Salt and Pepper Chicken is a popular Chinese dish with bite-size pieces of chicken coated in a crispy and flavorful mixture of spices.
This dish is perfect as an appetizer or a main course and will surely please everyone with its delicious taste and crispy texture.
The marinade and spice mix gives the chicken a deliciously savory, slightly spicy flavor, and the crispy basil leaves add an extra layer of texture and flavor.
With simple ingredients and easy-to-follow steps, you can create a restaurant-quality Salt and Pepper Chicken in the comfort of your home.
How to Make Salt and Pepper Chicken
Note: The full instructions are provided in the recipe card below.
Pat the chicken breast or thighs dry. Cut them into bite-size cubes. Place in a bowl, and pour in the marinade ingredients. Mix well. Marinate for at least 30 minutes at room temperature or overnight in the fridge.
In a small bowl, combine the ingredients for the spice mix and stir well. Note that this recipe prepares more spice mix than you might use so that you can adjust the seasoning according to your preference.
When you’re ready to cook, add the beaten egg to the bowl with the chicken. Stir to mix well. Gradually add the cornstarch.
Stir to coat the chicken until it forms an uneven coating with some dry cornstarch left unattached. Add the oil to a large nonstick skillet (just enough to coat the bottom of the pan). Heat over medium-high heat until hot.
Using a pair of tongs, add the chicken one piece at a time. If the pan starts to smoke too much, turn to medium heat. Cook the Salt and Pepper Chicken until the bottom turns golden brown, 2 to 3 minutes.
Flip to brown the other side for 2 to 3 minutes. (Alternatively, deep-fry them at 350 F (176 C) until golden brown.)
Transfer the chicken to a large plate and remove the pan from the stove to let it cool. Your pan should still have a thin layer of oil remaining in it. If not, add 1 to 2 tablespoons of oil. Heat over medium heat.
Spread the basil leaves—Cook the bottom side for 30 seconds. Flip to cook the other side until crispy. Transfer the basil leaves to a large plate to cool. While the chicken is hot, sprinkle about half of the spice mix and gently toss it with tongs.
Taste the chicken. Add more spice mix if needed. Add the cooked basil leaves and toss again. Serve the Salt and Pepper Chicken as an appetizer.
Related Recipes:
- Chinese Style Lemon Chicken Wings
- Chicken Curry
- Sweet Hawaiian Chicken
- Chicken Marsala
- Cajun Chicken Alfredo
📖 Recipe
Easy Salt and Pepper Chicken
Ingredients
- 1 pound (450 grams) of boneless skinless chicken thighs or breasts, cut into 1-inch pieces
- 1 egg , beaten
- ½ cup cornstarch
- ⅓ cup canola or vegetable oil
- 1 small batch of Thai basil or regular basil
Marinade:
- 1 tablespoon canola oil or vegetable oil
- 3 cloves garlic , finely
- minced or finely grated
- 2 teaspoons ginger , finely grated
- 2 teaspoons brown sugar or regular sugar
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
For the Spice Mix:
- 2 teaspoons black ground pepper or white ground pepper
- 1 teaspoon brown sugar (or regular sugar)
- ½ teaspoon kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon five-spice powder
- ¼ teaspoon Sichuan peppercorn , optional
Instructions
- Pat the chicken breast or thighs dry. Cut them into bite-size cubes. Place in a bowl, and pour in the marinade ingredients. Mix well. Marinate for at least 30 minutes at room temperature or up to overnight in the fridge.
- In a small bowl, combine the ingredients for the spice mix and stir to mix well. Note that this recipe prepares more spice mix than you might use so that you can adjust the seasoning according to your preference.
- When you’re ready to cook, add the beaten egg into the bowl with the chicken. Stir to mix well. Gradually, add the cornstarch. Stir to coat the chicken until it forms an uneven coating with a bit of dry cornstarch left unattached.
- Add the oil to a large nonstick skillet (just enough to coat the bottom of the pan). Heat over medium-high heat until hot. Add the chicken one piece at a time using a pair of tongs. Turn to medium heat if the pan starts to smoke too much.
- Cook the Salt and Pepper Chicken until the bottom turns golden brown, 2 to 3 minutes. Flip to brown the other side for 2 to 3 minutes. (Alternatively, you can deep-fry them at 350 F (176 C) until golden brown.) Transfer chicken to a large plate and remove the pan from the stove to let it cool a bit.
- Your pan should still have a thin layer of oil remaining in it. If not, add 1 to 2 tablespoons of oil. Heat over medium heat. Spread the basil leaves—Cook the bottom side for 30 seconds. Flip to cook the other side until crispy. Transfer the basil leaves to a large plate to cool.
- While the chicken is still hot, sprinkle about half of the spice mix over the chicken and gently toss it with a pair of tongs. Taste the chicken. Add more spice mix if needed. Add the cooked basil leaves and toss again. Serve the Salt and Pepper Basil Chicken as an appetizer. Enjoy our Salt and Pepper Chicken.
Notes
All nutritional information is based on third-party calculations and is only an estimate. Each recipe and nutritional value will vary depending on the brands you use, measuring methods, and portion sizes per household.
