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Three cups chicken- How to cook in 5 simple steps

Three cups chicken (San Bei Ji) 三杯鸡 is so attractive because of its simplicity in preparation and intense flavor. It is one famous Chinese dish that does not involve stir-frying– the principal cooking method used in many Chinese dishes. Traditionally it is served bubbling hot in an earthenware pot with steamed rice or rice congee.

Three cups chicken is originated from the province of Jiangxi in China. Legend has it that it was created by Wen Tianxiang who was a scholar-general in the last years of the Southern Song Dynasty. He created the chicken dish by using only a cup each of rice wine, lard, and soy sauce, hence the name ‘three cups’. Eventually, it was introduced to Taiwan and has become the de facto national dish of Taiwan.

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Three cups chicken (San Bei Ji) is so attractive because of its simplicity to prepare and concentrated flavor. Traditionally it is served bubbling hot in an earthenware pot with steamed rice or rice congee.

Three cups chicken is the perennial Taiwan favorite of all time. Lard has long been substituted with sesame oil with basil as the must-have ingredient. 

Unlike other Asian stir-fry dishes that rely on fiery heat to generate wok-hei for the complex flavor, three cups chicken is handled in a more subtle way with the perfect pairing of ingredients and slow stewing to imbue the flavor into every piece of the meat. The result is an aesthetically pleasant glossy finish and mouth-watering chicken which is a feast for all senses.

How to prepare three cups chicken in 5 steps

1. Cut the chicken into large pieces, bone-in, skin-on

There are two ways to cut the chicken. The first way is to cut the chicken into 3-inch, bone-in, skin-on pieces, while the second way is to use deboned chicken thigh or breast meat.

I prefer the first option as the bone will have more flavor to the gravy while braising. The gelatin from the bone will also thicken the gravy naturally to make it adhere to the surface of the chicken.

2. Saute the aromatics until fragrant

Heat 1/3 of the sesame oil in a wok to saute ginger, garlic, and dried chili peppers. Since the smoking point of sesame oil is relatively low (about 160°C/320°F), saute over low to medium heat to avoid the sesame oil turning into smoke.

Ginger takes longer than garlic to saute before it turns aromatic. Use the whole clove of garlic if you want to saute the garlic and ginger at the same time. Otherwise, add the sliced garlic slightly later.

You can use either dried chili or substitute with fresh serrano red chili in the ingredient list.

3. Pan-fried the chicken

Once the aromatics turn fragrant, add the chicken to the pan and pan-fried until slightly brown on both sides. It will take a few minutes, Be careful not to overheat the sesame oil, or it will acquire a bitter taste.

4. Braised the chicken with the seasonings

Once the chicken turns golden brown, add the remaining ingredients except for the basil.

Now you can continue to braise the chicken by adding a small amount of water to the pan or transferring it to a clay pot. Many Chinese chefs prefer to use clay pots to braise the chicken because it will add an earthy flavor to the dish, although it is not an essential step.

Cover and simmer for 20 minutes.

The ratio of Shaoxing wine, soy sauce, and sugar can differ. It also depends on the brand of soy sauce as the saltiness can be different. My ratio of light soy sauce to dark soy sauce is 3:1. I prefer this ratio as the color is not too dark, and the flavor of both types of soy sauces is detectable.

You can substitute rock sugar with regular sugar if rock sugar is not available.

5. Add the basil

When the gravy is nearly dry, and the surface of the chicken becomes glossy, add the basil.

Cook for another one minute or until the basil starts to wilt. Dish out and serve.

Three cups chicken (San Bei Ji) is so attractive because of its simplicity to prepare and concentrated flavor. Traditionally it is served bubbling hot in an earthenware pot with steamed rice or rice congee.

Should I use a cup of soy sauce, cooking wine, and sesame oil each?

The eponymous ‘cups’ of Three Cups Chicken denote the use of one cup of soy sauce, one cup of rice wine, and one cup of sesame oil, which are the key ingredients of the recipe.

However, many experienced chefs have their secret ratio of these ingredients. They also prepare the dish in different methods based on their experience. Some recipes suggest pan-frying the chicken first to enhance the flavor, others recommend blanching the chicken to remove the raw smell before simmering it in the sauce.

Besides the ratio of the ingredients and the method of preparation, the debate also raged over how thick the three cups sauce should be, what type of sesame oil is suitable, and the choice between light and dark soy sauce.

Despite the differences, if you just use one cup each of soy sauce, Chinese rice wine, and sesame oil, you are doomed to cook up an unappetizing dish. In my opinion ‘three cups’ is the concept rather than the rule. You definitely also need to fine-tune the flavor by adding garlic, ginger, and basil.

Two ways to cook three cups chicken

Three cups chicken can be prepared in many ways, and I can loosely group them into two methods. Both methods are used by local and celebrity chefs in Taiwan.

