I was surprised but pleased to find my daughter, Michelle, attempted to make Three-Cup Chicken (三杯雞 sān bēi jī) on her own. She had just started learning how to cook. Three-Cup Chicken is not well known in the States, but a staple in Taiwanese cuisine. Just hearing about the name makes me homesick!
The dish derives its name from using three cups of sauces as key ingredients: soy sauce, sesame oil, and rice wine. Different from the common “red-cooking” (红燒 hóng shāo) technique that stews meat slowly in a pan of sauce, the three-cup method browns the meat in sticky sauce, creating a deliciously crispy skin.
Here are the three steps for an authentic and successful three-cup dish:
- First, sear the meat til all sides are crispy.
- Then, cook the meat using lower heat to allow the sauce be absorbed into the meat.
- Finally, turn up the heat to reduce the sauce until it becomes sticky and clings to the meat for a rich and dark flavor.
The dish originated from Jiangxi province of China and has become especially popular in Taiwan. The Taiwanese version tosses in fresh Thai basil (九層塔) at the end for a bold touch. Not all the versions add chilies, but I found it adds an interesting kick that you don’t want to miss! If you don’t have chilies at hand, you can substitute it with crushed red pepper
You can use chicken thighs, drumsticks, or wings to make the dish. Traditionally, meats are chopped into 2 to 3 inch pieces, as shown in the video above, but Michelle adapted it to suit her busy schedule — She used whole drumsticks to save time. I tried drumsticks and shown below is a picture of the outcome. It was indeed a bit easier, quicker, and just as tasty! By the way, do you spot those caramelized brownish gingers and garlic cloves? Really yummy!
Taiwanese Three-Cup Chicken (三杯雞 sān bēi jī)
You can use the traditional way to chop chicken thighs into 2 or 3 inch pieces for the dish. Alternatively, you can just use whole drumsticks to save some prep time. You can also use wings. Cut through the joint between the drumette and the wingette. Also cut the joint between the wingette and tip, and discard the tip.
Additional Tips:
- If you have dark soy sauce
(老抽 lǎochōu) at hand, you can use it to replace a small portion of the soy sauce in this recipe. Dark soy sauce has a deeper color and more body, which will give the meat a richer and darker color.
- If you have Chinese rock sugar
(冰糖 bīngtáng), use it in place of the sugar in the recipe. The rock candy will bring a smooth and harmonious sweetness to the dish.
Ingredients
- chicken - 2 pounds, drumsticks, thighs, or wings
- Aromatic Seasoning
- garlic - 12 cloves, peeled
- ginger - 2 inch, thinly sliced (around 12)
- red chilli - 2, cut in half; or 1 teaspoon red-pepper flakes
- Sauce Seasoning
- sesame oil - 1/4 cup
- soy sauce - 1/4 cup
- rice wine - or shaoxing wine 1/2 cup. Substitute: sherry
- sugar - 1 tablespoon, light brown sugar or rock sugar preferred
- Garnish
- basil - 2 cups. Thai basil preferred. Alternate: sliced scallions
Instructions
Video is also provided at the top of this article to demonstrate the steps.
- Heat sesame oil over medium high until simmering. [see video above at 0:05]
- Add ginger, garlic, and chilies. Cook until fragrant, approximately a couple of minutes. [0:08]
- Turn heat to high. Place chicken pieces in the pan in a single layer and sear for about a couple of minutes. Flip chicken and cook for another couple of minutes, or until golden crispy on both sides. [0:20]
- Add rice wine, soy sauce, and sugar. Stir to dissolve sugar and bring to a boil. [0:36]
- Cover the wok, lower the heat, and cook for about 10 to 12 minutes or until the chicken is cooked through. If you use whole drumsticks, you may need more time due to the thickness. [0:47]
- Remove the cover. Turn up the heat to thicken the sauce until the sauce clings to the chicken for a rich, dark color. Stir the chicken occasionally to prevent burning. [0:52]
- Turn off heat and toss in basil. Gives it a couple of quick stirs and plate up! [1:00]
- Serve with rice immediately.
Allergens
It is easy to make, and nice & smooth with an extra boost of flavor. Not your typical Teriyaki chicken at all, it has a much more rich taste and more depth of flavor than my usual chicken recipes. I used the drumstick for an alternative ingredient as this recipe suggests and it was a success in my first attempt. The chicken was so yummy that I ended up eating all 6 pieces of drumstick in one meal……
I’m glad that you loved it so much that you ate all the 6 drumsticks in one meal! 🙂 That’s the best compliment for a recipe. Thank you for trying my recipe!