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–+ servings
A heaping plate of Chinese black pepper chicken served over white rice.
5 from 2 votes

Chinese Black Pepper Chicken Stir Fry

Black Pepper Chicken is a Chinese takeout classic that's surprisingly low-cal. Stir fried chicken breast in a savoury pepper sauce with onions and bell peppers. Ready in half an hour!
Prep Time20 minutes
Cook Time10 minutes
Total Time30 minutes
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: Chinese
Servings: 2 servings
Calories: 346kcal
Author: Kelly (Garlic All Day)

Ingredients

Chicken

Aromatics

  • 2 tablespoons oil divided
  • 1 small onion sliced into wedges
  • ½ sliced bell pepper *optional; see Note 2
  • 1 to 2 scallions diced
  • 6 cloves garlic minced
  • 2 teaspoons Shaoxing wine *optional

Black Pepper Sauce

  • ⅓ cup water
  • 1 tablespoon oyster sauce
  • ½ tablespoon light soy sauce
  • 2 teaspoons dark soy sauce
  • 1 teaspoon sugar
  • 1 teaspoon ground black pepper
  • 1 teaspoon cornstarch

Instructions

  • Marinate the chicken according to our velvet chicken recipe (see Note 1). Mix in 1 teaspoon ground black pepper. Set this aside while you prepare the other ingredients.
  • Mix together the ingredients for the black pepper sauce: ⅓ cup water, 1 tablespoon oyster sauce, ½ tablespoon light soy sauce, 2 teaspoons dark soy sauce, 1 teaspoon sugar, 1 teaspoon ground black pepper, and 1 teaspoon cornstarch. Set aside.
  • Heat half of 2 tablespoons oil in a wok or sauté pan on medium-high heat. Spread 8 to 10 ounces velvet chicken breast over the wok in a single layer. Sear for a minute or two until golden brown, then flip and sear the other side. The chicken pieces should release easily from the pan with a thin metal spatula.
  • Transfer the chicken to a plate. Don’t worry about the middle being undercooked, we’ll be heating it through later.
  • Return the wok to the heat and add the remaining half of 2 tablespoons oil. Throw in 1 small onion and ½ sliced bell pepper. Cook until fragrant and the edges are starting to brown.
  • Add 6 cloves garlic and stir fry for another 20 seconds or so. Be careful not to burn it. Deglaze with 2 teaspoons Shaoxing wine, if using.
  • Pour in the black pepper sauce from step 2. Bring it to a simmer, then add back the chicken. Stir to coat in black pepper sauce, until sauce is slightly thickened and clinging to the chicken. Remove from heat and top with 1 to 2 scallions.

Notes

  1. Is it necessary to velvet chicken? If you’re short on time, you can skip the chicken velveting step. Just slice the chicken into strips and massage with garlic powder and black pepper before using. But if you have 15 minutes to spare, I recommend velveting. It makes the chicken more tender and flavourful.
    • Alternative: Use chicken thighs instead. Much more tender and no need for velveting.
  2. Bell Pepper: If you don’t like bell pepper, substitute with spinach or baby bok choy. Or just leave it out entirely.

Nutrition

Calories: 346kcal | Carbohydrates: 19g | Protein: 28g | Fat: 17g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 5g | Monounsaturated Fat: 10g | Trans Fat: 0.1g | Cholesterol: 73mg | Sodium: 1124mg | Potassium: 690mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 6g | Vitamin A: 1038IU | Vitamin C: 48mg | Calcium: 59mg | Iron: 1mg