We love to make stir fries on weeknights because they are quick and easy, and this Black Pepper Chicken is no exception!
Tender chicken, celery, bell peppers, and onions, tossed with the most amazing homemade black pepper sauce. It’s so delicious!
This stir fry has the perfect balance of flavor and texture. It’s not overly salty or overpowering, and the vegetables are crisp tender. You’ll love it!
One of my favorite Chinese takeout dishes is black pepper chicken, and today I’m going to show you how to make it at home and even better!
This black pepper chicken is incredibly flavorful and balanced. The chicken always turns out juicy and tender (techniques and tips included below!) and the veggies stay crisp tender. The black pepper sauce is just perfect as well!
I prefer making stir fries at home because I can always control the amount of sauce and saltiness. Plus, you can use as little or as much as you want so it’s done exactly to your liking. I also make this amazing all-purpose Chinese stir fry sauce all the time, which you can use with any proteins or vegetables.
If you love Asian takeout dishes, these are my top recipes: Shrimp Lo Mein, Sesame Chicken, and Chicken Teriyaki Stir Fry.
Why we love making black pepper chicken at home:
- Easy to make: This is an easy and quick recipe that takes just 35 minutes to make.
- Prep ahead friendly: Everything including marinating the chicken to chopping the veggies can be done the day before.
- So delicious! This black pepper chicken is packed with flavor. It’s got the perfect balance of flavor and texture.
- The chicken always turns out tender and juicy. The secret is marinating it for just 20 minutes. More on this below.
Jump to:
How to Ensure the Chicken is Always Tender
If you cook Chinese food often, you may have noticed that a lot of recipes call for a quick marinade using baking soda and cornstarch. It’s a classic technique used to prevent the meat from getting tough or dry when cooking over high heat.
Baking soda is a tenderizer and helps keep the chicken extra tender. Cornstarch also helps to tenderize but its main purpose is to lock in the moisture from the outside, which is what keeps the chicken juicy throughout.
Plus, it’s a quick marinade – 20 minutes is all it takes.
Here are more tips: Slice the chicken against the grain to break down any tough muscle fibers. And perhaps most importantly, use boneless chicken thighs rather than chicken breast. This ensures your black pepper chicken stir fry always turns out juicy and flavorful!
Ingredient Notes
Below are the ingredients I used for this black pepper chicken recipe, plus a few helpful notes and substitutions. As always, the ingredient quantity list can be found in the recipe card down below.
For the chicken and marinade:
- Boneless chicken thighs: I’d highly recommend thighs over breasts for this recipe. Breast meat is lean, and therefore less juicy and easier to overcook.
- Light soy sauce: We just need a little bit here.
- Shaoxing wine: Also known as Chinese cooking wine. It adds flavor depth and a touch of sweetness. A good substitution is dry sherry.
- Vegetable oil: Helps to bring all the marinade ingredients together.
- Baking soda: Helps to tenderize the chicken.
- Cornstarch: Creates a layer that protects against overcooking over high heat, thus helping to retain moisture inside.
For the stir fry:
- Minced garlic and ginger: The aromatics.
- Sliced yellow onions, red bell peppers, and celery: These are the 3 veggies I use for this recipe, but feel free to use your favorite vegetables.
- Vegetable oil for cooking
For the black pepper sauce:
- Coarse ground black pepper: I like to freshly grind the black peppercorns for a deeper taste. I use 1 teaspoon, but feel free to adjust if you think that’s too strong.
- Chicken broth: Helps to dissolve the concentrated sauces and provides balance.
- Light soy sauce, dark soy sauce, and oyster sauce: These three add umami flavor and color.
- Shaoxing wine: As mentioned above, this is for flavor depth and sweetness. Dry sherry is a good substitute.
- Cornstarch: Used to thicken the sauce.
- Granulated sugar: Helps to balance the savory flavors.
Step-by-Step Tutorial
Making a restaurant-quality black pepper chicken at home is much easier than you think! Once you have all the ingredients prepped, it’s quick. Here’s how I make it.
Step 1 | Marinate chicken
Slice the boneless chicken thighs into 0.5 inch pieces, preferably against the grain. Then, in a bowl, combine the sliced chicken, light soy sauce, shaoxing wine, vegetable oil, cornstarch, and baking soda. Mix well to ensure the chicken is evenly coated. Let marinate for 20 minutes to allow the flavors to come together.
