Three-Cup Chicken

Three-Cup Chicken

Ask 30 people how to make this simple Taiwanese recipe, and you’ll receive 30 different responses. Some fry the chicken before braising it, use more oil, less wine, different blends of soy sauce. Debates rage over how thick the sauce should be, over which parts of the chicken to use. (Few follow the folk recipe that calls for making the sauce with a cup each of sesame oil, soy sauce and rice wine. “If you actually cook it that way,” says Eddie Huang, the Taiwanese-American chef who inspired the television program “Fresh Off the Boat,” “you’ll be in trouble.”) Our reporting and testing led us to the recipe below. Use it as a starting point, and then make it your own.

Ingredients

  • 3 tablespoons sesame oil
  • 1 2-to-3-inch piece of ginger

    peeled and sliced into coins, approximately 12

  • 12 cloves of garlic

    peeled

  • 4 whole scallions

    trimmed and cut into 1-inch pieces

  • 3 dried red peppers or 1 teaspoon red-pepper flakes
  • 2 pounds chicken thighs

    boneless or bone-in, cut into bite-size pieces

  • 1 tablespoon unrefined or light brown sugar
  • 1/2 cup rice wine
  • 1/4 cup light soy sauce
  • 2 cups fresh Thai basil leaves or regular basil leaves

Directions

  1. 1

    Heat a wok over high heat and add 2 tablespoons sesame oil. When the oil shimmers, add the ginger, garlic, scallions and peppers, and cook until fragrant, approximately 2 minutes.

  2. 2

    Scrape the aromatics to the sides of the wok, add remaining oil and allow to heat through. Add the chicken, and cook, stirring occasionally, until it is browned and crisping at the edges, approximately 5 to 7 minutes.

  3. 3

    Add sugar and stir to combine, then add the rice wine and soy sauce, and bring just to a boil. Lower the heat, then simmer until the sauce has reduced and started to thicken, approximately 15 minutes.

  4. 4

    Turn off the heat, add the basil and stir to combine. Serve with white rice.

Three-Cup Chicken

Three-Cup Chicken

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About this Recipe

Craving a deeply savory, aromatic chicken dish that transports you to Taiwanese kitchens? Our Three-Cup Chicken recipe offers that authentic, comforting experience you'll adore, without needing a passport. This beloved dish, famed for its rich sauce, comes together with a harmonious blend of simple yet potent ingredients. You’ll love how easily this recipe allows you to explore complex flavors right in your own kitchen.

What makes this Three-Cup Chicken truly special is its balanced approach to tradition. While the dish’s name famously refers to a one-to-one-to-one ratio of sesame oil, soy sauce, and rice wine, our tested recipe refines this folk method. We've crafted a sauce that delivers incredible depth of flavor without being overly heavy, allowing the distinctive aromatics to truly shine—a testament to thoughtful recipe development, as chef Eddie Huang noted on the traditional approach.

Get ready for tender, succulent chicken pieces enveloped in a glossy, fragrant sauce. Each bite bursts with the warmth of ginger, the pungency of garlic, and the unique, sweet-peppery notes of fresh basil, all balanced by the savory richness of soy sauce and the subtle sweetness of brown sugar. The subtle heat from red peppers rounds out the profile, creating a truly satisfying and memorable meal. This dish invites you to savor layers of flavor, making it perfect for a cozy weeknight or a special gathering.

The beauty of Three-Cup Chicken is its adaptability, inviting you to make it truly your own. Feel free to experiment with different cuts of chicken thighs, whether boneless or bone-in, cut into bite-size pieces. If you don't have fresh Thai basil, regular basil leaves make a fine substitute while still contributing fresh, aromatic notes. You can also easily adjust the spice level by varying the amount of dried red peppers or red-pepper flakes to suit your preference.

This flavorful Three-Cup Chicken is excellent served simply with steamed white rice, allowing the sauce to truly coat every grain. It’s an impressive yet straightforward dish that’s perfect for family dinners or entertaining friends.

Frequently Asked Questions