You’re in for a treat with this quick and easy restaurant style Chinese inspired Black Pepper Chicken that’s totally delicious and made at home in just 30 minutes. It’s incredibly saucy, sticky, crispy and sweet, perfect for a quick weeknight dinner.
Black Pepper Chicken
I love making these one pot dishes, where any mess in the kitchen is kept to a minimum. Trust me, this makes a difference when you’re trying to make dinner on a busy weeknight. This versatile recipe for black pepper chicken allows you to easily add or substitute other vegetables, such as broccoli or carrots. If you prefer pork or beef as your protein, go for that! When finished, this is best served over some cooked rice. It balances out the intense taste of all the great spices and Asian ingredients.
This black pepper chicken is incredibly crispy, sticky, saucy and sweet, all my favorites when it comes to a great chicken dinner. Serve this over some rice and you’ve got yourself an easy dinner that your whole family will enjoy.
Ingredient Notes
Chicken
- Chicken – Chicken thighs, boneless and skinless cut into 1 inch cubes. I prefer using chicken thighs because they’re juicier and more tender but chicken breast can be used as well.
- Soy Sauce – I use low sodium soy sauce to have a bit more control over the saltiness of the dish. You can use regular if that’s what you have on hand.
- Garlic – Fresh minced garlic is used and always adds a terrific flavor.
- Cornstarch – The cornstarch is tossed with the chicken pieces, then fried, resulting in extra crispy chicken.
- Vegetable oil– I use vegetable oil but any mild flavored oil like safflower, or sunflower will work as well.
- Onions – One large onion, chopped for lots of great flavor.
- Bell Pepper – Red pepper was used but any color pepper works well. Cut into 1 small ½ inch pieces.
- Sesame oil – If you can find toasted sesame oil, buy it! The flavor is amazing.
Black Pepper Sauce
- Sichuan peppercorn powder – Sichuan peppercorns taste a bit citrusy and are not spicy. It actually induces a tingling numbness when you eat it, rather than a fiery heat. This can be found in all Asian stores.
- Pepper – Freshly ground black pepper is preferred, and its spicy heat is essential in this dish.
- Oyster Sauce – Provides a sweet and salty taste, with a caramel undertone.
- Soy Sauce – Low sodium sauce again.
- Shaoxing Wine – This medium-dry wine produced in Shaoxing has a rich, slightly nutty taste. Some good substitutes can be dry sherry or mirin.
How To Make Black Pepper Chicken
- Combine chicken, soy and garlic: In a medium size bowl, combine the chicken pieces with the 1 tablespoon of soy sauce and minced garlic. Toss well. Sprinkle the cornstarch over the chicken and toss well.
- Combine sauce ingredients: In a small bowl, combine all the black pepper sauce ingredients together.
- Cook the chicken: Add the vegetable oil to a wok or large skillet and heat over high heat. Add half the chicken to the wok and cook for 3 to 4 minutes or until golden brown. Transfer the chicken to a paper towel lined plate and repeat with remaining chicken.
- Sauté onion and peppers: If there’s no vegetable oil left in the skillet, add another tablespoon or so. Add the onion and peppers to the wok and cook for a minute. Add the chicken back to the wok and the prepared black pepper sauce. Toss until well combined. Drizzle the sesame oil over the chicken and stir.
- Serve: Serve immediately over rice.
FAQ’s
Chicken thighs can be used in all the same ways as chicken breasts but they contain more fats and less protein than the breasts but the difference is that thighs are a bit juicier and more tender. Thighs are cheaper but also taste great!
Dry sherry or mirin make great substitutes.
Sichuan peppercorns are similar in appearance to black pepper, this mildly hot spice is distinctively aromatic, making it a necessary element in many traditional Chinese dishes.
Some Tips
- Have all your ingredients ready to go before you start cooking as the cooking process goes quickly.
-  If you don’t have access to Sichuan peppercorn powder, the alternative is to use freshly ground black pepper and ground coriander seeds.
Leftovers
This pepper chicken will last 3–4 days in the fridge when stored in an airtight container! You can reheat it either in the microwave, or covered in a pan over medium heat.
Freezer
If you want to keep leftovers longer, pop them into an airtight container and place in the freezer. Your leftover stir fry will keep for 3–4 months in the freezer.
