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Home » Dinner » Chicken » Copycat Pepper Chicken

Copycat Pepper Chicken

Created: March 30, 2020 Updated: June 4, 2020 by Lyuba Brooke 35 Comments *This post may contain affiliate links. Read More...

52.3K shares
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Once you try this homemade version of Panda Express Pepper Chicken, you’ll never go back to take-out. This easy chicken recipe features juicy, tender chicken thigh meat is sauteed with onions and celery, and cooked in black pepper soy sauce.

It tastes amazing over rice but you can easily swap out rice for veggies, cauliflower rice, or quinoa. Same sides would be good in other easy chicken dishes like Chicken Teriyaki and Chicken Stroganoff. 

cooked pepper chicken in a bowl with rice

COPYCAT PEPPER CHICKEN

I fell in love with this tasty Pepper Chicken when my little sister and I went to Houston for a college conference. That was the first time she got me to try Panda Express and I’m so glad I did because I discovered a new tasty chicken dish.

It was pretty hard for us to find something to eat at the airport restaurants while we were traveling because of my gluten intolerance. On the way to Houston, we actually walked around the airport food court four times. We ended up walking out of two restaurants because of the lack of gluten free options.

Needless to say, after four circles around the food court, we ended up grabbing a couple of plain salads and hopping on the plane. We got to our hotel late at night, starving but too tired to care.

When the conference was over, I was hyped up on coffee and fruit and felt like a starving lion, desperate for a nice juicy steak. When we got to the airport, my sister suggested that we try Panda Express since it was the only non-sandwich option. 

This is when I saw pepper chicken and decided to stray away from the familiar Teriyaki Chicken and give it a shot. After the first bite, I knew that I had to recreate this chicken dish at home. It seemed very easy to make and it was very tasty. A simple combination of onion, celery, chicken thigh meat, and seasoned with lots of black pepper.  

The very next day after we came back home, I made this dish for dinner and it was a huge hit with my husband. It is now one of my favorite fast and easy chicken dishes to make.

PIN THIS RECIPE

cooked chicken with celery and onions in a sauce in a pan

HOW TO MAKE PEPPER CHICKEN

Since this is a fast and easy recipe, make sure to prepare your ingredients first. Cook rice first and while it is cooking, dice onions and celery, slice chicken thigh meat, and measure remaining ingredients.

In a mixing bowl, combine chicken, cornstarch, salt, and pepper and toss to coat chicken pieces evenly. Whisk all sauce ingredients in another bowl. 

Preheat the cooking pan first over medium-high heat and when it’s hot, add oil. Saute onions and celery until softened and then, add the chicken. Stir well and let everything saute until chicken is mostly done. Stir once in a while to ensure even cooking. 

Pour sauce in and slowly stir. Bring the sauce to simmer and lower the heat to medium-low. Cook for a few minutes, until chicken is completely done and take off heat.  

scooping chicken with a fork out of the bowl

WHAT TO SERVE WITH PEPPER CHICKEN

Rice

Quinoa

Cauliflower Rice

Farro

SOME MORE CHICKEN RECIPES

Sesame Steak Stir Fry

Baked Sesame Chicken Thighs

Chicken Fried Rice

Pad Thai

rice topped with cooked chicken, celery, and onions

If you made any of my recipes and shared them on Instagram, make sure to tag me @willcookforsmiles and #willcookforsmiles so I can see all the things you tried!

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Pepper Chicken and Rice

Juicy, tender chicken thigh meat is sauteed with onions and celery and cooked in black pepper soy sauce. Serve it with rice, quinoa, farro, or cauliflower rice.
4.82 from 16 votes
Print Pin SaveSaved! Rate
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: American
Prep Time: 10 minutes minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes minutes
Total Time: 30 minutes minutes
Servings: 4
Calories: 634kcal
Author: Lyuba Brooke

Ingredients

  • 2 lbs boneless, skinless chicken thigh meat
  • 1/2 tbsp corn starch
  • 2 tsp fresh cracked black pepper
  • salt
  • 1 yellow onion
  • 2 cups chopped celery

Sauce:

  • 3/4 cup chicken stock
  • 1/4 cup soy sauce
  • 3 tbsp white vinegar
  • 2 tbsp olive oil
  • 1/2 tbsp corn starch
  • 1/2 tbsp fresh cracked black pepper

Rice:

  • 1 1/2 cups uncooked Jasmine rice yields about 4 1/2 cups cooked
US Customary - Metric

Instructions

  • Cook rice according to the package instructions and set aside.
  • Preheat a cooking pan over medium-high heat and add a couple of tablespoons of oil for cooking. 
  • Chop chicken thigh meat into small pieces and place them in a small mixing bowl. 
  • Add 1/2 tbsp of corn starch, 1 tsp black pepper, and some salt. Mix very well so that the chicken is coated in corn starch, salt, and pepper evenly. Set aside.
  • Dice onion and celery and saute for a few minutes. 
  • Once veggies are softened, add chicken and mix well. Saute chicken until about half way cooked. 
  • While chicken is cooking, whisk ingredients for the sauce in a small bowl. 
  • Add sauce into the pan with the chicken, stir well. Bring the sauce to simmer and lower the heat to medium-low.
  • Stir and cook chicken and veggies until chicken is completely cooked. Take off heat.
  • I prefer to serve this Pepper Chicken over Jasmine rice. 
    Jasmine rice can be swapped out for brown rice, quinoa, or steamed veggies.

