This restaurant-style Chinese Black Pepper Chicken stir fry is delicious, quick and very easy to make. Tastes a million times better than Panda Express black pepper chicken. Tender chicken strips marinated in soy sauce, corn starch, sesame oil and ginger, then fried with veggies.
This is an awesome black pepper chicken recipe that is sure to satisfy your craving for Chinese food. A couple of crunchy celery and onion in there for texture and body, and you’ve got yourself an absolutely delicious meal.
Black pepper chicken is a classic staple of Chinese cuisine. In such a large country, there are many different cuisines and many different ingredients. In this case, it’s a simple dish of black pepper, chicken, celery and onion.
You’ll Need
- Chicken
- Celery
- Yellow or white onion
- Freshly ground black pepper
- Soy sauce
- Ginger
- Corn starch
- Sesame oil
- Rice vinegar
- Oil
- Salt
How To Make Black Pepper Chicken Stir Fry
- This is a beautifully simple recipe with only a few steps. Let’s jump right in!
- First, slice or dice your chicken breast into cubes. Let these marinate quickly.
- Now you’re going to dice your veggies! Quickly chop your vegetables and set aside ready to use when the time comes.
- Next, pan fry your chicken in a single layer. Do this for about two to three minutes per side of the chicken, and set aside when finished.
- Now add your vegetables and cook until they’re crisp, but not mushy.
- Finally, add black pepper, toss, and serve!
Freshly Ground Black Pepper
Regular pre-packaged pepper won’t do here. You want to grind it fresh for this recipe. This gives us a more distinctive, intense flavor.
Juicy Sliced Chicken Breast
We’re using sliced chicken breast for this recipe. Many recipes call for chicken thighs, which have a higher fat content and therefore a softer texture. However, well-seasoned chicken breast cooked at the right temperature can be just as juicy and tender as chicken thigh and it’s higher in protein. That means it’s a healthier alternative that can be just as flavorful!
The lower moisture content in chicken breast also allows it to become crispy and tasty more easily.
Black Pepper Chicken Recipe Tips
- Always slice or dice your chicken into evenly-sized slices or cubes. This ensures they will all be cooked through at the same time. Consistently cooked slices or cubes are a key component of correctly cooked cuisine.
- If you slice your celery diagonally, you’ll get a better crunch! This slicing method breaks fewer of the strong cell walls that give celery its distinctive crunch.
- This dish comes together very quickly, like a lot of high-heat Asian style cooking. Your best bet is to prepare all your ingredients and make sure they are ready to go when required.
- Pan fry your chicken in a separate batch so each piece gets nice and crispy. Batch cooking is the best way to ensure consistency across the board.
What To Served With Black Pepper Chicken
As with many other Asian dishes, you can’t go wrong with steamed Jasmine Rice or Instant Pot Basmati Rice! If you want to reduce your carb intake, Steamed Broccoli or Cauliflower Mash substitutes for rice are great alternatives, too.
A nice big bowl of crisp veggies on the side is a great accompaniment to this dish, particularly if they’re nice and fresh to give you a palate cleanser after the meal.
You could also cook some extra vegetables as a side dish. Eggplant, broccoli, bok choy, snow peas, or even Chinese cabbage are all great ways for you to explore the potential of this black pepper sauce.
More Delicious Chicken Breast Recipes
- Butter Chicken
- Chicken Stroganoff
- Creamy Tuscan Chicken
- Instant Pot Chicken Fried Rice
- Spinach Stuffed Chicken Recipe
- Chicken Lo Mein
- Parmesan Crusted Chicken
- Lemon Chicken Piccata
- Asparagus Stuffed Chicken Breast
- Chicken Bacon Ranch Pasta
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Chinese Black Pepper Chicken Stir Fry
Ingredients
- 2 pounds 1 kilogram skinless and boneless chicken breasts, cut into thin strips
- 3 tablespoons low sodium soy sauce
- 1 1/2 tablespoons fresh ginger, minced
- 2-3 tablespoons cornstarch
- 2 tablespoons toasted sesame oil
- 2 tablespoons rice vinegar
- 5 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 3 celery stalks, thinly sliced
- 1 large onion, cut into cubes
- 1 1/2 tablespoons fresh ground black pepper
- Salt as needed
Instructions
- In a small bowl combine the chicken with soy sauce, fresh ginger, rice vinegar, cornstarch and sesame oil. Allow to marinate for 10 minutes.
- In a large non-stick skillet heat 5 tbsp. of vegetable oil over high heat, add the chicken and cook until brown, about 6 minutes, stirring occasionally. You might need to cook chicken in batches.
- Once the chicken is cooked through, add the celery and onion and cook for 1 minute over high heat, then sprinkle with black pepper and give a good stir to combine everything.
- Serve immediately over jasmine rice.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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Simple and the flavor is wonderful! My family & friends loved it!!
Thank you, Katusha!
Followed this recipe for dinner tonight and it was perfect. My whole family loved and enjoyed this meal!
Thank you, Millie! -Tatiana 🙂
I made it exactly as written, no changes and it was perfect! Family really enjoyed it!!!
Hey Mikayla! Thank you for your feedback! I am glad you and your family enjoyed it!
This recipe was outstanding! My family raved about it and has already asked when I can make it again!
That’s great to hear Corie! I’m glad your family loved the recipe. Repeat requests are always a good sign. Thanks for taking the time to share your experience.
Easy to do and was a great family meal. Will definitely be preparing this again.
It’s great to hear that the recipe was easy to make and a hit with your family!
I love all of the simple ingredients used and definitely will make this again!
That’s great to hear! Simple ingredients can often result in delicious meals, and I’m glad you enjoyed this recipe. It’s always a good sign when a recipe is worth making again. Thanks for sharing your experience, I hope you enjoy making this again in the future.
This was delicious with the perfect blend in flavors. Absolutely loved the taste and a big hit with my hubby too. Will def make this again, thank you!
Hi Becca! Thank you for your kind words, and I’m glad you plan to make it again.
My family and I truly loved this! Husband couldn’t get enough and kids gobbled it up. Will add it to my collection and make it often!
Hi Jaysa! I’m glad to hear that your family loved it! It’s always a win when the husband and kids enjoy a meal. Thank you for adding it to your collection, and I hope you make it often!
This sounds amazing! I’m going to serve with some copycat supergreens. Can the chicken marinate for longer than 10 minutes? (Could I prep in the morning and cook at dinnertime?)
Hey, Shamene! I’m glad to hear that you’re excited to try the recipe! Yes, you can definitely marinate the chicken for longer than 10 minutes. In fact, marinating the chicken in the morning and cooking it for dinner will allow the flavors to penetrate the meat even more, resulting in a more flavorful dish. Just make sure to keep the chicken in the fridge while it’s marinating to prevent any food safety issues. I hope you enjoy the dish with your copycat supergreens!
Made this for dinner last night
Delicious
I replaced the celery with water chestnuts and added bamboo shoots and diced red bell pepper
I do wish it was saucier but other than than it was perfect
Thanks for the feedback Brian! If you prefer it saucier next time, you could try adding a bit more sauce or broth. Glad you enjoyed it overall! 😊
Brian, I just double the recipe for the sauce. Marinate with half and then after I stir fry I add more in pan until it is the amount I want. You don’t want it too soupy though.
Thank you Karen!