Black Pepper Chicken (VIDEO)
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!
Servings: 4
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!
Video
Notes
Cut into Similar Sizes - 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!
Vegetables (Celery vs. Bell Peppers) - 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! - This dish 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.
Avoid Overcrowding - My KEY TIP would be to avoid crowding your pan - crowding can lead to your Black Pepper Chicken not cooking thoroughly and becoming mushy. If you think your dish will be crowded, use a larger pan, cast iron, or dutch oven, OR cook in batches.
Storage and Reheating - You can store Black Pepper Chicken in the refrigerator in an airtight container for up to 3 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).
Nutrition
Calories: 339kcal | Carbohydrates: 12g | Protein: 22g | Fat: 22g | Saturated Fat: 6g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 5g | Monounsaturated Fat: 10g | Trans Fat: 0.1g | Cholesterol: 112mg | Sodium: 1447mg | Potassium: 439mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 3g | Vitamin A: 225IU | Vitamin C: 4mg | Calcium: 42mg | Iron: 1mg
