Spice up your dinner routine with this mouthwatering black pepper chicken recipe! Tender chicken pieces coated in a savory black pepper sauce, perfect for a quick and easy weeknight meal.
Black Pepper Chicken combines stir-fried chicken breasts, onions, red bell pepper, garlic, and ginger in a sweet and savory black pepper sauce. This tasty dish is much better than takeout and is delicious over white rice or Chinese noodles. It is quick and easy enough for a weeknight meal yet elegant enough for company.
If you like this flavorful recipe, try Mongolian chicken, pepper steak, hunan chicken, and sweet and sour chicken.
Ingredient Notes and Substitutions
See the complete list of ingredients below on the recipe card.
- Shaoxing wine: This is Chinese rice wine. You can substitute sherry.
- Brown sugar: Or Mirin, which is sweetened sake
- Chicken breasts: Boneless skinless chicken thighs can be substituted for the chicken breasts. Chicken thighs take a few minutes longer to cook through.
- Bell peppers: You can use any colored bell peppers you like. Green, red, orange, and yellow peppers work well and have great flavor and texture.
- Grated ginger: Ginger paste works just as well as fresh ginger, and once opened, it lasts about one month in the fridge.
How to make Black Pepper Chicken
This is the summary version; see the recipe card below for the complete list of ingredients and the instructions.
First, whisk the chicken broth, 1/3 cup low-sodium soy sauce, Shaoxing Wine, brown sugar, cornstarch, and fresh ground black pepper in a small bowl. Set the bowl aside for a little bit. Then, combine the chicken, 2 tablespoons low-sodium soy sauce, and cornstarch in a medium bowl. Cut the vegetables while the chicken is marinating.
Heat a bit of vegetable oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Using tongs remove the chicken from the marinade and add it to the skillet in a single layer, cooking until golden brown and cooked through, flipping once. Work in batches removing the chicken to a plate as it is cooked.
If needed, add a bit of vegetable oil to the skillet over medium-high heat. Add the onion and red bell pepper, cooking for several minutes until crisp-tender. Reduce the heat to low and add the minced garlic and grated ginger, cooking for 1 minute while stirring continuously. Remove the cooked vegetables to a plate.
Reduce the heat to medium. Whisk the sauce ingredients in the bowl that you set aside. Pour the sauce into the skillet and cook until slightly thickened. Stir several times. Add the chicken and the veggies back to the skillet and cook for a couple of minutes to warm the dish. Garnish with sliced green onions and serve.
Preparation Tips
- Cut the chicken breast or thighs into small, thin, bite-sized uniform pieces so they cook quickly and evenly.
- Try adding a variety of veggies like broccoli, carrots, mushrooms, snap peas, and baby corn.
- This dish is best served immediately while the vegetables are still crisp-tender and the chicken is warm.
Serving Suggestions
Serve over white rice, brown rice, or Chinese noodles. I love to include appetizers like egg rolls, potstickers, spring rolls, crab rangoon or soup like egg drop soup and hot and sour soup.
Storage and Reheat
Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Reheat on the stovetop over low heat until warm or in the microwave for short increments at reduced power until warm.
More Asian Recipes
Black Pepper Chicken
Ingredients
Black Pepper Sauce
- ⅓ cup low sodium chicken broth
- ⅓ cup low sodium soy sauce
- ¼ cup Shaoxing Wine or sherry
- 1 ½ tablespoons brown sugar or 2 tablespoons Mirin
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
- 2 teaspoons fresh ground black pepper
Black Pepper Chicken Stir Fry
- ½ lbs chicken breast cut into thin bite-sized pieces
- 2 tablespoons low sodium soy sauce
- 1 ½ tablespoons cornstarch
- Vegetable oil
- 1 medium onion diced
- 1 red pepper or green pepper bell pepper finely diced
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 1 tablespoon grated ginger or ginger paste
- 2 green onions sliced thin
Instructions
- In a small bowl, whisk together the chicken broth, 1/3 cup low sodium soy sauce, Shaoxing Wine, brown sugar, cornstarch, and fresh ground black pepper. Set the bowl aside.
