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Black Pepper Chicken

Black pepper chicken made with a glossy soy-and-oyster sauce, stir-fried on high heat for tender slices and crisp-tender bell pepper. Coated with freshly cracked black pepper, it finishes with a quick cornstarch slurry for a thick, clinging glaze.
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Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Total Time 35 minutes
Servings: 4 servings
Course: Main Dish
Cuisine: Asian-American
Calories: 650
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Chicken and vegetables
  • 1.5 lb chicken breast
  • 1 green bell pepper
  • 1 onion
  • 4 garlic
  • 1 tbsp fresh ginger grated
  • 2 tbsp vegetable oil
Black pepper sauce
  • 3 tbsp soy sauce
  • 2 tbsp oyster sauce
  • 1 tbsp dark soy sauce
  • 1 tbsp brown sugar
  • 2 tsp freshly cracked black pepper generous
  • 1 tsp cornstarch
  • 0.25 cup water
Serving
  • 1 steamed rice

Equipment

  • 1 cast iron skillet
  • 1 Dutch oven

Method
 

Make the sauce
  1. Whisk together soy sauce, oyster sauce, dark soy sauce, brown sugar, and freshly cracked black pepper until smooth, then set aside.
  2. Whisk cornstarch with water until fully dissolved so it won’t form lumps when added.
Stir-fry the chicken
  1. Heat vegetable oil in a wok or large skillet over high heat until shimmering.
  2. Stir-fry the chicken breast in batches until golden, then remove to a plate.
Stir-fry vegetables and finish
  1. Stir-fry bell pepper and onion for 3 minutes over high heat.
  2. Add garlic and ginger and cook for 1 minute, stirring constantly so it doesn’t burn.
  3. Return the chicken to the pan, then pour the sauce over and toss to coat evenly.
  4. Add the cornstarch slurry and cook for 2–3 minutes until the sauce thickens and coats everything with a glossy finish, then season with extra cracked black pepper.
Serve
  1. Serve black pepper chicken over steamed rice while hot, with extra cracked black pepper if desired.

Notes

Pro tip: slice the chicken thin and cook in batches so it browns instead of steaming. Refrigerate leftovers in a sealed container up to 3 days; reheat in a skillet with a splash of water to loosen the sauce. Freezing isn’t ideal because the peppery sauce can break when thawed. For a lower-sodium option, use low-sodium soy sauce and reduce added salt (the dish still keeps its pepper punch).