This Vegetarian Three Cup Chicken uses King Oyster Mushrooms to bring all the sweet-savory goodness to the yard...and spares the chickens! 🍄🟫
Not sure what else to make with King Oyster Mushrooms? Their meaty texture makes them a great addition in One-Pot Rice Cooker Vegan Clay Pot Rice, or as faux shredded chicken in Easy Cold Sesame Noodles.
Recipe Inspiration
This recipe is heavily inspired by a popular Taiwanese YouTube chef, who used ketchup (yes, ketchup!) in his recipe using chicken. While not exactly a traditional flavor, ketchup brings a hint of sweet and sour, which complements the savory from soy sauce and helps cut through the grease along with the rice wine.
Three Cups of What?
Three Cup Chicken (Sān Bēi Jī, 三杯雞) is a quintessential Taiwanese dish loved for its rich, savory, and complex flavors. It is a popular dish in Taiwan and Taiwanese restaurants overseas, but less so outside of Taiwan and non-Taiwanese restaurants overseas, interestingly.
The name "three cup" refers to the main ingredients that make up the flavorful base: one cup of soy sauce, one cup of sesame oil, and one cup of rice wine, but don't worry—you're not actually using a full cup of each! The essence is a 1:1:1 ratio.
The rice wine used is usually Taiwanese rice wine, which functions similarly to Shaoxing wine in regular Chinese cooking.
An Unsung Hero: Basil
While "three cup" is part of the dish's name, basil plays an equally important part, and it’s an essential ingredient in all three cup dishes!
Basil has long been a staple in Taiwanese cuisine since its (alleged) introduction by the Dutch merchants in the 16th century. (And here's a fun fact you didn't ask for: Taiwan was under Dutch colony briefly during the 16th century.) It is used in a variety of classic Taiwanese dishes like three cup chicken, basil omelette, basil eggplant stir-fry, basil clams stir-fry, and even fried basil in popcorn chicken (Mmm—my favorite!).
Basil has truly become one of the familiar, nostalgic flavors of Taiwanese food!
Ingredients Notes And Substitutions
Here is a quick overview of what you'll need! Find the printable recipe with measurements below.
Jump to Recipe
Fresh Items
- King Oyster Mushrooms: This vegan version of the three cup chicken recipe swaps chicken pieces for meaty and absorbent king oyster mushrooms (...chicken of the woods!). They’re the perfect stand-in that captures the essence of the original dish. Alternatively, you can also turn this into a three cup tofu recipe by using firm tofu cubes.
- Fresh Basil Leaves: You can use either regular basil or Thai basil (it's hard to find fresh Thai basil at an affordable price near me, so I opt for the big box of regular/sweet basil that is sold at Trader Joe's; please correct me if they are not sweet basil!). Only wash as much as needed, or the humidity will spoil them faster.
- Fresh Ginger & Garlic: The aromatics of this recipe!
- Thai Chili Peppers: They add a tiny pop of color—and a good KICK!!! Optional if you don't eat spicy.
Pantry Items
- Sesame Oil: One of the three main essences of "three cup", and there is no good substitution for sesame oil!
- Soy Sauce: Many versions use a mix of light soy sauce and dark soy sauce to create depth in flavor and color, but we'll just be using regular soy sauce in this version.
- Rice Cooking Wine: Ideally, use Taiwanese rice wine to uphold the essence, but if you only have Shaoxing Wine available (or even dry sherry), you can use that to substitute as well.
- Vegetarian Oyster Sauce: If you can find Taiwanese-style thick and sweet soy sauce (also sometimes referred to as soy sauce paste), that would be preferred. However, I know they are not quite as available as vegetarian oyster sauce, so I have adapted this recipe to use vegetarian oyster sauce instead (note: the Chinese label on the Lee Kum Kee bottle says "Vegetarian Oyster Sauce", but the English label is Vegetarian Stir-Fry Sauce, which is not a good translation in my opinion).
- Ketchup: Yes, ketchup! The sweetness complements soy sauce's savoriness, and the sourness helps cut through the grease, along with the rice wine.
- Sugar: To help balance the salty and umami notes. You can use white sugar or brown sugar.
