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San Bei Ji, Three Cup Chicken (三杯雞)

San bei ji, three cup chicken, is an easy recipe that yields chicken coated with a rich savory glaze. With just a few steps and simple ingredients, this recipe is sure to become a regular household meal!
Prep Time5 minutes
Cook Time25 minutes
Total Time30 minutes
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: Chinese, Taiwanese
Keyword: chinese three cup chicken, recipe for three cup chicken, san bei ji, san bei ji recipe, taiwanese three cup chicken recipe
Servings: 4 servings
Calories: 411kcal

Ingredients

  • 2 lbs chicken thighs or drumsticks
  • 1/4 cup soy sauce
  • 1/4 cup rice wine
  • 1/4 cup sesame oil
  • 2 inches ginger sliced
  • 10 cloves garlic smashed and coarsely chopped
  • 2 dried chilis or 1 tsp chili flakes (optional)
  • 1 cup basil leaves very packed (regular and/or Thai basil)

Instructions

  • Heat some oil in a pot. Add the garlic, ginger, and optional chili. Sauté for about a minute until lightly golden brown.
  • Add in the chicken and stir to combine with the ginger, garlic, and optional chili.
  • Add in the soy sauce, rice wine, and sesame oil. Cover and let the chicken simmer for 10 minutes on medium-low to medium heat.
  • Uncover the chicken and continue simmering for another 10-15 minutes until the sauce has thickened and coats the chicken well.
  • Add in the basil leaves. Turn off the heat and stir to let the residual heat wilt the basil leaves and release their fragrance.