Chinese Black Pepper Chicken is our family favourite quick chicken stir fry that’s ready in just 30 minutes! Made with juicy, tender chicken thigh, bell peppers, onions, and bold flavour, delicious savoury peppery sauce.
It’s incredibly easy to prepare, tastier, and faster than ordering from takeout!
I grew up in an Asian household, and chicken stir-fries are always a staple in our family meal rotations. This black pepper chicken stir fry is also one of my favourites, and our whole family loves it!
We love to pair it with steamed jasmine rice, fried rice, or noodles. It is an ideal dish to make for busy weeknights or to satisfy the takeout cravings at home.
Jump to:
If you enjoy takeout-style Chinese chicken stir fry recipes, you’ll love my other readers’ favourite recipes! Try classic dishes like Kung Pao Chicken and Chicken with Black Bean Sauce.
Chinese Takeout Black Pepper Sauce
Black pepper chicken is a popular American-Chinese dish. Black pepper sauce is a bold, savoury sauce made with freshly ground black pepper, soy sauce, oyster sauce, garlic, and cornstarch or potato starch.
It adds a rich, peppery kick to the dish and goes well with stir-fried dishes with chicken, beef, tofu, or seafood.
Ingredients you'll need
- Chicken breast or thigh
- Bell pepper
- Onion
- Garlic
- Cooking oil
For Marinade:
- Cornstarch
- Sesame oil
- Shao Xing cooking wine: Chinese rice cooking wine with a slightly sweet taste.
- Soy sauce
- Black pepper - freshly ground
For Sauce Mix:
- Black pepper
- Light soy sauce
- Dark soy sauce
- Oyster sauce or vegetarian stir fry sauce or hoisin sauce
- Cornstarch
- Shao Xing cooking wine or Japanese mirin cooking wine
- Water
- Sesame oil
See the recipe card for measurements and a printable recipe.
Khin’s Quick Tips
- Black pepper is a star of the dish, use freshly ground black pepper to give it the best aroma!
- Let the chicken marinate for at least 15 minutes to absorb the flavours and juicy tender bites.
- Even though the preparation takes a bit of time, the stir-frying process is quick. Chop up the vegetables and gather all the sauce ingredients ahead.
- Use a large pan or wok that can distribute enough heat to sear the chicken and vegetables.
- You might want to customise the veggies and stir fry sauce to make the dish your own style.
How to make Black Pepper Chicken
- Marinate the Chicken: Dice chicken thighs into bite-sized pieces. Marinate with soy sauce, sesame oil, cornstarch, sugar, white pepper, and garlic. Set it aside and let it rest for at least 15 minutes.
- Prepare the Vegetables and Sauce: Thinly slice bell peppers, spring onions, onions, and mince the garlic cloves.
In a small bowl, combine light soy sauce, dark soy sauce, oyster sauce, freshly ground black pepper, sugar, Shao Xing wine, cornstarch and a splash of water to create the sauce. Set it aside.
- Stir Fry the Chicken: Heat a wok or large pan over medium-high heat and drizzle in some oil.
Sauté the minced garlic until fragrant, then add the marinated chicken. Stir fry for 3-4 minutes until the chicken is about 80% cooked.
- Toss Everything: Toss in the sliced onions and bell peppers, cooking for 1-2 minutes until slightly softened.
Pour in the prepared sauce and stir until it thickens and becomes glossy. Add spring onions at the end, and toss everything together.
If you wish to try this dish with beef, try my Pepper Steak Stir Fry recipe.
For Leftovers and Meal-Prep
Storage:
Allow the black pepper chicken to cool completely before storing it in an airtight container. Keep it in the refrigerator for up to 3–4 days. For meal prep or freezing, place it in a freezer-safe container or bag and freeze for up to 2 months.
Reheating:
- Microwave: Heat the chicken in a microwave-safe dish, covered, for 1–2 minutes and stir halfway through.
- Stovetop: Reheat in a pan over medium heat with a splash of water or chicken broth to prevent it from drying out. Stir occasionally until warmed through.
- Reheating Frozen: If reheating from frozen, let the chicken defrost in the fridge overnight, then reheat using the microwave or stovetop method.
Best Serving Options
For crispy vegetables, avoid overcooking during reheating. The sauce consistency might change while reheating.
