Three Cup Chicken
36 min · 21 min active · makes ~1.4 kg · Medium
Three Cup Chicken
Three Cup Chicken is a braised dish built on equal parts sesame oil, Shaoxing rice wine, and soy sauce — the classic trio that gives it its name. Bone-in, skin-on thighs braise until tender to the bone in a dark, glossy sauce fragrant with garlic, ginger, and dried chilli, finished with a generous handful of Thai basil that wilts into the dish at the last moment.
TOTAL TIME
36 min
ACTIVE TIME
21 min
QUANTITY
~1.4 kg
DIFFICULTY
Medium
CUISINE
—
Who’s eating
A
Ingredients0/9
Tools0/4
Ingredients0/9 gathered · 4 servings
bone-in, skin-on1kg
peeled10clove
80ml
30g
6piece
80ml
80ml
1tbsp
20g
| # | Product | Quantity | Notes | State | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1kg | bone-in, skin-on | — | ||
| 2 | 10clove | peeled | — | ||
| 3 | 80ml | — | — | ||
| 4 | 30g | — | — | ||
| 5 | 6piece | — | — | ||
| 6 | 80ml | — | — | ||
| 7 | 80ml | — | — | ||
| 8 | 1tbsp | — | — | ||
| 9 | 20g | — | — |
Tools5 items
Hygiene
Wash your hands after the raw chicken thighs and chicken.
Procedure21 steps
1 of 21
Pat-dry the chicken thigh
cut into 5 cm pieces
Chicken thigh · 1 kg
2 of 21
Wash your hands with soap — you've been handling raw chicken thighs
⏱ 30s
3 of 21
Crush the 10 garlic cloves
lightly crushed
Garlic clove · 10 clove
4 of 21
Heat the sesame oil
Sesame oil · 80 ml
medium-high heat
5 of 21
Rinse the fresh ginger
under cold running water
Fresh ginger · 30 g
⏱ 30s
ResultRinsed fresh ginger7 of 21
Sauté the crushed garlic and sliced ginger
Look for
until fragrant and beginning to colour at the edges — about 2 minutes, stirring ginger and garlic
medium-high heat
⏱ 2 min
ResultFragrant aromatics in oil8 of 21
Add the 6 dried red chillies to the wok
Dried red chillies · 6 piece
9 of 21
Stir the fresh ginger and garlic clove mixture
Look for
until darkened slightly — about 1 minute
⏱ 1 min
ResultAromatic base10 of 21
Sear the patted-dry chicken
Look for
until skin is deep golden and crisp — skin-side down, about 5 minutes, without moving
high heat
⏱ 5 min
ResultSeared chicken thighs11 of 21
Sear the chicken thighs
Look for
until cooked through on second side — turn pieces and sear other side, about 3 minutes
high heat
⏱ 3 min
ResultSeared chicken thighs12 of 21
Wash your hands with soap — you've been handling raw chicken
⏱ 30s
13 of 21
Add the shaoxing rice wine to the wok
deglaze, scraping up any stuck bits
Shaoxing rice wine · 80 ml
14 of 21
Add the soy sauce to the wok
Soy sauce · 80 ml
15 of 21
Add caster sugar
Caster sugar · 1 tbsp
16 of 21
Stir the chicken thigh and shaoxing rice wine mixture
Look for
until evenly coated — coat chicken evenly in the sauce
17 of 21
Braise the sauced chicken
Look for
until cooked through to the bone, internal temperature 74°C — about 15 minutes, turning once halfway through
medium-low heat
⏱ 15 min
ResultBraised chicken18 of 21
Reduce the braised chicken
Look for
until thickened to a glossy coating that clings to the chicken — about 4 minutes, uncovered, stirring frequently
high heat
⏱ 4 min
ResultThree cup chicken with glossy sauce19 of 21
Wash your hands with soap — you've been handling raw chicken
⏱ 30s
20 of 21
Add the thai basil leaves to the wok
Thai basil leaves · 20 g
21 of 21
Toss the chicken thigh and shaoxing rice wine mixture
once so residual heat wilts the basil leaves
Total Time36 min
| # | Product | Tool | Action |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 1 kg | Pat-dry the chicken thigh → cut into 5 cm piecesResultPatted-dry chickenused in step 10 | |
| 2 | — | — | Wash your hands with soap — you've been handling raw chicken thighs⏱ 30s |
| 3 | 10 clove | Crush the 10 garlic cloves → lightly crushedResultCrushed garlicused in step 7 | |
| 4 | 80 ml | medium-high heat | Heat the sesame oilResultHot sesame oil |
| 5 | 30 g | — | Rinse the fresh ginger → under cold running water⏱ 30sResultRinsed fresh ginger |
| 6 | Rinsed fresh gingerstep 5 | Slice the rinsed fresh gingerResultSliced ginger | |
| 7 | Crushed garlicstep 3 | medium-high heat | Sauté the crushed garlic and sliced gingerLook foruntil fragrant and beginning to colour at the edges — about 2 minutes, stirring ginger and garlic⏱ 2 minResultFragrant aromatics in oil |
| Sliced gingerstep 6 | |||
| 8 | 6 piece | Add the 6 dried red chillies to the wokResultFresh ginger and garlic clove mixture | |
| 9 | — | Stir the fresh ginger and garlic clove mixtureLook foruntil darkened slightly — about 1 minute⏱ 1 minResultAromatic base | |
| 10 | Patted-dry chickenstep 1 | high heat | Sear the patted-dry chickenLook foruntil skin is deep golden and crisp — skin-side down, about 5 minutes, without moving⏱ 5 minResultSeared chicken thighs |
