This Salt and Pepper Chicken is a delicious and easy Chinese take-out-style meal – spicy crispy chicken with sautéed veggies served over rice!
We love a good take-out-style meal in our family and this Salt and Pepper Chicken is a family favourite! It’s pretty simple to make with minimal ingredients, and it’s a delicious (and somewhat healthier) alternative to ordering out on a busy weeknight!
You can serve this chicken recipe with steamed rice or rice noodles, and feel free to add in some extra veggies on the side (like steamed carrots and broccoli) for some added nutrition. Our family loves the crispy chicken in this dish and paired with the sweet peppers and the savoury soy sauce, it’s the perfect take-away-style meal that’s a lot easier to make than it looks!
Ingredients for Salt and Pepper Chicken
- chicken thighs
- salt and pepper
- Chinese 5-spice powder
- red bell pepper
- spring onions
- white or yellow onion
- red or green chili pepper (optional)
- garlic
- soy sauce
- oil for frying
How to Make Salt and Pepper Chicken
Time needed: 30 minutes.
- Choose chicken thighs.
Chicken thighs are juicier and have a higher fat content than chicken breasts, making them a great choice for this dish.
- Chop the chicken into evenly-sized pieces.
1-inch chunks work well for this recipe.
- Dredge the chicken in cornstarch.
Mix together the cornstarch and 5-spice and dredge the chicken pieces until they’re well-coated.
- Fry the chicken in oil.
Use a neutral oil like canola or sunflower oil. Remove the chicken and set aside.
- Drain the pan.
Pour out as much oil as you can, but don’t wipe the pan dry.
- Chop the veggies.
Saute over medium high heat.
- Add the chicken back in with the veggies.
Toss to heat.
- Serve over rice.
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Is Salt and Pepper Chicken spicy?
Yes, but it doesn’t have to be. Choose a mild Chinese 5-Spice powder or add a few pinches each of cinnamon, pepper, cloves, ginger, and ground fennel instead of the Chinese 5-Spice powder. This will give the same flavour without the heat. Also, feel free to leave out the chili pepper from the recipe or replace it with another red or green bell pepper.
Is Salt and Pepper Chicken gluten-free?
Yes, as long as your cornstarch and soy sauce is gluten-free (always check the packaging if you’re sensitive to gluten).
Looking for more Asian-inspired take-out recipes? You’ll love these Pineapple Chicken Rice Bowls, this Honey Garlic Shrimp, and these Korean Beef Rice Bowls!
I hope you love this delicious recipe as much as we do! Let me know in the comments below, what’s your favourite take-out-style dish? I’d love to know!
Looking for even more delicious recipes? You’ll LOVE these ones I’ve linked below!
- Creamy One Pot Chicken Enchilada Pasta
- Thai Chicken Spiralized Zucchini Salad
- Ginger Soy Grilled Chicken
- White Wine and Herb Marinated Chicken
- Crispy Oven Fried Chicken
- Skillet Pesto Caprese Stuffed Chicken
- Honey Garlic and Lime Chicken
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Salt and Pepper Chicken
Recipe: Equipment
Recipe: Ingredients
- 8 boneless skinless chicken thighs approximately 2 pounds
- 1 1/2 teaspoons salt
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 tablespoon Chinese 5-spice powder
- 10 tablespoons cornstarch
- 1 large red bell pepper chopped
- 1/2 cup chopped green onions
- 1 large white or yellow onion
- 1 small red chili pepper or use a small jalapeno, optional
- 5 cloves garlic minced
- 2-3 tablespoons soy sauce
- 1/4 cup vegetable oil canola or sunflower oil works well
Recipe: Instructions
- Cut the chicken thighs into 1-inch pieces, keeping the shape and size of the chicken pieces as consistent as possible.
- Mix together the salt, pepper, 5-spice powder, and cornstarch in a bowl. Set aside.
- Chop the bell pepper, onions, chili pepper and garlic, and set them aside. Measure out the soy sauce and set aside.
- Add the chicken pieces to the bowl with the cornstarch mixture and toss them well to coat completely.
- Heat a large skillet or wok over medium-high heat and add the oil. When the oil is hot, add the chicken so the bottom of the pan is covered but not overcrowded. You may have to cook the chicken pieces in 2 batches.
- Turn the heat down slightly to just above medium and flip the chicken pieces once they start to brown.
- When the chicken pieces are browned on both sides and the internal temperature measures 74 degrees Celsius (165 Fahrenheit), remove the chicken pieces to a plate lined with paper towel and repeat with the remaining chicken.
- Once all the chicken is cooked, turn the heat up to medium-high.
- Add the chopped veggies to the skillet and saute for just a few moments until the pepper and onions start to brown slightly and soften just a little bit.
- Add in the soy sauce and add the chicken into the pan. Toss everything together well and serve over rice.
Recipe: Nutrition
Notice: Nutrition is auto-calculated, using Spoonacular, for your convenience. Where relevant, we recommend using your own nutrition calculations.