Serve it over a bowl of warm steamed rice for a fuss-free, delicious dinner! Our favourite pairings are steamed jasmine rice, egg fried rice, and plain chow mein.
Add sides and soups like Garlic Green Beans Stir Fry, Pak Choy with Garlic Sauce, Vegetable Spring Rolls, or ABC Soup, for a complete meal. This dish is perfect for both quick weeknight dinners and special occasions.
Most Asked Q&As
Absolutely! Chicken breast works well, but thigh meat contain more fat content, are less likely to dry, and are preferred for their juicier texture. If using chicken breast, make sure not to overcook it.
Freshly ground coarse black pepper is perfect for maximum flavour. You can also use medium-coarse or finely ground black pepper to your liking.
Feel free to add vegetables like broccoli, snow peas, or zucchini for more colour and texture. Just adjust the cooking time to keep them crisp-tender.
The cornstarch in the sauce helps to thicken it. If it’s not thick enough, mix an extra teaspoon of cornstarch with water and add it to the pan, stirring until it reaches the desired consistency.
More Chicken Stir Fry Recipes
Looking for more delicious chicken stir fry recipes? Suggest trying these:
What to Pair
Following are my favourite dishes to serve with:
If you enjoyed this black pepper chicken recipe, share feedback in the comments below and leave a 🌟 rating! I’d love to hear your thoughts!
For more delicious recipes and kitchen inspiration, follow me on Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, TikTok, and Pinterest.
I post fresh updates daily, so don’t miss out! Subscribe to my newsletter, hit the follow button and stay tuned for more tasty ideas! 🔔
📖 Recipe
Black Pepper Chicken Stir Fry
Ingredients
- 350 grams Chicken thigh Boneless skinless chicken thigh or breast
- 1 Bell pepper Red or green bell pepper, cut thin slices
- 1 Onion Cut thin slices
- 2 cloves Garlic Minced
- 2 tbsp Cooking oil Neutral oil
For Chicken Marinade
- 2 tsp Cornstarch
- 1 tsp Sesame oil
- 2 tsp Shao Xing Wine
- 1 tbsp Regular soy sauce
- ½ tsp Black pepper Freshly ground or crushed coarse black pepper
Stir Fry Sauce
- 1 tsp Black pepper
- 1 tbsp Light soy sauce
- 1 tsp Dark soy sauce
- 3 tbsp Oyster sauce Or hoisin sauce or vegetarian stir fry sauce
- 1 tbsp Shao Xing wine Chinese cooking rice wine or Japanese mirin
- 1 tsp Cornstarch or potato starch
- 3 tbsp Water or chicken broth ( low sodium )
- 2 tsp Sesame oil
Instructions
- Dice chicken thighs into bite-sized pieces. Marinate with soy sauce, sesame oil, cornstarch, sugar, white pepper, and garlic. Set it aside and let it rest for at least 15 minutes.
- Thinly slice bell peppers, spring onions, onions, and mince the garlic cloves. In a small bowl, combine light soy sauce, dark soy sauce, oyster sauce, freshly ground black pepper, sugar, Shao Xing wine, cornstarch and a splash of water to create the sauce. Set it aside.
- Heat a wok or large pan over medium-high heat and drizzle in some oil. Sauté the minced garlic until fragrant, then add the marinated chicken. Stir fry for 3-4 minutes until the chicken is about 80% cooked.
- Toss in the sliced onions and bell peppers, cooking for 1-2 minutes until slightly softened. Pour in the prepared sauce and stir until it thickens and becomes glossy. Add spring onions at the end, and toss everything together.
Notes
- What type of black pepper to use? You can use medium-coarse, crushed, or fine-ground black pepper.
- Extra spices like toasted crushed Sichuan peppercorns, a dash of white pepper, or Chinese five spices can also be added to your liking.
- You can swap chicken thighs with chicken breast, shrimp, prawns, beef strips, lamb, tofu, etc.
- Replace bell peppers with broccoli, zucchini/courgette, and mushrooms to your liking.
- For a spicer kick, drizzle some chilli oil or fresh hot chillies like bird-eye chillies.
- Serving - Serve with steamed rice, fried rice, or plain noodles for a complete meal.
Susan says
Fantastic recipe
James Allen says
This looks like a great dish
paul says
Amazing and easy to prepare
Lunar says
It’s very simple and delicious! Made it for my son and he really enjoyed it.