How To Make This Recipe: A Visual Guide
Here’s a quick overview of the recipe and some visual instructions! The full instructions with ingredients are in the recipe card below.
Step 1: Chop the king oyster mushrooms into bite-sized wedges.
Step 2: Prepare slices of ginger, chop garlic cloves in half, and if you eat spicy food, prepare some Thai chili peppers.
Step 3: Prepare the three cup sauce by mixing soy sauce, vegetarian oyster sauce or stir-fry sauce, ketchup, and sugar.
Step 4: In a frying pan or wok, add sesame oil, ginger, garlic, and Thai chili peppers. Fry everything on low heat until the ginger and garlic turn golden.
Step 5: Add king oyster mushrooms to the frying pan or wok, and cook until slightly brown.
Step 6: When the king oyster mushrooms are slightly brown, add the three cup sauce, and stir fry to mix.
Step 7: When the king oyster mushrooms are softened, turn the heat to medium-high, add basil leaves, and stir fry until they are just wilted.
Step 8: Add rice cooking wine around the edges, stir fry a few more times before turning off the heat, and it's ready to be served!
Vegetarian Three Cup Chicken using King Oyster Mushrooms
Ingredients
Fresh Ingredients
- 1-3 pieces king oyster mushrooms cut into bite-sized wedges
- 2½-3 cups basil leaves trimmed, no stalks
- 10 slices ginger
- 5 cloves garlic cut in half
- 2 pieces Thai chili peppers optional
Three Cup Sauce (Prepare Ahead)
- 1 tablespoon soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon vegetarian oyster or stir-fry sauce
- 1 tablespoon ketchup
- 1 teaspoon sugar
Three Cup Sauce (Add During Cooking)
- 1 tablespoon sesame oil
- 1 tablespoon rice wine
Instructions
To Prepare The Fresh Ingredients
- Prepared 10 slices ginger, ⅛ to ¼-inch thick each. Chop 5 cloves garlic, each in half.
- Chop 2 pieces Thai chili peppers into smaller rounds, or you can also use a pair of food-grade scissors. Chop 1-3 pieces king oyster mushrooms into bite-sized wedges.
- Prepare and wash 2½-3 cups basil leaves, and set them aside for later.Tip: If you want to use the stems, use only the most tender part of the stems. This will help maintain a consistent tender mouthfeel in the finished dish.
To Prepare The Three Cup Sauce
- In a small bowl, add 1 Tbsp vegetarian oyster or stir-fry sauce, 1 Tbsp ketchup, 1 tsp sugar, 1 Tbsp soy sauce, and mix well until the sugar is mostly dissolve.
To Make Vegetarian Three Cup Chicken
- In a frying pan or wok (best if they come with a lid, which will be used later), add 1 Tbsp sesame oil, 10 slices ginger, 5 cloves garlic (chopped), 2 pieces Thai chili peppers (chopped), and pan fry them on low heat until the ginger and garlic are golden brown.Tip: Add everything to the cold pan or wok, and use low heat to slowly fry the aromatics. Low heat is used because cooking sesame oil on high heat for a prolonged period of time can cause it to turn bitter.
- When the ginger and garlic are golden brown and keeping the heat at low, add 1-3 pieces king oyster mushrooms (chopped), and stir fry them until they turn golden brown as well.When the king oyster mushrooms are golden brown, add the three cup sauce you have just prepared.
- Cover the wok or pan with a lid, and let the mushrooms cook in the sauce until softened—soft enough to slice through easily with a metal spatula (or taste to check doneness), about 2-3 minutes.
- Turn the heat to medium-high heat, add 2½-3 cups basil leaves and stir fry until wilted.
- Finally, pour 1 Tbsp rice wine along the sides of the wok or pan and stir fry to mix everything, about 30 seconds, before turning off the heat.
- Serve and enjoy!
Nutrition
Nutrition is hand-calculated using Cronometer, and should be treated as an estimate only. Values can vary based on the ingredients, brands, and quantities you use. For the most accurate results, please calculate the nutrition using the exact ingredients you use, or consult a qualified healthcare professional or registered dietitian.
KK says
King Oyster Mushroom is a great food for vegetarian.
Using the three cup chicken cooking makes the whole dish so delicious and
increase the flavor of the mushroom !