Black Pepper Chicken

Black Pepper Chicken is a bold, savory stir-fry that brings restaurant-quality flavor to your kitchen in just 30 minutes! This recipe features tender chicken coated in a glossy, peppery sauce with crisp bell peppers and aromatic ginger and garlic.

Love More Chicken Recipes? Try My Roasted Red Pepper, Spinach & Mozzarella Stuffed Chicken or this Sun Dried Tomato Chicken Orzo next.

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

This Black Pepper Chicken checks every box for a weeknight winner. The flavor is bold and addictive—peppery without being overwhelming, with that perfect balance of savory, sweet, and aromatic notes. It comes together in less time than it takes to order delivery, and you probably have most of the ingredients in your pantry already.

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Ingredient List

Chicken & Marinade

• 1 lb (≈ 450 g) chicken breasts or thighs, sliced against the grain into ¼ inch thick pieces
• 1 Tbsp light soy sauce
• 1 Tbsp Shaoxing wine (or dry sherry)
• 1 Tbsp cornstarch

Sauce

• ½ cup chicken broth
• 2 Tbsp light soy sauce
• 2 Tbsp Shaoxing wine (or dry sherry)
• 2 tsp dark soy sauce
• 1 Tbsp cornstarch
• 1½ Tbsp sugar
• 2 tsp coarsely ground black pepper
• ⅛ tsp salt

Stir-Fry & Aromatics

• 2 Tbsp oil (peanut or neutral)
• 1 Tbsp minced ginger
• 2 cloves garlic, minced
• ½ white onion, chopped
• 2 bell peppers, chopped (any color)

Why These Ingredients Work

Okay so the cornstarch thing. I ignored this for probably two years because I thought it was just some fancy chef nonsense. Then my sister-in-law (who actually went to culinary school) made chicken at Christmas and I was like “why is your chicken so much better than mine?” She showed me the cornstarch trick and I literally wanted to cry. It creates this coating that keeps all the juices in when you cook it. Like a little protective jacket. Now I can’t make chicken any other way.

The Shaoxing wine situation – I finally bought a bottle when it was like $4 at the Asian grocery store and kept it under the sink for months thinking it was gonna taste weird. It doesn’t taste weird. It tastes like… I don’t even know how to describe it. Like it makes everything taste more restaurant-y? More complete? My husband who hates cooking even noticed and was like “did you change something?” Yeah buddy, I spent $4 on wine.

Black pepper. COARSE black pepper. Not the dusty stuff in your spice cabinet that’s been there since 2018. I’m talking about the big chunky pieces that you can actually bite into. Last month my mom came over and was like “what’s that texture in the sauce?” and I showed her my pepper grinder and she immediately ordered one on Amazon. At 67 years old she’s discovering what fresh pepper tastes like. We’ve all been living wrong apparently.

Essential Tools and Equipment

Big pan. That’s really the main thing. I use a 12-inch skillet because I don’t have cabinet space for a wok and also I’m lazy about hand-washing specialty items. If your pan is small you’ll be doing this in batches and honestly who has time for that on a Wednesday?

Two bowls, a whisk, knife, cutting board, measuring stuff. Very basic. I don’t even use my nice knife for this anymore because I’m usually rushing and I’m clumsy when I rush. My $15 knife from Target works perfectly fine. Oh and have everything measured out ahead of time, all lined up next to your stove like you’re on a cooking show. I know it feels extra but I promise the one time you don’t do this is the time you’ll be frantically searching for cornstarch while your garlic turns black.

How To Make Black Pepper Chicken

Step 1: Marinate the Chicken

Chicken goes in a bowl, dump in the soy sauce, wine, and cornstarch. I use my hands because it’s faster and I don’t care. My rings might get messy but whatever, I’m washing my hands in 30 seconds anyway. Mix it around till every piece is slimy and coated. Then ignore it. Set a timer for 10 minutes and go do something else. I usually use this time to empty the dishwasher or scroll TikTok. Sometimes I marinate it in the morning before work if I’m trying to be one of those organized people who has their life together (I’m not, but I pretend).

