Black Pepper Chicken (Panda Express Copycat)

Photo from Table for Two blog

Panda Express is, sadly, one of my go-to dinner or lunch places. I usually get the chow mein and orange chicken, but every now and then I'll branch out and get their Black Pepper chicken. 

This recipe didn't even come close to how good the real Panda Express version is. I am not sure why other than it just didn't have a ton of flavor. It was just kinda meh.

If I want this in the future, I'll just go to Panda Express.

Black Pepper Chicken (Panda Express Copycat)

Recipe from Table for Two Blog

Serves 2

FOR THE SAUCE:

• ½ c chicken broth
• ¼ c oyster sauce
• ¼ c rice vinegar
• 1 clove of garlic, minced
• 1 T dark brown sugar
• ½ T cornstarch
• 1 tsp ground black pepper, see note below
• ½ tsp chili powder
• ¼ tsp ginger powder

FOR THE REST OF THE DISH:

• 1 ¼ pound boneless skinless chicken thighs, cubed into smaller pieces
• 1 T cornstarch
• Splash of low-sodium soy sauce
• 1 medium green bell pepper, cut into 1" pieces
• ½ large white onion, cut into 1" pieces
• 3 stalks of celery, sliced into 1" angles

Whisk together all the ingredients for the sauce in a small bowl. Set aside.

Heat up a skillet over medium high heat and add a little cooking oil to it. Once the oil is hot, add the chicken cubes and cook until browned and half cooked through. Remove from skillet and put on a plate. We'll come back to it later.

In the same skillet, add green bell pepper, onion, and celery. Cook until tender and softened, about 5-7 minutes.

At this point, add the chicken back in and cook everything about 5 minutes more to ensure chicken is cooked through.

Reduce heat to medium and pour the sauce. Let simmer for 3 minutes and it should thicken up by then. Toss everything to coat in the sauce then remove from heat.

Serve with rice.