Printable Salt and Pepper Chicken Recipe Card

oval text with salt and pepper chicken sprinkled with sliced green onions

4.50 from 2 votes

Printable Salt and Pepper Chicken Recipe Card

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!

Prep Time10

Cook Time15

Marinade Time20

Total Time45

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: Chinese

Keyword: salt and pepper chicken

Servings: servings

Calories: 350kcal

Author: Tikare

Ingredients

Marinade

1 lb boneless, skinless chicken thigh or breast, cut into bite-size pieces
2 tbsp soy sauce
1 tbsp rice wine or dry sherry
1 tsp brown sugar
½ tsp salt
½ tsp. white pepper
2 cloves garlic minced

Coating & Frying

¾ cups Cornstarch minced
¼ tsp. extra white pepper for tossing
2-3 chillies sliced (optional)
Oil for frying

Instructions

Marinate: In a bowl, combine chicken with soy sauce, rice wine, brown sugar, salt, white pepper, and minced garlic. After mixing, let it rest for 10–15 minutes.
Prep Coating: Place cornstarch in a shallow dish. Dredge each piece of marinated chicken in cornstarch until fully coated. Then, shake off the excess.
Heat Oil: Warm oil in a deep pan to 350–360 °F (175–180 °C). Use a thermometer if you have one, because proper oil temp is key for crisp.
Fry: Working in batches, fry chicken until golden and crisp, for about 3–4 minutes per batch. Make sure you don’t crowd the pan.
Drain & Toss: Remove with a slotted spoon to a wire rack or paper towel-lined tray. Toss lightly with extra white pepper and sliced chilies for flavor.
Rest: Let the chicken rest for 5 minutes before serving. This helps lock in crisp and lets juices redistribute.

Notes

Technique at a Glance

Oil Temperature: 350–360 °F (175–180 °C)
Fry Time per Batch: ~3–4 minutes
Rest Time After Frying: ~5 minutes
Cut Size Guide: Bite-size cubes 1–1½ in (2.5–3.8 cm)

These cues appear throughout the steps below so you can cook confidently without guesswork.

Crisping Tips

Oil Temp Is Everything: If the oil is too cool, the chicken turns greasy; if it’s too hot, the outside burns before the inside cooks. Heat the oil to about 350–360 °F (175–180 °C) for best results.
Dry Before Coating: Pat chicken thoroughly to help cornstarch cling.
Don’t Overbake: Fry the chicken in small batches so pieces don’t touch, this helps them stay extra crispy.

Estimated Nutrition (Per Serving, ~¼ Recipe)

Nutrition values vary significantly by exact ingredients and frying method. But we've prepared a reasonable estimate based on typical salt & pepper chicken profiles from nutrition databases.

Calories: ~300–400 kcal per serving
Protein: ~25–40 g
Carbohydrates: ~10–25 g
Fat: ~12–20 g

These estimates align with common data showing salt and pepper chicken often falls in the ~250–350 calories per portion range, depending on frying and portion size.

Nutrition