Uploaded July 2026 | Updated September 2026, 2 weeks ago
Recipe ⬇️ or print: recipetineats.com/taiwanese-three-cup-chicken
This popular Taiwanese dish is so quick and easy to make! Bite size pieces of chicken are braised in a garlic-ginger soy based sauce so every piece gets infused with flavour and the sauce reduces down to a syrupy glaze.
The name is said to come from the way the sauce is made - 1 cup each of soy, sesame and rice wine. These days it's been refined a bit, but actually the ratios aren't that far off!
Thai Basil adds freshness (yes, Taiwanese cooking uses Thai Basil!) but you can sub with regular basil in a pinch, or green onion if you have neither. It won't strictly be Three Cup Chicken but it's still darn tasty!
Hope you love it - Nagi x
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TAIWANESE THREE CUP CHICKEN
Serves 4
1 1/2 tbsp plain oil – canola, vegetable, peanut
600g/1.2 lb chicken thighs*, boneless, skinless, cut into 2.5cm/1″ pieces
6 slices ginger (~3mm / 1/8″ thick)
1 1/2 tbsp finely minced garlic (~5 – 6 cloves, yes, lots!)
2 dried red chillies*
1 1/2 tbsp toasted sesame oil
1 cup lightly packed Thai basil leaves, substitute regular basil leaves or 2 green onion stems cut into 5cm/2″ lengths
SAUCE - mix:
2 tbsp light soy, or all-purpose soy
2 tsp dark soy
1 tbsp white sugar
2 tbsp Chinese cooking wine or Taiwanese rice wine (mijiu) if you can find it, or chicken stock/broth
SERVING – white rice
1. Heat oil on medium, toast ginger and chilli for 30 seconds. Turn up to high, cook chicken for 3 minutes or until surface all changes from pink to white. Add garlic, cook 30 seconds (will smell amazing!).
2. Add sauce, simmer quite rapidly for 5 min, stirring every now and then, until sauce becomes like a thin syrup and chicken is stained mahogany like in the video. Stir in sesame oil and basil leaves until wilted, serve immediately over rice.
* Chicken – breast also ok but simmer on higher heat so it’s done in 3 minutes. Chilli - barely noticeable spicy, but can omit, or sub 1/4 tsp dried chilli flakes.
Recipe ⬇️ or print: recipetineats.com/taiwanese-three-cup-chicken
This popular Taiwanese dish is so quick and easy to make! Bite size pieces of chicken are braised in a garlic-ginger soy based sauce so every piece gets infused with flavour and the sauce reduces down to a syrupy glaze.
The name is said to come from the way the sauce is made - 1 cup each of soy, sesame and rice wine. These days it's been refined a bit, but actually the ratios aren't that far off!
Thai Basil adds freshness (yes, Taiwanese cooking uses Thai Basil!) but you can sub with regular basil in a pinch, or green onion if you have neither. It won't strictly be Three Cup Chicken but it's still darn tasty!
Hope you love it - Nagi x
----------------
TAIWANESE THREE CUP CHICKEN
Serves 4
1 1/2 tbsp plain oil – canola, vegetable, peanut
600g/1.2 lb chicken thighs*, boneless, skinless, cut into 2.5cm/1″ pieces
6 slices ginger (~3mm / 1/8″ thick)
1 1/2 tbsp finely minced garlic (~5 – 6 cloves, yes, lots!)
2 dried red chillies*
1 1/2 tbsp toasted sesame oil
1 cup lightly packed Thai basil leaves, substitute regular basil leaves or 2 green onion stems cut into 5cm/2″ lengths
SAUCE - mix:
2 tbsp light soy, or all-purpose soy
2 tsp dark soy
1 tbsp white sugar
2 tbsp Chinese cooking wine or Taiwanese rice wine (mijiu) if you can find it, or chicken stock/broth
SERVING – white rice
1. Heat oil on medium, toast ginger and chilli for 30 seconds. Turn up to high, cook chicken for 3 minutes or until surface all changes from pink to white. Add garlic, cook 30 seconds (will smell amazing!).
2. Add sauce, simmer quite rapidly for 5 min, stirring every now and then, until sauce becomes like a thin syrup and chicken is stained mahogany like in the video. Stir in sesame oil and basil leaves until wilted, serve immediately over rice.
* Chicken – breast also ok but simmer on higher heat so it’s done in 3 minutes. Chilli - barely noticeable spicy, but can omit, or sub 1/4 tsp dried chilli flakes.
