Chinese Salt and Pepper Chicken Recipe

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If you love to order crispy salt and pepper chicken from a Chinese takeout, then here's how you can make this moreish dish at home! With spiced crispy chicken fried, served with stir fry tangy vegetables and green and red chilies, it's the perfect treat any day of the week!

pan of crispy salt and pepper chicken with stir fried green beans and chillies surrounded by egg fried rice and sesame oil

If you're curious about what salt and pepper chicken is, then you've come to the right place! It is a very popular dish in Chinese restaurants with crispy fried chicken, seasoned with spices and salt and pepper.

Once the chicken is cooked, the pan is used again to stir fry salt and peppery vegetables, then smothered in tasty garlic and chillies.

It is delicious as an appetizer or main dish with egg-fried rice, sesame seed oil, and sweet hoisin sauce. And the great thing? It's much cheaper than a Chinese takeaway!

close up of Chinese salt and pepper chicken in a large grey skillet pan topped with spring onions and red chili peppers

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✔️ Why You'll Love This Recipe
🛒 Ingredient Notes
📋 Instructions
👩‍🍳 Substitutions
⚖️ Variations
🔪 Equipment
❄️ Storage
💡Pro Tips
🍽️ Serving Suggestions
❓ FAQ
➕ More Chinese Recipes
📖 Recipe
💬 Comments

✔️ Why You'll Love This Recipe

Here's many a good reason why we think this easy salt and pepper chicken recipe will be one you'll make time and time again!

Tastes delicious with unique flavors
Uses simple grocery store ingredients
It's a simple recipe that's quick to make
Naturally gluten-free if using GF soy sauce
Can be made low carb and keto with 1 simple swap
You know exactly what you've put in your fried chicken
Easy to make oven-baked versions for a healthier option
Much cheaper than ordering Chinese food from a takeaway

🛒 Ingredient Notes

Please see the printable recipe card with exact ingredient quantities and preparation instructions at the bottom of this post.

labelled ingredients for homemade salt and pepper chicken takeaway recipe

Boneless skinless chicken thighs - use these for best results are they are juicy and tender. Or you could use diced chicken breast

Cornflour (cornstarch) - or potato starch for a light crispy coating. Or you could swap for ½ cup of almond flour for keto.

Kosher salt - or table salt if more accessible. This is used to not only season the crispy part of the chicken, but also the stir fried vegetables

Ground black pepper - I grind black peppercorns in a pepper mill. Or sometimes I use Sichuan peppercorns or a mix with white pepper. This is also used to season the chicken coating and the fried veggies

Chinese five-spice powder - this is the star of this Chinese recipe with its sweet and warming flavours. Or check the "Substitutions" section on how to make your own!

Vegetable oil - or any frying oil with a high smoke point for deep frying and a second fry when cooking the fresh vegetables

Mixed chili peppers - I use a mix of green and red chili peppers to give the dish some heat. I deseed and chop while wearing disposable gloves to avoid getting chili on my fingers and then later touching my eyes (ouch!)

Garlic cloves - these are minced and fried with the onions for a more complex flavour

Spring Onions - AKA green onions (scallions), sliced to give the dish some fresh tangy crunch

Light soy sauce - I use this to thin out the honey and create a slight sweet and sour dressing to drizzle at the end of the cooking time

Honey - this is for a pinch of sweetness to balance the saltiness of the dish

Green beans - trimmed and sliced into 1-2" lengths for some fresh crunch, which also makes this simple salt and pepper recipe more filling and extra nutritious

📋 Instructions

person mixing cornflour with Chinese 5 spice, salt and pepper in large stainless steel mixing bowl

1. First things first, mix the dry ingredients for the deep-fried chicken in a large mixing bowl.

person mixing diced chicken thighs in cornflour in a stainless steel mixing bowl

2. Add the bite-sized chicken pieces to the cornflour mixture and combine with your hands until every bit is coated.

Note: the batter will be dry on the chicken

deep frying chopped chicken thighs in a deep pan on stove top full of vegetable oil

3. Pour the oil into a large deep frying pan and heat over medium heat.

Test to see if it is hot enough with a dried piece of spaghetti to see if bubbles form around it.

Add the chicken pieces in batches and fry on each side for 4 minutes until golden brown while flipping with kitchen tongues.

Place the battered chicken on a plate lined with kitchen paper to remove any excess oil.

person stir frying green beans and chopped onions in a saute pan with wooden spoon

4. Once all of the chicken is cooked, pour the leftover oil into a heat-proof container for another time.

Now clean the pan to fry for a second time and add 2 tablespoon of the original oil.

Then add the minced garlic, onions, and green beans and fry over medium-high heat until softened.

This should take 2-3 minutes.

person frying vegetables with chillies, spring onions and salt and pepper in large frying pan

5. Next, add the sliced spring onions, mixed chillies, salt, and black pepper mixture.

Now fry for 1 minute while stirring.

person mixing crispy Chinese chicken in a pan with fried vegetables

6. Add the crispy chicken back to the pan and fry for a further minute until the chicken is heated through.

Then drizzle over the honey, soy sauce, and sesame seed oil if using before serving.

Tip: if you're reusing the same pan for the second fry session, pour the hot oil into a heat-proof bowl and allow it to cool so you can reuse it later.

