Taiwanese Three Cup Chicken
Chicken thighs simmer in a glossy soy, ginger, and garlic sauce, finished with toasted sesame oil and Thai basil. Serve over white rice.
By Cookin' KitchenUpdated
- Total: 18 minutes
- Servings: 4 servings
Recipe
Taiwanese Three Cup Chicken
Chicken thighs simmer in a glossy soy, ginger, and garlic sauce, finished with toasted sesame oil and Thai basil. Serve over white rice.
Cookin' · https://cookin.club/recipes/taiwanese-three-cup-chicken
- Prep
- 8 minutes
- Cook
- 10 minutes
- Total
- 18 minutes
- Servings
- 4
Ingredients
For 4 servings
Chicken and aromatics
Sauce
To serve
Equipment
- Small bowl
- Non-stick pan
Instructions
Method
Step 1: Mix the sauce ingredients in a small bowl and set aside.
Step 2: Heat the oil in a non-stick pan over medium-low heat. Add the ginger and chillies and stir for 30 seconds. Turn the heat to high, add the chicken, and stir until the surface changes from pink to white while the inside is still raw. Add the garlic and stir for another 30 seconds.
Step 3: Add the sauce, scraping all the sugar out of the bowl. Stir, and once it starts bubbling, reduce the heat to medium-high or medium. Keep it simmering fairly rapidly but not wildly: too low and it will take a long time to reduce; too high and it may reduce too quickly. If the sauce reduces too quickly, add a splash of water. Simmer for 5 minutes, stirring to coat and color the chicken, until the sauce reduces from watery to a thin syrup.
Step 4: Stir in the sesame oil, then the Thai basil leaves, until the basil wilts, about 15 seconds. Serve over rice and use all the syrup in the pan; it is intense, so a little goes a long way.
Notes
Ingredient options
Use regular basil or green onion in place of Thai basil.
For a milder dish, omit the dried chillies; dried chilli flakes are another option.
Light soy can be replaced with all-purpose soy. If you do not have dark soy, use more light soy; the chicken and sauce will be paler and milder. Do not replace light soy with dark soy.
Taiwanese rice wine (mijiu) can replace Chinese cooking wine. For a non-alcoholic option, use 1/4 cup low-sodium chicken stock or broth.
Chicken thighs are recommended for a juicier result. If using chicken breast, simmer over medium-high heat until the sauce reduces, about 3 minutes rather than 5, so the chicken does not overcook.
Storage
Refrigerate leftovers for 3 to 4 days. The chicken can be frozen, though it is better made fresh.
Nutrition per serving
- Calories
- 272 kcal
- Fat
- 16 g
- Saturated fat
- 2 g
- Carbohydrates
- 5 g
- Sugar
- 2 g
- Fiber
- 0.3 g
- Protein
- 26 g
- Sodium
- 783 mg
- Cholesterol
- 119 mg
Estimated values; they will vary with the exact ingredients and brands you use.
About this recipe
Taiwanese Three Cup Chicken, also called San Bei Ji, features bite-size chicken thighs braised in a sweet-savory soy sauce with plenty of garlic and ginger. Toasted sesame oil and Thai basil finish the dish, which is served over white rice.
The sauce reduces to a thin syrup that coats the chicken. Serve the rice with the chicken and spoon over all the syrup in the pan.
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