Taiwanese Three Cup Chicken
Three cup chicken (三杯鸡) is one of the most classic Taiwanese recipes, one that I never miss out whenever I eat out at Taiwanese restaurants.
I love Taiwanese food — unpretentious, humble, and homey dishes that score high on yum-o-meter.
Taiwanese food is basically Chinese food with local influences, slightly different cooking methods, local adaptations and variations.
Many Taiwanese dishes remind me of Chinese-Malaysian food, not due to proximity but the origin of such dishes from Fujian province where many early immigrants settled in Taiwan and Malaysia/Singapore.
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Why is it called Three Cup Chicken?
The name “three cup chicken” (三杯鸡) comes from the three key ingredients: sesame oil, Chinese rice wine, and soy sauce. “Cups” refer to the equal ratio instead of literal measurement.
A true and authentic Taiwanese three cup chicken calls for basil leaves, the soul of the dish that lends an exotic aroma and minty nuance to the taste.
Taiwanese also love their “three cup” recipe, for example three cup squid (三杯小卷). Both are equally delectable.
Here is my three cup chicken recipe, adapted to my personal liking. I especially love the sauce with steamed white rice. It’s wonderful!
What Dishes to Serve with this Recipe?
This meal is best served as an entree.
For a wholesome meal and easy weeknight dinner, I recommend the following recipes.
Pairs well with:
Three Cup Chicken Recipe (三杯鸡)
Taiwanese 3-cup chicken - delicious comfort food made with ginger, garlic, chicken and soy sauce, with basil leaves.
Ingredients
- 1 lb chicken drumsticks
- 1 tablespoon baking soda to tenderize the chicken, (optional)
- 2 tablespoons dark sesame oil or toasted sesame oil
- 2- inch piece old ginger, peeled and cut into thin pieces
- 6 cloves garlic, peeled
- 1 1/2 tablespoons soy sauce
- 1 1/2 tablespoons dark sweet soy sauce, kecap manis
- 1 1/2 tablespoons Shaoxing wine
- 1 bunch Thai basil leaves
Directions
-
1Cut the chicken into pieces and rub them with the baking soda. Set aside for 10 minutes before rinsing the chicken off with water. Make sure the baking soda is completely rinsed off. Pat dry the chicken pieces and set aside.
-
2Heat up a claypot on high heat and add the dark sesame oil. Add the ginger, garlic, and stir-fry until aromatic. Add in the chicken and do a few quick stirs. Add the soy sauce, dark sweet soy sauce, Shaoxing wine and continue to stir-fry the chicken. Cover the chicken and lower the heat and simmer for 5-10 minutes. Add the basil leaves and stir well with the chicken, dish out and serve immediately.
Recipe Notes
This recipe calls for dark sesame oil or toasted sesame oil, which is different from regular sesame oil. Dark sesame oil is a lot more expensive but the flavor is more intense and with a stronger toasted sesame fragrance. You can skip the first step of tenderizing the chicken with baking soda. I personally like it because it makes the chicken so tender. If you don't have a claypot, you can use a regular wok or pan to make this dish.
Charis
I like the simple and easy to understand instructions 😄
Rasa Malaysia
Awesome!
Soh hui
Can I use chinese dark soya sauce instead of kecap mains?
Rasa Malaysia
Yes you can but you can add a little bit for color, and add just a wee bit sugar as Chinese dark soy sauce is very salty.
Cheok
Thank you for the recipe. Do I have to add some water or stock at all? Or is this a dish without gravy?
Rasa Malaysia
You don’t have to add water but you can add a little bit if you like.
Mary Bostow
These were delicious. Very tender and great taste. Will definitely be making again
Margaret
What brand of dark sesame oil or toasted sesame oil and kecap manis do you recommend? Which is better – dark sesame oil or toasted sesame oil?
Rasa Malaysia
Roasted sesame oil. Please check out all my ingredients recommendations: https://rasamalaysia.com/pantry-ingredients/
Amy Heflin
Why does the photo for Three Cup Chicken not look like it matches the recipe?
Rasa Malaysia
Yes the photo is the recipe.
susan
trying to make this 3 cup chicken. Please provide a link to where to purchase clay pot. Thank you
Victoria
Question- are you cutting the chicken and leaving the bone intact by using a cleaver, or are you cutting he chicken off of the bone.
