The machine cooked while you sat on a metal bleacher.
Two cups of rinsed jasmine rice, two and a half cups of broth, soy sauce, garlic powder, ginger, and a pound and a half of chicken thigh chunks nestled on top. Lid down at 5:15 with the delay timer set.
When the cycle ends, a cup of frozen peas and carrots goes in and steams on keep-warm for five minutes. Check the chicken reads 165F, fluff everything together, and leave green onions and sriracha on the counter.
Ingredients
The recipe serves 4. Plan on 5 minutes to serve (rice cooker runs while you are out).
- 2 cups jasmine rice, rinsed
- 2 1/2 cups low-sodium chicken broth
- 1 1/2 pounds boneless skinless chicken thighs, cut into chunks
- 1 tablespoon soy sauce
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon ground ginger
- 1 cup frozen peas and carrots
- Toppings: sliced green onion, sesame seeds, sriracha
How to Make It
- Add the rinsed rice, broth, soy sauce, garlic powder, and ginger to the rice cooker and stir.
- Nestle the chicken chunks on top of the rice, close the lid, and start the cook cycle.
- When the cycle ends, stir in the frozen peas and carrots, close the lid, and let it steam on the keep-warm setting for 5 minutes.
- Check that the chicken reaches 165F, then fluff everything together and serve into bowls with toppings.
Do the Slow Part Early
Load the rice cooker before practice and start it on a delay timer, or start it the moment you walk in so it finishes while everyone changes. The machine does the work, not you.
- Rinse the rice and cut the chicken in the morning
- Set the rice cooker on a delay timer to finish near arrival
- Pre-portion the toppings into small bowls for self-serve
Store and Reheat
This reheats well because the broth keeps the rice from drying out. Store the bowls without the fresh toppings.
- Microwave a portion 2 to 3 minutes with a splash of broth
- Stovetop: warm in a covered pan over low heat with a splash of water
- Keeps 3 days in the fridge; verify the chicken is steaming hot
- Serve with: steamed broccoli, orange wedges
Parent Tip
If your rice cooker has no delay timer, this still finishes in about 35 minutes hands-off while you unpack gear.
Make it fit tonight
Small changes that make this one fit your night
No delay timer, no problem
Start it the moment you walk in and it finishes in about thirty-five hands-off minutes.
Thighs over breasts
Thighs sit on keep-warm for an hour and stay soft; breasts go stringy.
Rinse the jasmine rice
Thirty seconds under cold water is why the grains come out separate instead of gluey.
Toppings in small bowls
Sesame seeds, scallions, and sriracha set out at four make it self-serve.
Broth before the microwave
A splash keeps the rice from drying into pellets on the second night.
Plan the next step
Plan your hands-off dinners
Use the planner to line up meals the rice cooker can finish without you.