Black Pepper Chicken

5 from 36 votes

Black Pepper Chicken is so easy and delicious to make at home in about 30 minutes! The chicken is juicy and paired with the crisp vegetables and savory black pepper sauce!

Prep Time15

Cook Time10

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: Chinese

Servings:

Author: Chris Joe

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

1/2 tbsp coarse ground black pepper
2 tbsp oyster sauce
2 tbsp light soy sauce
1 tbsp shaoxing wine
1 tsp sugar
1/4 tsp msg
1/2 cup chicken stock
1/2 tbsp cornstarch

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Slice chicken thigh into 1" pieces 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 (or sherry cooking wine), sugar, chicken stock, and cornstarch and set aside.
Over high heat, cook chicken for 2-3 minutes until cooked through and set aside.
Over high heat, fry garlic and ginger for 15 seconds until fragrant. Add celery and onion and cook for 1-2 minutes. 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

I like to use chicken thigh in this recipe but if you prefer chicken breast, feel free to substitute here. Try to cut the chicken into similar sized pieces so they cook evenly.

My preferred neutral oil is avocado oil but you can also use grapeseed, canola, or vegetable oil. Avoid using olive oil or sesame oil.

I like to cut my protein and vegetables into similar, uniform pieces - this ensures that everything cooks relatively evenly. (It's also more aesthetically pleasing!) You can adjust the size of the chicken and vegetables to your preference (smaller or larger) - just make sure to adjust the cooking time so they are 'done' to your liking!

Panda Express sells Black Pepper Chicken with celery; however, I've also seen it served 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.

Success is in the Prep: Black Pepper Chicken is one of those dishes that comes together FAST once you start cooking. For this reason, it’s crucial that you prepare your ingredients (chicken and vegetables cut and portions, sauce mixed, etc) BEFORE you begin cooking. I like to have all of my ingredients in individual bowls, near my cook station so I can easily grab when needed.

Storage and Reheating

You can store Black Pepper Chicken in the refrigerator in an airtight container for up to 3 days.

Because Black Pepper 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).

Nutrition