Description
Spicy Korean Black Pepper Chicken delivers bold flavors straight from Seoul’s street kitchens. Home cooks can enjoy this quick, zesty recipe with simple ingredients and minimal preparation time.
Ingredients
Scale
- 1 lb (450 g) chicken breast or thigh, cut into bite-sized pieces
- 3 tbsps soy sauce
- 1 tbsp oyster sauce
- 1 tbsp dark soy sauce (optional, for color)
- 2 tbsps vegetable oil
- 1 medium onion, sliced
- 1 green bell pepper, diced
- 1 red bell pepper, diced
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- 2 tbsps cornstarch
- ½ cup chicken broth (or water)
- 1 tsp sugar
- 1 tbsp freshly cracked black pepper (adjust to taste)
- ½ tsp sesame oil (optional, for finishing)
Instructions
- Marinate: Whisk soy sauce and cornstarch into chicken, allowing flavors to infuse for 15 minutes, creating a tender and flavorful protein base.
- Prepare Sauce: Blend soy sauce, oyster sauce, dark soy sauce, sugar, and chicken broth in a mixing bowl, establishing a rich, complex flavor profile.
- Sear Chicken: Heat vegetable oil in a large skillet over high heat, introducing marinated chicken and cooking until golden-brown and fully cooked, approximately 5-6 minutes.
- Sauté Vegetables: Remove chicken and in the same skillet, quickly sauté onions and bell peppers for 3-4 minutes, maintaining their crisp texture, then add garlic and stir for 30 seconds to release aromatic oils.
- Combine and Season: Return chicken to the skillet, pour prepared sauce over the ingredients, generously sprinkle black pepper, and stir to ensure even coating.
- Thicken and Finish: Add cornstarch slurry to create a glossy sauce, then optionally drizzle sesame oil for an extra layer of depth and aroma, tossing everything together for a final, cohesive blend of flavors.
Notes
- Marinate Strategically: Let chicken absorb soy sauce and cornstarch mixture for precisely 15 minutes to enhance tenderness and flavor penetration without over-soaking.
- Control Heat Effectively: Use high heat for searing chicken to achieve golden caramelized edges while maintaining internal moisture, preventing dry or rubbery texture.
- Veggie Crunch Preservation: Sauté bell peppers and onions briefly (3-4 minutes) to retain crisp texture and vibrant colors, avoiding mushy vegetable consistency.
- Sauce Thickening Technique: Add cornstarch slurry gradually and stir constantly to ensure smooth, glossy sauce without lumps or uneven coating.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 15 minutes
- Category: Dinner, Lunch
- Method: Sautéing
- Cuisine: Chinese
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 5
- Calories: 290
- Sugar: 2 g
- Sodium: 700 mg
- Fat: 12 g
- Saturated Fat: 1.5 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 9 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 23 g
- Fiber: 2 g
- Protein: 25 g
- Cholesterol: 70 mg