- In a medium bowl, combine the chicken, 2 tablespoons low sodium soy sauce, and cornstarch. Let the chicken rest and marinate for 15-20 minutes.
- Heat a little vegetable oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Using tongs remove the chicken from the marinade and add it to the skillet in a single layer, cooking until golden brown and cooked through. Flip once to brown the other side. Work in batches removing the chicken to a plate as it is cooked.
- Add a little more vegetable oil to the skillet over medium-high heat. Add the onion and red bell pepper cooking for several minutes until crisp-tender. Reduce the heat to low and add the minced garlic and grated ginger cooking for 1 minute while stirring continuously. Remove the cooked vegetables to a plate.
- Reduce the heat to medium. Whisk the sauce ingredients in the bowl that you set aside. Pour the sauce into the skillet and cook until slightly thickened. Stir several times. Add the chicken and the veggies back to the skillet for a couple of minutes to warm the dish. Garnish with sliced green onions and serve.
Notes
- Cut the chicken breast or thighs into small, thin, bite-sized uniform pieces so they cook quickly and evenly.
- Try adding a variety of veggies like broccoli, carrots, mushrooms, snap peas, and baby corn.
- This dish is best served immediately while the vegetables are still crisp-tender and the chicken is warm.
Nutrition
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Tayler D
I made this chicken for dinner last night and it was fantastic! Super flavorful and perfectly spicy
Michaela
I love how easy this marvelous, kicked up chicken was to make. My family loved it! It is nice to have a new tasty chicken recipe!
Sarah Hatfield
This was everything a gourmet meal should be, and then some! Was quick, easy and delicious; my whole family loved it!
Kushi
One of my favorite combos. I will try your version of black pepper chicken. Thanks for sharing.
Beth Pierce
The pleasure is all mine, Kushi!
Harriet
This was so good! Absolutely delicious with the black pepper and the sauce. It was the perfect consistency. I served it over brown rice but I would like to try Chinese noodles.
Beth Pierce
You should try it! It is delicious!
roseleen byrneww
hi had your black pepper chicken tonight lovely recipebut fond it too hot. I will try making it with less black pepper next time .
Beth Pierce
Glad that you liked it.
Juliane
No one can ever really go wrong with a great chicken recipe! It was delicious! Thanks for sharing!
Erin
Looks beyond delicious! Adding on our weeknight dinner rotation!
Sara
I used chicken thighs and added broccoli and it turned out perfect. Served over brown rice and it was such a filing and flavorful meal.
Beth Pierce
Thanks, Sara! That sounds like an excellent meal!
Andrea
Looks incredibly delicious! Better than take out for sure. Looking forward to making this for my family.
Beth Pierce
Thanks Andrea! Enjoy!
Stephanie
I love all the colors in this dish. It’s absolutely beautiful. Saving this recipe so I can make one of my favorites at home.
Beth Pierce
Thanks, Stephanie! Enjoy!
Kim
I’m so excited to see this recipe! Black Pepper Chicken is my favorite takeout dish, but the last few times I’ve gotten it, it hasn’t been as good as it used to be. I think they changed the recipe. Anyway, now I know how to duplicate it and can tweak it as needed. Thank you!
Beth Pierce
The pleasure is all mine, Kim! Enjoy!!
Jamie
I love the flavor of this dish! It was great for takeout night at my home. So good!
Beth Pierce
Thanks Jamie! So glad that you enjoyed it!
Catalina
Yum! This is my type of dinner! I need to make it for tonight!
Beth Pierce
I am so sorry! I missed this question. I am sure that you already froze it. Here are the directions for the next time. To freeze after baking cool the lasagna completely. Then cover the casserole dish tightly with several layers of plastic wrap and freeze for up to 3 months. Defrost in the refrigerator overnight. Cut two large slits in the plastic wrap and heat in the microwave at a 50-60% power until heated through. The reduced power gives it time to heat all the way through to the center before the outsides are overheated. It can be anywhere from 5-10 minutes depending on the microwave’s strength.
Amanda
Wow this dish looks so full of flavor. I am beyond excited to try it out!
Sandra
My family loves this dish! So flavorful and perfect with rice!