Step 2: Mix the Sauce

Grab your other bowl and dump in all the sauce stuff. Broth, both kinds of soy sauce, wine, cornstarch, sugar, pepper, that tiny bit of salt. Whisk it like you’re mad at it. The cornstarch is gonna fight you and try to stick to the bottom in clumps – that’s normal, just keep whisking. Then put this bowl right next to your stove, like within grabbing distance. I’ve learned this lesson the hard way approximately seven times. You think you’ll remember where you put it, you won’t, you’ll have to look for it while ginger burns.

Step 3: Sear the Chicken

Turn your burner to medium-high and let the pan get hot. Actually hot, not medium hot, not “I think this is probably hot enough” hot. Pour in one tablespoon of oil and wait till it does that shimmery thing. Now put your chicken in. Lay it out flat, don’t pile it up even though you’re tempted because there’s a lot of chicken. And then – this is the hardest part – DO NOTHING. I know your hand is hovering over the spatula. I know you want to flip it and check it and move it around. Don’t. Count to 60 in your head. I sing the ABCs twice because I’m apparently 5 years old. After a full minute, flip the pieces. Give it another 30-45 seconds. It’s gonna look pink inside and wrong and you’re gonna want to keep cooking it. Take it out anyway. Put it on a plate. Walk away.

Step 4: Stir-Fry the Aromatics and Vegetables

Same pan, should still be stupid hot. Add your second tablespoon of oil. Immediately throw in the ginger and garlic. You have maybe 10 seconds before they burn. I literally hold my onions and peppers in my hand ready to dump in. Toss in the vegetables, stir everything maybe twice. That’s it. We’re talking like 20 seconds of cooking here. They should still be bright colored and crunchy.

Step 5: Add the Sauce and Finish Cooking

Here’s where it gets fun. Stir your sauce one more time because the cornstarch definitely settled while you weren’t looking, then pour it in. It’s gonna go PSSSHHHHH and bubble up and smell incredible. Stir it around. The sauce will go from watery to thick and glossy so fast you’ll think you’re watching it on fast forward. Maybe 30 seconds tops. When it coats your spoon and looks like actual sauce, throw the chicken back in. Toss everything together a few times. Another 30 seconds and that’s it, you’re done.

Step 6: Serve Immediately

Turn off the stove right now and get this onto plates. I’m serious, don’t wait. One time I left it in the pan for like 3 minutes while I set the table and the chicken kept cooking and got chewy. These days I just bring the pan straight to the table because I can’t be trusted. Serve it over rice and prepare for everyone to actually be excited about dinner for once. My daughter literally runs down the stairs when she smells this cooking.

You Must Know

Everything needs to be ready before you turn on the stove. This isn’t one of those recipes where you can chop as you go. I tried that exactly once and ended up with burned garlic, raw onions, and a smoke detector going off. Now I’m one of those annoying people who lines up all their ingredients in little bowls like I’m filming a cooking show. Takes an extra 5 minutes of prep but saves you from total disaster.

Cutting chicken against the grain – I had no clue what this meant for YEARS. Cut perpendicular to those lines. That’s it. That’s the whole secret. Makes such a massive difference in how tender it is. Also try to keep all your pieces the same thickness or some will be overcooked and some will be raw and you’ll be there cutting them all up to check and it’s annoying.

Pro Tips & Cooking Hacks

Taking the chicken out early feels so wrong but it’s the only way to keep it from turning into shoe leather. It’s still cooking even after you remove it – that’s how hot it is. Then it gets more heat when you add it back. I’ve made this probably 60 times and the only times it comes out dry is when I convince myself “just a little longer won’t hurt.” It does hurt. It hurts my dinner.

Keep extra chicken broth next to you while cooking. If your sauce gets too thick (happens to me constantly because I get distracted), splash in a little broth and stir. Problem solved. If it’s too thin, which honestly rarely happens, just let it bubble for another 20-30 seconds.

