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Three Cup Chicken (San Bei Ji / 三杯鸡) – Boneless Recipe

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When you dine in a Taiwanese restaurant, chances are you’ll spot Three Cup Chicken (San Bei Ji, 三杯鸡) right at the top of the menu.  Today, I want to share a bit about this iconic Taiwanese cuisine and how we make a boneless version that still keeps all the rich, delicious flavor you get from cooking chicken on the bone. We even cook it in a claypot, which gives better heat distribution than a stainless steel pot and makes the dish look extra inviting when served. 

So… what exactly is Three Cup Chicken? A quick internet search tells us that this dish dates all the way back to the Song Dynasty. According to legend, a prison warden felt sympathy for the national hero Wen Tianxiang, who was about to face execution. With only a few ingredients on hand, he cooked a final meal for Wen using one cup each of soy sauce, rice wine, and sesame oil, all simmered together in an earthenware pot. 

three cup chicken

Of course, the dish has evolved significantly since then, although the main ingredients remain sesame oil, wine, and soy sauce. The original Three Cup Chicken recipe was brought to Taiwan by Hakka immigrants, where it was reinvented using local flavors, particularly the generous use of basil and sesame oil.  Today, the version that most people around the world enjoy is mainly the Taiwanese-style Three Cup Chicken, or a variation inspired by it.

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Boneless Three Cup Chicken

This article also aims to tackle a common problem: How do you keep that rich “on-the-bone” chicken flavor when making a boneless Three Cup Chicken? 

The solution is simple: debone the chicken, then use the bones to make a highly concentrated chicken stock, which later becomes part of the braising liquid. This way, you still get all the flavor and aroma of bone-in chicken, but with the convenience and tenderness of a boneless dish. 

Let me walk you through the whole process step by step so you can see exactly how it is done.

Note: We also filmed 🎬a cooking video for this dish, and it’s included in this article just above the recipe card. 👇👇

How to Prepare Boneless Three Cup Chicken 

a. Preparation

  1. To make a great boneless Three Cup Chicken, you’ll need deboned chicken, and the best cut for this dish is definitely the drumstick. You can either debone it yourself or ask your chicken vendor to do it for you. 
  2. But whatever you do, don’t throw away the bones! Instead, place them in a small pot just large enough to hold them in a single layer. Add just enough water to cover the bones, then let it simmer over low heat. This extracts all the flavor, and after about 20 minutes, you’ll get a beautifully concentrated chicken stock. Strain it, then continue reducing it so it becomes rich enough to use as part of the braising liquid. 
  3. While the stock is simmering, get the aromatics ready: fresh ginger slices, garlic cloves, dried chilies. Please rinse the dried chilies thoroughly (they can be dusty), and if you want the chili flavor but prefer less heat, go ahead and remove the seeds.

b. Sauté the ginger and garlic with sesame oil

  1. For braising, I use a claypot, and there are two reasons for this: a) It retains heat much better than stainless steel and gives a more even heat distribution. b) It looks great! A claypot makes a beautiful serving vessel, so you can bring it straight to the table without transferring it to another bowl.
  2. Heat the sesame oil in the claypot over medium heat. Sauté the ginger, garlic, and dried chilies for about 30 seconds to 1 minute, just until the aroma starts rising. This is the key step to releasing all those wonderful flavors. 
  3. You may have heard that sesame oil isn’t ideal for sautéing because it has a relatively low smoking point. That’s true, which is why I keep the heat lower to make sure it stays below its smoke point of around 350°F (177°C). This gentle heat lets the sesame oil infuse its flavor into the ginger and garlic.
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c. Simmer the chicken

  1. Once everything smells aromatic, it’s time to add the chicken pieces to the claypot. 
  2. Mix the chicken with the sesame oil and give it a quick stir-fry for about a minute. Then add the light soy sauce, dark soy sauce, rice wine (or Shaoxing wine), and rock sugar, and let everything come back to a gentle boil. 
  3. By this time, your bone stock should have reduced into a very concentrated essence. Strain it through a wire mesh strainer to remove the bones and get a clean, flavorful stock. Pour this into the claypot so all that amazing flavor from the bones and marrow goes right back into our Three Cup Chicken. 
  4. Next, turn the heat down and let it simmer for around 15 minutes, until the sauce reduces into a thick, glossy gravy. The gravy should be thick enough to cling to the chicken pieces. A good way to check is to see whether it coats the back of a metal spoon and leaves a clear trail when you drag a spatula across the bottom of the pot. 

