Black Pepper Chicken Stir-Fry
25 min
|
easy
|
lactose-free,
low-fat,
Mediterranean diet
Recipe by Eunice
Introduction
This Chinese takeout-style black pepper chicken hits hard with fresh-cracked pepper, garlic, and a glossy soy-oyster sauce that clings to juicy thigh strips and crisp-tender bell peppers.
Perfect for a fast weeknight dinner over rice, it brings bold flavor without fuss, and you can dial the pepper heat up or down like a boss.
Ingredients (4 servings)
Get Ingredients →Order the ingredients from your local store for pickup or delivery. You’ll check out through Instacart.
Ingredients
- 1½ lb boneless, skinless chicken thighs, cut into bite-sized strips boneless, skinless chicken thighs 1.5 lb
- 1 Tbsp cornstarch cornstarch 0.29 oz
- 1 Tbsp soy sauce soy sauce 0.5 fl oz
- 1 Tbsp oyster sauce oyster sauce 0.63 oz
- 1 Tbsp dark soy sauce (or regular if unavailable) dark soy sauce 0.5 fl oz
- 1 Tbsp rice vinegar rice vinegar 0.5 fl oz
- 2 Tbsp vegetable oil (divided) vegetable oil
- 1 red bell pepper, sliced red bell pepper 1 ct
- 1 green bell pepper, sliced green bell pepper 1 ct
- 1 small onion, sliced onion 1 ct small
- 3 cloves garlic, minced garlic 0.27 head (for garlic clove)
- 1 Tbsp black pepper, freshly ground (adjust to taste) black peppercorns (for black pepper)
- ½ tsp salt salt
How to Make Black Pepper Chicken Stir-Fry
-
Make the sauce
Whisk together the soy sauce, oyster sauce, dark soy sauce, and rice vinegar in a small bowl and set it near the stove.
-
Coat the chicken
Toss the chicken strips with the cornstarch in a bowl until every piece is evenly dusted and no dry patches remain.
-
Preheat the pan hard
Heat a wok or large heavy skillet over high heat until it just starts to smoke for steady searing and real wok breath flavor.
-
Sear the first batch
Add 1 tablespoon of the oil and half the chicken in a single layer, leave it undisturbed for 2 minutes to brown, then stir-fry until just cooked through and lightly crisp at the edges and transfer to a bowl.
-
Sear the second batch
Add 1 teaspoon of the remaining oil if the pan looks dry, repeat with the rest of the chicken, and return it to the bowl with any juices.
-
Stir-fry the vegetables
Add the remaining oil to the pan, then the onion and bell peppers, and cook over high heat for 2 to 3 minutes until tender-crisp with a little char.
-
Add the garlic
Stir in the garlic for 20 to 30 seconds until fragrant, keeping it moving so it does not scorch.
-
Sauce and finish
Return the chicken and any juices to the pan, pour in the sauce, stir-fry until glossy and lightly thickened, then season with the black pepper and salt to taste.
-
Taste and serve
Taste for balance and add more pepper if you like it bolder, then serve hot while the peppers still have snap.
Substitutions
- Dark soy sauce -> regular soy sauce + a pinch of brown sugar
- Regular soy will give salinity but not color or light sweetness, and a tiny pinch of brown sugar mimics dark soy's caramel notes so the sauce still finishes glossy and balanced.
- Oyster sauce -> mushroom stir-fry sauce or vegetarian oyster sauce
- Mushroom-based sauces bring that same deep umami and silky finish without seafood, keeping the savory backbone and sheen intact.
- Chicken thighs -> firm tofu, pressed and cubed
- Pressed tofu tossed in cornstarch crisps at the edges and drinks up the peppery sauce, giving a lighter yet satisfying chew.
Tips
- Grind pepper fresh and coarse
- Use a coarse grind so you taste warm pops of spice instead of a dusty blanket, and measure the tablespoon after grinding for accuracy.
- Heat control is the whole game
- Keep the pan ripping hot and cook in batches to avoid steaming, because color equals flavor and soggy is not an option.
- Cut for speed and tenderness
- Slice chicken across the grain into even strips for fast cooking and a tender bite, and aim to match the size of the pepper strips for clean tosses.
- Cornstarch means lacquer
- The dry cornstarch on the chicken grabs the sauce and turns it glossy, so keep wet marinades out of the mix and only add the sauce at the end.
- Timing the garlic and pepper
- Add garlic just before the sauce and add most of the pepper with the sauce so it stays fragrant instead of bitter from over-toasting.
- Wok or skillet, both work
- A carbon steel wok is ideal, but a wide heavy stainless or cast-iron skillet gives great sear if you resist overcrowding.
Nutrition Facts *
| Energy | 460 | kcal |
|---|---|---|
| Protein | 42 | g |
| Total Fat | 23 | g |
| Carbohydrates | 23 | g |
| Dietary Fiber | 4 | g |
* Approximate, per serving.
Data source: USDA FoodData Central.
FAQ
- Why did my stir-fry turn watery?
- The pan was not hot enough or it was overcrowded, so cook in two batches, preheat until smoking, and make sure chicken and vegetables are dry before they hit the oil.
- The pepper tastes harsh, what went wrong?
- You likely added fine-ground pepper too early, so switch to a coarser grind and add most of it at the end for warm aroma without bitterness.
- Can I use chicken breast instead of thighs?
- Yes, slice thin across the grain, keep the high heat, and pull it the second it turns opaque so it stays juicy.
- My sauce is too thick or sticky, how do I fix it?
- Lower the heat and splash in a bit of water to loosen while tossing quickly, since the cornstarch tightens fast once it boils.
- It tastes too salty, how can I balance it?
- Add a little more bell pepper or onion to stretch the sauce and a small splash of water, then finish with extra black pepper to steer flavor toward spice instead of salt.
- How do I reheat without losing snap?
- Reheat in a hot skillet for 2 to 3 minutes, adding a spoon of water to steam and re-gloss while keeping the peppers crisp-tender.
Serving Suggestions
Serve this over hot jasmine rice or tuck it into crisp lettuce cups with a squeeze of lime for that peppery-salty crunch that wakes you up.
If you want a little extra swagger, shower it with sliced scallions and a drizzle of toasted sesame oil right off the heat to perfume the whole dish without weighing it down.
More pairings:
Reviews
We haven’t received any feedback on this recipe yet.
Made this recipe? How did it go?
Please leave your feedback below. We’d love to hear from you!
