An easy black pepper chicken with juicy tender chicken, crisp vegetables and a rich savory black pepper sauce. It takes no time to put together and tastes better than your usual Chinese restaurant takeout! {Gluten-Free Adaptable}
Black pepper chicken should be one of the meals on your dinner menu rotation. Not only because it’s so easy to put together and delicious, but also because it is loaded with healthy lean protein and colorful veggies that make it perfect as a one-pot meal.
Making restaurant stir fry might look challenging at first glance, but once you’ve followed a solid recipe once, you’ll understand the workflow and the whole process will become way less intimidating. Plus, once you’ve tasted how great a homemade stir fry is, you’ll prefer it over takeout. The homemade version also contains less oil, sugar, and sodium, which is better for your body.
Black pepper chicken ingredients
For black pepper chicken, you probably already have most of the ingredients in your pantry.
Make sure you cut the ingredients, prepare the sauce, and marinate the chicken before you start cooking. When the stir fry starts, you will need to move fast so the ingredients won’t overcook.
When you’re ready to cook, your table should have:
- Minced ginger and garlic in a plate
- Mixed sauce (it’s nice to have a small spoon on the side because you’ll need to stir the sauce again before adding it to the pan)
- Marinated chicken
I like to prepare by grouping my ingredients together so it makes the cooking easier, plus you will have fewer bowls to clean up later.
Cooking notes
1. The key for tender juicy chicken
No matter whether you use chicken breasts or thighs, if you follow this procedure you will get super tender chicken just like you’d get at a Chinese restaurant:
- Always cut the meat against the grain. Try to maintain the same thickness and size for each slice.
- Always marinate the chicken. The whole process will help soften the chicken and create a rich flavor.
- Let the chicken sear for 30 seconds before stirring it. If you try to stir the chicken immediately, you’ll find it stuck to the pan due to the cornstarch in the recipe. If you let the chicken cook for a bit before moving it, the meat will come out well-seared without being torn apart.
2. Why you need to remove the chicken once
Transferring the half-cooked chicken to a plate before adding the rest of the ingredients is crucial for two reasons.
- When you add the sauce and veggies, the pan temperature will drop significantly. If you don’t take the chicken out beforehand, the veggies won’t be seared properly, and the sauce will reduce very slowly. Both result in a soupy dish with steamed ingredients.
- The chicken is slightly underdone when you remove it, and is just cooked through once added back. If you leave the chicken in the skillet the whole time, by the time that the veggies are cooked, the chicken will be way overdone – dry and chewy.
3. Get used to the pace of stir frying
I found that Chinese stir frying has a much faster pace than most Western cooking. When I start cooking a dish, it takes me about 5 minutes (or maybe less) to finish. This means you have less than a minute between adding ingredients. So do read through the recipe before cooking, and move quickly once you start.
How to make black pepper chicken
- Spread out the chicken in a heated large skillet
- Once the surface of the chicken is lightly charred but the inside is still pink, remove from the pan
- Add the aromatics and saute gently
- Stir fry the vegetables
- Pour in the black pepper sauce and cook until it thickens
- Add back the chicken and stir everything together
That’s it! The chicken is tender and juicy and the vegetables crisp with vibrant colors. You can serve it by itself or over steamed rice. For a healthier meal, try to use steamed brown rice. If you have leftovers, store them in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3 to 4 days, or in the freezer for a month or two. I hope you enjoy!
More Chinese takeout recipes
- Chinese Curry Chicken
- Chinese Beef and Broccoli (牛肉炒西兰花)
- Sweet and Sour Tofu (糖醋豆腐)
- Easy Shrimp and Broccoli
- Easy Mongolian Meatballs
Black Pepper Chicken
Ingredients
- 1 lb (450 g) chicken breasts (or thighs) , sliced against the grain into 1/4” (5-mm) thick pieces
Marinade
- 1 tablespoon light soy sauce (or soy sauce)
- 1 tablespoon Shaoxing wine (or dry sherry)
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
Sauce
- 1/2 cup chicken broth
- 2 tablespoons light soy sauce (or soy sauce)
- 2 tablespoons Shaoxing wine (or dry sherry)
- 2 teaspoons dark soy sauce (or soy sauce)
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
- 1 1/2 tablespoons sugar
- 2 teaspoons coarsely ground black pepper
- 1/8 teaspoon salt
Stir fry
- 2 tablespoons peanut oil (or vegetable oil)
- 1 tablespoon minced ginger
- 2 cloves garlic , minced
- 1/2 white onion , chopped
- 2 bell peppers , chopped (I used mixed colors)
Instructions
- Combine chicken, soy sauce, Shaoxing wine, and cornstarch in a medium-sized bowl. Gently mix by hand until the chicken is coated with a thin layer of the mixture. Marinate for 10 to 15 minutes.