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Black Pepper Chicken
Ingredients
- 2 pounds chicken thighs boneless and skinless cut into 1 inch cubes
- 2 tablespoons soy sauce low sodium
- 6 cloves garlic minced
- 1 cup cornstarch
- â…“ cup vegetable oil
- 2 large onions chopped
- 1 large red bell pepper cut into 1 small ½ inch pieces
- 2 teaspoons sesame oil
Black Pepper Sauce
- 2 teaspoons Sichuan peppercorn powder
- 2 teaspoons black pepper freshly ground
- â…“ cup oyster sauce
- ¼ cup soy sauce low sodium
- 1 teaspoon dark soy sauce
- ¼ cup Shaoxing wine
Instructions
- Prep the chicken: In a medium size bowl, combine the chicken pieces with the 1 tablespoon of soy sauce and minced garlic. Toss well. Sprinkle the cornstarch over the chicken and toss well.
- Make the sauce: In a small bowl, combine all the black pepper sauce ingredients together.
- Cook the chicken: Add the vegetable oil to a wok or large skillet and heat over high heat. Add half the chicken to the wok and cook for 3 to 4 minutes or until golden brown. Transfer the chicken to a paper towel lined plate and repeat with remaining chicken.
- Sauté onion and peppers: If there's no vegetable oil left in the skillet, add another tablespoon or so. Add the onion and peppers to the wok and cook for a minute. Add the chicken back to the wok and the prepared black pepper sauce. Toss until well combined. Drizzle the sesame oil over the chicken and stir.
- Serve: Serve immediately over rice.
Video
Recipe Notes
- Have all your ingredients ready to go before you start cooking as the cooking process goes quickly.
-  If you don’t have access to Sichuan peppercorn powder, the alternative is to use freshly ground black pepper and ground coriander seeds.
- This will last 3–4 days in the fridge when stored in an airtight container! You can reheat it either in the microwave, or covered in a pan over medium heat.
- If you want to keep leftovers longer, pop them into an airtight container and place in the freezer. Your leftover stir fry will keep for 3–4 months in the freezer.
Very good recipe with authentic ingredients! Only thing I might add is a pinch of white sugar, but only a pinch, or possibly 1 teaspoon of mirin. I use a low carbon steel Peking pan. I velvet the chicken with a 1/2 teaspoon of baking soda on the chicken.
I love your recipes but won’t fry in oil due to health issues. Other recipe sites indicate sometimes it is just as good with out deep frying. Can you give me your feedback please!
Yes, on some recipes I also provide other cooking options, but some work best fried. Without trying myself I can’t tell you this would work for sure. One thing I’ve done in the past is dredge the chicken through some beaten eggs then cornstarch. You then can bake it for about 15 minutes at 375 or until golden brown. You might need to give it a light coating of cooking spray. After this you can toss it with the sauce.
I made this recipe. A wok is an absolute for this dish.
Over the years I have learned how to “read” an online recipe. I do try to follow the recipe exactly the first time, but knew this recipe might need adjusting.
For those who have never cooked with Sichuan peppercorns and you can get a hold of them, try it. Fascinating flavor. Floral, not spicy and will numb your tongue for a few minutes. I couldn’t find the powder so I bought whole peppercorns. 2 t. is way too much. Any recipe is about balance. I should have used 1/2 t. at most.
The idea of the cornstarch is create a coating. One cup is overkill. Keep sprinkling cornstarch over the chicken (I used the two pounds of thigh meat) until every piece is well-coated. You will use about 1/2 C.
I would absolutely use the oyster sauce and the xiaoshing wine. Be judicious with the soy. Oyster sauce is already salty. I’m sure dark soy adds a subtle flavor, but not necessary.
Add 2 T. of neutral oil to the wok and get it screaming hot. The chicken needs to be browned and fully cooked. This will take at least 5-7 minutes per batch. Keep the wok screaming hot the whole time and keep moving the food around so you don’t burn anything.
I used one onion and one bell pepper. Equal portions. Two large onions would have been too much. To soften the bell pepper and onions takes at least 5-7 minutes.
The final flavor is quite intense, very authentic and delicious. If you debone your own thighs, this recipe will take an hour start to finish, not 25 minutes.
I’m making this as we speak! Your description says it’s sweet (among other things) and I don’t see anything in the ingredients that would make it sweet. Did something get omitted from the recipe?
Oyster sauce is sweet and salty.
Hello Jo,
This looks delicious!
I don’t have access to the Sichuan peppercorn powder, so I am wondering what ratio of black pepper & ground coriander to use as substitute?
Thanks Jo
I would use 2 to 1, ground pepper to coriander. It won’t quite be the same, but let me know how it turns out. 🙂