Three-Cup Chicken

三杯雞zhsān bēi jīzh-Latn

Also: San bei ji, Sanbeiji

A Taiwanese braise of bone-in chicken pieces cooked down in roughly equal parts sesame oil, rice wine and soy sauce with ginger, garlic and a final flourish of Thai basil.

Identity criteria

1The 'three cups' — sesame oil, rice wine (often Shaoxing or rice wine), and soy sauce — in near-equal measure define the sauce
2Bone-in, skin-on chicken pieces braised until the sauce reduces to a glossy glaze
3Aromatics of lots of ginger (often fried in sesame oil first) and whole garlic cloves
4A large handful of Thai basil stirred in at the very end is essential
5Cooked and served in a clay pot, finished dry-ish and intensely fragrant

Components

Protein

Bone-in chickenessentialSkin-on pieces; bones add flavor and body

Aromatics

Ginger and garlicessentialGenerous amounts; ginger often crisped first

Fat

Toasted sesame oilessentialOne of the three cups; fries the ginger

Liquid

Rice wineessentialOne of the three cups

Seasoning

Soy sauceessentialOne of the three cups

Rock sugar and dried chilioptional

Garnish

Thai basilessentialStirred in at the end — the signature finish

Technique

Frying ginger in sesame oil: Crisping the ginger in sesame oil builds the dish's aromatic foundation
Reduction braising: Cooking down the three liquids concentrates them into the glossy, intensely flavored glaze
Finishing with basil: Wilting Thai basil at the very end gives the fresh anise aroma that defines the dish

Form & serving

Served: Served sizzling in the clay pot it was cooked in
Temperature: hot
Portion: Family-style main over rice
Pairs with: steamed white rice · rice wine · leafy greens

Character

Flavour

savoryaromaticsweetumamianise (basil)

Texture

Tender glazed chicken with a glossy reduced sauce and wilted fragrant basil

Eaten

A homestyle Taiwanese comfort dish served bubbling in a clay pot over rice, a fixture of casual restaurants and family tables.

When

year-round

Variations & related

Regional variations

Taiwanese san bei ji · Taiwan
Drier, sesame-oil-forward, heavy on Thai basil and ginger
Jiangxi sanbei ji · Jiangxi, China
Original mainland version, often saucier and without basil
Three-cup squid/tofu · Taiwan
Same sauce applied to squid, mushrooms, or tofu

Related dishes

ancestor Jiangxi sanbei ji
The mainland Chinese precursor
descendant Three-cup squid
The same three-cup method applied to other proteins

Substitutions

rice wine → Shaoxing wineadmissible
Closely related Chinese rice wine, works well
Thai basil → no basilinadmissible
Omitting the basil removes the defining Taiwanese aroma
toasted sesame oil → neutral oilinadmissible
Sesame oil is one of the three defining cups; replacing it breaks the dish

Common mistakes

Using boneless chicken, losing flavor and body
Skipping the Thai basil or adding it too early so it loses aroma
Not frying the ginger first in sesame oil
Failing to reduce the sauce, leaving it watery instead of glazed
Using regular basil instead of Thai basil

Provenance

Rooted in a Jiangxi (China) braise, but transformed into its iconic basil-and-sesame-oil form in Taiwan, where it became a national signature; both regions are claimed.

Claimed by: Taiwan, China (Jiangxi)

References

1.Taiwanese and Chinese culinary tradition

Confidence: high