- Combine all the sauce ingredients in a small bowl. Mix well and set aside.
- Heat 1 tablespoon of oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat until hot. Add the chicken. Immediately spread the chicken into a single layer using a spatula, with as little overlap as possible. Sear for 30 seconds or so, until the bottom is lightly browned. Flip the chicken. Cook for 15 to 20 seconds. Stir occasionally, until both sides are browned but still a bit pink inside. Transfer the chicken to a plate and set aside.
- Add the remaining 1 tablespoon of oil to the skillet. Add the ginger and garlic. Give it a quick stir until fragrant. Add the white onion and peppers. Stir and cook for 20 seconds.
- Stir the sauce mixture until the cornstarch is dissolved completely, and pour it into the skillet. Stir with a spatula immediately and cook until the sauce thickens enough to coat the back of a spoon, a few seconds. Add back the cooked chicken. Quickly stir a few times to coat everything with the sauce. Turn off heat and remove the skillet from the stove. Immediately transfer everything to a big plate so the ingredients won’t keep cooking in the hot skillet.
- Serve hot as a main dish.
Video
Nutrition
The post was published on July 11, 2018 and updated by Jun 9, 2022.
I just moved into this apartment temporarily while we search for a house and it has an electric stove (I’ve been cooking with gas for years). I’m so sad because I can’t use my wok on the stove. Since we’re only here temporarily, I prob won’t buy the flat bottomed wok, but what a great option for those who live permanently with electric stoves. I am in love with this recipe. Give me black pepper anything and I’m happy. And your tips are always so helpful. I’ll need to invest in the wok spatula.
Hi Maggy,
Again a wonderfully easy and tasty dish!
I used salty shaoxing wine, without adding the extra salt to the dish, but it was still a bit too salty to my taste. I will follow your advice and look for natural wine.
Thank you so much for your fine recipes!
This was phenomenal. Thank you for the recipe. I used a spice grinder to freshly grind whole Tellicherry black peppercorns for a vibrant pepper flavor.
Wow! I really enjoyed this recipe and can’t wait to enjoy the leftovers tomorrow! Using superior Shaoxing wine definitely made a wonderful difference.
I’ve been searching for over a year for alternatives to take out and this by far is the best recipe I have ever found and will no longer search for anything better. I did not have dry sherry or the shaoxing wine, so I used the only thing I had which was Mirin. Still tasted amazing!
My fiancé and I wanted to use up the rest of our chicken breasts and onions so we made this for dinner. We made the mistake of using chicken broth with added salt so it turned out a little too salty but otherwise delicious! So easy too!
Also, Maggie, I have been following your blog for years now and thought I should let you know. Your blog is my go-to Chinese recipe blog! I love that you have authentic northern dishes as well as takeout recipes.
Keep up the great work!
hi, i saw your comment. I too am forced to cook on an electric stove which I also hate. I still use my wok though. Get yourself a wok ring, and allow the wok to heat till smoking. If you keep the ring on the burner, I found it tends to override the thermostat and keep the burner on. Also, though, because it does not get as hot you need to cook in smaller batches and a bit slower than normal. Can be done though. Good luck.
I have tried this one several times now. My wife’s stomach can’t stand hot food, so I needed to come up with a solution.
After trying with mixed colored pepper instead of black pepper, which was a bit less hot. I now use about half the amount of black pepper needed and instead of the common black pepper I use Tellicherry. It has a really nice taste with that.
Thanks for this gorgeous recipe!
Delicious!!
I just prepared Black Pepper Chicken for a large family group and it was great. I was able to switch from 4 servings to 7 with short notice. I hac to cook it on the stovetop in a Dutch oven due to the volume, and I think this was harder than using the wok; this points out my need for a better Wok. Unfortunately Kuhn Rikon was out of the wok you recommended but they are to contact me when they get them in.
I did get the Shaoxing Wine and everyone liked it.