| 11 | — | high heat | Sear the chicken thighsLook foruntil cooked through on second side — turn pieces and sear other side, about 3 minutes⏱ 3 minResultSeared chicken thighs |
| 12 | — | — | Wash your hands with soap — you've been handling raw chicken⏱ 30s |
| 13 | 80 ml | Add the shaoxing rice wine to the wok → deglaze, scraping up any stuck bitsResultChicken thigh and shaoxing rice wine mixture | |
| 14 | 80 ml | Add the soy sauce to the wokResultChicken thigh and shaoxing rice wine mixture | |
| 15 | 1 tbsp | Add caster sugarResultChicken thigh and shaoxing rice wine mixture | |
| 16 | — | Stir the chicken thigh and shaoxing rice wine mixtureLook foruntil evenly coated — coat chicken evenly in the sauceResultSauced chicken | |
| 17 | — | medium-low heat | Braise the sauced chickenLook foruntil cooked through to the bone, internal temperature 74°C — about 15 minutes, turning once halfway through⏱ 15 minResultBraised chicken |
| 18 | — | high heat | Reduce the braised chickenLook foruntil thickened to a glossy coating that clings to the chicken — about 4 minutes, uncovered, stirring frequently⏱ 4 minResultThree cup chicken with glossy sauce |
| 19 | — | — | Wash your hands with soap — you've been handling raw chicken⏱ 30s |
| 20 | 20 g | Add the thai basil leaves to the wokResultChicken thigh and shaoxing rice wine mixture | |
| 21 | — | Toss the chicken thigh and shaoxing rice wine mixture → once so residual heat wilts the basil leavesResultThree Cup Chicken | |
| Total Time | 36 min | ||
Nutritionper serving
Estimated · pre-cooking · 100% ingredients covered
| Nutrient | Per serving |
|---|---|
| 686kcal | |
| 53g | |
| 46g | |
| 3g | |
| 12g | |
| 4g | |
| 1g | |
| 1,364mg |
Ingredients0/9
Tools0/4
Recipe
Three Cup Chicken
Three Cup Chicken is a braised dish built on equal parts sesame oil, Shaoxing rice wine, and soy sauce — the classic trio that gives it its name. Bone-in, skin-on thighs braise until tender to the bone in a dark, glossy sauce fragrant with garlic, ginger, and dried chilli, finished with a generous handful of Thai basil that wilts into the dish at the last moment.
HygieneWash your hands after the raw chicken thighs and chicken.
Serves4
Total36 min
LevelMedium
Ingredients
- Chicken thigh, bone-in, skin-on1 kg
- Garlic clove, peeled10 clove
- Sesame oil80 ml
- Fresh ginger30 g
- Dried red chillies6 piece
- Shaoxing rice wine80 ml
- Soy sauce80 ml
- Caster sugar1 tbsp
- Thai basil leaves20 g
Tools
WokPestle and mortarChef's knifeKitchen paperMortar pestle
Method
1
Pat-dry the chicken thigh → cut into 5 cm pieces
Result · Patted-dry chicken · used in step 10
Kitchen paperChicken thigh · 1 kg
2
Crush the 10 garlic cloves → lightly crushed
Result · Crushed garlic · used in step 7
Mortar pestleGarlic clove · 10 clove
3
Heat the sesame oil
medium-high heatWokSesame oil · 80 ml
4
Rinse the fresh ginger → under cold running water
30sFresh ginger · 30 g
5
Slice the rinsed fresh ginger
Chefs knifeRinsed fresh ginger · step 5
6
Sauté the crushed garlic and sliced gingerLook foruntil fragrant and beginning to colour at the edges — about 2 minutes, stirring ginger and garlic
medium-high heat2 minWokCrushed garlic · step 3Sliced ginger · step 6
7
Add the 6 dried red chillies to the wok
WokDried red chillies · 6 piece
8
Stir the fresh ginger and garlic clove mixtureLook foruntil darkened slightly — about 1 minute
1 minWok
9
Sear the patted-dry chickenLook foruntil skin is deep golden and crisp — skin-side down, about 5 minutes, without moving
high heat5 minWokPatted-dry chicken · step 1
10
Sear the chicken thighsLook foruntil cooked through on second side — turn pieces and sear other side, about 3 minutes
high heat3 minWok
11
Add the shaoxing rice wine to the wok → deglaze, scraping up any stuck bits
WokShaoxing rice wine · 80 ml
12
Add the soy sauce to the wok
WokSoy sauce · 80 ml
13
Add caster sugar
WokCaster sugar · 1 tbsp
14
Stir the chicken thigh and shaoxing rice wine mixtureLook foruntil evenly coated — coat chicken evenly in the sauce
Wok
15
Braise the sauced chickenLook foruntil cooked through to the bone, internal temperature 74°C — about 15 minutes, turning once halfway through
medium-low heat15 minWok
16
Reduce the braised chickenLook foruntil thickened to a glossy coating that clings to the chicken — about 4 minutes, uncovered, stirring frequently
high heat4 minWok
17
Add the thai basil leaves to the wok
WokThai basil leaves · 20 g
18
Toss the chicken thigh and shaoxing rice wine mixture → once so residual heat wilts the basil leaves
Result · Three Cup Chicken
Wok
Printed 3 September 2026