This Panda Express Black Pepper Chicken is a perfect copycat recipe! The sauce is super easy to make using pantry staples.
Ingredients and substitutions
- Olive oil – use any neutral cooking oil like canola or avocado oil.
- Chicken breasts – boneless skinless chicken thighs would also work for this recipe.
- Cornstarch – potato starch or arrowroot can be used instead.
- Salt & pepper – to taste.
- Yellow onion – substitute for white onion or red onion.
- Celery – substitute for another vegetable of your choice like bok choy, carrots, cauliflower, zucchini, broccoli and more.
- Red pepper – use any colour bell pepper of your choice.
- Scallions, sesame seeds & chili flakes – swap out for other garnishes of your choice or leave these off altogether.
Stir fry sauce
- Hoisin sauce – oyster sauce would be the best substitute here.
- Soy sauce – coconut aminos or tamari are the best soy sauce substitutes.
- Garlic – freshly minced garlic is best but jarred minced garlic can be used in a pinch.
- Black pepper – the black pepper is the star of this dish but you could also try using green or white peppercorns (although the flavour will be different).
Rice
- White rice – you can use any variety of rice of your choice for this recipe.
- Butter – margarine would also help make the rice nice and moist.
- Salt – to taste.
How to make black pepper chicken
Step 1: Season and coat the chicken.
Mix ingredients together for stir fry sauce, then cook rice in a rice cooker. Season chicken with salt & pepper, then toss in cornstarch.
Step 2: Brown the chicken.
Add olive oil to a large skillet over high heat, then add chicken and saute for 3-4 minutes until lightly browned.
Step 3: Sauté the vegetables.
Add onion, celery and red pepper, sauteeing another 4-5 minutes until veggies soften.
Step 4: Add in the sauce.
Mix in stir fry sauce.
Step 5: Stir to combine.
Cook another 2 minutes until it thickens.
Step 6: Serve and enjoy!
Serve chicken over rice and garnish with scallions, sesame seeds and chili flakes. Enjoy!
What to serve with black pepper chicken
I like serving this black pepper chicken with a side of white rice, but if you're looking for more side dish options, here are some of my favourites:
- Cauliflower rice for a low-carb option
- Bok choy
- Vegetable spring rolls
- Edamame
Frequently Asked Questions
Panda Express black pepper chicken is a little bit spicy and tangy, with lots of garlic flavour. Because the spice comes from the black pepper, it’s not too overwhelming.
This black pepper chicken Panda Express copycat has 417 calories per serving.
You can definitely swap out the chicken breasts for boneless skinless chicken thighs. Just make sure to cut up the thighs into bite-sized pieces. Keep in mind that using chicken thighs will slightly increase the calorie count of this dish.
To make this recipe keto, all you have to do is swap out the rice for another vegetable or even cauliflower rice. To make it gluten-free, substitute the soy sauce for a gluten-free alternative like coconut aminos or tamari.
Yes! Feel free to add any veggies of your choice to this delicious stir fry. Bok choy, carrots, cauliflower, zucchini, broccoli and mushrooms would all be great additions.
Storing and reheating
You can store this Panda Express black pepper chicken in the fridge for 4 to 5 days. I recommend storing the rice separately to keep everything as fresh as possible.
When you’re ready to enjoy, sprinkle some water over top to prevent the chicken and rice from drying out, then microwave for 1 to 2 minutes. You could also reheat the black pepper chicken in a pan on the stovetop.
Freezing this recipe
This black pepper chicken Panda Express copycat can be frozen for up to 3 months in airtight glass containers or Ziploc bags. Since the vegetables in it are firm, they won’t get mushy when they thaw, although you will need to store the rice separately.
Let the dish defrost in the fridge overnight, then reheat as normal. Serve with some fresh or reheated rice and dig in!
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More Panda Express copycat recipes
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Panda Express Black Pepper Chicken {Copycat Recipe}
Ingredients
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- 1 lb chicken breasts
- 1 tbsp cornstarch
- Salt & pepper, to taste
- 1 yellow onion, chopped
- 4 celery stalks, chopped
- 1 red or green pepper, chopped
- Scallions, sesame seeds & chili flakes, for garnish (optional)
Stir fry sauce
- 1/4 cup hoisin sauce
- 2 tbsp soy sauce
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 tsp black pepper
Rice
- 1 3/4 cups water
- 1 cup white rice
- 1 tsp butter
- 1 pinch salt
Instructions
- Mix ingredients together for stir fry sauce, then cook rice in a rice cooker.
- Season chicken with salt & pepper, then toss in cornstarch. Add olive oil to a large skillet over high heat, then add chicken and saute for 3-4 minutes until lightly browned.
- Add onion, celery and red pepper, sauteeing another 4-5 minutes until veggies soften. Mix in stir fry sauce, then cook another 2 minutes until it thickens.
- Serve chicken over rice and garnish with scallions, sesame seeds and chili flakes. Enjoy!
Comments & Reviews
Cassandra says
Love this recipe and go to it time and time again❤️
Wendy G says
Whole family loves it,
Debbie says
This was super yummy!