Thanks for the recipe Maggie. Stay safe there in Austin.
Ed Dodson
Sebastian, Florida
Merci, c’est vraiment délicieux ! I will do it again. I used dry porto and some pepper from Cambodia. It was easy and perfect.
This is a great recipe, and the step-by-step helped me keep from over cooking the chicken as I usually do. I made a few changes, because I always like more aromatics, and to make it an all-in-one meal with lots of veggies. I doubled (at least) the ginger and garlic, and added a bunch of broccolini which I blanched until nearly done and added with the chicken.
My husband and I absolutely love this recipe. I add half a cup of water to make more sauce and serve it with bean sprouts and home made prawn toast.
This recipe is awesome!! It is almost identical to the dish as it comes from my favorite Thai restaurant. I doubled the sauce because my family loves sauce. It was a hit and easy to make!! Thank you for the recipe!
Wonderful Recipe and I was grateful for the extra information on “how to cook the chicken”
thank you very much.
Another great tasting and easy to prepare dish! I always prepare per your recipe the first time and rarely make changes to them. The black pepper is a different kind of heat and we loved it. I have a Cole & Mason battery powered pepper mill and use it daily so this recipe caught my eye! I’m thinking this is a regional favorite because I’ve never see Black Pepper Chicken on a Chinese restaurant menu in the Phoenix metro area where I’ve been for 40+ years. At any rate, this one is going into my internet cookbook as part of the regular meal rotation. Thanks Maggie.
Really enjoyed this recipe and it was easy to follow along. This was a big hit with everyone at home (my kids ate peppers! It’s a miracle!) definitely adding this into our weeknight rotation
Outstanding flavor. This is going into regular rotation.
How long do I marinate chicken?
You can marinate the chicken first while preparing the other ingredients, which gives it about 15 minutes of marinating time. You can of course marinate for a longer time, at room temperature for 30 minutes max, or in the fridge for a couple of hours.
Loved this and so quick and easy to prepare
In reading your tips about keeping the chicken tender, you have 2 other choices:
1) add about 1/2-3/4 tsp baking soda to the marinade
2) I sometimes brine chicken breast (which is tends to be drier than thigh) or pork in 2 cups water with 1 1/2 Tbsp salt and 1 1/2 Tbsp sugar for about 90 minutes….it definitely keeps the meat juicier.
This recipe is absolutely perfect. The instructions are perfect, and the results were amazing.
A Chinese lady from Wuhan told me recently that a lot of what Americans think is Chinese food really isn’t eaten in China. Would you say your recipe is authentic?
It really depends on the recipe. For example, black pepper chicken is not frequently eaten in China, but black pepper beef is. When I develop this recipe, I would use my own experience to create a sauce that is similar to what I had in China, and not that far from what you get in the US for Chinese takeout. So does recipes like General Tso’s chicken and beef and broccoli.
On the other hand, I also share recipes that are very popular in China but less-known in the US. Dishes like Sichuan Boil Fish and chive pockets. For those recipes I try to recreate authentic flavors as much as I can.
Then there are the dishes in between, like mapo tofu and dan dan noodles. Those dishes are both popular in and outside of China. Mine is closer to the Chinese version, but I might have used shortcut to make the recipes easier to prepare for home cooks.
A little too much dry sherry for me (celiac substitution). Still delicious!
Delicious! I love that I also learned new things about how to best stirfy and doing the marinade with cornstarch. So helpful!
Also curious if the light/dark soy sauce is what makes your sauce darker. Mine is pretty plain/clearish. I’m not sure how to describe it, but I love a brown sauce and would like mine to look like that.
The dark soy sauce is what makes the sauce darker. It is thicker and much darker than regular soy sauce and has caramel color in it. Adding a touch of dark soy sauce will darken the sauce and give it a slight sweet hint.
Tried this tonight for dinner and it was a HUGE hit with everyone! Will definitely be making this again. My husband and son both love tons of pepper on everything, so they really liked this!
Excellent tips in this recipe for prepping and cooking chicken (wish i known this years ago!), fairly simply ingredients, and a result the whole family adored. The fussy teenage daughter even went back for seconds! I’d imagine this will become a regular.
This looks amazing but before I make it what can I substitute the wine with as my husband is allergic. Thx
You can replace it with chicken broth. Happy cooking!
