Description
This Better Than The Buffet Chinese Pepper Chicken recipe features crispy fried chicken breast slices tossed in a flavorful, peppery sauce with fresh green peppers, garlic, ginger, and onions. Perfectly balanced with a combination of soy sauce, fish sauce, and vinegar, this dish delivers restaurant-quality flavor and texture that pairs beautifully with jasmine rice.
Ingredients
Scale
Chicken and Coating
- 3 Pounds boneless skinless chicken breast
- 1 Cup corn starch
- 1 Teaspoon salt
- ½ + 1 Teaspoon black pepper (total 1½ teaspoons)
- ½ + ¼ Cup vegetable oil (total ¾ cup)
Vegetables
- 1 Large green pepper, chopped
- 5 Cloves garlic, minced
- 2 Tablespoons grated ginger
- ½ Large white onion, chopped
Pepper Sauce
- ¼ Cup soy sauce
- 3 Tablespoons fish sauce
- 1 Tablespoon rice wine vinegar
- 2 Teaspoons white pepper
- 1 Teaspoon black pepper
Instructions
- Slice and coat chicken: Thinly slice the boneless skinless chicken breast into approximately 1-inch long pieces. In a medium mixing bowl, combine the corn starch, salt, and black pepper. Add the sliced chicken and stir well until each piece is fully coated with the corn starch mixture.
- Fry chicken in batches: Heat ½ cup of vegetable oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Using a slotted spoon, add half of the coated chicken pieces to the hot oil. Fry for 12-15 minutes, flipping halfway through, until the chicken is crisp and cooked through. Transfer fried chicken to a paper towel-lined plate and sprinkle lightly with salt. Repeat the frying process with the remaining chicken using ¼ cup of vegetable oil.
- Prepare vegetables and sauce: While the chicken fries, chop the green pepper, garlic, and onion. Grate the ginger. In a small bowl, stir together soy sauce, fish sauce, rice wine vinegar, white pepper, and black pepper to create the pepper sauce.
- Sauté vegetables: In the same skillet, add the green pepper to the heated oil and cook for 2 minutes, stirring frequently. Add the garlic, ginger, and onion, and sauté for another 2 minutes, stirring continuously to prevent burning.
- Combine chicken and sauce: Return the fried chicken to the skillet and pour the prepared pepper sauce over it. Stir everything together and cook for an additional 2 minutes to allow flavors to meld and the sauce to coat the chicken evenly.
- Serve: Serve the pepper chicken hot alongside steamed jasmine rice for a complete meal.
Notes
- Frying the chicken in two batches helps maintain oil temperature and ensures even, crispy cooking.
- Use a slotted spoon to drain the chicken to prevent excess oil in the final dish.
- Adjust pepper quantities according to desired spiciness.
- Leftover chicken can be refrigerated for up to 3 days and reheated gently in a skillet to retain crispness.
- For a gluten-free option, substitute soy sauce with tamari or a gluten-free soy sauce alternative.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Category: Main Dish
- Method: Frying
- Cuisine: Chinese
Keywords: Chinese pepper chicken, crispy fried chicken, Chinese chicken recipe, pepper sauce chicken, homemade Chinese food