Love your recipes!
Rasa Malaysia
Hi Victoria, I am using a cleaver. Thanks for your support. :)
Victoria
Thank you!
Mario
hi
Can this be done in InstaPot?
Rasa Malaysia
Yes, it can!
Mindy
Bee, thanks for the recipe. looking at the photo I was tempted to cook three cup chicken.. but It did not turn out as my expectation ?
I usually tenderise chicken or meat with corn starch. This time round I did it with baking soda for a change and I find using baking soda leaves some kinda taste to the chicken. I still prefer to do it with corn starch.
I didn’t get the taste I was looking for.. not sure if it’s due to baking soda or not enough basil leave or the sesame oil? I feel like I’m missing some ingredient….
Rasa Malaysia
Hi Mindy, if you taste the baking soda, it means they are not properly rinsed. You can use a bit less next time. You don’t want to use corn starch for this recipe. This is a very good recipe, if you follow everything precisely, it should taste good. You don’t have to use baking soda if you don’t want to.
SHARON GREEN
Did you use baking powder (which you would normally use in plain flour for the rising effect) or baking soda (bicarbonate of soda) Mindy? There is a big difference. Carb soda can leave a sort of metallic taste on food if too much is used or it’s not rinsed off well.
Eileen Ma
Hi!
I love your website – and I have made many of the recipes that you have posted! I am wondering if you have any additional information about clay pots and where to purchase them online? Most of what I see is meant only to cook over low or medium heat – is that hot enough for this recipe? Also, does using a glazed or unglazed clay pot make a difference? How big should I get?
Thank you in advance!
Eileen
Feng
Can I use regular white wine ? Rice wine vinegar ? Not sure I have that particular wine you listed
Rasa Malaysia
You can skip the wine. Definitely not rice wine vinegar.
Mary
Cool! I’m looking forward to cooking this tonight. I’m a great fan. Thanks for your lovely recipes!
Sharon
Can I use white wine instead? Thks ….
Rasa Malaysia
Yes you can.
Sharon
Can I use white wine instead?
Eileen
Hi,
Just to check. The soy sauce in your recipe is it the light soy sauce?
I happened to cook the dish based on another recipe which i found online. However, it didn’t turn out that great. Im glad i saw your blog now and can’t wait to try your recipe.
Thanks!
Rasa Malaysia
Hi Eileen, yes light soy sauce, try my three cup chicken recipe, it’s good!
Candy
Hi Rasa! I’ll be making this tomorrow with 3 lbs of chicken. Do I need to triple the amount of all the ingredients? Thx
Teresa
This looks delicious and can’t wait to try it, however, my husband prefers white meat chicken so I’ll be throwing in a cut up piece of breast meat for him. Curious if you’ve tried the recipe or baking soda trick with breast meat…
Rasa Malaysia
The baking soda trick will work with chicken breast, too. :)
Victoria Riccardelli
If I can’t find Thai basil can I use common basil?
Rasa Malaysia
You can but it will taste slightly different.
Jeanette
What brand of Shaoxing wine do you recommend? And do you remove the skin from the chicken?
Rasa Malaysia
Any brand is fine. I don’t remove the skin.
Wen Dee
Hi Bee. Possible to do a video on how to chop drumsticks into bite size for newbie like me? I know I can just cook with drumstick by its own but I prefer it in pieces. I have poor knife skills. I tend to chop them and let bone fragments in the meat.
Rasa Malaysia
LOL I am not good in chopping, too. ;)
Judy
I have horrible knife skills, so since these are already drumsticks, can I just rub the meat with baking soda and continue from there?
Rasa Malaysia
Yes you can you don’t have to chop it, or you can use boneless thighs, that will work too.
Debra
Are these chicken drumettes?
Rasa Malaysia
They are drumsticks.
paulina
This recipe looks very easy and very good, I really want to make it.it is OK if I take the skin off? I really don’t know specially because of the baking soda, can I use the baking soda on the meat without the skin? Please advice. Thanks
Rasa Malaysia
Yes of course Paulina. Yes you can. :)
Gordon
Outstanding. Did not have Thai basil so used fresh basil from the garden.
