Cơm gà xối mỡ (Vietnamese fried chicken with rice) is one of the most popular dishes in Saigon. This delectable recipe features chicken legs that have been boiled and then fried in hot oil until crisp up. The cook also utilizes the chicken boiling water to cook the rice, resulting in the most aromatic rice ever.
If you’re in search of a new and exciting chicken recipe, cơm gà xối mỡ is a dish you shouldn’t miss. In today’s post, let’s learn a foolproof recipe to recreate this Vietnamese delicacy at home!
Cơm Gà Xối Mỡ – A Well-loved Dish Of Saigon
Chicken with rice (“cơm gà”) is among the most well-loved dishes in Vietnam, with each region boasting its own unique recipes. For example, Tam Ky, a province in Central Vietnam, is famous for its boiled chicken served with fragrant yellow rice.
As for Saigon, the most populated city in Vietnam, that signature chicken dish must be cơm gà xối mỡ. The original recipe most likely originated in Guangdong (China), which explains why many famous vendors selling cơm gà xối mỡ are run by Chinese-Vietnamese people.
There’s no exact information on when this delicacy first appeared in Saigon, but most people living here have grown up eating it. The term “xối mỡ” describes the technique of pouring hot oil over the chicken during frying, which boosts the crispness and gives it a beautiful golden color.
Tools for Preparing Cơm Gà Xối Mỡ
These kitchen tools, especially the rice cooker, will help you make cơm gà xối mỡ with ease:
The Ingredients List for Cơm Gà Xối Mỡ
Chicken and rice are the main stars of today’s recipe. In addition, you’ll need some other spices and aromatics to enhance the flavor.
Cơm Gà Xối Mỡ: How to Make It?
Here is a detailed guide on how to make your own cơm gà xối mỡ. Don’t worry; it’s not as difficult as some people think.
Step 1: Prepare the Ingredients
Rinse the chicken legs and let them dry or pat them dry with paper towels.
Put 1 bowl of rice in the rice cooker’s inner container. Wash the rice 2 to 3 times, then drain it.
Cut the onion in half, mince the garlic, and crush the ginger.
Step 2: Marinate the Chicken
Puncture the chicken using the needle meat tenderizer. Press the tenderizer evenly to avoid tearing the skin or bruising the meat.
Next, season the legs with:
Mix well and marinate the chicken for 15 to 30 minutes.
Step 3: Boil the Chicken
Place the marinated chicken in a pot and pour in 0.5 quarts (500 milliliters) of water, along with the onion, scallions, and ginger. Cover the pot and boil the chicken for 20 minutes over medium heat.
The cooking time might change depending on the size of the legs and the type of chicken used. Note that you should only boil the chicken legs until they are no longer pink.
Once the legs are cooked, remove them from the pot using tongs. Let them dry, or pat them dry with paper towels.
Step 4: Cook the Rice
Pour the chicken’s boiling water through a sieve into the rice cooker’s pot. In order to cook perfect rice using a rice cooker, the water-to-rice ratio should be 1:1.
Add star anise, 0.5 teaspoon of turmeric powder, and salt to the pot. These ingredients enhance the flavor and give the rice a more appealing color. Mix everything well and place the pot into the rice cooker. Cook the rice in standard mode, which takes about 30 to 45 minutes.
Step 5: Fry the Chicken
Pour vegetable oil into a heated pan, then add the chicken legs and fry until crispy. If the legs are too big to fit in the pan, you can cut them in half.
Since the legs are already cooked, don’t fry them for too long, or they’ll dry out. Use a spoon to constantly scoop and pour hot oil over the legs so that they’re crispy and golden on all sides.
Keep doing this until the chicken crisps up to your liking, then remove them from the heat.
Step 6: Fry the Rice
When the rice is cooked, take it out of the cooker and let it cool.
Fry the garlic in cashew oil until fragrant and golden, then set aside. Add the rice to the same pan and fry it on medium heat for 5 to 10 minutes. Remember to stir frequently.
Step 7: Make the Sauce
Mix the following ingredients until combined:
The sauce should be a little thick. Feel free to add more spices!
Step 8: Present the Dish
Scoop the rice into a bowl and press it down. Place the bowl upside down on a plate. Once you remove the bowl, the rice will form a beautiful shape.