Excellent! Will be making again. I track my macros closely but I didn’t add up the total weight How much does one serving weigh? I can’t find that info. Thanks!
The database I used did not have the info on the weight of one serving. For each serving, it contains 10 g fat, 17.8g carb, and 26.1g protein. Hope this helps.
Terrific! I’m working my way through all your recipes. I did this one today because (you’re right!) I had all the ingredients in hand.
Easy and quick prep. Turned out great. Attractive and very tasty. The black pepper was just enough and not too much. The recipe made 4 full servings. (Leftovers!)
While I was eating, my mouth said, “This is so good. I wonder what it would be like with a few peanuts sprinkled on?” Answer: “Really, really good!”
Going on my favorites list. Thanks!
Maggie, you haven’t by chance tried doing the chicken in an air fryer, have you? If you were to do so, would you prep the chicken the same way right up to the cooking stage?
This is one of my favorite recipes I’ve tried so far, I’m in the middle of eating it and couldn’t help but write a review and I’ve never done that. Thank you so much , will 1000% be rotating this.
I loved this recipe so much I have made it 2x. First time I tried with chicken second time Indid with flank steak. Amazing ! The save is spicy sweet and perfectly balanced and thick. I did not have any wine or an alternative so I just used a little squeeze of lemon. Ty so much. Bring on some more recipes !
Food was amazing will definitely be making this again.
This was absolutely delicious. My husband is super picky and he even liked it. Will be added in the rotation for sure.
Sounds great! Can’t wait to try it! Love black pepper.
Excellent recipe! I mistakenly added 1 tbsp of soy sauce instead of 1 teaspoon to the sauce and it was perfect for us. I also added sliced mushrooms. Hubby gobbled it up and said to be sure to make it again!
I couldn’t find sherry wine or shaoxing wine (really struggling out here apparently) so I used mirin and omitted the extra sugar. The flavor is awesome. I struggle to get the necessary heat level from an electric stove, even with a cast iron skillet, so I ended up with the steamy soup that was mentioned. But it tastes great! I’m sure with the proper technique it’s outstanding.
So delicious!
My husband and I loved the shrimp stuffed eggplant dish with a black pepper sauce at our favorite Chinese restaurant so I simply HAD to try this one when I saw it. It was a hit with both of us! So, so good. Thank you for sharing your recipes and especially your techniques. Grateful.
This recipe is so delicious, I tend to make it once a month. Instead of rice for me I’ve been using udon noodles and it is a fantastic recipe and thank you for sharing, you truly are a blessing.
This recipe is so easy and so flavorful. I thought the amount of pepper seemed to be too much but it was on point! Chicken turned out tender and juicy and the veggies were crisp. The sauce is delicious over rice.
This recipe is amazing. I usually double the sauce. Definitely a keeper.
Finally a delicious and tasty black pepper chicken recipe. Thank you Maggie!
I would’ve given it 5 stars if the directions matched the photos. I’m quite surprised no one else commented on this. The dish was delicious but the directions say to dice the onions and the peppers. Fortunately, when it said to dice the peppers that didn’t seem correct for an Asian stir-fry so I looked at the photo and realized that the onions and the peppers should be sliced. In addition, the onions and peppers needed to be stir-fried for longer than 20 seconds. Otherwise, the flavor and overall dish was great and I would make it again.
I’m rating your recipe, exactly as written with chicken breast, light and dark soy sauce and shaoxing wine, and not with any personal substitutions or changes. I still cannot understand how people can rate your recipe and include all their changes instead of just commenting with the tips (some are good and would a great recipe variation) because they are essentially reviewing their own recipe and not yours. So on to the good stuff, right? Absolutely amazing! I ate 3/4 of the delicious food just by myself in one sitting because it is that good. It is quite easy to make and your explanations are very easy to understand. The savory sauce was phenomenal, with the perfect combination of flavors that could probably suite most palettes. I am blown away that this was made on my home stove, as it tasted like I just ordered from a fancy restaurant. It even has a beautiful presentation after being cooked. Thank you so much for sharing this recipe and I’ll be making it many times more for both me and for guests that I want to impress.
This was fantastic! I made the serving for four. The Mister devoured half of it and barely left me any for leftover lunch. I used aji mirin instead of shaoxing wine and only used 1 Tbsp of sugar. Paired it with jasmine rice and a side of sauteed zucchini, carrots and mushrooms. It reminded us of Panda Express’ Pepper Chicken with extra veggies (bell peppers).
