四杯鸡翅 is the Taiwanese home cook’s answer to a craving: one cup each of soy sauce, rice wine, sugar, and oil, poured over chicken wings with a handful of garlic, ginger, and scallion, then simmered until the liquid turns into a dark, glossy caramel. There is no water in the pot at all. This xiachufang version is seven steps and takes about half an hour, and it is one of those recipes that looks like a restaurant plate and costs almost nothing.
It is a sibling of the better-known 三杯鸡 (three-cup chicken), which traditionally uses equal parts soy, wine, and sesame oil. This version adds a fourth cup — regular cooking oil — and a full cup of sugar, which means it is sweeter and stickier than the classic, closer to a glazed wing than a braise. The cook’s one warning is worth heeding: keep the heat at a gentle simmer, because a syrup made of sugar and soy will scorch the moment it is left unwatched.
What Is 四杯鸡翅 (Four-Cup Chicken Wings)?
四杯鸡翅 is a braised chicken wing dish built on four equal measures — 半杯油 (half a cup of oil), 1 杯糖 (a cup of sugar), 半杯酱油 (half a cup of soy sauce), and 1 杯米酒 (a cup of rice wine) — plus aromatics. The wings go into that liquid raw and come out lacquered, sweet-savory, and fall-off-the-bone tender.
The name makes the recipe: 四杯 means “four cups.” Unlike a Chinese braise that uses stock or water, this one relies entirely on the rice wine and soy for liquid, and the sugar caramelizes as the sauce reduces. That is why the finished dish tastes more like a glaze than a stew, and why it takes only twenty minutes of simmering.
If you like wings with a sticky, lacquered finish, my air-fryer cola chicken wings get there a different way — sugar from soda instead of a caramel.
1Air-Fryer Cola Chicken Wings (Ke Le Ji Chi): No-Oil Caramel GlazeAir-fryer cola chicken wings: wings marinated and air-fried with no oil until crisp, then coated in a reduced cola-and-soy glaze that caramelizes to a shine – the no-oil version of the sticky-sweet classic.Check out this recipe
Why This Recipe Works
- The sugar caramelizes first. Melting the sugar in oil before the soy goes in gives the sauce its color and its depth.
- Rice wine replaces water. A full cup of mijiu provides the braising liquid and a clean, slightly sweet alcohol note that cooks off.
- Wings cut in half cook evenly. Splitting them exposes more surface to the sauce, so flavor reaches the meat faster.
- Aromatics go in whole. Garlic cloves, ginger slices, and scallion segments flavor the syrup without burning.
- Reduce at the end for the glaze. The last minute of high heat is what turns thin sauce into a coating.
Equipment Needed
- Wok or heavy skillet with a lid
- Wooden spoon or spatula
- Small bowl for measuring the cups
Ingredients
- 6 chicken wings, cut in half
- 1/2 cup cooking oil
- 1/2 cup soy sauce
- 1 cup sugar
- 1 cup rice wine (米酒)
- Garlic cloves, sliced ginger, and scallion or small onion (毛葱)
Ingredient Notes
Rice wine (米酒). Taiwanese or Chinese cooking rice wine, not rice vinegar. Shaoxing wine works as a substitute; do not use sake if you want the classic flavor.
Sugar. The full cup is authentic — it is what makes the glaze. Use regular white sugar; rock sugar also works but melts more slowly.
Soy sauce. Regular soy sauce, not dark. If you only have dark soy, use half and add a splash of water.
Chicken wings. The cook cuts each wing into two pieces; whole wings work but need a few more minutes and more careful turning.
Prep & Mise en Place
Measure the four cups into separate bowls so they can go into the pan in sequence. Peel the garlic, slice the ginger, and cut the scallion or small onion into pieces. Rinse and pat the wings dry, then cut each one in half at the joint. Keep a lid nearby.
Cooking Process
Step 1 — Prep the Aromatics
Peel garlic cloves, slice ginger, and cut the scallion or small onion into pieces.
Step 2 — Cut the Wings in Half
Rinse the wings, pat them dry, and cut each in half at the joint — or leave them whole if you prefer.
Step 3 — Melt the Sugar Into Caramel
Heat the wok, add half a cup of oil and a cup of sugar, and cook over low heat until the sugar melts and takes on a light caramel color.
Step 4 — Add the Soy Sauce and Rice Wine
Pour in half a cup of soy sauce and a cup of rice wine, and stir to combine.
Step 5 — Add the Wings and Simmer 20 Minutes
Add the wings and the aromatics, bring to a boil over high heat, then reduce to medium and simmer about 20 minutes.
