Easy Black Pepper Chicken Recipe

Our family loves Panda Express but it can get really expensive when the entire family goes and it isn’t always convenient. I attempted to make this copycat panda express black pepper chicken at home and my kids could not believe how amazing it was. Everyone was pretty impressed with how it tasted.

We also saved time because this entire recipe comes together in only 15 minutes. Even take out usually takes longer than that. Talk about a win all around.

You may also love our Instant Pot Orange Chicken Recipe and Hoisin Sauce Noodles with Chicken. You may love these one pot meals, Lazy Day One Pot Spaghetti Recipe, One Pot Italian Chicken Past Recipe and Tex-Mex Chicken Chili One Pot Recipe.

What is Black Pepper Chicken?

My family loves Chinese chow mein takeout. One of their favorite places to go is to Panda Express. This black pepper chicken is one of their favorite meals to get. I like it since it is naturally gluten-free but full of flavor.

It is a bit spicy and tangy but the delicious garlic flavor has become a family favorite. My kids have even commented that it taste better that at the restaurant. I love recreating copycat recipes.

Since it is so easy to make, it is a quick meal I can throw together before they head out to their weeknight activities.

Why This Recipe Works

We love this black chicken recipe for many reason.

• Quick and Easy Meal – We love the fact that it is quick and easy. I have even had my kids help make this meal.
• Easy Ingredients – I had most of the ingredients already, but just needed to get some fresh vegetables and herbs. Making this a hearty, healthy meal that everyone can enjoy.
• Naturally Gluten Free – If you are following a gluten free diet or a Keto diet this chicken recipe is perfect for you. You can swab out ingredients to your preference.

Ingredients

• Chicken Breasts – You can also use Chicken Thighs or Chicken Tenders
• Green Bell Pepper – Feel free to use red bell pepper as an easy substitute
• Red Onion – Love the color of red onion but white onion
• Olive Oil – Change oil to vegetable oil, sesame oil or canola oil
• Low Sodium Soy Sauce – You can also use coconut aminos, dark soy sauce, light soy sauce or check out these Best Soy Sauce Substitute
• Minced Garlic – If using fresh garlic, learn How to Mince Garlic Cloves
• Ground Ginger – Also see The Best Ginger Substitutes)

Scroll to the bottom for the full recipe in the recipe card.

How to Make Black Pepper Chicken

• Step 1 – First, heat half of the olive oil over medium-high heat in a large skillet. 

Step 2 – Add the chicken pieces and cook for 4-5 minutes until the chicken is browned and cooked through. Then move the chicken to a separate plate.

Step 3 – Next add the remaining olive oil to the pan with the bell peppers, celery, onions and garlic.  Cook these ingredients for 5-6 minutes until slightly soft.

Step 4 – Then in a separate small bowl, combine the soy sauce, corn starch, oyster sauce, vinegar, black pepper and ginger.

Step 5 – Then add the sauce and chicken back to the skillet with the vegetables. 

• Step 6 – Stir to combine these ingredients.
• Step 7 – Make sure that you coat the chicken and vegetables with the sauce.
• Step 8 – Cook for 1-2 minutes and the black pepper sauce has thickened.
• Step 9 – Next remove from the skillet and top with the sesame seeds.

Expert Tips

• It is best to cook chicken hot and fast – Make sure you dice your chicken into small bites. It is best to cook your chicken in a hot skillet and large enough that the chicken cook evenly.
• If you have a small pan – If you do have a small pan, cook chicken in batches. Try not to over crowd the pan so that you can cook chicken fast.
• Cook Vegetables Softly – We like to cook our vegetable so that they are soft but still have a little bit of crunch to them.
• Add sauce when everything is done – Add your sauce when your chicken and vegetables are done. If you add it to soon that it makes the food mushy.
• Easy Cleanup – We love that everything cooks in one skillet. It makes for an easy cleanup so we can spend more time with family.
• Add more Vegetables – We like to add in some chopped broccoli and shredded carrots. I am always trying to find ways to get my family to eat more vegetables.
• Skillet – We use a cast iron skillet and it’s perfect for this recipe. I have the Lodge cast iron skillet but you can see all the different brands here. Cast iron is amazing. You can make so many different recipes, include stir fries, and they are great for skillet recipes.

Serving Suggestions

Serve over cooked white rice and top with sesame seeds and green onion if you prefer. Did you know that you can also cook rice in the slow cooker?  I like to cook a ton of rice in my crock pot and then freeze it for recipes like this one.

This way I always have some cooked rice on hand for recipes that require it or for a quick side dish in not time at all.

You can also steam broccoli in the microwave for a quick and easy side dish. It is so simple goes great with this recipe.

However, there are lots of bell peppers and onions in this recipe so you really don’t need extra veggies if you don’t want to fix anything else.