Three Cup Chicken/三杯雞 (Sān Bēi Jī)
A quintessential recipe for Taiwanese home cooking that has been heartily approved by my in-laws—and is thankfully very easy to make!
- 1 pound skin-on, bone-in chicken thighs
- 1 tablespoon rice wine
- 1/2 teaspoon white pepper
- 3 tablespoons sesame oil
- 2 dried red peppers ((optional))
- 10 garlic cloves, smashed
- 1 inch ginger, sliced
- 1/4 cup rice wine
- 1/4 cup dark soy sauce
- 1 1/2 tablespoon brown sugar
- 2 cups fresh Thai basil leaves, washed and plucked
Mix the marinade ingredients together with the chicken (rice wine and pepper). Allow the chicken to sit for at least 30 minutes in the marinade before cooking.
Combine the rice wine, soy sauce and sugar into a bowl and set aside.
When you’re ready to cook, heat 3 Tbsp. of sesame oil in a large pan or wok on medium heat.
When the oil is heated, add the dried red peppers and stir until the skins of the red peppers start to darken. (Feel free to nix this step if you don’t prefer spice–or lessen the amount of pepper to reduce the heat.)
Add the garlic cloves and ginger and stir until they emit a fragrance, ~30 seconds.
Add the chicken skin side down for 2-3 minutes before flipping. Continue to cook until the chicken is cooked on the outside and no pink flesh is showing, another 2 minutes.
Give the sauce mixture a quick stir to re-incorporate the sugar then add to the wok. Stir to evenly coat the chicken with the sauce, then cover and turn the heat down to medium low and cook for 10 minutes.
Uncover the wok, then allow the sauce to thicken for another 2-3 minutes.
When the sauce is almost done, add the Thai basil leaves and stir until they wilt.
Turn off the heat, remove the wok from the stove, and plate. Serve immediately.
If you have any leftovers, they’ll last for up to a week when refrigerated in an airtight container.
- Feel free to substitute with boneless skinless chicken, which I know is less fatty and fussy... but also less flavorful, especially if you sub breast in for thighs.
- However, the Thai basil cannot be substituted with Italian/sweet basil or it will totally change the flavor of the dish.