Published: 12/04/2020 | Updated: 03/26/2024
Salt and Pepper Chicken is a homemade version of the popular Chinese takeout recipe. Marinated bites of chicken are fried till crispy and tossed in salt and pepper!
Salt and pepper chicken is a dish that is simple to make but tastes delicious. The chicken is seasoned with salt and pepper, then pan-fried until golden brown. The chicken can be served with a side of rice or vegetables. This dish is perfect for a quick and easy weeknight meal.
Whenever we go to a Chinese restaurant buffet or order take-out, I go straight to the chicken salt and pepper dish. It seems like such a simple dish, but it is so good!
Bite-size pieces of chicken that are marinated then dipped in an egg wash and finally cornstarch before frying. You end up with a crispy coating and a moist and tender inside.
The best part, though, is removing the chicken from the hot oil and immediately tossing it with salt and pepper. The seasoning just clings to the hot chicken and gives it so much flavor. Sometimes the best things are the simple things, right? Sometimes all you need is salt and pepper!
How Do you Make Salt & Pepper Chicken
While this chicken does need to marinate, the best part is that it’s a pretty short marinade time so you don’t need to worry about trying to remember to do it the night before. You only need to marinate for about 15-30 minutes and then you can start making the rest of dinner.
Marinade Ingredients:
- minced garlic
- salt
- brown sugar
- water
- rice wine
- baking soda
- soy sauce
Combine all marinade ingredients in a large bowl and stir well. Cut a pound of chicken into bite-size pieces and add to marinade bowl.
Toss the chicken around to coat it really well and then let it sit for 30 minutes.
In the meantime, in a medium bowl, add one egg and beat with a fork.
When the chicken is done marinating, drain the marinade and add the chicken pieces to the bowl with the beaten egg. Toss it well so all the pieces are coated in egg.
Then add 3/4 cup cornstarch to the bowl and toss again to coat very well.
Heat vegetable oil for frying in a wok. You want enough oil to cover your pieces of chicken as they’re cooking.
Add the chicken in batches so they’re all in a single layer. Turn over if you need to make sure all sides get cooked evenly.
Continue cooking until golden brown. Remove from the oil and set on a paper towel to drain.
Repeat with the remaining chicken until it’s all cooked. Once all the chicken is cooked, pour the oil out.
Add the chicken back to the wok and toss to make sure it’s all heated through. Remove from wok and toss with salt and pepper and then sprinkle with chopped spring onions.
Sides to Enjoy with Salt and Pepper Chicken
More Chicken Recipes to Try
Salt and Pepper Chicken
Ingredients
- 1 lb Chicken Breast cut into bite-size pieces
- 1 Egg
- 3/4 cup Cornstarch
- Vegetable Oil
- 1/2 tsp. Salt
- 1/2 tsp. Pepper
- 2 Tbsp. Green Onions chopped
Marinade
- 3 cloves Garlic minced
- 1 tsp. Salt
- 2 tsp. Brown Sugar
- 2 Tbsp. Water
- 1 Tbsp. Rice Wine
- 1/4 tsp. Baking Soda
- 2 Tbsp. Soy Sauce
Instructions
- Mix all of the marinade ingredients in a large bowl and stir to combine. Add chicken pieces to marinade and stir to combine. Let sit for 30 minutes.
- In another bowl, add egg and beat with a fork. When chicken is done marinating, drain the excess marinade and add the chicken pieces to the beaten egg. Toss the chicken in the egg to coat.
- Add cornstarch to bowl with chicken and toss well to coat completely.
- In a wok, heat oil over medium high heat. There should be enough oil that the chicken is completely covered. When the oil is hot, add the chicken in batches and cook until golden brown on all sides. Remove from wok and place on paper towel to drain. Repeat with remaining chicken until is all cooked.
- When chicken is done cooking, drain oil from the wok. Return all chicken to the pan and toss to heat through evenly. Remove from heat and toss with salt and pepper. Sprinkled with chopped green onions.
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