Black Pepper Chicken
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You’re in for a treat with this quick and easy restaurant style Chinese inspired Black Pepper Chicken that’s totally delicious and made at home in just 30 minutes. It’s incredibly saucy, sticky, crispy and sweet, perfect for a quick weeknight dinner.
Black Pepper Chicken
I love making these one pot dishes, where any mess in the kitchen is kept to a minimum. Trust me, this makes a difference when you’re trying to make dinner on a busy weeknight. This versatile recipe for black pepper chicken allows you to easily add or substitute other vegetables, such as broccoli or carrots. If you prefer pork or beef as your protein, go for that! When finished, this is best served over some cooked rice. It balances out the intense taste of all the great spices and Asian ingredients.
This black pepper chicken is incredibly crispy, sticky, saucy and sweet, all my favorites when it comes to a great chicken dinner. Serve this over some rice and you’ve got yourself an easy dinner that your whole family will enjoy.
Ingredient Notes
Chicken
- Chicken – Chicken thighs, boneless and skinless cut into 1 inch cubes. I prefer using chicken thighs because they’re juicier and more tender but chicken breast can be used as well.
- Soy Sauce – I use low sodium soy sauce to have a bit more control over the saltiness of the dish. You can use regular if that’s what you have on hand.
- Garlic – Fresh minced garlic is used and always adds a terrific flavor.
- Cornstarch – The cornstarch is tossed with the chicken pieces, then fried, resulting in extra crispy chicken.
- Vegetable oil– I use vegetable oil but any mild flavored oil like safflower, or sunflower will work as well.
- Onions – One large onion, chopped for lots of great flavor.
- Bell Pepper – Red pepper was used but any color pepper works well. Cut into 1 small ½ inch pieces.
- Sesame oil – If you can find toasted sesame oil, buy it! The flavor is amazing.
Black Pepper Sauce
- Sichuan peppercorn powder – Sichuan peppercorns taste a bit citrusy and are not spicy. It actually induces a tingling numbness when you eat it, rather than a fiery heat. This can be found in all Asian stores.
- Pepper – Freshly ground black pepper is preferred, and its spicy heat is essential in this dish.
- Oyster Sauce – Provides a sweet and salty taste, with a caramel undertone.
- Soy Sauce – Low sodium sauce again.
- Shaoxing Wine – This medium-dry wine produced in Shaoxing has a rich, slightly nutty taste. Some good substitutes can be dry sherry or mirin.
How To Make Black Pepper Chicken
- Combine chicken, soy and garlic: In a medium size bowl, combine the chicken pieces with the 1 tablespoon of soy sauce and minced garlic. Toss well. Sprinkle the cornstarch over the chicken and toss well.
- Combine sauce ingredients: In a small bowl, combine all the black pepper sauce ingredients together.
- Cook the chicken: Add the vegetable oil to a wok or large skillet and heat over high heat. Add half the chicken to the wok and cook for 3 to 4 minutes or until golden brown. Transfer the chicken to a paper towel lined plate and repeat with remaining chicken.
- Sauté onion and peppers: If there’s no vegetable oil left in the skillet, add another tablespoon or so. Add the onion and peppers to the wok and cook for a minute. Add the chicken back to the wok and the prepared black pepper sauce. Toss until well combined. Drizzle the sesame oil over the chicken and stir.
- Serve: Serve immediately over rice.
Frequently Asked Questions
Are chicken thighs better than breasts?
Chicken thighs can be used in all the same ways as chicken breasts but they contain more fats and less protein than the breasts but the difference is that thighs are a bit juicier and more tender. Thighs are cheaper but also taste great!
What can I use as a substitute for Shaoxing wine?
Dry sherry or mirin make great substitutes.
Is Sichuan peppercorns same as black peppercorns?
Sichuan peppercorns are similar in appearance to black pepper, this mildly hot spice is distinctively aromatic, making it a necessary element in many traditional Chinese dishes.
Some Tips
- Have all your ingredients ready to go before you start cooking as the cooking process goes quickly.
- If you don’t have access to Sichuan peppercorn powder, the alternative is to use freshly ground black pepper and ground coriander seeds.
Leftovers
This pepper chicken will last 3–4 days in the fridge when stored in an airtight container! You can reheat it either in the microwave, or covered in a pan over medium heat.
Freezer
If you want to keep leftovers longer, pop them into an airtight container and place in the freezer. Your leftover stir fry will keep for 3–4 months in the freezer.
More Great Asian Recipes To Try
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Black Pepper Chicken
Video
Ingredients
- 2 pounds chicken thighs (boneless and skinless cut into 1 inch cubes)
- 2 tablespoons soy sauce (low sodium)
- 6 cloves garlic (minced)
- 1 cup cornstarch
- ⅓ cup vegetable oil
- 2 large onions (chopped)
- 1 large red bell pepper (cut into 1 small ½ inch pieces)
- 2 teaspoons sesame oil
Black Pepper Sauce
- 2 teaspoons Sichuan peppercorn powder
- 2 teaspoons black pepper (freshly ground)
- ⅓ cup oyster sauce
- ¼ cup soy sauce (low sodium)
- 1 teaspoon dark soy sauce
- ¼ cup Shaoxing wine
Before You Begin! If you make this, please leave a review and rating letting us know how you liked this recipe! This helps our business thrive & continue providing free recipes.
Instructions
- Prep the chicken: In a medium size bowl, combine the chicken pieces with the 1 tablespoon of soy sauce and minced garlic. Toss well. Sprinkle the cornstarch over the chicken and toss well.
- Make the sauce: In a small bowl, combine all the black pepper sauce ingredients together.
- Cook the chicken: Add the vegetable oil to a wok or large skillet and heat over high heat. Add half the chicken to the wok and cook for 3 to 4 minutes or until golden brown. Transfer the chicken to a paper towel lined plate and repeat with remaining chicken.
- Sauté onion and peppers: If there's no vegetable oil left in the skillet, add another tablespoon or so. Add the onion and peppers to the wok and cook for a minute. Add the chicken back to the wok and the prepared black pepper sauce. Toss until well combined. Drizzle the sesame oil over the chicken and stir.
- Serve: Serve immediately over rice.
Notes
- Have all your ingredients ready to go before you start cooking as the cooking process goes quickly.
- If you don’t have access to Sichuan peppercorn powder, the alternative is to use freshly ground black pepper and ground coriander seeds.
- This will last 3–4 days in the fridge when stored in an airtight container! You can reheat it either in the microwave, or covered in a pan over medium heat.
- If you want to keep leftovers longer, pop them into an airtight container and place in the freezer. Your leftover stir fry will keep for 3–4 months in the freezer.
Nutrition Information
Notice: Nutrition is auto-calculated for your convenience. Where relevant, we recommend using your own nutrition calculations.
