Black Pepper Chicken with Tender Chicken Breast and Crisp Bell Peppers
By Mason Brooks
Prep
10 min
Cook
15 min
Total
25 min
Servings
3
Level
Easy
Ready in 25 minutes, black pepper chicken is a simple dish made with everyday ingredients. Sliced chicken breast is tender. Sautéed onions and green peppers provide texture to a buttery black pepper sauce.
The chicken breast is marinated in water, Shaoxing wine, baking soda, cornstarch, and oil before cooking. Marination eliminates the need for sauce on the chicken breast. Butter and garlic are added to the stir-fry to build the pan flavor. Shaoxing wine, black pepper, salt, sugar, chicken bouillon powder, and MSG, if used, are added to the stir-fry to season the dish.
Cook the chicken in smaller batches to avoid steaming and more even cooking in the pan. Pale yellow chicken is not a problem and doesn't need to be browned. Cook the vegetables for up to 1 minute to keep them from becoming limp and soggy. Stir the chicken and other dry ingredients immediately after adding them to avoid overly seasoned pepper and bouillon flavors.
Serve chicken stir-fry hot with steamed white rice or egg fried rice. To serve leftover chicken stir-fry, refrigerate until cold and store in a covered container. To reheat leftover chicken stir-fry, cover and heat in the microwave or on the stove over medium to medium-high heat until fully reheated.
Why you'll love this recipe
- Done in 25 minutes because of thin-sliced chicken that cooks quickly and onions and peppers that can be stir-fried quickly.
- Uses a single wok or sauté pan to cook aromatics and other vegetables and make other additions to the dish to save time and effort cleaning up after eating.
- Easy to prepare because it can be made with chicken breast, onion, green pepper, garlic, and other pantry ingredients instead of bottled stir-fry sauce.
- Prevents chicken breast from becoming dry by browning it slightly with water and other ingredients, including baking soda and cornstarch, before pan-frying it.
- Allows you to marinate the chicken ahead of time for 30 minutes or overnight, leaving only fast chopping and cooking on the day you serve it.
- Prevents vegetables from tasting and feeling like greasy fast food; vegetables are cooked briefly and served with seasoned chicken for a different texture.
Ingredients
- •20 oz skinless boneless chicken breast (cut into 1/4-inch slices, about 2 chicken breasts)
- •3 tbsp water
- •1 tbsp Shaoxing rice wine (optional but recommended)
- •½ tsp Kosher salt (fine salt is okay too)
- •¼ tsp baking soda
- •2 tbsp cornstarch
- •1 tbsp neutral oil (for the chicken marinade)
- •1 small yellow onion (sliced)
- •1 bell pepper (deseeded and sliced)
- •1 tbsp garlic (minced)
- •2 tbsp unsalted butter
- •1 tbsp Shaoxing rice wine
- •1 ½ tsp black pepper (medium ground, or more to preference)
- •¾ tsp Kosher salt (use a little less if using fine salt)
- •½ tsp granulated sugar
- •½ tsp chicken bouillon powder
- •¼ tsp MSG (optional)
- •neutral oil (as needed for cooking)
Instructions
- 1
Combine the sliced chicken breast, water, Shaoxing rice wine, salt, and baking soda in a mixing bowl. Mix until the chicken has absorbed most of the liquid.
- 2
Add the cornstarch and mix until the chicken is evenly coated.
- 3
Add the oil and mix until well combined. Set aside while preparing the remaining ingredients; if desired, marinate for 30 minutes or overnight in the refrigerator.
- 4
Heat a wok or sauté pan over medium to medium-high heat and add enough oil to generously coat the bottom.
- 5
Add the marinated chicken and cook both sides until cooked through. Cook in small batches if needed, separating the pieces so they cook evenly, then remove the chicken from the pan.
- 6
Leave about 1 tablespoon of oil in the pan and drain the excess. Add the butter over medium-high heat and stir until melted.
- 7
Add the minced garlic and stir-fry until fragrant, about 15 to 30 seconds.
- 8
Add the onion and bell pepper and stir-fry until evenly coated and fragrant, about 30 seconds to 1 minute.
- 9
Return the chicken to the pan and briefly stir-fry to combine.
- 10
Drizzle the Shaoxing rice wine around the pan and stir-fry until the alcohol is cooked off and fragrant, about 30 seconds.
- 11
Add the black pepper, salt, sugar, chicken bouillon powder, and optional MSG. Immediately toss and stir-fry until the seasonings are evenly distributed, about 30 seconds to 1 minute.
- 12
Transfer to a serving plate and serve hot.
FAQ
Nutrition (per serving)
Calories
381
Protein
41.2g
Fat
17.4g
Carbs
12g
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