  • The marinating method: The chicken is marinated with rice wine, sesame oil, sugar, and soy sauce. The main reason is to ensure that the flavor is fully absorbed into every part of the chicken.
  • The pan-frying method: The chicken is pan-fried until golden brown and seasoning is added. Pan-frying makes the chicken more aromatic, and it is assumed that the meat will be imbued with flavor during the slow cooking process. Sesame oil is added during the later part of cooking to avoid it going bitter due to prolonged cooking.

Cooked in soy sauce, rice wine, and sesame oil, and loaded with heaps of whole garlic cloves, slices of ginger, and fresh basil, this classic Taiwanese cuisine is a perfect reminder of just how good an over-abundance of flavor can be.

Basil with three cups chicken

The Three Cups Chicken Recipe

Below is my tested authentic and easy Three cups chicken recipe. This is a homey and irresistible dish that takes only twenty minutes to prepare. The entire dish can be prepared by using any standard western kitchen stove and does not require the high output wok burner used for other stir-frying dishes.

Yield: 2

Three cups chicken- How to cook the authentic way

three cups chicken recipe

Three cups chicken (San Bei Ji) is so attractive because of its simplicity to prepare and concentrated flavor. Traditionally it is served bubbling hot in an earthenware pot with steamed rice or rice congee.

Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Total Time 30 minutes

Ingredients

A

  • 500 g (1.1 pounds) chicken drumsticks or thighs, skin on,, bone in

B

C

Instructions

  1. Cut the chicken into large pieces.
  2. Heat up 1 tablespoon of vegetable oil in a wok to saute ginger, garlic and dried chili..
  3. Add the chicken and pan-fried until slightly brown.
  4. Add the remaining ingredients except the basil. Cover and simmer for 20 minutes..
  5. When the gravy is nearly dry and the surface of the chicken becomes glossy, add the basil. Cook until the basil start to wilt. Dish out and serve.

Notes

If you encounter any audio / visual problem of viewing this video, you can view it from YouTube by clicking this link, which will open in a new tab.

Nutrition Information:

Yield:

2

Serving Size:

2 servings

Amount Per Serving: Calories: 1005Total Fat: 59gSaturated Fat: 12gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 43gCholesterol: 401mgSodium: 2438mgCarbohydrates: 32gFiber: 2gSugar: 23gProtein: 80g

This data was provided and calculated by Nutritionix on 4/20/2019

Three cups chicken in 2022. It is so delicious that I prepared it over and over again.
Three cups chicken in 2022. It is so delicious that I prepared it over and over again.

Frequently asked questions

1. Three cup chicken or Three cups chicken?

These are just different translation of the same Chinese word 三杯鸡.

2. Is chicken thighs best for preparing Three Cups Chicken?

Chicken thighs and chicken wings are great because the bone will also impart flavor to the sauce while stewing. Some restaurants cut the whole chicken into bone-in pieces to cook this dish.

3. What type of basil is supposed to use in the recipe?

You can use the regular basil or Italian basil. I use the local basil, which is close to the fresh Thai basil leaves and produces a great result.

4. Is the taste of this recipe the same as those I have tried in the Taiwanese restaurants?

Each restaurant may have its secret recipe, but this is the closest to a few Taiwanese restaurants I have tried.

5. What can I use if I do not have the Shaoxing wine?

Dry sherry is the closest alternative.

6. Can I use a pressure cooker for cooking Three Cups Chicken?

Sure. It will save you time and effort 🙂

frances dee co

Wednesday 26th of August 2020

i want to try your recipe of your 3 cups chicken but its in grams and ml measuerements, can you give me in tablespoons like how much is your 40grms of sugar and 100 ml water? will be happy to receive your reply to my email so I can try it out..my husband loves to eat 3 cup chicken we have to order every time and quite expensive so I want to learn how to cook it...will appreciate it very much if you can give me the eact measurements in tablespoon and cups, which I am well verse in..thank you hope to heear from you...

KP Kwan

Wednesday 26th of August 2020

Hi Frances, I have added the equivalent of gram and ml with lbs and tbsp to the recipe. 100ml is 0.4 cup, and 40g is about 3.5 tbsp. I hope now it is clear and makes it easier to understand. Thanks, KP Kwan

Pat

Wednesday 3rd of June 2020

Thank you for the recipe. My husband and I tried out his recipe, and it turned out really good. I also really like that you provided explanation on the origins of the dish :) . Looking fwd to try more recipe from your webpage.

KP Kwan

Thursday 4th of June 2020

Hi Pat, Thank you for trying the recipe. I will add more recipes in the future. KP Kwan

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sheryll

Thursday 13th of April 2017

Hi KP. Just looked through a couple of your recipes today. Wanted to let you know that your effort in explaining the recipe in such detail is much appreciated! Now, I just have to gather ingredients to try out some of the recipes. :)

KP Kwan

Thursday 13th of April 2017

Hi Sheryll,

Thanks for your comment. I am giving out as many details as possible so that you can replicate the recipe without any problem. The Three Cups Chicken recipe was written earlier, so there isn't any video embedded. Since last year, all my new recipes are with video demo, which should be able to show any steps that are hard to explain in words. Thanks again for being with me, and hope you like it.

KP Kwan

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