Step 2 | Prep all your ingredients
Meanwhile, dice and chop all your aromatics and vegetables. Mince the garlic and ginger. Slice the yellow onion, celery, and red bell pepper.
This is important – once you start cooking, it all happens very fast so you have to make sure everything is ready to go to prevent burning or overcooking.
Step 3 | Make the sauce
In another bowl, whisk together the chicken broth, light soy sauce, dark soy sauce, oyster sauce, shaoxing wine, ground black pepper, cornstarch, and sugar until smooth. Set aside.
Tip: Make sure the liquids are at room temperature for the cornstarch to dissolve properly.
Step 4 | Cook chicken, vegetables, and sauce
Now, we’re ready to cook our black pepper chicken!
Heat a few generous drizzles of vegetable oil in a large wok or large skillet over high heat. Add marinated chicken and cook until golden brown and cooked through, stirring occasionally. Remove the chicken and set aside.
In the same skillet, add a bit more oil if needed, then sauté garlic and ginger until fragrant. Add onion, celery, and red bell pepper, and cook until vegetables are crisp-tender, about 1 to 2 minutes.
Return cooked chicken to the skillet, and then pour in the prepared sauce, adjusting the amount to taste. Cook for another 1 to 2 minutes, stirring occasionally until the sauce thickens and coats the chicken and vegetables evenly. Serve with rice or any sides you like.
Prep Ahead Tips
If your weeknights are hectic, then this is your perfect prep-ahead recipe! You can prepare all the ingredients the day before. Cooking everything takes just 10 minutes or under.
- Marinate the chicken overnight in the fridge, covered.
- Mince the garlic and ginger.
- Slice or dice the onions, celery, and red bell peppers. They store really well for a few days even.
You can also make the entire dish ahead and reheat later, but nothing compares to freshly cooked stir fries!
Freezing: This dish freezes pretty well. Freeze in portioned containers for up to 3 months. Thaw in the fridge overnight and reheat in the microwave oven or in a skillet.
Pairing and Serving Ideas
My go-to side for black pepper chicken is steamed jasmine rice. To cook rice, I use a ratio of 1 ⅓ cups of water for 1 cup of rice. I always use my electric rice cooker, but you can also make it in a small saucepan, covered over low heat for about 18-20 minutes.
If you want to up your rice game, try my Coconut Jasmine Rice! Or make my Chinese Sausage Fried Rice.
More restaurant-style Asian recipes to make at home:
- Shrimp Lo Mein
- Chinese BBQ Pork (Char Siu)
- Beef Chow Fun
- Crispy Honey Sesame Chicken
- Chinese Chicken Corn Soup
- Asian Chicken Salad
Recipe FAQs
It’s not necessary. You can use a large skillet instead. I personally prefer to use carbon steel wok because it’s conducive to high heat.
Yes, although chicken thighs are juicier and more tender. If you prefer to use chicken breast instead, marinate for an extra 15 minutes.
Dry sherry is a great substitute.
No, not really, unless you find ground black pepper spicy. Feel free to adjust the amount of ground black pepper to taste.
In a medium saucepan, combine jasmine rice with water. For every 1 cup of uncooked rice, I use 1 ⅓ cups of water. Bring to a low boil, covered, and cook for 18-20 minutes over low heat until tender. You can also use an electric rice cooker.
Tips for Success
- Marinating the chicken ensures it’s always tender and juicy. Don’t skip this step. It only takes 20 minutes, which I usually spend cutting the veggies and making the sauce.
- Have everything ready before you start cooking. Stir fries are cooked over high heat and fast, so having everything prepped ensures nothing gets overcooked.
- Use HIGH heat. That’s the secret to tasty stir fries!
- I’d recommend using a neutral oil with a high smoke point, such as vegetable, canola, or peanut oil.
- Add the sauce gradually. Some people prefer their stir fries less saucy (me!), so definitely adjust to taste.
