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Savory Black Pepper Chicken Stir-Fry

Black Pepper Chicken

This black pepper chicken is made with slices of tender chicken breast, onions, and bell pepper. It's an easy stir fry that takes less than 30 minutes, and it is super flavorful and quite addictive! Perfect with a bowl of steamed white rice or try it with our egg fried rice.
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Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes
Total Time 25 minutes
Course Dinner
Cuisine Chinese
Servings 3
Calories 381.7 kcal

Ingredients
  

  • 20 ounces skinless boneless chicken breast cut into ¼ inch slices (about 2 chicken breasts)
  • 3 tablespoons water
  • 1 tablespoon Shaoxing rice wine optional but recommended
  • ½ teaspoon Kosher salt fine salt is okay too
  • ¼ teaspoon baking soda
  • 2 tablespoons cornstarch
  • 1 tablespoon oil any neutral oil is fine
  • 1 small yellow onion sliced
  • 1 tablespoon garlic minced
  • 2 tablespoons unsalted butter
  • 1 tablespoon Shaoxing rice wine
  • 1½ teaspoons black pepper medium ground (or more to your preference)
  • ¾ teaspoon Kosher salt if using fine salt, may need to use a little less
  • ½ teaspoon granulated sugar
  • ½ teaspoon chicken bouillon powder
  • ¼ teaspoon msg optional

Instructions
 

  • Marinate the chicken: In a mixing bowl, combine the sliced chicken breast, water, Shaoxing rice wine, salt, and baking soda. Mix well until the chicken absorbs most of the liquid.
  • Add the cornstarch and mix until the chicken is evenly coated. Following, add the oil and mix until well combined. Set aside as you prepare the rest of the ingredients. If you have time, allow the chicken to marinate for 30 minutes or even overnight in the fridge.
  • Make the black pepper chicken: In a wok or sauté pan over medium to medium-high heat, add enough oil to generously coat the bottom of the pan. Once the oil is hot, add the marinated chicken and cook on both sides until the chicken is cooked through. Remove from the wok/pan and set aside. Make sure not to overcrowd the pan and cook the chicken in small batches if necessary. Separate the chicken pieces for even cooking—pale yellow is perfectly fine; color is not essential.
  • Once the chicken is cooked, leave about 1 tablespoon of oil in the pan and drain the excess. With the heat still at medium-high, add the butter and allow it to melt. Stir as needed.
  • When the butter has melted, add the minced garlic and stir fry until fragrant, about 15 to 30 seconds.
  • Add the onion and bell pepper and stir fry for 30 seconds to 1 minute, until the vegetables are evenly coated and fragrant.
  • Return the chicken to the pan and give it a brief stir fry to combine. Drizzle the Shaoxing rice wine around the pan and stir fry until the alcohol is cooked off and smells fragrant, about 30 seconds.
  • Season the chicken with black pepper, salt, sugar, chicken bouillon powder, and MSG. Immediately toss and stir fry to evenly distribute the seasonings, about 30 seconds to 1 minute. If you prefer, mix the black pepper, salt, sugar, chicken bouillon powder, and MSG together so that you can add all the seasonings at once.
  • Transfer the black pepper chicken to a serving plate and enjoy while hot!

Notes

Avoid overcrowding the pan for even chicken cooking. Pre-mix dry seasonings to streamline the process. Feel free to add other vegetables like snow peas or broccoli for nutritional variety. Serve immediately for optimal texture and flavor.