San Bei Ji (Three-Cup Chicken)
as someone who loves to cook, one of the best feelings is when someone enjoys something i’ve made so much that they ask for it again. that’s exactly what happened with my take on san bei ji, or three-cup chicken.
i brought it over for lunch the other day, and my mom couldn’t stop talking about it. day after day, she kept bringing it up — until finally, she and my dad asked me to teach them how to make it. luckily, it’s an easy dish to put together, packed with rich, aromatic flavors that come together in no time.
i used:
- 1.5 lbs boneless, skinless chicken thighs, cut into 1-inch cubes
- chicken marinade: 1 tbsp cornstarch, 1 tbsp shaoxing wine
- 3 slices of ginger, cut into matchsticks
- 4 cloves of garlic, thinly sliced
- 2 whole dried chilis, broken in half
- 2 tbsp soy sauce
- 2 tbsp shaoxing wine
- 1 tbsp sesame oil
- 1.5 tsp dark soy sauce
- 1/2 tsp black vinegar
- 1/2 tsp monkfruit sweetener (or sugar)
- 1/4 cup thai basil leaves
to make san bei ji:
- in a bowl, toss the chicken with cornstarch, shaoxing wine, and salt. let marinate for 15-30 minutes while you prep the other ingredients
- mix together sauce of soy sauce, shaoxing wine, sesame oil, dark soy sauce, black vinegar, and monkfruit sweetener, adjust to taste
- next, heat up neutral oil in a pan over medium heat and stir-fry aromatics (garlic, ginger, chilis) until fragrant ~1-2 minutes. if the garlic is browning too quickly, turn heat to medium-low
- move aromatics to the side of the pan and add the chicken in a single layer and sear until mostly browned, about 2-3 minutes per side. add additional oil as needed
- pour in the sauce and stir well to coat. let simmer uncovered for 3-4 minutes until the sauce thickens and clings to the chicken
- finally, turn off heat and fold in the thai basil leaves
- serve with rice!
San Bei Ji (Three-Cup Chicken)
Ingredients
- 1.5 lbs boneless skinless chicken thighs, cut into 1-inch cubes
- chicken marinade: 1 tbsp cornstarch, 1 tbsp shaoxing wine
- 3 slices of ginger cut into matchsticks
- 4 cloves of garlic thinly sliced
- 2 whole dried chilis broken in half
- 2 tbsp soy sauce
- 2 tbsp shaoxing wine
- 1 tbsp sesame oil
- 1.5 tsp dark soy sauce
- 1/2 tsp black vinegar
- 1/2 tsp monkfruit sweetener or sugar
- 1/4 cup thai basil leaves
Instructions
- in a bowl, toss the chicken with cornstarch, shaoxing wine, and salt. let marinate for 15-30 minutes while you prep the other ingredients
- mix together sauce of soy sauce, shaoxing wine, sesame oil, dark soy sauce, black vinegar, and monkfruit sweetener, adjust to taste
- heat up neutral oil in a pan over medium heat and stir-fry aromatics (garlic, ginger, chilis) until fragrant ~1-2 minutes. if the garlic is browning too quickly, turn heat to medium-low
- move aromatics to the side of the pan and add the chicken in a single layer and sear until mostly browned, about 2-3 minutes per side. add additional oil as needed
- pour in the sauce and stir well to coat. let simmer uncovered for 3-4 minutes until the sauce thickens and clings to the chicken
- turn off heat and fold in the thai basil leaves
- serve with rice!