One of my favorite Chinese take-out favorites, this Black Pepper Chicken has crispy chicken with tender-crisp vegetables in a flavorful stir-fry sauce.
Pair Black Pepper Chicken with rice or lo-mein noodles for the full take-out feel.
When doing some research for this recipe, I found the internet is on fire that Panda Express discontinued their Black Pepper Chicken. While, I've never tried that version (no Panda Express near me), if you are missing it from their menu, give this version a try! Let me know if it comes close.
If you are a regular here, you might know that I am a huge fan of just about all Asian-style recipes. After you try this Black Pepper Chicken, perhaps give my Air Fryer Asian-Glazed Chicken a try or my Asian Chicken Lettuce Wraps.
Ingredients
Don't be intimidated by the ingredient list. If some of these ingredients are new to you, they are all found at most grocery stores.
- Boneless Chicken Breast
- Vegetables: Onion, Garlic, Bell Peppers & Ginger
- Cornstarch
- Seasoning/Spices: Salt & Pepper
- Sauces/Condiments: Soy Sauce, Oyster Sauce, Rice Vinegar, Sriracha, Oil
See recipe card for quantities.
Instructions
Start by coating the chicken with seasoning sand cornstarch.
Fry the coated chicken pieces until crispy and golden.
Once the chicken is cooked, set it aside and wipe out the pan of excess oil. Next sauté the onion, garlic and ginger.
Add the peppers.
Stir in all the sauce ingredients and then return the chicken to the pan. Stir well to coat everything evenly in the sauce.
Hint: Sauté the bell peppers only for a few seconds. The result we want for this recipe is peppers that are still crisp.
Substitutions
There are a few things that you can change up to make this Black Pepper Chicken suit your tastes.
- Vegetables - add in other vegetables like zucchini, broccoli, celery, snow peas
- Oil - any oil suitable for frying with a high-smoke point is okay to use
- Vegetarian - skip the chicken and go heavy on additional vegetables and make it a Black Pepper Vegetable Stir Fry
- Chicken - boneless chicken thighs can be used in place of breasts
See this Vegetarian Eggplant Stir Fry for a different type of stir fry that uses a few of the same ingredients!
Equipment
The most important item used to create this recipe is a good fry pan. If you are in the market for a new fry pan, you could try something like this 12-Inch Stainless Fry Pan.
Another helpful item that I have several pairs of, are tongs. I prefer these OXO tongs that have a nylon heads.
Storage
Store Black Pepper Chicken in the refrigerator, in an airtight container for up to 3 days.
You can also freeze for up to two months.
Top tip
Make sure when cutting the chicken, you cut into similar sized pieces. Having similar sized cuts will ensure even cooking and will lower the chance of overcooking or undercooking.
This dish is a little spicy without being overly spicy and also a little bit tangy. The chicken is crispy yet juicy and the vegetables are perfectly tender-crisp.
No. The oyster sauce is helpful in achieving the full umami flavor in this recipe.
Printable Recipe Card
Black Pepper Chicken RECIPE
Ingredients
- 1 pound boneless chicken breast cut into bite-sized pieces
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon black pepper powder
- 1 teaspoon soy sauce
- 1 teaspoon rice vinegar
- 1 ½ tablespoon minced garlic divided
- ¼ cup cornstarch
- 1 teaspoon minced ginger
- 1 large red onion chopped
- 1 red bell pepper chopped
- 1 green bell pepper chopped
- oil for frying choose an oil suitable for high heat such as peanut, avocado or vegetable oil
Sauce
- 3 tablespoons soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon rice vinegar
- 1 tablespoon sriracha
- 2 tablespoon oyster sauce
- 1 teaspoon black pepper powder
Instructions
- Place chicken in a bowl with salt, black pepper, soy sauce, rice vinegar and ½ tablespoon of garlic. Toss mixture around to coat all chicken pieces. Add the cornstarch and again, toss to coat each piece of chicken. Set aside.
- In a small bowl combine sauce ingredients. Set aside.
- Add about a half inch of oil to a fry pan. Heat oil to about 350° - 375° F and fry the chicken. You may need to do this in batches to avoid overcrowding. Transfer cooked chicken to a plate and set aside. Remove excess oil from pan.
- Heat 1 tablespoon additional oil in pan over medium heat. Add onion and cook one minute. Stir in the remaining garlic and the ginger and cook just about another minute. Add in the peppers and cook, while stirring just another minute. The peppers should still have some crunch to them.
- Return the chicken to the pan with the vegetables and pour in the sauce. Increase heat to high and cook one minute more while stirring.
- If desired, garnish with chopped green onion and serve with rice or noodles.
Video
Notes
Nutrition
Food safety
- Cook to a minimum temperature of 165 °F (74 °C)
- Do not use the same utensils on cooked food, that previously touched raw meat
- Wash hands after touching raw meat
- Don't leave food sitting out at room temperature for extended periods
- Never leave cooking food unattended
- Use oils with high smoking point to avoid harmful compounds
- Always have good ventilation when using a gas stove
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