Lisa B.
A 2-inch piece “OLD” ginger??
Rasa Malaysia
There are two types of ginger – young and old. Young ginger has very thin almost transparent light yellowish skin. Old ginger has thicker skin…anyway, most markets sell only old ginger so you should be fine…in Asian stores they sell both young and old.
Iris Chng
I can’t get Thai Basil. Can I substitute it with sweet Basil?
Rasa Malaysia
Yes you can try but it won’t taste the same. You should be able to get basil in the market in Singapore.
Lil
Tried this and was great except that mine was so wet, more like braised. Any suggestion?
Rasa Malaysia
Cook it longer to dry up the liquid. Sometimes the chicken releases a lot of water, that’s why you need to pat the chicken very dry with paper towels.
dave west
You only cook the chicken for 5 mins.? That seems short for chicken on the bone.
Is that correct?
Rasa Malaysia
Hi Dave, the baking soda will make the chicken tender so you don’t want to overcook it. However you can cook for a little longer if you like. I updated the recipe to 5-10 minutes.
susan
Can baking soda be used to tenderize beef as well?
Rasa Malaysia
Yes
Rashida
Thank you for the recipe. I lived in Taiwan for 3 years
And this was one of my favorite dishes. Please advise what
can be used as a substitute for the wine.
Rasa Malaysia
You can skip but it won’t taste the same.
Krnntp
Dry sherry is a good substitute for the rice wine…
Looking forward to trying the recipe. No problem with ingredients, as stores in my part of the US have all the basics (Wei Chuan xiaoxing wine, Kadoya sesame oil). Planning to sub Thai sweet soy sauce for the kecap manis since that’s what I have on hand.
Mechef145
I love Chinese dishes and the fact that they try to cook in clay pots as much as possible. Honestly, i think food tastes much better when cooked in clay and i mean unglazed real clay pots, not ceramic ones. There are so many benefits to clay pot cooking, and i found this website which is dedicated to this type of cooking, very helpful when i was in the process of learning about it: miriamseartehncookware DOT com. Now i cook all my food in these pots and love the difference it makes in my life.
Carol Salyers
My son and I have made this twice. We found all ingredients at our local Asian-Pacific Market and the wine at the liquor store. We have only had trouble getting Thai Basil — it goes very fast at our market. We used regular basil that time, but it’s not the same. Am preparing to make for the third time today. This recipe is outstanding. We serve it with Jasmine or Basmati rice. We followed the recipe pretty much exactly as written, including the baking soda part, which really does make some tender chicken. If you shop at an Asian market in your city, there is usually an employee to help you figure out what you’re looking for. Tricky when the labels aren’t in English!
Mumsiecooks
Can I use regular sesame oil instead of dark? Will it affect flavor that much? Thanks!
Yolanda Kamle
You have amazing dishes. But what can I substitute shaoxing wine with. I don’t use wine in cooking. Is ordinary dried basil leaves ok? Coz here where I live I don’t think there is. Thank you.
Rasa Malaysia
You can skip it. I don’t think dried basil leaves are going to work in this recipe. You can just put regular green onion/scallions.
Shootingstar
I made this dish yesterday. I really like the flavor of the chicken. But I didnt like how it contained lots of water. I want to ask you how to control the water from the chicken when I cook. Thank you so much.
Rasa Malaysia
Pat fry the chicken before cooking.
mcgo11
Hi Bee, i am your new subscriber. glad about it. i found your food blog as i was finding for 3 cup chicken recipe. would like to inquire if marinating porkchop and beef with baking soda also soften the meat?
caronjiang
Three cup chicken with steamed white rice is a perfect combination, it’s my appetizer. Thanks for your recipe and the beautiful pictures.
Summicron
I don’t put a big amount of basil, I put HUGE amount of basil in it. Yes it does overpowers the dish but that’s the way I like my 3-cup chicken.
And I usually add some dried chillies to give it a spicy kick when I’m not cooking this for the kids. Also I reserve a fraction of toasted sesame oil and Shaoxing wine for finishing, adding them near the end.