Black Denby bowl full of salt and pepper chicken on a serving platter with bowl of egg fried rice and sesame oil and hoisin sauce dip

👩‍🍳 Substitutions

Depending on your dietary needs, here are a few simple swaps you can make and still make a delicious homemade salt and pepper chicken dish:

Chicken thighs - you can toss chicken wings in flour instead, or diced chicken breast
Chinese 5 Spice - if you can't find five spice, you can make your own by crushing star anise, cinnamon, fennel seeds, black pepper, and cloves in a pestle and mortar
Vegetable oil - you can swap it for peanut oil, canola oil, olive oil or avocado oil
Cornflour - You can use plain flour if more accessible with some baking powder for a better coating, or ½ a cup of coconut flour for low carb
Green beans - swap for other Asian greens such as chopped pak choi, Chinese leaf cabbage, chicory, etc
Mixed chillies - if you prefer less heat in your pepper dishes, then swap for a small pinch or red pepper flakes, or use bell peppers instead

close up of battered salt and pepper chicken with fried vegetables n black bowl with sliced spring onions

⚖️ Variations

Here are a few different ways you can enhance this Chinese salt and pepper chicken recipe, depending on your personal preference:

Nutty - garnish with 1 teaspoon of sesame seeds, and add some to the cooking oil while frying the chicken. You can also drizzle with 1 tablespoon of sesame oil for the ultimate taste
Deluxe - for extra flavour, you can marinate your small pieces of chicken in shaoxing wine, ginger powder and garlic salt overnight, then drain. Then follow the rest of this recipe.
Kid friendly - create pepper wings for more tactile finger food and make it less spicy by omitting chili peppers or swapping for bell peppers. You might want to use lower sodium salt and reduce the amount of pepper. And finally, you could add more honey to balance out the spiciness of the dish.

See this crispy chilli beef version of this recipe here on my website!

🔪 Equipment

Please note that as an Amazon Associate, I earn from qualifying purchases made through affiliate links.

Chopping board
Chopping knife
Measuring spoons
Measuring cups
Large pan or wok
Weighing scales
Garlic press
Large bowl
Kitchen tongs
Paper towels lined on a large plate

❄️ Storage

Storing - we prefer eating this recipe freshly cooked to ensure the chicken is still crispy, but it can be stored in an airtight container and refrigerated for up to 3 days.

Freezing - cool to room temperature and again, store in a freezer-safe container for up to 3 months.

Reheating - If you want to eat the next day, defrost in the fridge if required and reheat in a pan, oven or air fryer until cooked through.

💡Pro Tips

Fry the chicken on both sides to ensure it is cooked through as well as crispy
To test if the chicken isn't raw, I break up a large piece to see if there is no pink in the middle. Alternatively, you can check the internal temperature with a thermometer to ensure it is a minimum of 74°C (165°F)
Use boneless chicken thighs instead of chicken breasts as they are more juicy, tender, and flavorsome - whereas breasts are leaner meat
To ensure the cooking oil is at the right temperature, you can test with a long strand of dried spaghetti and if it bubbles around it, the oil temperature is ready for frying
Don't overcrowd the pan when frying your thighs or crispy wings as you'll need to keep tabs on which chicken bites you have flipped halfway through. Instead, cook a few pieces at a time in a single layer
Wear disposable gloves when handling chillies to prevent accidentally touching your eyes, mouth, etc with chillied fingers

🍽️ Serving Suggestions

Rice - we usually enjoy ours with long grain rice and make it into egg fried rice made. Or you could try Mexican rice, or for a lower carb option, why not try cauliflower rice?

Noodles - enjoy with a tasty side of egg noodles, rice noodles, udon noodles, or ramen noodles

Chinese sides - enjoy alongside an array of classic Chinese sides such as prawn crackers, sesame prawn toasts, crispy wontons, spring rolls, etc

Salad - for a lighter option, serve on a bed of salad, such as shredded crispy iceberg lettuce and diced tomatoes, radish, etc.

Chips - make salt and pepper chips by tossing them in more salt and pepper while shaking in a Tupperware container before oven baking or air frying

Mixed vegetables - fry some mixed vegetables such as mushrooms and green peppers in a black bean sauce. Or try frying bean sprouts and water chestnuts

Sauces - enjoy with dipping sauces such as hoisin sauce, oyster sauce or satay sauce for sweetness. Or why not try cooking a quick sauce by frying some rice wine vinegar, brown sugar, chilli sauce and sesame oil together?

❓ FAQ

What cut of chicken is best for making this dish?

We recommend chicken thighs as they don't dry up as much as leaner chicken breast meat and remain tender during the quick frying process.

Can I make air fryer salt and pepper chicken with this recipe?

If you prefer to use less oil than frying in enough oil in a pan, then you can place your coated chicken pieces in an air fryer and spray them with cooking oil until they no longer look powdery.

Then cook for 10 minutes at 180c (356°F), then turn, spray again, and continue frying for a final 10 minutes until golden brown. Then continue stir-frying as usual.

You'll find it takes a longer time to cook in an air fryer than the frying time in a pan of oil, but there's less oil waste and it's safer.

➕ More Chinese Recipes

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