Three Cup Chicken (San Bei Ji, 三杯鸡)

User Reviews

5.0

93 reviews
Excellent
  • Prep Time

    10 mins

  • Cook Time

    10 mins

  • Total Time

    25 mins

  • Servings

    4 servings

  • Calories

    700 kcal

  • Course

    Main Course

  • Cuisine

    Chinese

Three Cup Chicken (San Bei Ji, 三杯鸡)

Quick to cook and super aromatic, three cup chicken is a crowd-pleasing dish that you must try! Follow the tips to make it to perfection.

I Made This!

69 people made this

Save this

55 people saved this

Ingredients

Servings
  • tablespoon sesame oil divided
  • 20 slice ginger
  • 20 clove garlic
  • 3 stalk scallions white and green parts separated
  • 2 lb chicken thighs cut into bite-sized chunks (see note 1)
  • ½ cup Shaoxing rice wine (see note 2)
  • 2 tablespoon light soy sauce
  • 2 tablespoon dark soy sauce
  • 1 tablespoon brown sugar or white sugar, rock sugar
  • ¼ teaspoon ground white pepper
  • 1 bell pepper cut into chunky pieces
  • 1 handful fresh Thai basil (see note 3)
Add to Shopping List

Instructions

Fry the aromatics

  1. Pour 3 tablespoons of sesame oil, leaving ½ tablespoonful for later use, into a wok/large skillet, then add ginger slices, garlic (whole or halved), and the white part of the scallions. Fry over low heat until they become fragrant and the garlic browns slightly.

Sear the chicken

  1. Push the aromatics to the side of the wok/skillet. Then put in chicken pieces. Arrange them in a single layer and sear them over medium heat. Flip and stir to brown other sides until they lose most of their pinkness.

Braised the chicken

  1. Add Shaoxing rice wine, light soy sauce, dark soy sauce, sugar, and white pepper. Toss briefly then cover with a lid. Leave to braise over high heat for about 5 minutes (Alter the cooking time to 8 for chicken wings, 12 minutes for drumsticks, or 3 minutes for breasts).

Reduce the sauce

  1. Open the lid and stir in bell pepper and the green part of the scallions. Leave it to cook further uncovered (keep the heat high). 
  2. Once the cooking liquid reduces to a desired amount (see note 4), turn off the heat. Stir in the remaining ½ tablespoon of sesame oil, and fresh basil leaves. Dish out and serve warm with steamed rice.

Notes

  • I used skin-on, boneless chicken thighs for shooting this recipe. You can also use skinless, boneless thighs, chicken wings (cut into segments), or drumsticks. Chicken breasts are a passable substitute but you need to take extra care not to overcook it.
  • Good quality Shaoxing rice wine contains little salt (mine has 0.08g salt per 100ml of wine). If your one has a higher salt content, you’ll need to reduce its quantity and add some water to make up for the required liquid volume. 
  • Thai basil can be replaced by Italian basil (aka sweet basil). If you prefer not to use basil at all, increase the quantity of scallions.
  • Depending on your liking, the cooking sauce can be reduced to different volumes. Consider the following factors:
  • The less liquid, the saltier the dish would taste;
  • The sauce is great for mixing into steamed rice;
  • The consistency of the sauce thickens as it cools. 

Nutrition Information

Show Details
Serving 1serving Calories 700kcal (35%) Carbohydrates 14g (5%) Protein 41g (82%) Fat 50g (77%) Saturated Fat 12g (60%) Polyunsaturated Fat 13g Monounsaturated Fat 21g Trans Fat 0.2g Cholesterol 222mg (74%) Sodium 1211mg (50%) Potassium 696mg (20%) Fiber 2g (8%) Sugar 5g (10%) Vitamin A 1199IU (24%) Vitamin C 45mg (50%) Calcium 62mg (6%) Iron 3mg (17%)

Nutrition Facts

Serving: 4servings

Amount Per Serving

Calories 700 kcal

% Daily Value*

Serving 1serving
Calories 700kcal 35%
Carbohydrates 14g 5%
Protein 41g 82%
Fat 50g 77%
Saturated Fat 12g 60%
Polyunsaturated Fat 13g 76%
Monounsaturated Fat 21g 105%
Trans Fat 0.2g 10%
Cholesterol 222mg 74%
Sodium 1211mg 50%
Potassium 696mg 15%
Fiber 2g 8%
Sugar 5g 10%
Vitamin A 1199IU 24%
Vitamin C 45mg 50%
Calcium 62mg 6%
Iron 3mg 17%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.

Genuine Reviews

User Reviews

Overall Rating

5.0

93 reviews
Excellent

Write a Review

Drag & drop files here or click to upload
Other Recipes

You'll Also Love

Three Cup Chicken (San Bei Ji)

Chinese
4.7 (21 reviews)

Three Cup Chicken (San Bei Ji)

Chinese
5.0 (135 reviews)

Three Cup Chicken (San Bei Ji)

Chinese
5.0 (12 reviews)

Three Cup Chicken (三杯鸡)

Chinese
5.0 (39 reviews)

Taiwanese 3-Cup Chicken (San Bei Ji)

Chinese, Taiwanese
5.0 (6 reviews)

San Bei Ji

Asian, Chinese, Taïwainais
5.0 (3 reviews)

San Bei Ji

Asian, Chinese, Taiwanés
0.0 (0 reviews)

Three Cup Chicken

Chinese
5.0 (3 reviews)

Taiwanese three cup chicken

Chinese, Taiwanese
0.0 (0 reviews)

Chinese Squid Recipe - Three Cup Squid

Chinese
4.7 (69 reviews)

Pork Lettuce Wrap (San Choy Bow)

Chinese
0.0 (0 reviews)

Sichuan Spicy Three Pepper Chicken

Chinese
5.0 (63 reviews)

Cook dumplings in three ways

Chinese
5.0 (45 reviews)