loose, lay a clean kitchen towel under it to trap steam. Thighs are juicier at 175°F (80°C) than at the minimum safe 165°F (74°C).
Rest the pot
- Turn off the heat and leave the lid on for 10 minutes.
- Then lift the lid, remove the cinnamon stick and star anise if you can find them, and fluff the rice around the chicken gently with a fork.
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Ready when: Rice is fluffy, evenly yellow and separate, not wet at the bottom
Tip: Skipping the rest leaves the bottom layer wet and the top undercooked.
Garnish and serve
- Scatter the crispy fried shallots and torn cilantro over the rice and chicken.
- Serve each portion with one thigh, a mound of rice, cucumber slices, a lime wedge and a small dish of the dipping sauce for spooning over.
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Tip: Add the fried shallots right before serving so they stay crisp.
Good to know
Tips
- Use real jasmine rice that is not parboiled and keep the 2 cups rice to about 1⅔ cups total liquid ratio exactly as written.
- Keep the heat on low during steaming; high heat scorches the bottom before the rice is tender.
- Use a pot wide enough that the thighs sit on the rice in one layer without crowding.
- If the sauce is too sweet or sharp for you, stir in a splash of water to mellow it.
Make ahead
Marinate the chicken up to 12 hours ahead and make the dipping sauce up to 3 days ahead; keep both refrigerated. Slice the cucumber the day of serving.
Storage & reheating
Room temperature: no more than 1 hour after cooking. Fridge: cool within 1 hour, then store rice and chicken in airtight containers up to 3 days. Freezer: freeze rice and chicken up to 2 months. Reheat covered with a splash of water in a skillet over medium-low heat or in the microwave until steaming hot (165°F / 74°C). Keep fried shallots and sauce separate.
Substitutions
- bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs → bone-in chicken drumsticks. Same cooking time; both are done at 175°F (80°C). Boneless thighs cook faster, so reduce steaming to about 18 minutes.
- full-fat coconut milk → additional chicken stock or water. Use 180 ml extra liquid for a lighter, non-coconut rice.
- plain whole-milk yogurt → full-fat coconut yogurt. Gives a dairy-free marinade with a similar tang.
- fish sauce → light soy sauce. Use 1 tbsp; the flavor is less funky but still savory.