Three Cup Chicken (San Bei Ji)
An easy, one-pot three cup chicken recipe that’s sweet, savory, and glossy — made with sesame oil, soy sauce, rice wine, and finished with fragrant Thai basil.
Equipment
- Wok or pan
Ingredients
- 1.5 lb chicken thighs bone-in or boneless, skin-on, cut into bite-sized pieces
- 2 tbsp ginger thinly sliced
- 1 bulb garlic peeled
- 1-3 red Thai chilies
- 2.5 tbsp roasted sesame oil
- 2.5 tbsp light soy sauce
- 0.5 tbsp dark soy sauce
- 30 g rock sugar
- A handful of Thai basil leaves
- 5 tbsp clear rice wine mijiu, or called michiu
Instructions
- Cut chicken thighs into bite-sized pieces. Pat dry to remove excess moisture — this helps them brown better.
- Heat 3 tbsp roasted sesame oil over medium heat. Add the ginger first; pan-fry for about a minute until lightly browned. Then add garlic and Thai chilies.
- (Tip: don’t use high heat — sesame oil has a lower smoke point and can burn, making the dish taste bitter).
- Add chicken pieces to the pan. Stir and cook until slightly browned on all sides.
- Pour in 3 tbsp rice wine, light soy sauce, dark soy sauce, and rock sugar.
- Bring to a boil, then lower the heat. Let it simmer for about 8–10 minutes, until the sauce thickens and becomes glossy.
- Turn off the heat and add a handful of fresh Thai basil leaves for that aromatic finish. Enjoy hot over a bowl of steamed white rice.