Three Cup Chicken
The perfect pairing with a bowl of rice
In Chinese, there’s a saying - 好的下飯菜 which roughly translates to “a dish that goes down well with rice”. We use it to describe dishes that are particularly enjoyable with rice and make you want another bowl. The success of a dish or an entire meal can be measured by how many bowls of rice you had. It’s a subtle compliment to the cook - one of those “tell me you enjoyed the food, without telling me you enjoyed the food”.
三杯雞 Three Cup Chicken is one of those dishes that will make you want more rice. This popular Taiwanese staple is one that people hold close to their heart, loved for its comforting flavours.
The roots of Three Cup Chicken can be traced back to Jiangxi province in southern China, from the Hakka people. It made its way to Taiwan when large numbers of Hakka people migrated over in the 18th and 19th century. In fact, a number of Taiwanese street foods and humble dishes originated from Hakka cuisine.
Over time, Taiwanese people have put their own special touches to these to make it uniquely their own. With Three Cup Chicken, that special touch is the addition of Thai Basil, which has hints of star anise and gives it a distinct peppery note. (For the phở lovers, it’s the same herb that’s offered on the plate with bean sprouts at the restaurant.) Three Cup Chicken is braised, not stir fried, until the chicken absorbs all the flavours and leaves behind a sticky glaze.
What’s with the “Three Cup”? Well, it refers to the core flavours of this dish - equal parts of soy sauce, rice wine and sesame oil. In reality, the amounts have been adjusted as the dish evolved. Personally, I think an equal amount of sesame oil would be rather overwhelming on the tastebuds so I’ve toned down the amount in my recipe.
Some versions use chicken wings, or even a whole chicken cut up – skin on and bone in. But let’s be honest, unless we are our parents, we are unlikely to buy and cut up a whole chicken for this. For practicality and convenience, we’re going with skinless and boneless chicken thigh here.
I recently cooked Three Cup Chicken as part of lunch for a small group of table tennis athletes during their national training camp. Six out of seven athletes were Asian so naturally, lunch was going to be something Asian with a large pot of rice.
This is how the meal went…
I was initially surprised, but then not surprised at the same time. I honestly smiled when I saw an almost empty rice cooker, and the genuine gratefulness from the athletes for the meal made the efforts worth it. And from any Sports Dietitian’s perspective, how good is it when your athletes aren’t shying away from rice/carbohydrates?!
What’s your favourite dish to have with rice?
Ingredients:
Serves 2
2 tbs light soy sauce
2 tbs Taiwanese rice cooking wine or Japanese cooking sake
1 tsp dark soy sauce
1 tbs sugar
2 tbs water
1/2 tbs olive oil
2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
2 inch piece of ginger, sliced thickly
A few spring onion stems - light green and white part only
1 red chilli, sliced (optional)
300g chicken thigh (2 medium or 3 small), cut into 1.5-2cm chunks
1/4 cup Thai basil leaves
1 tsp or light drizzle of sesame oil
In a small bowl, combine the light soy sauce, dark soy sauce, sugar, Taiwanese cooking rice wine/Japanese cooking sake, water and mix well.
Heat a wok over medium heat and add the olive oil. Add the ginger, spring onion stems, garlic and chilli (if using) and cook for 30 seconds or until fragrant.
Increase heat to high and add the chicken thigh pieces. Allow it to brown all over by stirring it around, about a minute or two.
Pour in the sauce and ensure the chicken is sitting in the liquid. Reduce heat down to low-medium and cover with a lid if you have one. Allow it to gently braise for 8-10 minutes, stirring occasionally to ensure it doesn’t stick. The sauce should reduce down and thicken slightly.
Once chicken is cooked, stir through the Thai basil and drizzle with sesame oil. Remove from heat and serve with rice and your choice of vegetables. I stir fried some tatsoi with mine.
Sports Nutrition Spotlight
I’ve noticed that a lot of athletes gravitate towards chicken as a protein option. There’s a good reason for it - it’s affordable and simple to cook.
I’ve chosen chicken thigh for this recipe because it’s a little more forgiving when cooked longer to absorb the umami-ness from the sauce without drying out. If you prefer the leaner chicken breast, just cut the pieces larger so they have time to soak up the flavours while still remaining juicy.
Let’s take a look at the performance benefits of Three Cup Chicken when served with rice and stir-fried vegetables.
Provides fuel before training:
The rice provides quickly digested carbohydrates for your muscles and brain, helping you stay focused and complete your session well. Its like the premium fuel for your sports car.
Perfect recovery meal after training
Rice, chicken and vibrant stir-fried Asian leafy greens make a great recovery trio. Chicken provides your muscles with protein for repair after they’ve been pushed to the limit. With 32g* of protein from a serve of this meal, that’s more than sufficient than the 20g minimum for recovery. Meanwhile, rice replenishes your energy stores (like refilling a fuel tank) and the vibrant greens deliver a dose of immune-supporting Vitamins A and C, along with fibre like all vegetables.
Had a light training session or a rest day?
There’s no need to avoid rice in this situation. Your body still needs carbohydrates, but just less compared to a heavier training day. There’s a lot of behind-the-scenes activity happening inside your body just to keep you alive, even when you’re lying still. So, have your bowl of rice, just less than what you’d normally have on a heavier training day.
Provides you with iron
Iron is a key micronutrient for you as athletes because it’s associated with energy production and immunity. When your iron levels are low, you’ll notice you’re more fatigued than usual. Like a phone battery that’s always on 10% battery life. This affects your ability to train and compete at your best.
A serve of this meal provides 3.0mg* iron - from both the chicken AND tatsoi. Bok choy, choy sum and any other Asian leafy green will provide iron too. See, this is why you never skimp on the vegetables because they always have something to contribute. For us females (19-50 years), we’re demanding with iron needs - we need 18mg (more if pregnant), compared to 8mg for males. Every little bit of iron counts, especially if you’ve been diagnosed with iron deficiency.
I’m going to dedicate an entire post to iron where I’ll dive deeper into the details and why it’s so crucial for athletes, so keep your eyes peeled for it.
Helps with building muscle
You were waiting this one weren’t you? Yes, chicken helps with muscle-building if that’s your goal. With 32g* protein from the meal, that’s sufficient without being overly excessive. More protein isn’t necessarily better. Don’t skimp on the rice, because carbohydrates are needed for muscle growth too. Think of protein as individual Lego pieces - somebody needs to build the structure right? Guess who is responsible for supplying energy to build? Carbohydrates.
Great for meal prep
Three Cup Chicken is quick to prepare and reheats well, so put it on rotation for meal prep ahead of a busy week. Pair it with your choice of stir fried vegetables and rice. Trust me, people will be glancing at your meal wanting a taste!
I hope you enjoy this recipe as much as I enjoyed sharing it with you. May the spotlight on its performance benefits inspire you include it in your meal rotations!
Have a question or thoughts? Drop it below in the comments.