Rasa Malaysia
Thanks Sam! :)
Frenchie
I’ve been meaning to try this recipe since I saw the pic on Pinterest. I happened to have thai basil at home and I love it! Even my Taiwanese roomies said the flavor was right on! Thank you!
Rasa Malaysia
Thanks for trying this three cup chicken recipe.
RecipeNewZ
I found this post though Pinterest. The photo was so beautiful that I just had to come here to read the recipe! Love it! And love your site :-).
I would like to invite you to share this post (and your other posts :-) ) on a new photo based recipe sharing site that launched in May. The idea is simple: all recipe photographs are published within minutes of submission. And, of course, the images link back to the author’s site.
It’s called RecipeNewZ (with Z) – http://recipenewz.com
I hope you get a chance to visit and to share some of your delicious posts with our viewers. It would be a pleasure to have you on board :-)
angkukueh
Made this tonight and it is absolutely fabulous! The Thai basil made such a difference in taste! Thank you for this recipe!
David
First off, thank you for sharing all your wonderful recipes with us!! I’ve been a fan of this website for a long time and have had great success following your recipes :)
I’m planning to make this dish tonight but am unsure how much “6 slices of ginger” is. What is the length of the ginger for this recipe?
Thank you
Rasa Malaysia
1 inch.
The Happy Glut
This recipe looks delicious! I would love to try it when I get my hands on some Kecap Manis! Thanks for uploading these yummy recipes!! :D
Ying
is there any different between dark soy sauce & dark sweet soy sauce？
Rasa Malaysia
Yes, dark sweet soy sauce is sweet, dark soy sauce is just salty.
SparklingRachel
I absolutely love this dish, sadly I only see it in a few Tawainese restaurant :(
Naiwen
hello, i must say this looks really great. I myself am chinese, so yeah, we do cook a lot of that in my family.
Eva
This dish is great! But one question: When you say Thai Basil do you mean holy basil or sweet basil?
And which of the two do you use in the Graw Pao and Penang Curry?
Thanks so much!!
Eva
susan chan
it is sweet basil for this chicken dish and for graw pao, you use holy basil. As for Panang curry, here in thailand, they use sweet basil too..
Bernice
Hi! Would love to try your three cup chicken recipe, quick question though.. Can’t seem to find Thai basil leaves :( Can I use the dried version? And would I use the same amount of dried Thai basil for the recipe? Thank you! :D I recently tried your sesame oil chicken, it was a hit!
Rasa Malaysia
Hi Bernice, you NEED Thai basil leaves or it’s not three cup chicken. :(
Nikkayla
Hey there, I tried this recipe out tonight for me and my parents and it was FANTASTIC! :D Thank you so much for this blog there are so many delicious-sounding recipes on here – and this one was stellar, and my parents were very impressed :D
Thank you so much for the recipe!
Rasa Malaysia
I am glad that your parents love the 3 cup chicken. :)
Jo
Hi, this recipe is superb! I tried it and it’s perfect.
Yumyumpiggysbum
Thanks so much for posting your recipe, your photo inspired me to make this but I made a few tweaks. Very simple, easy and tasty to make. Had to substitute Thai basil with chopped spring onion as didn’t think that basil used in Italian cooking would be a good replacement. Desperate now to experience the aroma of Thai basil, I can’t find it in the shops so I’ve now decided to grow it myself!
Posted my adapted recipe here http://yumyumpiggysbum.wordpress.com/2011/05/08/hurrah-for-three-cup-chicken-almost/
potluckcook
I have to cook vegetarian dishes for 25-30 servings. Have used this recipe with 2 kinds fresh mushrooms (large boxes from Costco, quartered), 2 cans of whole button mushrooms, and 3 packets of vegetarian chicken chunks. Sometimes I can’t get Thai basil – and it really isn’t the same. However, still very good. I love your blog!
Ned
You say to cut the chicken into pieces…if you use drumsticks do you chop them up with the bone on?
chona
hello! my employer doesnt like a thai basil leaves, is there any substitute for it, or can i add just add a few leaves.. does it taste good? thank you!
wilson
try long green onions :D
Restaurant Baby's Sis
This is such an awesome recipe! I made it tonight for a very quick dinner (didn’t have much time to cook because of work today . . . blech!) paired with reheated white rice, and it filled my home with a nice garlicky/gingery smell. The chicken turned out very tender. I can’t wait to make it again.