Step 6 — Turn Them at the Halfway Point
After about 10 minutes, turn the wings over so they cook and color evenly.
The step people rush is the caramel. Sugar in hot oil goes from pale amber to acrid black in seconds, so melt it over low heat and pull it as soon as it smells toasted and looks like light honey. If it darkens past that point, start over — a burnt caramel will make the whole pan taste bitter, and no amount of soy sauce will hide it.
Step 7 — Reduce and Plate
After 15-20 minutes, taste the sauce and adjust, then raise the heat to reduce the liquid until it coats the wings. Plate and serve immediately.
Common Mistakes When Making Four-Cup Chicken Wings
1. The sauce tastes burnt. Cause: sugar scorched in the oil. Fix: melt over low heat and stop at pale amber.
2. The wings are pale and bland. Cause: too much sauce left in the pan. Fix: reduce over high heat at the end until the glaze clings.
3. It is too sweet. Cause: the full cup of sugar plus reduction. Fix: cut the sugar to 3/4 cup, and add a splash of rice vinegar at the end.
4. The wings are tough. Cause: high heat the whole time. Fix: boil briefly, then simmer gently for the full 20 minutes.
5. The aromatics burn. Cause: garlic and ginger added to the caramel. Fix: add them with the wings, once the liquid is in.
Variations
Classic three-cup. Drop the cooking oil and use toasted sesame oil for the third cup — the original 三杯鸡.
With basil. Throw in a handful of Thai basil in the last minute, Taiwanese style.
Other proteins. The same four cups braise pork belly or ribs beautifully — see my plum-braised ribs and red-braised pork belly.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is 四杯? Four cups: oil, sugar, soy sauce, and rice wine, in the proportions given here.
Can I use Shaoxing wine? Yes — it is the closest common substitute for Taiwanese rice wine.
Do I need to add water? No. The wine and soy are the braising liquid, which is what makes the glaze.
Can I make it ahead? Yes — it reheats well, and the flavor deepens overnight.
Is it spicy? Not at all, unless you add chili.
How to Serve
Serve the wings over steamed rice with the extra glaze spooned on top, with a simple green vegetable on the side. They also work as a shared plate next to rice cooker New Orleans drumsticks, kimchi pork belly stir-fry, scallion-braised pork chop noodles, and pork stir-fry with green peppers.
Storage & Reheat
Refrigerate with the sauce for up to 3 days — the wings are even better the next day. Reheat gently in a covered pan with a splash of water, or in the microwave; the glaze loosens and re-clings as it warms.
Allergen Notice
Contains soy and wheat (soy sauce). Rice wine is gluten-free, but check labels if you are sensitive.
Nutrition Disclaimer
Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate. In cases where multiple ingredient alternatives are given, the first listed is calculated for nutrition. Garnishes and optional ingredients are not included.
About the Author & Recipe Development
I am Lin, and I grew up in my parents’ restaurant kitchen in Chengdu. Three-cup chicken was the dish the Taiwanese cooks on our street made when they wanted to show off, and this four-cup version is the home-cook’s shortcut — a cup of oil in the pan instead of a careful mix of sesame and vegetable oils. I tested it twice: the first time I let the caramel go dark and the whole pan tasted bitter, the second time I pulled it at pale amber and the wings came out lacquered and sweet. Watch the sugar. It is the entire dish.
Authoritative References
USDA Safe Temperature Chart for cooking poultry to 74°C (165°F), and FDA cold storage guidance for leftovers.
Four-Cup Chicken Wings (四杯鸡翅): Taiwanese Braised Wings
Equipment
- Wok or heavy skillet with lid
- Wooden Spoon
Ingredients
For the Wings
- 6 chicken wings, cut in half
- 0.5 cup cooking oil
- 0.5 cup soy sauce
- 1 cup sugar
- 1 cup rice wine (米酒)
- 6 cloves garlic
- 1 thumb ginger, sliced
- 2 scallions or small onions 毛葱
Instructions
- Peel the garlic, slice the ginger, and cut the scallion or small onion into pieces.
- Rinse and dry the wings, then cut each in half at the joint.
- Heat half a cup of oil with a cup of sugar and melt over low heat until light caramel.
- Add half a cup of soy sauce and a cup of rice wine.
- Add the wings and aromatics, boil over high heat, then simmer over medium for 20 minutes.
- Turn the wings over at about the 10-minute mark.
- Taste at 15-20 minutes, then raise the heat to reduce the sauce to a glaze and plate.
Leave a Reply