Black Pepper Chicken Recipe
A quick, flavorful stir-fry dish with tender chicken pieces coated in a bold black pepper sauce. Perfect for weeknight dinners and easy to customize with your favorite vegetables or protein.
Equipment
- Wok or large skillet
- Cutting board
- Mixing bowls
- Knife
- Spatula or wooden spoon
Ingredients
For the Chicken:
- 1.5 lbs boneless skinless chicken breast or thighs cubed
- 2 tbsp cornstarch
- 1 tsp salt
- 1/2 tsp baking soda
For the Sauce:
- 2 tbsp freshly cracked black pepper
- 3 tbsp soy sauce
- 1 tbsp dark soy sauce optional
- 2 tbsp oyster sauce
- 1 tbsp Chinese rice wine or dry sherry
- 1 tsp sugar
- 1 tbsp sesame oil
- 2 tbsp water + 1 tsp cornstarch slurry
Aromatics & Veggies:
- 6 cloves garlic minced
- 1 tbsp fresh ginger minced
- 1 large onion sliced
- 1 bell pepper sliced
- 2 green onions cut into 1-inch pieces
Instructions
- Prep Chicken: Toss cubed chicken with cornstarch, salt, and baking soda. Let sit 10 minutes.
- Make Sauce: In a small bowl, combine all sauce ingredients except cornstarch slurry. Set aside.
- Cook Chicken: Heat wok on high until smoking. Add oil, then chicken in single layer. Sear 1 min, stir-fry 2–3 min. Remove from pan.
- Stir-Fry Veggies: In same pan, add garlic and ginger, stir 15 sec. Add onions and bell peppers, stir-fry 2 min.
- Combine: Return chicken to pan. Add sauce, stir to coat. Once bubbling, add cornstarch slurry. Stir until thickened.
- Finish: Add green onions. Serve hot with rice.
Notes
Chicken thighs yield juicier results but breasts work well too.
Use freshly cracked pepper for best flavor.
Customize with extra veggies like broccoli, snap peas, mushrooms.
Sauce can be made ahead for meal prep.
Nutrition
Calories: 340kcalCarbohydrates: 15gProtein: 36gFat: 14g
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