Pauline Cheong
can i omit Shaoxing wine or Thai basil leaves? what is Kecap Manis? what flavour does it give? thanks
Rasa Malaysia
All ingredients are essential for the success of the dish. Kecap Manis is sweet soy sauce.
susan chan
if dont have kecap manis, can add sugar to sauce. Best to use young ginger so you can eat them as well…
rudolph dehoogh
Hi, in the past I have added molasses to soy sauce to create a sweet soy sause thus creating kecap Manis.
Simon
Tastes just like the one i used to have in china, except that I had to substute Ketcap manis with Brown sugar which worked just fine.
Lynne
I love your blog!! You have helped me learn to cook and I made this dish for lunch. Very tasty and so easy to make. You’re a sweetheart.
Irene
Hi,
I would like to try this recipe. May I know what Thai basil is called in Cantonese/Mandarin?
Thank you.
susan chan
Thai basil actually smells almost like the italian sweet basil, in chinese, it is called “jiu chen ta” Hope this helps.
mott
I actually cook this with porkribs/pork belly. And I marinate it overnight with the basil leaves and sauces, and the dish is just amazing!
Grace Winter-Alsop
Hi,
What can I replace Shaoxing wine or chinese black vinegar with as i am not able to get them in Dubai?
Thank you
lala
is the soya sauce light soya sauce or dark?
Rasa Malaysia
Soy sauce is always light soy sauce unless otherwise stated.
Vera
Thank you very much for such easy cooking recipe. I actually added some slice cili together with the basil and lastly before serve, I put in 1 table spoon of the ShiaoXiang Wine and stir it 1 time evenly so it will have the wine smell. Also I marinated the chicken with all the above seasoning before stir fried :) yummy :)
Odie
The Chicken dish in the picture looks delicious! Now, I noticed that the drumsticks appear very small. Did you chop the drumsticks in half before cooking them?
By the way, I love your site; very informative and yummy recipes!
Rasa Malaysia
Hi Odie – yes, I always chop my drumsticks into three pieces to make it easier to cook through. :)
Thanks and hope to see you more here.
lora
I made this recipe in January and it has since become my favorite recipe! I make it at least once a week now. Once I couldn’t get Thai basil and it just wasn’t the same so now I always keep some in my fridge! Thanks so much for sharing!!
Brian L
I am cooking this tonight :)
LindsayB
I made this for dinner last night and it was delicious! Thank you for the recipe.
Sher
I can’t find kecap manis, what can I use instead?
Gloria Hooker
Do you have a recipe for teriyaki sesame chicken? I had it at a restaurant recently and it was wonderful. Please email your answer. Thanks
yt
I tried this recipe and got a double thumbs up from my husband , so I’m passing it on to you. I’ve also tried the spare ribs with black beans — that was very good too !
Thanks for sharing your recipes !
Che
Hi, I live in Dubai and there is no way I can get Kecap Manis!!! :(
Any suggested alternatives? I am desperate to try the recipe!
Rasa Malaysia
Che – yes, you can use dark soy sauce, and add more sugar because kecap manis is sweet and dark.
Anne
Oh yes I love your beautiful blog! The recipes are great and the photography superb.
I’ve just made the Three Cups Chicken. Mine is not as pretty as your photo but it’s so quick to make and tastes wonderful, and that’s the important thing.
Next time — Salt and Pepper Chicken.
Thanks so much!
Rasa Malaysia
Thank you. I am glad you love my three cup chicken recipe.
jason kay
Just wanted to finally add a note of how much I love your blog. I’ve tried so many recipes on your site and they’ve all worked so well. Just felt guilty taking so much and giving no thanks :)
jwalker
Oh yeah. This was REALLY good. My wife had had a hard day in the salt mines and came home to this. She thanks you. Did exactly as you said, I have two small sandy pots, heated them up good and hot, the chicken caramelized well, the garlic charred and then got soft, I used very fresh young ginger which was superb and tenderized the chicken with baking soda. My wife said, “again please” so I will. Served it with multi-grain wild rice and super fresh haricot vert picked the same day sauteed with shallots, pine nuts, tamarind and XO Sauce. Thank you thank you for such a wonderful site. Whenever I need something truly authentic and tasty I turn to you. jw
Rasa Malaysia
Awww, thanks so much for your sweet note. Yes, this three cup chicken recipe is awesome! I am glad your wife is a fan! :)
May
is the thai basil leave same as the one in the AMerican Basil leave?