I’d love to hear from you! If you loved my recipe, please consider leaving a 5-star rating and a comment down below. Sign up for my newsletter and follow along on Instagram, Facebook, or Pinterest
Black Pepper Chicken
Equipment
Ingredients
For the chicken and marinade
- 1 pound boneless chicken thighs
- 1 tablespoon light soy sauce
- ½ tablespoon Chinese shaoxing cooking wine - or dry sherry
- ½ tablespoon vegetable oil
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch - do not substitute
- ½ teaspoon baking soda - do not substitute
For the sauce
- ½ cup low-sodium chicken broth
- ½ tablespoon cornstarch
- 1 teaspoon coarse ground black pepper - plus more for garnish
- 1 ½ tablespoons light soy sauce - plus more to taste
- ½ teaspoon dark soy sauce
- 2 tablespoons oyster sauce
- 1 tablespoon Chinese shaoxing cooking wine - or dry sherry
- 1 teaspoon granulated sugar
For the stir fry
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 teaspoon minced ginger
- ½ a medium yellow onion, sliced
- 2 stalks celery, diagonally sliced
- 1 red bell pepper, cut into squares
- Vegetable oil for cooking
Instructions
- Marinate chicken: Slice the chicken thighs against the grain into ½ inch thick slices. In a bowl, combine the sliced chicken with the all the marinade ingredients. Cover and marinate for 20 minutes at room temperature.
- Meanwhile, prep all the vegetables and stir fry ingredients. Having everything ready is important because once you start cooking, everything happens quickly over high heat.
- Make the sauce: In a bowl, dissolve the chicken broth with cornstarch. Then, add the light soy sauce, dark soy sauce, oyster sauce, shaoxing wine, and granulated sugar and mix until evenly combined. Tip: Cornstarch dissolves best with room temperature liquids, so make sure the broth is at room temp.
- Heat a large wok or skillet over HIGH heat and add a few generous drizzles of vegetable oil. Once hot, add the chicken and cook until fully cooked and golden brown, about 2 to 3 minutes. Transfer to a plate and set aside.
- In the same wok, add a few more drizzles of oil as needed, and then sauté the garlic and ginger for just 20 seconds until fragrant. Then, toss in onions, celery, and red bell peppers for about 1 to 2 minutes until crisp tender.
- Return the chicken to the wok. Give the sauce a quick stir again and gradually add it into the stir fry (adjust the amount to taste). Cook for 1-2 more minutes until the sauce is thickened, stirring.
- Serve immediately with rice or your favorite sides. Enjoy!
Notes
- Marinating time for the chicken: 20 minutes or even overnight.
- For busy weeknights: Prep all the ingredients the day before, including the chicken. Cooking takes 10 minutes or so.
- Store leftovers in the fridge for up to 3 days. Reheat in the microwave oven or in a skillet.
- Freezing: Freeze in portions for up to 3 months. Thaw in the fridge overnight and reheat in the microwave oven or skillet.
- How to make jasmine rice for serving: In a pot, combine jasmine rice with water. For every 1 cup of uncooked rice, I use 1 ⅓ cups of water. Bring to a low boil, covered, and cook for 18-20 minutes over low heat until tender. You can also use an electric rice cooker.
- Shaoxing wine: Dry sherry.
- Chicken thighs: Chicken breast, but marinate for an extra 15 minutes or overnight.
- Optional vegetable add-is: Broccoli, carrots, green beans.
- For heat, add diced jalapeños.
Jack B says
I REALLY liked this recipe. Like all of Tania’s meals, it is a simple recipe yet the flavors come together so remarkably well. I had a 2.5 lbs package of chicken so I doubled the ingredients for the sauce, which worked perfectly. I did stick to the 1 tsp of pepper, however, and that was just enough. Personal preference as I know some would double the pepper. Next time I will start with the wok a little less hot so I do not burn the garlic and ginger. Can say enough about the Black Pepper Chicken. Try it…you will be glad you did! And if you do, you basically have the ingredients you need to make the Beef Chow Fun, so try that one, too!
Tania says
Thank you so much for your kind words, Jack. I am so happy to hear that!
David says
Your mother-in-law shared this dish with me. Delicious! I did add a touch of Bertie’s hot pepper sauce because I like a little added heat. Thank you.
Tania says
Hi David! That’s so awesome to hear. I am so glad you enjoyed the recipe!
Patricia says
This was really good. The chicken had great flavor and was moist. The vegetable were crunchy. And leftovers were very good and it was easy to make. Delicious.