Your chicken can’t be straight out of the fridge. It doesn’t need to be room temperature exactly, but like… not ice cold. I take mine out while I’m doing all my chopping, so by the time I’m cooking it’s been sitting for 15-20 minutes. Makes a huge difference in how well it sears. Cold chicken = gray steamed chicken. Nobody wants that.

Stop playing with your food. I’m serious. When the chicken hits the pan, leave it alone. When the vegetables go in, stir once and leave it alone. The more you move everything around, the less it gets that nice sear and caramelization. My husband is the worst at this – he’s constantly poking and stirring everything. I’ve banned him from helping with stir-fry.

Flavor Variations & Suggestions

My spice tolerance is way higher than my kids’ so sometimes I make two versions. Regular for them, spicy for me and my husband. I just add red pepper flakes to half of it at the end. Maybe a half teaspoon, sometimes more if it’s been a day. Or I’ll throw in sliced jalapeños with the vegetables. Completely different vibe, so good with a cold beer.

Found oyster sauce in the back of my fridge last month (no idea how old it was, don’t ask) and added some to this. Holy crap it was good. Just a teaspoon mixed into the sauce. Made everything richer and deeper. My brother ate three bowls and then asked if he could take leftovers home.

Honestly you can throw in whatever vegetables are about to go bad in your fridge. Mushrooms work great. Snap peas. Zucchini. Baby corn. One time I used green beans but they were too crunchy even after cooking, so now I boil them for a couple minutes first if I’m using them. Carrots are good if you slice them thin. Broccoli works. I’ve pretty much tried everything at this point.

Make-Ahead Options

Real talk, stir-fry is meant to be made fresh. But we’re all busy and exhausted so here’s what actually works: marinate the chicken ahead of time. I do this Sunday afternoon for Monday dinner sometimes. Just cover it and refrigerate. Actually gets more tender the longer it sits.

Mix your sauce and keep it in a mason jar in the fridge. Lasts at least 3-4 days, maybe longer but I’ve never tested it beyond that. Just shake it really hard before using because everything separates and the cornstarch turns into paste.

I meal prep vegetables every Sunday now because I got tired of weeknight chopping. Everything goes in containers – onions, peppers, whatever I need for the week. Game changer. When I get home at 6:30pm exhausted from work, I can have this on the table by 6:45pm because all the hard part is done.

Don’t make the whole thing ahead though. I’ve tried. It’s just not the same reheated. Leftovers are fine for lunch but intentionally making it to reheat later? Skip it.

Recipe Notes & Baker’s Tips

Thighs vs breasts – I bounce between them depending on what’s on sale honestly. Thighs are juicier and more forgiving when you’re multitasking. I use those when I’m making dinner while also breaking up fights between my kids or on a work call. Breasts are what I use when I’m actually paying attention or when my fitness-obsessed friend comes over. She tracks macros and freaks out about fat content. Both work great.

That sugar in the sauce confused me for so long. Like we’re making chicken not dessert, why sugar? But it’s doing some balancing thing with all the salty and peppery flavors. Also helps the sauce get shiny and restaurant-looking. Food science is weird. I tried leaving it out once to see what would happen and my husband immediately was like “this tastes different, what did you do?” Put the sugar back.

Frozen chicken needs to be completely thawed and then dried so thoroughly you think you’re overdoing it. Then dry it more. Use half a paper towel roll. Wet chicken will not brown, it’ll just steam and turn gray and sad. I’ve learned this lesson multiple times because I’m stubborn.

Serving Suggestions

You need rice. Like this is non-negotiable. I make jasmine rice because I like how it smells and it’s sticky enough to eat with chopsticks. But honestly whatever rice you have is fine. Sometimes I’m lazy and use those 90-second microwave packets – the ones from Costco are actually pretty good. My aunt who’s a total food snob hasn’t noticed when I’ve served those so they’re fine.

Sides are usually pretty minimal at my house because this dish is filling and I’m lazy. Maybe I’ll throw some frozen edamame in the microwave. Or make a quick cucumber salad if I’m feeling fancy (I rarely am). My kids demand egg rolls so I keep a box of frozen ones and just bake those while I’m cooking. Keeps them quiet.

