Instant Pot Three Cup Chicken (San Bei Ji) 三杯鷄

Ingredients

• 8 (827g) chicken drumsticks (, chopped (or whole))
• 1/4 cup (63ml) sesame oil
• 1/4 cup (63ml) rice cooking wine or Shaoxing rice wine
• 1/4 cup (63ml) regular soy sauce
• 15 grams (1 tbsp) rock sugar (raw cane sugar; Chinese: 黃冰糖)
• 32 grams ginger (, peeled & thinly sliced)
• 14 garlic cloves (, peeled & crushed)
• 3 dried Chinese red chili
• 1/2 tablespoon (7.5ml) dark soy sauce
• 10 - 16 fresh Thai basil leaves
• 2 tablespoons cornstarch
• 2 tablespoons cold water

Instructions

1. 1

   Prepare Pressure Cooker: Heat up your pressure cooker over medium heat (Instant Pot: press Sauté button). Make sure your pot is as hot as it can be (Instant Pot: wait until indicator says HOT).

2. 2

   Sauté Ginger and Garlic: Add ¼ cup (63ml) sesame oil, 32g sliced ginger, and 14 garlic cloves in the pressure cooker. Sauté for 30 seconds until fragrant.

3. 3

   Sauté Chicken Drumsticks: Add in the chopped or whole chicken drumsticks. Then, sauté for 3 minutes. Pour in ¼ cup (63ml) rice cooking wine and let it boil for a minute to evaporate some of the alcohol content.

4. 4

   Pressure Cook Chicken: Add ¼ cup (63ml) regular soy sauce, 3 dried Chinese red chili, and 15g (1 tbsp) rock sugar. Close the lid and pressure cook at For Chopped Chicken Drumsticks: High Pressure for 5 minutes + 10 minutes Natural Release or For Whole Chicken Drumsticks: High Pressure for 8 minutes + 10 minutes Natural Release. Open the lid carefully.

5. 5

   Thicken Sauce: Place chicken pieces in a large serving bowl. Heat up your pressure cooker (Instant Pot: press Sauté button), and bring the sauce back to a boil. Add in roughly 1/2 tbsp (7.5ml) dark soy sauce to give it some color and sweeten it a little. Optional: Mix 2 tbsp of cornstarch with 2 tbsp of water and stir the mixture into the sauce one third at a time until desired thickness.

6. 6

   Taste & Adjust Seasoning: Taste the sauce and adjust seasoning with more regular soy sauce if necessary. Stir in 10 – 16 fresh Thai basil leaves.

7. 7

   Serve: Pour the sauce into the large serving bowl with chicken. Mix well. Serve immediately with your favorite side dish.