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Chinese black pepper chicken has juicy, golden chicken bites, crisp bell peppers, and crunchy celery tossed in a savory, peppery sauce. This homemade black pepper chicken recipe is ready in 30 minutes—just add steamed rice for dinner.
“I’ve made this dish almost every other week and make extra. … It’s so flavorful and delicious. … So much better than the restaurants.”
— Jill ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Why people love this black pepper chicken
With a 5-star rating from over 100 readers, this Chinese pepper chicken recipe is a reader favorite. Here’s what makes my version special:
- Golden, juicy chicken bites. I cut the chicken into meaty, nugget-like chunks for lightly crisp edges and a tender center.
- Flavorful before the sauce goes on. A quick marinade seasons the chicken itself, so the flavor goes beyond the sauce.
- Peppery sauce that clings. A little fruit jam adds sweetness and body, coating the chicken and vegetables instead of running off onto the plate.
Key ingredient notes
These are the main ingredients to know before you start. I’ll cover the black pepper sauce next; the full ingredient list and measurements are in the recipe card below.
- Chicken breast: I use boneless, skinless chicken breasts cut into 1-inch chunks for those meaty, golden bites.
- Chicken marinade: I use the same approach as my velveting chicken technique. A little baking soda helps tenderize the breast meat, while the seasonings give it flavor throughout.
- Tapioca or potato starch: Toss it with the marinated chicken just before pan-frying for a light, golden coating.
- Vegetables: Red bell pepper, celery, and yellow onion add crunch and sweetness to balance the peppery sauce.
Tips for the best black pepper sauce
My black pepper chicken sauce is savory, a little sweet, and full of fresh peppery flavor.
- Freshly ground black pepper: Grind it fresh for the best aroma and peppery bite. Start with ½ tsp and add more to taste.
- Fruit jam: A little peach, apricot, or orange jam adds sweetness, while its pectin helps the sauce cling to the chicken and vegetables without adding starch directly to the sauce. I also tested brown sugar, but it needed extra starch and more sugar to balance the pepper. That’s why I prefer jam here.
- Sichuan peppercorn powder (optional): This adds a floral, citrusy aroma and a light tingle—a different flavor from black pepper. Leave it out if you don’t have it; there’s no need to increase the black pepper.
- Light soy sauce and stock: Soy sauce adds savory flavor, while stock loosens the jam into a sauce. If using coconut aminos, follow the adjusted amounts in the recipe card, including slightly less stock.
How to make black pepper chicken
Have your vegetables chopped and sauce mixed before you start cooking—everything moves quickly once the chicken hits the pan.
- Season the chicken. Cut the chicken into 1-inch chunks for meaty bites that cook evenly. Gently massage in the marinade, then refrigerate while you prep the vegetables and sauce.
- Coat and pan-fry. Heat avocado oil or another high smoke point oil for pan-frying. Toss the chicken with starch just before frying, then cook in a single layer, working in batches if needed. Let the bottom turn golden before flipping.
- Cook the vegetables. Transfer the chicken to a plate, then stir-fry the bell pepper, celery, and onion in the same pan. Keep them crisp—they’ll cook a little more with the sauce.
- Toss together. Return the chicken to the pan and pour in the black pepper sauce. Toss until the chicken is cooked through and the sauce coats the chicken and vegetables. Taste, add more freshly ground black pepper if you like, and serve hot.
What to serve with black pepper chicken
Steamed rice is my first choice—it catches all that savory black pepper sauce. With chicken and vegetables already in the pan, that’s an easy dinner right there.
For an extra vegetable side, try my bok choy stir-fry or Chinese broccoli stir-fry.
For a Chinese family-style meal, add a light soup to share. My daikon soup or napa cabbage soup would round out the meal well with the peppery chicken.
Black pepper chicken recipe
Ingredients
For the chicken:
- 1 lb chicken breasts cut into 1-inch cubes
- 2 tsp light soy sauce or 1 tbsp coconut aminos
- ¼ tsp sugar omit if using coconut aminos
- 1 tsp water
- ¼ tsp coarse sea salt
- ½ tsp baking soda
- ¼ tsp garlic powder
- ¼ cup tapioca starch or potato starch for coating just before cooking
For the vegetables:
- 1 whole red bell pepper cut into 1-inch pieces (medium size)
- 6 oz celery about 3–4 stalks, sliced diagonally
- 3.5 oz yellow onion about 1 small onion, diced
- 2 pinches coarse sea salt
For the black pepper sauce:
- ½ tsp freshly ground black pepper plus more to taste
- ½ tsp Sichuan peppercorn powder optional; see notes
- 1½ tbsp peach jam or apricot, orange jam, such as St. Dalfour
- 1 tbsp light soy sauce or 1½ tbsp coconut aminos
- 2½ tbsp chicken or vegetable stock reduce to 2 tbsp if using coconut aminos
For cooking:
- ¼ cup avocado oil plus 1 tbsp if needed
- Coarse sea salt to taste
Instructions
- Season the chicken: In a bowl, combine the chicken with the soy sauce, sugar, water, salt, baking soda, and garlic powder. Mix and gently massage the seasonings into the chicken. Cover and refrigerate while you prepare the vegetables and sauce.