Want to make it look less like “mom threw dinner together in 20 minutes”? Slice up a green onion and sprinkle it on top. Instantly looks fancier. I started doing this for Instagram photos and now my family expects it every time. Oops. Sesame seeds too if you remember to buy them, which I always forget.

I’ve been meal prepping this lately – make a huge batch, portion it into containers with rice and some veggies. Lunch for the week done. People at work ask what smells so good when I microwave it. Sometimes I bring extra and trade for cookies from the woman in accounting.

How to Store Your Black Pepper Chicken

Leftovers go in whatever container is clean – usually those Rubbermaid things from Target for me. Lasts 3 days in the fridge, maybe 4 if you’re brave. The sauce gets thicker overnight, almost gloopy, but it’s still good. Not as saucy as fresh but still tasty.

Reheating in a pan is best. Medium heat, splash of water or broth to loosen everything up, stir it around for a few minutes. Takes like 4 minutes max. Way better than microwave but let’s be real, I microwave it for work lunches. One minute, stir, another minute, done. It’s not restaurant quality but it’s leagues better than the sad sandwich I’d otherwise be eating.

I tried freezing this once. Don’t do it. The peppers turned to complete mush, like baby food mush. The sauce separated into weird layers. Even after reheating and stirring it was just… wrong. If you made too much, just eat it for lunch a couple days or give some to your neighbor. Freezing is not the move.

Allergy Information

There’s soy in the soy sauce (obviously), wheat in the soy sauce and wine, and sulfites if you’re using wine. But hey, it’s dairy-free, egg-free, and nut-free naturally so that’s something.

Gluten-Free: Tamari instead of soy sauce, dry sherry instead of Shaoxing wine, done. Check your chicken broth though because some brands are sneaky. My cousin has celiac so I’ve made this version at family dinners a bunch. She says she honestly can’t tell the difference, which means either it tastes the same or she’s being polite. Probably both.

Soy-Free: Coconut aminos work but they’re not as salty, so you gotta adjust. I made this for a friend with soy allergy and had to add extra salt because it tasted flat. Start with the recipe amounts, taste it, add more salt till it’s right.

Low-Sodium: Low-sodium everything – soy sauce, broth, all of it. You can cut the soy sauce in half and add more wine or broth. It’ll be less intense flavor-wise but my dad who’s on a low-sodium diet actually likes it this way. Says most Chinese food is too salty for him now.

Questions I Get Asked A Lot

Can I use pre-ground black pepper instead of coarsely ground?

I mean you can do whatever you want, I’m not the pepper police. But you’re gonna lose like 80% of what makes this dish special. Fine pre-ground pepper just dissolves into the sauce and disappears. You want those chunky bits that you can actually see and crunch into. That’s the whole point.

My sauce came out really thick and gloppy – what did I do wrong?

Cornstarch is so annoying. It sinks to the bottom of the bowl immediately and just sits there in a clump waiting to ruin your dinner. You gotta stir the sauce right before you pour it, like literally as you’re pouring it. I try to pour and whisk at the same time which makes me feel very coordinated and professional.

Can I make this with frozen chicken?

Sure but you gotta thaw it completely first. All the way. Not like “it’s mostly thawed” or “the outside is soft.” Fully thawed. Then dry it off with so many paper towels you feel guilty about wasting them. Chicken straight from the freezer or even partially frozen will not sear, it’ll steam and turn gray.

Why do I need to take the chicken out when it still looks raw?

Because it’s not actually raw, it’s just not fully cooked yet, and that’s on purpose. The chicken is still cooking from residual heat even after you take it out because it’s so hot. Then when you add it back at the end it gets even more cooking time.

💬 Okay I need to know if you make this. Like genuinely tell me. Did it work? Did you burn the garlic (been there)? Add something weird that actually worked? Make it spicier? Use regular pepper instead of coarse and regret it?