So, so good. A perfect easy stir fry for when you’re craving Chinese takeout. I LOVE that it was on the table in probably less than 15 minutes once everything was prepared.
I made this recipe tonight for dinner and it was delicious! Definitely hit the spot and curved my Chinese craving.
Absolutely divine!
Such a great recipe! Not hard once you find the ingredients. Had to go to an Asian grocery store. Have made it a few times. Doesn’t fail! Doubled the sauce part. So yummy.
I made this receipt 2 x’s in one week because of how amazing it was! So good keeping it in my families meal menu! Thanks for sharing this! Tasted very authentic!
This was so delicious!!
Made this tonight for the first time and it was excellent – exactly like take out. Thank you @omnivorescookbook for the detailed instructions, they made all the difference. Can’t wait to try your other recipes.
This was amazing! My husband and I greatly enjoyed it. I used double black soy for the dark soy. I had shaoxing wine that I wanted to use so this was perfect. Thanks for the recipe!
This was so good. Thank you. Your recipes never fail. It’s hard for me to find good Chinese food here in Japan but you make it possible for me to re-experience home right in my kitchen. <3 I used chicken breast instead and also added green peppers!
This was so delicious, quick and easy. So much healthier than getting takeout. Thank you!
What to do if you do not have the wine or the sherry?
You can use chicken broth to replace the wine.
This recipe was delicious! I didn’t have shaoxing wine or dry sherry on hand, but I did have Mirin so I used that instead. It was a delicious substitute!
The chicken was also very tender. Definitely adding this to our meal plan rotation!
This is a never fail, always delicious and comforting dish. I add an extra teaspoon of black pepper but otherwise stick to the recipe. Always on rotation and I never tire of it. 10/10 one of my all time favourite meals.
I love Chinese food n I’ve tried making so many receipts n they never come out as expected but this one is by far the best n it tasted so good. I’m in love with it. Thanks so much
Wasn’t my favorite. The sauce was good, but the recipe is written weird. The peppers should be cooked for 5 mins minimum and then add the ginger and garlic. Otherwise the veggies are barely cooked at all, and would’ve been raw. Also, the chicken needs way longer than noted to get a sear. Don’t think I’ll make again.
This has been a staple in our home!! This is so good!! One of the best dishes ever!! I highly recommend this recipe!
I tried this. Very good recipe! Thank you!
This recipe intrigued me because I never had a black pepper dish. And I was excited to use all my Asian ingredients. I’m going to do more Asian meals and plan on using your site a lot. I like how good this was. It tasted like true Chinese food. And I love that the veggies were still crunchy and fresh. Definitely five stars!
JJJJJ
This is absolutely delicious!!! Can’t wait to try it with other proteins … any would work!
This was great, liked the heat of the pepper.loved using farm stand fresh produce to make it. Substituted linguini for rice.
This is beyond delicious. Thank you for sharing. Simple and quick to put together and oh so tasty.
Soooo good!!
This was so easy to do. I had 3 lb of chicken thighs, so I tripled everything but the sugar. Only had cooking sherry, but still tasted great. Can’t wait to try this again with Shaoxing wine!
I loved it and so did my whole family. Thank you for adding a recipe to my rotation@ominivorescookbook
Just made this for dinner tonight and know it will make frequent appearances on our dinner table! I made a few changes: only used 1 bell pepper, added snap peas, carrots, green onions, used a full white onion and doubled the sauce so there was enough for the lomein noodles I mixed in at the end. It was a hit!
Absolutely wonderful!! I added some fresh mushrooms and served it over stir-fry noodles. My husband says it is the best Chinese dish I have ever made!
This was easy and delicious. Ty
Favorit recipe!!!!
This is my first time ever writing a review on a recipe but this one is worth a review. This has been one of my favorite dishes I’ve ever made ! My todles ate all their food and more. The ginger is a bit strong but I love it even my husband licked his plate and he hates the taste of ginger so this says alot. This recipe was printed and laminated in my recipe collection!
Thank you for this recipe- eating it up as i write! is delicious. love the black pepper heat. I added cabbage & celery worked great. but need to heed your advice re letting chicken be, until browned – don’t think wok was fully heated. still great! and will do better when I make again (which will be soon 😉