Today, I plan to cook black pepper chicken, a dish that’s less common in Asian households but is widely popular in America. This dish combines the flavor of black pepper commonly used in Western cuisine with Chinese seasonings like light soy sauce to stir-fry, making it unquestionably delicious.

In this article, I’ll share my version of the recipe for black pepper chicken.

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1. The main ingredients- chicken thigh and black peppers

The key ingredient for this recipe is undoubtedly the chicken. There are several options; my favorite is boneless chicken thigh meat because it has more fat, making it more tender than breast meat. Besides, boneless chicken is more convenient and can be cooked quickly. This means you can cut it into smaller pieces than bone-in chicken and effectively stir-fry it. However, you can always choose any cut of chicken that you prefer.

Black pepper is the second most crucial ingredient in this recipe. While white pepper is traditionally used in Chinese cuisine, this recipe is a mix of east and west, so black pepper is preferred. The floral and wholesome flavor of black pepper makes it the ideal choice. I use freshly ground black pepper as this recipe’s main seasoning ingredient. The amount of crushed black pepper can be adjusted to your liking, but one to two teaspoons per pound of chicken is generally considered ideal.

2. The Cantonese seasoning ingredients

As a Chinese stir-fried dish, the basic seasoning ingredients in Chinese food are used: light soy sauce, dark soy sauce, oyster sauce, Chinese Shaoxing wine, and sesame oil. I also added some cornstarch to thicken the sauce. However, this combination is flexible. For example, you can add chili flakes to make it spicy or Sichuan peppercorns to add a numbing effect commonly found in most Sichuan cuisine. Also, consider adding some rice vinegar (balanced with some sugar). Lastly, you can also add chili oil to add a kick to the black pepper chicken.

3. Use vegetables with contrasting texture, color, and flavor

Most Chinese stir-fry dishes combine meat and vegetables, a great way to create a well-balanced meal with different flavors and textures. This recipe uses colored bell peppers, celery, and onion to add crunchiness and color. These ingredients also provide a nice contrast to the meaty texture of the chicken.

Other suitable vegetables besides bell peppers are sweet peas, snow peas,  green onions, and baby corn.

Garlic is an essential ingredient for any stir-fry dish. I prefer using plenty of garlic in my stir-fry because it pairs well with various ingredients, including meat, seafood, and vegetables. I have chopped garlic stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator. That makes it convenient whenever I need chopped garlic. The amount of garlic is one tablespoon for every pound of chicken meat. Besides, I also add a teaspoon of chopped ginger for additional flavor.

4. Cook the chicken and vegetables separately

Before we proceed with the cooking process, I want to highlight an essential tip to help make the dish successful- stir-fry the chicken separately from the vegetables.

The reason for this is apparent. If we cook the chicken together with the vegetables, the vegetables will be overcooked and lose their vibrant color when the chicken is fully cooked. Also, we need to sear the chicken on the skillet’s or wok’s surface by placing them in a single layer to brown the chicken effectively and create the wok aroma.

5. Steps to prepare the black pepper chicken

Here are the detailed steps to cook the chicken.

Marinate the chicken:

1. Cut the chicken thigh or breast meat into thin one-inch pieces, which is best for stir-frying.
2. AMix well with dd salt, light soy sauce, and Chinese wine. 
3. Next, coat the chicken with cornstarch to prevent it from drying out and shield it from direct heat while stir-frying. 
4. Finally, coat the chicken with a teaspoon of oil to prevent sticking to the wok or skillet. 
5. Marinate for fifteen minutes to allow the seasoning to penetrate the chicken before stir-frying. 

Prep the vegetables. 

1. Cut the bell pepper into either triangles or long strips similar in size to the chicken. To add more color to the dish, try using a mix of different colored bell peppers. 
2. Cut the celery into strips, and do the same for the onion. 
3. Prepare a tablespoon of chopped garlic. 
4. In a small bowl, combine the light soy sauce, dark soy sauce, Chinese Shaoxing wine, sesame oil, oyster sauce, and cornstarch. This mixture will be used as the seasoning for the Black Pepper Chicken. 
5. Crush 1 1/2 teaspoons of black pepper and set aside. It will mix with the Chinese seasonings to form a delicious black pepper sauce.

