Three-Cup Chicken [Recipe]

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Here’s a lovely Taiwanese dish that’s easy to cook at home! 

So why is it called Three-Cup Chicken 三杯鸡 (or as we love to say it irreverently in mixed Cantonese – sam kap kai)?

Well, the recipe originally calls for three equal portions of main ingredients – sesame oil, soy sauce, and shaoxing wine. However, in real life – you can’t really use that measurement as it will be too oily and salty.

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This is a super delicious dish. You get chicken cooked in fragrant sesame oil and soy sauce, with lovely accents coming from the ginger and basil leaves.

In a way, this dish reminds us of teriyaki chicken (see our recipe here) as the wine is used to reduce the sauce – resulting in glazed and slightly seared chicken.

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It is then finished with fresh basil leaves, which give the dish its distinct aroma. 

For our recipe, we like adding some dried chilies for a bit of heat. We also like using drummettes for the nice fat and meat ratio, but you may use any parts you like.  While this dish is traditionally cooked and served in a claypot – it works well too with the regular wok or pan. Enjoy!

Check out our Instagram post here for more pictures and videos.

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