- Prepare the vegetables and sauce: Place the chopped bell pepper, celery, and onion in one bowl. In a separate bowl, stir together all the black pepper sauce ingredients.
- Heat the oil and coat the chicken: Add the avocado oil to a 10- to 12-inch sauté pan. Heat over medium heat for about 3 minutes. Dip the tip of a dry wooden chopstick into the oil; small bubbles should form around it. If using a thermometer, aim for 350°F (177°C). Meanwhile, toss the chicken with the starch to lightly coat each piece.
- Pan-fry the chicken: Carefully place the chicken pieces in the pan in a single layer. Increase the heat to medium-high. Cook undisturbed for about 3 minutes, then flip and cook for about 2 minutes more. Transfer the chicken to a plate. Work in batches if needed to avoid crowding the pan.
- Stir-fry the vegetables: Leave the remaining oil in the pan. If the pan is dry, add another tablespoon of oil. Add the bell pepper, celery, onion, and 2 pinches of salt. Stir-fry over medium-high heat for 1 minute.
- Add the sauce: Return the chicken to the pan and pour in the black pepper sauce. Toss for 1 minute, until the chicken and vegetables are coated and the chicken is cooked through.
- Serve: Turn off the heat. Taste and add more freshly ground black pepper or salt, if needed. Transfer to a serving plate and serve hot.
Notes
- Freshly ground black pepper: Grind the peppercorns just before cooking for the fullest flavor.
- Sichuan peppercorn powder: This is my optional addition for a floral, citrusy flavor and a light tingling sensation. They are whole peppercorns grind into fine powder.
- Fruit jam: The jam balances the peppery flavor with a little sweetness. Its pectin helps thicken the sauce so it clings to the chicken and vegetables, without adding starch directly to the sauce. I use St. Dalfour peach, apricot, or orange jam.
- Cooking a larger batch: Pan-fry the chicken in separate batches so the pieces have room to brown.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
More Chinese stir-fry recipes
Love the peppery sauce? Try my black pepper beef next. It’s another way to enjoy that bold black pepper flavor.
For another chicken dinner, my ginger chicken stir-fry brings plenty of fresh ginger flavor, while chicken cabbage stir-fry pairs tender chicken with sweet napa cabbage and a light garlic-ginger sauce.
Made a dish and loved it? Please rate the recipe and leave a comment in the section below! It helps my blog grow organically, allowing me to continue sharing free and awesome content with you. Thank you!
I make exactly as written and this is So delicious… I usually have to make a double batch just so we can have leftovers. Thank you!!!
Wonderful. Thank you, Vicki.
I would give this more stars if I could! Love this recipe
So yummy!!! It is a family favorite at our house
Thanks so much, Robin.
This is the best black pepper chicken I’ve tried. Simple to make and the chicken breasts are so tender. My kids love them and so does my husband. Great meal!
Fantastic – so flavorful and surprisingly easy! Also loved all the tips & notes – very helpful to someone new to the recipe!
Thank you, Elizabeth!
My absolute go-to recipe for black chicken now! Love that you make everything just a bit healthier too.
Thank you!
My entire family, including my very picky 12 year old son, cannot get enough of this dish. They get so excited and will rearrange plans in order to be here for dinner, if they know I’m making it. Six months ago, my husband said, “Please make this once a week until we’re sick of it,” and I’m still making it! I have made it with both peach and apricot jam, and both were excellent. The pepper is easy to adjust to taste, so I vary that occasionally. My family really likes the celery the best, so I’ve also made it with only celery a couple of times and skipped the peppers and onions. We also like to snack on the cooked chicken while I’m cooking the veggies, because the chicken itself at that point is delicious! Thank you so much for sharing this recipe!
Thank you so much, Tracy! I’m so so happy to hear that. Haha, we do the same thing – snacking on the chicken “nuggets” by themselves a lot. They are so yummy. 🙂 Thanks for sharing and I’m very glad to be a bit helpful to you and the family. 🙂
Such an easy & delicious weeknight recipe! I loved it, my family were not fans of the celery though. I will definitely make again without the celery.
I’m looking forward to making this soon because it looks and sounds delicious.. I’m puzzled by the ingredient, baking soda. I use this ingredient regularly for baking but never for frying. Did you intend to list corn starch? I’ve used that often.
Hi Cynthia, thanks for visiting my blog. Baking soda is used to help tenderize the meat, particularly useful for chicken breasts. This is the secret to many takeout restaurants with tender chicken breast stir fry that are not drying or tough. Hope this helps and please let me know if you have any questions!
This is the best black pepper chicken we’ve tried. Easy to make and the chicken breasts are so tender yet flavorful. Also that black pepper sauce is perfectly balanced. So good! We make this all the time and sometimes use different veggies. Highly recommend it!
Absolutely delicious. I think I’ll be putting this on regular rotation.
Thank you so much!