Rice Meals · Thailand

How Many Calories in Khao Man Gai?

Also known as ข้าวมันไก่, Khao Mun Gai, Thai Chicken Rice, Kao Man Gai.

Poached chicken sliced over rice cooked in chicken fat and stock, served with a fermented soybean, ginger and chili sauce, cucumber and a cup of clear soup. Thailand's version of Hainanese chicken rice, 40 to 60 baht at any shophouse.

596kcal / 1 plate
A standard plate of khao man gai is 596 calories for a 300g serving, based on the Thai Department of Health food table. About 340 of that is the chicken fat rice, 165 is the chicken, and the sauce is another 45. The clear soup on the side is close to zero.

Nutrition facts

Per 1 plate (300g)AmountPer 100g
Calories596 kcal199 kcal
Protein28 g9 g
Carbs70 g23 g
Fat22 g7 g

Where the calories come from

Chicken fat rice200g
340 kcal
Poached chicken90g
165 kcal
Soybean ginger chili sauce30g
45 kcal
Clear soup and cucumber120g
20 kcal

The real talk

The rice is the problem, not the chicken. Khao man means fat rice: jasmine rice cooked in rendered chicken fat and stock, which takes plain rice from 130 calories per 100g to around 170. On a 200g scoop that is a 340 calorie base before any chicken lands on it. The poached chicken itself is honest, about 165 calories for 90g and most of that is protein.

The version you order matters more than the shop. Steamed chicken (khao man gai tom) is 596. Ask for gai tod (fried chicken) and the batter and frying oil push it to about 700. Pasom (half steamed, half fried) lands around 650. The tao jiao sauce is 45 calories for a small dish and the pickled ginger inside it is free, so do not skip the sauce, just do not drink it.

Compared with Malaysian or Singaporean chicken rice at around 607, the Thai plate is nearly identical. It is a full meal with 28g of protein. The trap is ordering piset (special) with extra chicken and extra rice, which is usually a 750 to 800 calorie plate, or adding a side of blood tofu and liver, which is more protein but another 80 calories.

How the portions compare

480 kcal
Small plate (40 baht)
596 kcal
Standard plate
780 kcal
Piset with extra chicken and rice

Khao Man Gai variants, ranked by calories

VariantCaloriesNotes
Khao man gai tom (steamed)596 kcalThai Department of Health figure
Khao man gai pasom (mixed)650 kcalHalf steamed, half fried
Khao man gai tod (fried)700 kcalBatter and frying oil

How to eat it lighter

Common questions

Is khao man gai healthy?
It is a complete meal with 28g of protein, but the rice is cooked in chicken fat, so 596 calories with 22g of fat for a normal plate. Steamed chicken with plain rice brings it under 500.
How many calories in khao man gai tod?
About 700 for a standard plate. The fried chicken adds batter and oil worth roughly 100 calories over the steamed version.
Khao man gai vs pad kra pao, which is lighter?
Khao man gai at 596 is slightly lighter than pad kra pao with a fried egg at 630, and it has a bit more protein. Without the egg, pad kra pao at 478 wins.

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Calorie and macro figures are estimates for a typical street stall or food court serving. Actual numbers vary by stall, recipe and portion size. Use them as a guide, not gospel.

Calorie figure based on Thai Department of Health (กรมอนามัย) via health.kapook.com: khao man gai 300g = 596 kcal. Macros estimated from the ingredients.

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