Here is the perfect recipe to make when you are busy but still want a savory and delicious meal.
I can wait to share with you how to make my 20 Minutes ONLY Taiwanese 3 Cup Chicken Noodle Stir-fry that is super easy and tasty! This homey recipe is the perfect balance between sweet, savory, and spicy.
Let’s say you are vegetarian; you can also substitute chicken with Shiitake mushrooms instead, and it will be just as delicious. Warning, you may be making this for the rest of the week, so don’t blame me if you get hooked on this recipe.
3 Cup Chicken is one of the most classic and traditional Taiwanese dishes that is loved by many.
You can find it at street stalls, beerhouses, restaurants, and even at night markets! I have a recipe on how to make Traditional 3 Cup Chicken which pairs perfectly with rice. However, I love to make 3 Cup Chicken Noodle Stir-fry when I want a quick and tasty recipe. With this sauce, I promise it will be delicious every single time.
So why is it called 3 Cup Chicken? That is because you traditionally need only three simple ingredients: Soy Sauce, Sesame Oil, and Chinese Cooking Wine.
I like this method, but I find that many people don’t consume alcohol and find a cup of sesame oil to be way too heavy. That is why for my 3 Cup Chicken Noodle Stir-fry I made some alteration that still gives you the authentic flavor, but is much lighter.
An essential ingredient that gives you an exotic aroma and refreshing flavor in 3 Cup Chicken that you cannot skip is Basil!
I recommend using ALOT of Thai Basil for the traditional flavor; however, you can also use regular Basil if you cannot find Thai basil. The basil helps cut out the dish’s heaviness; it gives it an exotic aroma while also helps refresh the dish. I also recommend using boneless Chicken thigh with the skin on that gives you the rich flavor.
I am using Shanghai Noodles today that you can find that T&T Supermarket, but you can also use other noodles you like.
Some noodles that I recommend are Yellow stir-fry noodles or udon noodles. Cook the noodles based on instruction, rinse with cold water, and set aside. If you use frozen udon, pour hot water over the udon and let it side for 5 minutes. Drain and rinse with cold water before stir-fry.
Here are some other 20 MINUTES ONLY recipes that I highly recommend giving a try:
- Spicy Honey Garlic Chicken Tenders (20 Minutes!)
- Restaurant Styled 20 Minutes Chinese Eggplant with Garlic Sauce
- Asian Honey Garlic Potatoes (Only 5 Ingredient!)
- Fried Tofu with Garlic Sauce (20 Minutes or Less!)
- Spicy Garlic Peanut Noodles – ONLY 5 Minutes!
Ingredients
- 1.5 lb of Boneless Chicken thigh with the skin on (cut into bite-sized pieces)
- 2 cup of Thai Basil
- 450g of Noodles (cooked)
- 3 tbsp of Soy Sauce
- 2 tbsp of Sugar
- 2 tbsp of Sesame Oil
- 4 slices of Ginger (sliced)
- 6 cloves of Garlic (sliced)
- 1 Red Chili (chopped)
- 3 tbsp of Chinese Cooking Wine (optional)
- In a bowl, mix soy sauce, sesame oil, and sugar till combined.
- Cook noodle as per instruction, drain and set aside.
- In a pan, drizzle in oil and turn the heat up to medium-high. Once the pan is hot, add in the chicken and saute together for 3-4 minutes
- After 3-4 minutes, add in sliced ginger, garlic, and chopped red chili. Saute together for another 2-3 minutes
- Add in the noodles and pour in the sauce. Pour in the Chinese cooking wine if you consume alcohol and saute for 2-3 minutes
- Add in Thai basil and saute on high heat for 1-2 minutes.
Preferred Brands:
Taiwanese 3 Cup Chicken Noodle Stir-fry
Materials
- 1.5 lb of Boneless Chicken thigh with the skin on cut into bite-sized pieces
- 2 cup of Thai Basil
- 450 g of Noodles cooked
- 3 tbsp of Soy Sauce
- 2 tbsp of Sugar
- 2 tbsp of Sesame Oil
- 4 slices of Ginger sliced
- 6 cloves of Garlic sliced
- 1 Red Chili chopped
- 3 tbsp of Chinese Cooking Wine optional
Instructions
- In a bowl, mix soy sauce, sesame oil, and sugar till combined.
- Cook noodle as per instruction, drain and set aside.
- In a pan, drizzle in oil and turn the heat up to medium-high. Once the pan is hot, add in the chicken and saute together for 3-4 minutes
- After 3-4 minutes, add in sliced ginger, garlic, and chopped red chili. Saute together for another 2-3 minutes
- Add in the noodles and pour in the sauce. Pour in the Chinese cooking wine if you consume alcohol and saute for 2-3 minutes
- Add in Thai basil and saute on high heat for 1-2 minutes.
I made this today using the shiitake mushrooms instead of chicken (I do veggie Tuesday’s) and my whole family LOVED it! They said the flavors were out of this world, and we ran out of the first batch I made! I made a second batch using whatever veggies I had (onion and bell peppers) and while not the original recipe, it was still SO yummy my hubby and MIL said print, save, bookmark this recipe! Thank you so much, I cannot wait to try this with chicken! Oh, and I served it with the crispy tofu, another outstanding dish. Hands down better than takeout!
This was so good! Even though I forgot to buy fresh ginger and red chili and my soy sauce was not as dark. It was so tasty. I will make this again with all the correct ingredients next time. Thank you!
Wow! This dish was perfection. It wasn’t really easy or quick to make but it was the most delicious asian dish ever! The flavor was complex and perfect, salty, sweet, umami, heat, and a floral note from the Thai basil. That was the star for me. Thank you so much for this recipe, it’s a keeper!
We loved this recipe! The Thai basil is so aromatic and the sauce is so flavorful. We didn’t have Chinese cooking wine, so we used mirin and omitted the sugar. We also added a couple cups of broccoli for some veggie. We found that there wasn’t enough sauce, so we double the amount of soy sauce and sesame oil and it was perfect.