c. Final touch

  1. It’s almost done. But there’s one last ingredient that turns Three Cup Chicken into the king of all Taiwanese comfort dishes: fresh basil leaves. It’s best to use Thai basil for that authentic flavor, but if you don’t have any, regular basil works perfectly too!
  2. Grab a generous handful of clean basil leaves and place them right on top of the chicken. No need to stir. Just close the lid and turn off the heat. The residual heat will gently steam the basil. After about a minute, open the lid, and you’ll see the leaves beautifully wilted, and you’ll be hit with that incredible basil aroma rushing up all at once. 
  3. Give everything a quick stir so the basil flavor can fully infuse into the gravy.
  4. And of course, the claypot makes this dish extra special. It looks stunning when served as it is! Before serving, garnish with a small sprig of fresh basil and a few thin slices of red chili for a beautiful, appetite-boosting presentation. 
  5. The gravy is packed with flavor, so this dish is best served with plain white rice. The rich, complex taste of the chicken and sauce will still linger on your palate long after your last bite 
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Three Cup Chicken (San Bei Ji / 三杯鸡) - Boneless Recipe

Yield: 3 servings
Prep Time: 15 minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes
Total Time: 35 minutes

Make authentic Taiwanese Three Cup Chicken with full bone-in flavor using a boneless method and homemade chicken stock. Rich, aromatic, and claypot-cooked.

Ingredients

Instructions

  1. Make the Concentrated Stock. Place the chicken bones in a small pot in a single layer. Add just enough water to cover. Simmer over low heat for about 20 minutes. Strain and continue reducing until the stock is very concentrated. Set aside.
  2. Prepare the Aromatics. While the stock simmers, prepare the ginger, garlic, and dried chilies.
  3. Sauté the Aromatics. Heat sesame oil in a claypot over medium-low heat. Add ginger, garlic, and dried chilies. Sauté for 30 seconds to 1 minute until fragrant.
  4. Cook the Chicken. Add the chicken pieces and stir-fry for about 1 minute to coat evenly with the sesame oil.
  5. Braise. Add light soy sauce, dark soy sauce, rice wine, and rock sugar. Bring to a gentle boil, then pour in the concentrated chicken stock.
  6. Simmer. Lower the heat and simmer for about 15 minutes, until the sauce reduces into a thick, glossy gravy that coats the chicken.
  7. Add Basil. Place basil leaves on top, cover with a lid, and turn off the heat. Let the residual heat wilt the basil for about 1 minute, then stir gently.
  8. Serve. Garnish with extra basil and sliced red chili if desired. Serve hot, preferably straight from the claypot.

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Nutrition Information:
Yield: 3 Serving Size: 1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 850Total Fat: 51gSaturated Fat: 10gUnsaturated Fat: 42gCholesterol: 320mgSodium: 2209mgCarbohydrates: 29gFiber: 1gSugar: 23gProtein: 64g

This data was provided and calculated by Nutritionix on 17/12/2025

© KP Kwan
Cuisine: Chinese / Category: chicken

Tips to make the best Three Cup Chicken 

Below is a list of useful tips for making Three Cup Chicken to share with you. 

  • If you use a stainless steel pot instead of a clay pot, please stir the chicken a few times to avoid the gravy from sticking to the bottom. A stainless steel pot can heat things up pretty fast and can burn the chicken if not stirred periodically. 
  • Claypot has a much higher heat capacity than a stainless steel pot, and provides a more even heat distribution. That is why the basil will be cooked with the lid on even after the stove has been switched off. You may want to keep a small flame while adding basil if using a stainless steel pot. 
  • The chicken tastes best after a few hours of cooking, as the flavor from the gray has time to infuse deep into the meat. 
  • If you find that it is too troublesome to make the chicken bone stock, you can substitute it with store-bought chicken broth, or you can use bone-in, skin-on chicken chunks if you do not mind dealing with the bone on the dining table. 

More Chicken Dishes You’ll Love

You might also enjoy these chicken recipes on this blog 

  • Sesame Oil Chicken — A comforting, easy Chinese-style braised chicken with sesame oil and ginger. It’s ready in under 30 minutes, and the fragrant, mellow flavor pairs especially well with steamed rice. 
  • Taiwanese Salt and Pepper Chicken — Crispy, golden fried chicken bits with a crunchy exterior and tender meat inside. Made extra crunchy by double-frying, it’s perfect as a snack or casual meal. 
  • Chinese Honey Garlic Chicken — Tender chicken pieces coated in a sweet-savory honey-garlic sauce that tastes just like restaurant takeout. A great choice when you want something juicy, flavourful, and kid-friendly. 

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