Cook the chicken and vegetables separately

1. First, heat the vegetable oil in a wok or a large skillet. Once the oil is hot, add the marinated chicken pieces and spread them out in a single layer over medium heat for half a minute, then use a wok spatula to turn the chicken over to the other side. It will take about 1-2 minutes until bothe sides turn light golden brown with some charred marks.
2. Once both sides of the chicken have turned golden brown, remove it from the wok and keep the remaining oil in it. 
3. Next, add the onion and stir-fry it until it turns soft. Add the chopped garlic and ginger halfway through this process.
4. Add celery and bell peppers to the wok after the onion has turned soft and slightly brown. Continue to stir-fry for one to two minutes. Reduce the stir-fry duration if you prefer the vegetables to be more crunchy.
5. Now, add the stir-fry sauce and the black pepper that we have prepared. 
6. Return the cooked chicken to the wok and turn the heat to high—stir-fry over high heat to create the wok aroma.
7. Once everything is done, immediately remove it from the wok to serve.

That is how to make black pepper chicken at home tastier than ordering from takeout. By making it yourself, you can adjust the level of spiciness and choose the ingredients you want to include. Give it a go and let your entire family enjoy this easy yet delicious black pepper chicken stir-fry.

6. Other related recipes to the Chinese-inspired black pepper chicken

I recommend you serve the following popular Chinese dishes with this Chinese-inspired black pepper chicken.

• Potato stir fry is a common dish on Chinese restaurant menus. It has a slight spiciness to it, but the crunchy texture of the potato sets it apart from most other potato dishes.
• Brussels sprouts stir fry is another simple Chinese recipe made with garlic. The combination of the stir-fry sauce and garlic makes it an excellent recipe.
• Bok choy stir-fry. Simple vegetable stir-fry always goes well with meat dishes. Try this recipe, one of my food blog’s most popular recipes.

Continue to Content

Black pepper chicken Chinese stir-fry recipe (黑椒鸡丁)

Yield: 4 servings

Prep Time: 15 minutes

Cook Time: 10 minutes

Total Time: 25 minutes

Quick and easy black pepper chicken Chinese stir-fry recipe with rich flavor and wok aroma. It is best to serve with white rice and noodles.

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Ingredients

Ingredients A (marinate)

• 500g chicken thigh meat
• 1/4 tsp salt
• 2 tsp light soy sauce
• 1 tbsp Shaoxing wine
• 1 tsp cornstarch
• 1 tsp vegetable oil

Ingredients B (vegetables)

• 1 bell pepper (preferably a mix of colors) cut into triangle strips
• 1 long stalk of celery, cut diagonally into strips
• 1 medium size onion, cut into strips
• 1 tbsp chopped garlic
• 2 tsp chopped ginger
• 3 tbsp of vegetable oil for stir-frying
• 1.5 tsp freshly crushed black pepper

Ingredients C (Seasoning)

• 2 tsp light soy sauce
• 1 tsp dark soy sauce
• 1 tbsp Shaoxing sine
• 1 tsp sesame oil
• 1 tbsp oyster sauce
• 1 tsp cornstarch
• 1 tbsp water

Instructions

Marinate the chicken:

1. Cut the chicken thigh into thin one-inch pieces.
2. Add salt, light soy sauce, and Chinese wine and mix well. 
3. Next, coat the chicken with cornstarch.
4. Finally, coat the chicken with a teaspoon of oil.
5. Marinate for fifteen minutes.

Prep the vegetables. 

1. Cut the bell pepper into long strips similar in size to the chicken.
2. Cut the celery into strips and do the same for the onion. 
3. Prepare a tablespoon of chopped garlic. 
4. Combine ingredient C to make the sauce.
5. Crush 1 1/2 teaspoons of black pepper and set aside.

Cook the chicken and vegetables separately

1. First, heat the vegetable oil in a wok. Add the marinated chicken pieces and spread them out in a single layer over medium heat for half a minute, then use a wok spatula to turn the chicken over to the other side. It will take about 1-2 minutes until bothe sides turn light golden brown with some charred marks. Remove it from the wok and keep the remaining oil in it. 
2. Add the onion and stir-fry until it turns soft. Add the chopped garlic and ginger halfway through this process.
3. Add celery and bell peppers to the wok after the onion has turned soft and slightly brown. Continue to stir-fry for one to two minutes. 
4. Add the stir-fry sauce and the black pepper.
5. Return the cooked chicken to the wok and stir-fry over high heat to create the wok aroma.
6. Remove it from the wok to serve.

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Nutrition Information:

Yield: 4 Serving Size: 1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 347Total Fat: 22gSaturated Fat: 4gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 18gCholesterol: 153mgSodium: 935mgCarbohydrates: 6gFiber: 1gSugar: 1gProtein: 32g

This data was provided and calculated by Nutritionix on 12/23/2023