Arrange your favorite side vegetables next to the rice. I love serving this dish with some lettuce and zucchini. Place the chicken onto the plate and sprinkle some fried garlic on top. Enjoy when the dish is still hot!
Some Notable Tips for Vietnamese Fried Chicken with Rice
If you need some tips to help cook this dish easier or with more side dish suggestions, don’t miss out on this section.
Enjoy Cơm Gà Xối Mỡ with Your Loved Ones
Cơm gà xối mỡ is a hearty, self-indulgent recipe that is perfect to enjoy with your family and friends. Fried chicken is simply a dish that no one can hate, and when paired with fragrant fried rice, they make for the best comfort food combo.
Try today’s recipe this weekend, and I guarantee you’ll have a great time. If this post has given you a new idea for the next family meal, please don’t hesitate to press the like button. I would also really appreciate it if you can share the post with people you know.
Cơm Gà Xối Mỡ Recipe (Vietnamese Fried Chicken with Rice)
Equipment
- Pan
- Rice Cooker
- Tongs
- Ladle
- Sieve
- Knife
- Chopping Board
- Meat Tenderizer
- Wooden Spoon
Ingredients
- 2 chicken leg quarters
- 10 grams ginger
- 20 grams garlic
- 1 onion
- Scallions
- 1 bowl of rice
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon soup powder
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 0.5 teaspoon turmeric powder
- 0.5 teaspoon ground pepper
- 1 whole star anise
- 1 teaspoon cashew oil
- Vegetable oil
For the sauce:
- 20 ml sweet, sour, and chili sate sauce
- 50 ml soy sauce
- 2 teaspoons chili sauce
- 2 teaspoons brown sugar
Instructions
- Rinse the chicken legs and let them dry or pat them dry with paper towels. Put the rice in the rice cooker's inner container. Wash the rice 2 to 3 times, then drain it.
- Cut the onion in half, mince the garlic, and crush the ginger.
- Puncture the chicken using the needle meat tenderizer.
- Season the legs with sugar, soup powder, garlic powder, and pepper. Mix well and marinate the chicken for 15 to 30 minutes.
- Place the marinated chicken in a pot and pour in water, along with the onion, scallions, and ginger. Cover the pot and boil the chicken for 20 minutes over medium heat.Once the legs are cooked, remove them from the pot using tongs. Let them dry, or pat them dry with paper towels.
- Pour the chicken's boiling water through a sieve into the rice cooker's pot. The water-to-rice ratio should be 1:1. Add star anise, turmeric powder, and salt to the pot. Mix everything well and place the pot into the rice cooker. Cook the rice in standard mode, which takes about 30 to 45 minutes.
- Pour vegetable oil into a heated pan, add the chicken legs and fry until crispy.
- Use a ladle to scoop and pour hot oil over the legs constantly. Keep doing this until the chicken crisps up to your liking, then remove them from the heat. When the rice is cooked, take it out of the cooker and let it cool.
- Fry the garlic in cashew oil until fragrant and golden, then set aside. Add the rice to the same pan and fry it on medium heat for 5 to 10 minutes, stirring frequently.
- Mix the sate sauce with soy sauce, chili sauce, and brown sugar until well combined.
- Enjoy the dish while it’s still hot!
Video
Notes
- You should cook the rice a little dry so the grains won’t be mushy when fried.
- Besides zucchini and lettuce, you can also serve cơm gà xối mỡ with pickles and tomatoes.
- Vietnamese nước chấm is another great sauce to drizzle over the rice and chicken.
- The chicken must be completely dry before frying to avoid oil splattering.
- You can skip frying the rice if you want to reduce the dish’s calorie count.
Nutrition
Richie
Content Writer
Expertise
Home Cooking, Meal Planning, Food Styling, Food Photography, Cooking-video Maker, Beverage Evaluation Expert
Education
Saigon Culinary Arts Centre, Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam
Vietnam Australia Vocational School (VAAC), Hanoi, Vietnam
Richie, based in Ho Chi Minh City, Vietnam, is a dynamic Content Writer with a talent for capturing the essence of culinary art.
Richie specializes in creating visually appealing and tasty content, offering a new angle on Vietnamese and other culinary traditions. With a background in graphic design and a love for food styling and photography, he expertly combines beauty with food narratives, encouraging his audience to discover the culinary world through his imaginative perspective.