Video

Notes

Disclaimer: Nutrition information shown is not guaranteed to be 100% accurate as most ingredients and brands have a slight variation.

Nutrition

Calories: 634kcal | Carbohydrates: 64g | Protein: 52g | Fat: 17g | Saturated Fat: 4g | Cholesterol: 215mg | Sodium: 1071mg | Potassium: 899mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 2g | Vitamin A: 281IU | Vitamin C: 4mg | Calcium: 77mg | Iron: 3mg
Tried this recipe?Mention @willcookforsmiles and tag #willcookforsmiles

collage of cooked pepper chicken

Originally published on Will Cook For Smiles on July 25, 2018. Updated March 30, 2010. 

LYUBA

ABOUT LYUBA

I’m Lyuba Brooke, mother of 2, the cook, recipe developer, photographer, and author behind willcookforsmiles.com. I share many classic and original recipes, cooking tips, and tutorials. My passion is sharing delicious meals for everyone to try. Read more...

52.3K shares

Filed Under: 30 Minute Meals, Chicken, Dinner, Gluten Free, Rice

All images and text ©Lyubov Brooke for ©Will Cook For Smiles. Please do not use my images without prior permission. If using my posts in collections and features, please link back to this post for the recipe. Disclaimer: Nutrition information shown is not guaranteed to be 100% accurate as most ingredients and brands have variations.

Comments

  1. Laurie Wagner says

    November 27, 2023 at 7:30 pm

    My family really liked this recipe. We put it over a layer of rice and steamed vegetables. We did sprinkle a few chow mein noodles on top. I do have a question concerning pepper. In the first ingredients it has 2 teaspoons of pepper. Then in instructions it states 1 teaspoon. Which is correct?

    Reply
  2. Renee says

    August 30, 2023 at 11:22 am

    Hi there,

    Does it need to be chicken stock? I have chicken broth.

    Thanks,

    Renee

    Reply
    • LyubaB says

      September 6, 2023 at 11:24 am

      Yes, you can use chicken broth instead of the stock. I hope you enjoy it!

      Reply
  3. Jennifer says

    August 15, 2023 at 8:30 pm

    5 stars
    This is so quick, easy & delicious! I used rice vinegar instead of white, chicken breast instead of thigh & added more cornstarch w/ water after adding the sauce as it seemed too thin. My husband told me numerous times that it was really good while we were eating. A keeper recipe 😊

    Reply
    • LyubaB says

      August 18, 2023 at 8:51 am

      Yay! Glad it was a winner, Jennifer!

      Reply
  4. Josie says

    June 28, 2023 at 8:38 am

    5 stars
    My favorite quick meal ever ❤️

    Reply
    • LyubaB says

      July 10, 2023 at 1:56 pm

      I am so happy you like it!

      Reply
  5. Kristine S says

    November 4, 2022 at 10:16 pm

    5 stars
    Oh my goodness! So tasty! I did add minced garlic by accident. I also was concerned with my chicken, as I had to trim so much fat. I doubled the cornstarch mixture that you toss the chicken in, but I didn’t need to. I added more cornstarch to the sauce and was glad I did.
    I have never had this meal before, but it came out perfectly and is delicious! The chicken is so tasty and tender. Thanks for a wonderful meal!

    Reply
    • LyubaB says

      November 8, 2022 at 2:43 pm

      I am so glad you liked it, Kristine! 🙂

      Reply
  6. R Humphries says

    October 6, 2022 at 2:35 pm

    Made this for dinner. Used breast instead of thigh. Also used red bell pepper. I was out of celery. It was delicious. Thanks so much.

    Reply
    • LyubaB says

      October 10, 2022 at 1:38 pm

      I am so glad you liked it!

      Reply
  7. Dee says

    May 22, 2022 at 5:24 pm

    5 stars
    Very good! I had to add a little mor cornstarch to thicken the sauce a bit and I added cashew pieces to it! Will make again !

    Reply
    • LyubaB says

      May 23, 2022 at 10:11 am

      Adding cashews was a good idea! I am glad you liked it, Dee!

      Reply
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Well, hey there!

I’m Lyuba Brooke, mother of 2, the cook, recipe developer, photographer, and author behind willcookforsmiles.com. I share many classic and original recipes, cooking tips, and tutorials. My passion is sharing delicious meals for everyone to try. Read More.

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