Cluelessbaker
Yours look GREAT~! Just made this for dinner~~ Not sure if its because I used chicken wings… there seems to be alot of liquid left in the pot … and i cant get the black “glossiness” ( is there even such a word :P ) …. Mine look more brownish ~~ but definitely will try this again~~!!
Thank you for the recipe~!
Rasa Malaysia
It sounds like you didn’t have enough wok-hei when you made this. Did you make it with claypot, over high heat? Or maybe you didn’t have enough dark soy sauce. :)
psychomom
oh i forgot, is thai basil any different than the ordinary garden variety basil? i used regular basil.
Rasa Malaysia
I am not sure what is garden basil. Thai basil is different.
psychomom
made this dish last week, was SOOOO GOOOOD…. thanks for the recipe. can i use the baking soda strategy for steak and other meats? as long as i wash it (the baking soda) off really well. am i washing off any nutrients? i know that if i don’t rinse it well, the food has an ammonia taste to it.
Rasa Malaysia
Yes, my three cup chicken recipe is very good. :)
Scary
Wow! this was amazing! such a simple dish yet an elegant flavor. I substituted sweet potato starch for the baking soda. It is a good tenderizer and won’t upset your stomach if you fail to wash it all off.
TT
“1 1/2 teablespoon dark sweet soy sauce (Kecap Manis)”
– Nobody spotted this? Any Taiwanese here? :-) This must be what you meant by “adapted to my personal liking”? Usually we use a lot of sugar and I believe there was arguments that sugar is consider one of the three cups. Using Kecap Manis definitely is an interesting twist.
Rasa Malaysia
TT – kecap manis is dark sweet soy sauce, it’s like Taiwanese dark soy sauce, but sweeter. If you use kecap manis, there is no need to use a lot of sugar because it’s sweetened. Hope this make sense.
dom2km
You wrote “1 1/2 teablespoon dark sweet soy sauce (Kecap Manis)”
Is it teaspoon or tablespoon? Love your website. Thanks.
Rasa Malaysia
It was a typo, it’s tablespoon.
Zaara
Looks great – nice recipe – I have a ton of fresh thai basil, and run out of ideas with what to do with them. I’m just a little nervous about heating the sesame oil, I did a stir fry once and added sesame oil to a very hot pan, and it gave off such powerful fumes and what I thought was a really strong smell. So I thought I amde a mistake and sesame oil was just supposed to be used as a garnish or flavor enhancer at the end of cooking – i.e. not to be heated at high temperatures?
Rasa Malaysia
Black sesame oil is the secret ingredient of this recipe. If you don’t like it, use less.
The Cooking Ninja
This looks so good. I’m going to try it out for my family n in laws. :) If I can’t get Thai basil, can regular basil do?
Rasa Malaysia
Yes.
PlatinumGirl
Oooo i simply lurve this dish ….. its very fragrant. Is there a difference between the Thai basil leaves and any other basil leaves ?
Rasa Malaysia
I think Thai basil leaves have a stronger aroma.
justcooknyc
this looks so good — i’m surprised to see how easy it is to make
CADcook
I was at the store looking to buy a clay pot, but they only had ceramic pots, is that the same thing?
redmachine
Looks really very nice!! Can almost smell it here!
Will definitely give this beautiful dish a try this weekend. In fact, I went out to buy a bottle of good Shaoxing wine and a bottle of good quality Dark Sesame Oil (good old Ghee Hiang brand) from the Batu Lancang market (where else but in Penang) this afternoon after reading your recipe.
I love Basil Leaf too. I always cook this famous Thai dish called Kai Pad Bai Ga Prow (Stir fried minced/sliced chicken with basil leaf) using lots of Basil Leaf. It’s so cheap at the Batu Lancang market.
Hmmm, let me check if I still have my claypot tucked somewhere in the kitchen cabinets…
Lexa
Made this for lunch yesterday. It was fabulous. I just used less kecap manis and added chili. Superb.Definitely a keeper.
