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Black Pepper Chicken

Black pepper chicken with a glossy soy-black pepper sauce—stir-fried chicken and vegetables are tossed until the sauce clings. Thin-sliced chicken gets golden in a hot wok, then finishes in a quick thickened pepper glaze.
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Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Total Time 35 minutes
Servings: 4 servings
Course: Main Dish
Cuisine: Asian-American
Calories: 680
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Black pepper chicken
  • 1.5 lb chicken breast slice thin for fast stir-frying
  • 1 green bell pepper slice
  • 1 onion slice
  • 4 cloves garlic minced
  • 1 tbsp fresh ginger grated
  • 2 tbsp vegetable oil for stir-frying
Sauce
  • 3 tbsp soy sauce
  • 2 tbsp oyster sauce
  • 1 tbsp dark soy sauce
  • 1 tbsp brown sugar
  • 2 tsp black pepper freshly cracked (generous)
  • 1 tsp cornstarch plus water to make a slurry
  • 1 cup water use 1/4 cup total for slurry
Serving
  • 1 steamed rice for serving

Equipment

  • 1 cast iron skillet
  • 1 Dutch oven

Method
 

Make the sauce
  1. Whisk soy sauce, oyster sauce, dark soy sauce, brown sugar, and black pepper together in a bowl, then set aside.
  2. Stir cornstarch with water until smooth, then whisk the slurry into the sauce mixture.
Stir-fry chicken
  1. Heat vegetable oil in a wok or large skillet over high heat until hot.
  2. Stir-fry the sliced chicken in batches, turning as needed, until golden; remove to a plate and repeat with remaining chicken.
Stir-fry vegetables and finish
  1. Stir-fry the bell pepper and onion for 3 minutes, keeping them moving so they stay crisp-tender.
  2. Add garlic and ginger and cook for 1 minute, until fragrant and glossy on the vegetables.
  3. Return the chicken to the pan and pour the sauce over; toss to coat so the chicken and peppers are evenly covered.
  4. Cook for 2-3 minutes until the sauce thickens and clings to everything, then season with extra cracked black pepper.
Serve
  1. Serve the black pepper chicken over steamed rice.

Notes

For best results, slice the chicken thin and stir-fry in batches so it turns golden instead of steaming. Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days; reheat gently in a skillet with a splash of water to loosen the sauce. Freezing is not recommended due to the sauce texture. Swap: use gluten-free soy sauce and oyster sauce to make it gluten-free.