5.0 from 12 votes
Quick & Easy Salt and Pepper Chicken
Crispy tender chicken packed with salt and pepper flavors stir-fried with fragrant aromatics. This easy Chinese salt and pepper chicken is ready in 20 minutes! A great main that is restaurant quality. I also share how to air-fry the chicken in the Notes section below.
Prep Time
10 mins
Cook Time
10 mins
Total Time
20 mins
Servings: 3
Calories: 250 kcal
Course:
Main Course
Cuisine:
Chinese
Ingredients
- 1 lb skinless boneless chicken thighs or chicken breast
- 4 garlic cloves minced
- 1 large red chilli chopped
- 1 teaspoon ginger thinly sliced
- 1 green onion finely chopped
- ½ teaspoon white granulated sugar or cane sugar
- ¾ tablespoon Shaoxing cooking wine or dry sherry, dry white wine, cooking sake or chicken broth
- ⅓ cup vegetable oil or any neutral oil
- ¼ cup cornstarch or potato starch or arrowroot starch
Chicken Seasoning
- 1 tablespoon Shaoxing cooking wine or dry sherry, dry white wine, cooking sake or chicken broth
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¾ teaspoon black pepper or white pepper
Instructions
- Dice chicken thighs into 1.5-inch wide pieces. Transfer diced chicken to a large bowl and mix in the seasoning ingredients: shaoxing wine, salt and black or white pepper. Optional: if you have extra time, you may marinate the chicken for 10 minutes.
- Add cornstarch to the seasoned chicken and toss until each piece is evenly coated in starch.
- Heat vegetable oil in a large pan on medium heat. Once the oil is hot and shiny, fry chicken for a total of 7-8 minutes until golden and crispy, flipping over halfway.
- Remove fried chicken from the pan and transfer to a wire rack or a paper towel lined plate.
- Reserve 2 teaspoon of the oil in the pan and discard the rest. Reduce to low heat, sauté ginger, garlic, red chili, green onion, and sugar for 30 seconds.
- Add fried chicken and deglaze with shaoxing wine. Toss everything together. Remove off heat and enjoy! Feel free to add more salt and pepper to taste if needed.
Cup of Yum
Notes
- First lightly spray the air fryer basket with vegetable oil, neutral oil or cooking spray.
- Place the seasoned and coated chicken in a single layer into the air fryer basket without overlap giving each piece enough space. You may need to air fry in small batches depending on the size of your air fryer.
- Lightly spray oil or cooking spray over the chicken.
- Air fry at 400 degrees F for 9-12 minutes until golden and cooked with an internal temperature of 165 F with a digital instant read thermometer. No need to flip half way.
Nutrition Information
Calories
250kcal
(13%)
Carbohydrates
14g
(5%)
Protein
30g
(60%)
Fat
6g
(9%)
Saturated Fat
2g
(10%)
Polyunsaturated Fat
1g
Monounsaturated Fat
2g
Trans Fat
0.03g
Cholesterol
144mg
(48%)
Sodium
526mg
(22%)
Potassium
458mg
(13%)
Fiber
1g
(4%)
Sugar
2g
(4%)
Vitamin A
222IU
(4%)
Vitamin C
24mg
(27%)
Calcium
29mg
(3%)
Iron
2mg
(11%)
Nutrition Facts
Serving: 3Serving
Amount Per Serving
Calories 250
% Daily Value*
| Calories | 250kcal | 13% |
| Carbohydrates | 14g | 5% |
| Protein | 30g | 60% |
| Fat | 6g | 9% |
| Saturated Fat | 2g | 10% |
| Polyunsaturated Fat | 1g | 6% |
| Monounsaturated Fat | 2g | 10% |
| Trans Fat | 0.03g | 2% |
| Cholesterol | 144mg | 48% |
| Sodium | 526mg | 22% |
| Potassium | 458mg | 10% |
| Fiber | 1g | 4% |
| Sugar | 2g | 4% |
| Vitamin A | 222IU | 4% |
| Vitamin C | 24mg | 27% |
| Calcium | 29mg | 3% |
| Iron | 2mg | 11% |
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.