This Black Pepper Chicken is bold, flavorful, and comes together in under 30 minutes — the perfect weeknight dinner! It’s coated in a glossy, peppery sauce that hits all the right notes: savory, slightly sweet, and just the right amount of heat. It tastes like takeout, but it’s gluten-free, dairy-free, and made with simple, clean ingredients you can feel good about.
Want another make-your-own-takeout recipe? Try this Healthy Beef and Broccoli! Bonus, it all cooks on 1 sheet pan for easy cleanup!
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Better than takeout: All the flavor, none of the questionable ingredients.
- Quick + easy: Ready in 30 minutes from start to finish.
- Naturally gluten and dairy free: Made with real, wholesome ingredients — no soy sauce or dairy needed.
- Customizable: Add your favorite veggies, serve over rice or cauli rice, or even turn it into a meal prep bowl.
Ingredients
- Chicken breast (or thighs)
- Arrowroot (for that crispy coating and thickening)
- Black pepper (freshly cracked is key for the best flavor)
- Coconut aminos (for that soy-free “umami” flavor)
- Garlic and ginger
- Honey
- Broth
- Bell peppers and onions
- Spices
- Gochujang (optional)
Gochujang is a Korean paste usually used as a base for Korean dishes. It's spicy, savory, and sweet at the same time. It's optional, but adds a nice depth to this black pepper chicken!
Swaps + Variations
- Veggies: Broccoli, zucchini, or snap peas all work great.
- Protein: Try shrimp or thinly sliced beef for a fun twist.
- Heat: Add crushed red pepper flakes for extra spice.
- Sweetness: Use less honey for a bolder, more pepper-forward taste.
How to Make It
- Coat the chicken: Toss bite-sized chicken pieces in arrowroot and salt and pepper until coated.
- Cook until golden: Sear the chicken in a skillet with oil until browned and almost cooked through, about 3 minutes per side.
- Sauté the aromatics: Add garlic, ginger, pepper, and onion until fragrant.
- Add the sauce: Whisk coconut aminos, honey, broth, spices, then stir in.
- Simmer + coat: Let it bubble and start to thicken, then toss the chicken back in until everything is glossy and coated. Allow the sauce to finish thickening, using a slurry if needed, and letting the chicken finish cooking.
- Serve: Spoon over rice, and sprinkle with scallions or sesame seeds if you like.
Storage + Reheating
Store leftovers in an airtight container for up to 3 days. Reheat on the stovetop or in the microwave until warmed through — add a splash of water or broth to loosen the sauce if needed.
If you tried this recipe, let me know in the comments below how it turned out!
The Best Black Pepper Chicken (easy + gluten free!)
Ingredients
For the chicken
- Cooking oil to generously cover the bottom of the pan
- 2 lbs. Chicken breast
- ½ cup Arrowroot
- ½ tbsp. Black pepper
- ½ tsp. Salt
For the Sauce
- 1 cup Chicken Broth
- ¼ cup Coconut aminos
- ¼ cup Rice Wine Vinegar
- ⅔ cup Honey
- ½ tbsp. Ginger Powder
- 2 tsp. Black Pepper
- 1 tsp. Salt
For the Veggies
- 1 tbsp. Gochujang optional
- 1 Bell Pepper sliced
- 1 Onion sliced
- 5 cloves Garlic minced
- 1 inch Piece of Ginger minced
Slurry
- 1 tbsp. arrowroot powder
- 1 tbsp. water
Instructions
- Cut the chicken into bite sized pieces, then mix in arrowroot and salt and pepper until coated.
- Sear the chicken in a skillet with oil until browned and almost cooked through but not quite, about 2-3 minutes per side depending on the thickness. Set aside on a paper towel lined plate.
- In a mixing bowl while the chicken cooks, whisk together the coconut aminos, honey, broth, vinegar, and spices. Set aside.
- In the same skillet the chicken was in, add the gochujang if using, garlic, ginger, pepper, and onion. Stir constantly for about 1-2 minutes, keeping the veggies a bit crunchy.
- Pour in the sauce mixture. Add back in the chicken and turn it up 1 notch above medium.
- Allow the chicken to finish cooking for another 1-2 minutes once the sauce boils. The chicken is done when it's no longer pink inside or a thermometer reguster 165F degrees.
- Turn it back to medium. In a separate bowl mix together the slurry ingredients, then pour it into into the sauce as you stir, letting it thicken right up. If it's still not thickened to your liking, repeat with another slurry.
- Spoon over rice, and sprinkle with scallions or sesame seeds if you like.
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