Black Pepper Chicken (Printable Version)

Tender chicken with crunchy peppers in a bold, savory black pepper sauce ready in 30 minutes.

# The Ingredients You'll Need:

→ Chicken

01 - 1.1 lb boneless chicken thighs, cut into bite-sized pieces
02 - 1 tablespoon freshly ground black pepper
03 - Salt to taste

→ Sauce

04 - 1 tablespoon soy sauce
05 - 1 tablespoon oyster sauce
06 - 1 teaspoon sugar
07 - 1 tablespoon cornstarch
08 - 2 tablespoons water

→ Vegetables & Aromatics

09 - 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
10 - 1 large onion, sliced
11 - 1 green bell pepper, sliced
12 - 4 cloves garlic, minced
13 - Green onions, chopped for garnish

# Step-by-Step Instructions:

01 - Combine chicken pieces with freshly ground black pepper and a pinch of salt in a bowl. Allow to marinate for at least 15 minutes.
02 - Heat vegetable oil in a large skillet or wok over medium-high heat. Add the marinated chicken and stir-fry until browned but not fully cooked. Remove and set aside.
03 - In the same skillet, add sliced onion and green bell pepper. Sauté for 2 to 3 minutes until slightly softened.
04 - Add minced garlic and sauté for approximately 1 minute until fragrant.
05 - Return the chicken to the skillet. Add soy sauce, oyster sauce, and sugar. Stir well to coat the chicken and vegetables evenly.
06 - In a small bowl, mix cornstarch with water to create a slurry. Pour into the skillet and stir continuously until the sauce thickens.
07 - Adjust seasoning with salt if needed. Cook until the chicken is fully cooked and tender, approximately 5 more minutes.
08 - Garnish with chopped green onions before serving.

# Additional Tips::

01 -
  • The chicken stays impossibly tender while the pepper coating gives it serious depth, which is exactly the kind of textural contrast that makes you want seconds.
  • It comes together faster than calling for takeout, yet tastes like you actually know what you're doing in the kitchen.
  • This dish adapts to whatever you have on hand, whether that's red peppers instead of green or a drizzle of sesame oil at the end for that extra touch.
02 -
  • Overcrowding the pan while browning the chicken is the quickest way to steam it instead of sear it, so work in batches if you need to—it adds five minutes but saves the entire texture of the dish.
  • The cornstarch slurry must be mixed with water before it hits the pan, otherwise you'll spend ten minutes fishing out little starchy lumps that refuse to dissolve, which is as frustrating as it sounds.
03 -
  • Prep all your ingredients before you start cooking because this moves fast—there's nothing worse than scrambling to mince garlic while your chicken is browning.
  • If the sauce seems too thin after thickening, it means your cornstarch slurry wasn't mixed thoroughly, so add a tiny bit more mixed slurry rather than raw cornstarch and stir like you mean it.
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