This Black Pepper Chicken is incredibly delicious and you’ll be shocked at just how easy it is to make!
This is one of those dishes that’s perfect for so many occasions. It makes the perfect Friday night fakeaway or midweek dinner, but it’s also special enough for a date night or to serve for company. Follow me…
Black Pepper Chicken
We’ll be using boneless skinless chicken thighs for this recipe. Thigh is much more difficult to overcook than breast, which is important because we want to build up a crust on the chicken.
Marinade
The marinade is really simple and serves to wrap the chicken in some flavour as you prep the rest of the recipe. You’ll need oyster sauce, dark soy sauce and black pepper. That’s it!
Cornflour
Aka cornstarch for my friend across the pond. Once the chicken has marinated we’re going to mix in some cornflour. This will not only help the chicken crisp up as it cooks, but it’ll also help absorb the sauce and help it cling to the chicken.
Process shots: add chicken, pepper, oyster sauce and soy sauce to bowl (photo 1), mix (photo 2), add cornflour (photo 3), mix (photo 4).
Black Pepper Chicken Stir Fry
To cook the chicken we are going to fry it. I recommend using a large wok to catch excess oil that is likely to spit. Alongside the chicken, the only other additions are onion, red pepper, garlic and some more black pepper.
Black Pepper Sauce
This sauce is incredibly simple and consists of chicken stock, oyster sauce, dark soy sauce and sugar. It will thicken up pretty quickly once it hits the pan, so you won’t need to simmer it for long.
Process shots: add chicken to hot oil (photo 1), fry then remove (photo 2), fry onion and red pepper (photo 3), fry garlic and black pepper (photo 4), add sauce (photo 5), stir in chicken (photo 6).
Black Pepper Chicken FAQ
What kind of black pepper should I use?
It’s important to use coarse ground pepper (you can buy tubs that are literally called ‘coarse ground black pepper’). Don’t use the powdery stuff.
How spicy is this recipe?
This recipe will give you a fair kick of heat, but I wouldn’t say it’s overbearing. If you’re at all wary just start off with less in the sauce and work your way up (much easier to add more than remove it!).
Do I have to fry the chicken?
If I don’t feel like frying it I’ll use the air fryer, where it still comes out pretty crispy. I’ve added more on this in the recipe card notes below.
Serving Black Pepper Chicken
To serve, I’ll sometimes sprinkle with sesame seeds if I’ve got them on hand, but they’re not mandatory. From there, this dish goes perfectly on a bed of rice or noodles!
Alrighty, let’s tuck into the full recipe for this black pepper chicken shall we?!
How to make Black Pepper Chicken (Full Recipe & Video)
Black Pepper Chicken
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Equipment
- Sharp Knife & Chopping Board
- 2x Small Mixing Bowls (one for sauce, one for chicken)
- Whisk
- Large Wok & Wooden Spoon
- Tongs
Ingredients
Chicken
- 300g / 10.5oz boneless skinless Chicken Thighs
- 1 1/2 tsp Dark Soy Sauce
- 1 tsp Oyster Sauce
- 1/2 tsp Coarse Ground Black Pepper (see notes)
- 40g / packed 1/4 cup Cornflour/Cornstarch
- 5-6 tbsp Groundnut Oil (sub veg oil)
Sauce
- 60ml / 1/4 cup Chicken Stock
- 2 tbsp Oyster Sauce
- 2 tsp Dark Soy Sauce
- 2 tsp Granulated Sugar
Stir Fry
- 1 small/medium White Onion
- 1 Red Pepper
- 2 cloves of Garlic
- 1 tsp Coarse Ground Black Pepper, or to taste
- Sesame Seeds, to garnish (optional)
Instructions
- Slice the chicken into bite-sized pieces then combine in a bowl with the dark soy sauce, oyster sauce and 1/2 tsp black pepper. Leave to marinate as you complete steps 2 and 3.
- Slice the onion in half and peel the outer layer. Slice off the stubby ends, then slice each half into quarters and unpack the layers. Slice the pepper into similar sized pieces then finely dice the garlic.
- Use a whisk to combine the sauce ingredients in a small bowl.
- Add the cornflour to the chicken and give it a good mix until fully coated. Add the oil to a large wok over medium-high heat and once hot, shake excess cornflour from the chicken and space it out in the wok. Fry until both sides are deep golden and crisp with the centre cooked right through (5 or so mins depending on size). Remove the chicken and carefully discard all but 1 tbsp of oil (just eyeball it).
- Place the pan back on medium-high heat and add the onion and red pepper. Fry until they soften and very lightly char, then add the garlic and black pepper and fry for another 20 seconds or so (careful the garlic doesn't burn).
- Add the sauce and simmer for a minute until it begins to thicken, then lower the heat and stir in the chicken until fully coated.
- Serve with a pinch of sesame seeds (optional) and enjoy!
Video
Notes
b) Black Pepper Spice – I find the above measurements give you a fair kick of heat, but I wouldn’t say it’s overbearing. If you’re at all wary just start off with less in the sauce and work your way up (the 1/2 tsp in the marinade will be fine either way).
c) Frying – The oil is likely to splatter a fair bit, so I recommend using a large wok to catch the excess. If you don’t want to fry the chicken consider air frying it (below).
d) Air Frying – Lightly spray the base of the air fryer with oil. Spread the chicken out and lightly spray with oil. Cook at 200C/400F for 12 minutes, or until light golden, crisp and piping hot through the centre. You may need to work in batches.
e) Calories – Whole recipe divided by 2 assuming 2 tbsp oil is soaked up.
Nutrition
For another delicious black pepper recipe check out my Black Pepper Beef Noodles!
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