Three-cup chicken originated in the Jianxi province of southern China but became popular in Taiwan. When a restaurant claims to be Taiwanese, they better have good three-cup-chicken. The name is derived from three cups of sauce used to cook the chicken. The typical ratio is 1 cup of soy sauce, 1 cup of rice wine (or Shaoxing), and 1 cup of sesame oil to one whole chicken. Keep in mind that the cup is a rice measuring cup which is about ¾ of a cup. The idea is to cook the chicken in this sauce until the chicken absorbs most of the sauce leaving a shimmering glaze of salty, sweet, and spicy that pairs exceptionally with white rice.
I went to college in the East Coast and the only Asian restaurant near campus was a Chinese restaurant (not Taiwanese) and therefore you cannot get Three-Cup chicken there. Thanks to the union workers that do not work on weekends in our school’s cafeteria – we had to fend for ourselves on the weekends for food. Being a little homesick, I called my mom and asked her how to make Three-Cup chicken. After I mastered the recipe and a handful of others, I became famous among my classmates on weekends for Taiwanese cuisine. Or maybe they just came to eat free food. Three-cup chicken was the first dish I’ve ever made from scratch and to this day, it’s still one of my favorite dishes because it’s simple, nearly fail proof, and just so darn delicious.
There are many variations of three cup chicken here in the US. Traditionally, especially at restaurants, it should be made / served in a clay pot and the chicken should be a whole chicken. However, for the home, I made some modifications so it’s even simpler. Who wants to chop a whole chicken into 30 pieces anyway? Personally, I think chicken tastes best with bone and skin so I usually use chicken wings since it has bone and skin and it’s pre-cut. You can also use boneless thigh or breast meat. With chicken breast though, the key is to reduce the sauce without the breast and then put the meat back into the pan at the very end. I’ll save that recipe for a different day!
Three Cup Chicken Ingredients:
- 1 lb chicken wings (~8 wings)
- 2 tbsp sesame oil (dark / black)
- ¼ cup shaoxing wine
- ¼ cup soy sauce
- 1 tbsp sugar
- 2-inch ginger – thinly sliced
- 10 cloves garlic (whole, peeled)
- 2 stalks of scallions cut into 1 inch lengths
- 1 cup thai basil leaves (loose)
- 1 red chili (optional)
Directions:
Add a bit of cooking oil (not the sesame oil) and heat pan to medium high. Once pan is hot, add chicken and brown on all sides for about 3 minutes and remove. This helps seal and retain moisture for the chicken while cooking.
Next, heat sesame oil over medium heat and cook ginger and garlic until slightly golden then put the chicken back into the pan.
Pour in the shaoxing wine, soy sauce, and sugar.
Then cover and simmer at medium heat for 5-8 minutes until chicken is cooked through (periodically turning the chicken so it’s basting in the sauce).
Uncover and turn on high heat for about 3 minutes until liquid caramelizes. Then stir in scallions, chili, and basil and cover for one more minute to allow the basil and scallions to release its flavor.
Serve in a heated clay pot with a bowl of white rice. The best is to drizzle the sauce over your rice. The sweet, salty, and a little bit spicy goodness is so very satisfying!
- 1 lb chicken wings (~8 wings)
- 2 tbsp sesame oil (dark / black)
- ¼ cup shaoxing wine
- ¼ cup soy sauce
- 1 tbsp sugar
- 2-inch ginger - thinly sliced
- 10 cloves garlic (whole, peeled)
- 2 stalks of scallions cut into 1 inch lengths
- 1 cup Thai basil leaves (loose)
- 1 red chili (optional)
- add a bit of cooking oil and chicken and brown on all sides (about 3 minutes) and remove
- heat sesame oil over medium heat and cook ginger and garlic until golden then put the chicken back in
- pour in the wine, soy sauce, sugar
- cover and simmer at medium heat for 5-8 minutes until chicken is cooked through (periodically turning the chicken so it's basting in the sauce)
- uncover and turn on high heat until liquid caramelizes (~3 min)
- stir in scallions, chili, and basil
- cover for 1 more minute
- serve in a warm clay pot
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