Cookbooks seem to recommend substituting sherry for Shiaxing.
Rasa Malaysia
Lexa – chili sounds great. Yes, correct, you can use sherry instead of Shaoxing.
lyn
Its look yummy but can i omit Shaoxing wine? Or replace anything other then wine or sake.
Rasa Malaysia
Well, wine is one of the key ingredients to this dish. You can omit it but it will not taste as great.
John
If you are concerned with the alcohol, it is evaporated during the cooking process. It boils off at a lower temperatjre than water.
bel
Hi, im wondering what type of basil you use. Is it the Thai basil or the regular ones? I can only get the regular basil leaves at my place. Thanks.
Rasa Malaysia
Thai basil.
tigerfish
I enjoy this dish too!
Also, there is “three-cup” mushrooms for vegetarians and mushroom-lovers like me ;)
Rasa Malaysia
Tiga – I didn’t now that. I guess you can “three-cup” everything!
Plays With Food
Just to clarify a comment that was made here – you recommend Thai Basil for this dish? We have an abundance, so I think I need to try this. How much would you ramp up the proportions of the other ingredients for a whole chicken, cut into its parts?? (We have an abundance of those from our CSA). Love this blog, BTW!
Rasa Malaysia
If you have a whole chicken, then weight it and add the proportion accordingly. My recipe calls for 1 lb of chicken. Thanks for your sweet note about loving my blog. :)
jen
this looks fantastic! and best of all, i don’t have to go out and get any additional ingredients! i even have th clay pot! can’t wait to try it!
Rasa Malaysia
Jen – awesome!! Let me know how it goes.
joey
Oh yum! The dark glistening chicken is calling to me! Bookmarked!
Chin
This is one recipe I am looking forward to try. Simple, quick and nutritious. Thanks.
mycookinghut
Love the look of this! Great for dinner! yum.
LunaCafe
Beautiful photo! This dish sounds heavenly. Did you dissolve the baking soda in water and then marinate the chicken in that liquid? Would love to make this. …Susan
Rasa Malaysia
Luna – the chicken should be somewhat moist, so you just rub the baking soda on the meat. If it gets too dry, all some water. Try it, it works like magic!
ladyhomechef
Wow…. i know already, next time i can try using baking soda to tenderise the chicken. Thanks for your tips. :)
Rasa Malaysia
Yes, try it, it works like a wonder. My three cups chicken was so tender and silky smooth. :)
food-4tots
I had tried this dish once. Thai basil leave is the key ingredients in this recipe. The aroma of these leaves made the dish so flavourful. Will try your recipe soon. ;)
Rasa Malaysia
Yes, the basil leaves are great for this dish. Without them, it’s not three cups chicken! ;)
pigpigscorner
Yours look really delicious! Thanks for the baking soda trick!
Rasa Malaysia
Yes, my three cups chicken does taste great. :)
moona
hi
good recipe.i want clay pot recipe.plz
Rasa Malaysia
Yes, you can use claypot to make this three cups chicken and more!
Tartelette - Helen
OMG!!! I wish I had this now and i had dinner not too long ago!! This looks so so good! Will try it soon!
Rasa Malaysia
Helen – you are too funny!! Yes, you have to try. This three cups chicken is a really great dish!
Eliana
In the picture it appears that there is something else in addition to the chicken and the basil in the dish. Did you add water chestnuts or mushrooms or anything else? Looks great, whatever it is.
Rasa Malaysia
They were garlic, not water chestnuts in the three cups chicken. ;)
Dominique
So simple and tasty… as usual!!! Have a nice weekend…
Rasa Malaysia
Dominique – have a great weekend, too!
bubblegum
I love how easy and tasty this receipe looks. I can’t wait to try it. One question, What can i use instead of Shaoxing wine?
Rasa Malaysia
You can use dry sherry or Japanese sake.
Jeff
What is the baking soda for at the beginning?
Rasa Malaysia
To tenderize the chicken. It will make the chicken so tender and awesome! A trick.
Aunt LoLo
Wow…that sounds really fast and yummy!!
Rasa Malaysia
Yes, three cups chicken is a simple and yummy dish.