My mom grew up in Hawaii, and she loved making simple local recipes that reminded her of home. This dish was one of my absolute favorite meals that she made for my brother and I growing up, and it’s become one of my favorite comfort foods as an adult.
Chicken long rice is the Hawaiian version of chicken noodle soup; made with bean thread noodles, chicken thighs, fresh ginger, and green onions. It’s a simple soup, but one that truly warms your heart from the inside-out. You can eat this dish with the broth or enjoy the noodles “dry” (without soup), which is how you’ll find it served at a traditional luau. In Hawaii, you’ll often enjoy chicken long rice alongside kalua pork, rice, and lomi salmon.
“This is a classic Hawaiian recipe with roots in China. ‘Long rice’ refers to the slippery, translucent bean thread noodles.”
– The washington post
Hawaiian-Style Chicken Long Rice
Ingredients
- 8-10 oz Bean Thread or Vermicelli Noodles (also called glass noodles)
- 1.5oz Chicken Drumsticks or Bone-In Thighs
- 6 cups Water (or chicken broth)
- 1 Chicken Bouillon Cube (do not use if using chicken broth)
- 1 tbsp Sesame Oil
- 2 cloves Garlic (chopped)
- 2-3 stalks Green Onion (chopped)
- 1 tbsp Soy Sauce
- 1 tbsp Sugar
- 1-2 inches Ginger (fresh, chopped)
- Salt & Pepper (to taste)
Instructions
- Place chicken thighs in a stock pot and cover with water or chicken broth. Add chicken bouillon cube if using water, and bring to a boil over medium high heat.
- Add garlic, ginger, sugar, sesame oil, and soy sauce. Cover, and bring to a vigorous simmer on medium heat.
- Once chicken has cooked through (approximately 10-15 minutes) turn heat to low and remove chicken from the pot. Place on a cutting board to remove from bones and shred into thin pieces. Add shredded chicken back into pot and toss the bones.
- Break up green onion and add into pot along with vermicelli rice noodles.
- Season with salt and pepper to taste.
Watch my video on how to make this recipe by clicking here.
