Black Pepper Chicken – Takeout Style! (VIDEO)
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The marinated chicken is tender and juicy, paired with crisp vegetables, and covered in a thick, savory sauce – Black Pepper Chicken is out-of-this-world good!
Watch the Black Pepper Chicken Recipe Video!
A Note from CJ
Black Pepper Chicken is better than Panda Express!
The first time I tried Black Pepper Chicken was at Panda Express. As delicious as their version is, I can confidently say my copycat recipe is even better and so easy to make at home!
Some American Chinese takeout dishes are battered and deep fried (like Orange Chicken) – Black Pepper Chicken is one of the ones that are not! If you’re looking for similar dishes that are not deep fried, try Beef and Broccoli, Chinese Chicken and Broccoli, String Bean Chicken, Mushroom Chicken, Cashew Chicken or Kung Pao Chicken!
If I could give 100 stars I would!!!! This is the exact recipe for Panda Express!!!! You have made my culinary year!
Ingredient Tips
Refer to the recipe card for the full list of ingredients and measurements!
- chicken thigh – I used boneless, skinless chicken thighs cut into 1″ pieces; if you prefer chicken breast, feel free to substitute here. Cut the chicken into similar sized pieces so they cook evenly. If you prefer beef, make Black Pepper Beef!
- celery – Panda Express sells Black Pepper Chicken with celery; however, I’ve also seen it at Chinese restaurants with red and green bell peppers. Add whichever vegetable(s) you prefer – just make sure they are cut into similar sizes so they cook evenly.
- shaoxing wine – If you can’t find it, you can substitute with mirin, sherry, or even chicken broth.
- msg – I use this in moderation as an optional flavor enhancer.
- chicken stock – in a pinch, you can also use water.
How to Make Black Pepper Chicken
Marinate Chicken, Prepare Vegetables, and Mix Sauce – Add the chicken into a bowl with soy sauce, sesame oil, salt, white pepper, avocado oil and cornstarch. Mix until combined and marinate for 20. Slice celery at an angle into 1″ pieces, onion into 1″ pedals, and mince garlic and ginger and set aside. In a small bowl, mix oyster sauce, light soy sauce, coarse black pepper, shaoxing wine, sugar, chicken stock, msg, and cornstarch and set aside.
Cook Chicken – Add the neutral oil to a wok high heat until just smoking. Add the marinated chicken and cook for 2-3 minutes until just cooked through and golden brown. Remove the chicken from the oil and set aside. Remove all but 2 tablespoons of oil from the pan.
Cook Aromatics and Vegetable, Add Chicken and Sauce, and Mix – Over high heat, add the garlic and ginger and stir fry for 15 seconds until fragrant. Add celery and onion and cook for 1-2 minutes, stirring occassionally. Add back chicken and sauce and continue cooking for 1-2 minutes to combine, until sauce has thickened. Serve with freshly steamed rice & enjoy!
Key Tip
CJ’s Storage & Reheating Tips
Store leftover Black Pepper Chicken in the refrigerator in an airtight container for up to 3-4 days. Because the chicken is not coated in a batter, you won’t have to worry about trying to restore the crispy texture of the dish. I recommend reheating this in the microwave or in a hot pan/wok for a couple minutes (add a little bit of water if you want to loosen up the chicken pieces that stuck together in the refrigerator).
If you tried this Black Pepper Chicken or any other recipe on my website, please leave a 🌟 star rating and let me know how it went in the comments below!
Black Pepper Chicken (VIDEO)
Video
Equipment
Ingredients
Chicken
- 1 lb chicken thigh, cut into 1" pieces
- 1 tbsp light soy sauce
- 1 tsp sesame oil
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/4 tsp white pepper
- 1/2 tbsp avocado oil, or other neutral oil like canola or vegetable
- 1 tbsp cornstarch
Vegetables & Aromatics
- 3 stalks celery, cut at an angle to 1" pieces
- 1 yellow onion, sliced
- 5 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 inch ginger, minced
Sauce
- 2 tbsp oyster sauce
- 2 tbsp light soy sauce
- 1/2 tbsp coarse ground black pepper
- 1 tbsp shaoxing wine
- 1 tsp sugar
- 1/2 cup chicken stock
- 1/4 tsp msg
- 1/2 tbsp cornstarch
- 1/4 cup neutral oil
Instructions
- Add the chicken into a bowl with soy sauce, sesame oil, salt, white pepper, avocado oil and cornstarch. Mix until combined and marinate for 20 minutes.
- Slice celery at an angle into 1" pieces, onion into 1" pedals, and mince garlic and ginger and set aside.
- In a small bowl, mix oyster sauce, light soy sauce, coarse black pepper, shaoxing wine, sugar, chicken stock, msg, and cornstarch and set aside.
- Add the neutral oil to a wok high heat until just smoking. Add the marinated chicken and cook for 2-3 minutes until just cooked through and golden brown. Remove the chicken from the oil and set aside. Remove all but 2 tablespoons of oil from the pan.
- Over high heat, add the garlic and ginger and stir fry for 15 seconds until fragrant. Add celery and onion and cook for 1-2 minutes, stirring occassionally. Add back chicken and sauce and continue cooking for 1-2 minutes to combine, until sauce has thickened. Serve with freshly steamed rice & enjoy!
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
This Black Pepper Chicken recipe was originally published in September 2023, and updated in March 2026.
I made this a few months back soon after you posted it, I unfortunately did not have the shaoxing wine, so, I omitted it but it was so good still and great if you are craving take out at home, it helped me use up veggies too. 🙂
The best chicken dinner recipe I’ve ever made. My husband doesn’t usually like chicken but he finished his plate and asked for more! Super easy to follow especially while watching CJ’s Instagram reel of him making it.
I was craving this and had never made this myself. This was super easy, not hard to source the ingredients, and turned out fantastic. I was missing fresh ginger but was not going to the store for some so used powdered ginger and still worked great. Thanks CJ another winning recipe.
This is hands down the best Chinese dish I’ve ever been able to make in my own. Thank you CJ for sharing this platform with us!
Great recipe, and the leftovers are great too with cheese and fries like a Chinese poutine
I’m so glad you enjoyed it!
Such a simple recipe to make, I like pepper so I added a fair bit extra but the overall balance of flavors worked really well in this dish, and loved the sweetness of the celery and onion against it all.
One of my quick “go to” meals. Easy and delicious.
A culinary masterpiece.
This is so simple, and so good!
Easy and delicious!