Salt and pepper chicken is takeout's simplest magic trick — crispy chicken bites, hot aromatics, and a seasoned salt that turns freshly ground pepper into the star. Here's how to get it right at home.
Ingredients (serves 4)
- 1½ lbs boneless chicken thighs, cut into bite-size pieces
- 1 tbsp soy sauce + 1 tbsp Shaoxing wine (or dry sherry)
- ¾ cup cornstarch
- Neutral oil for shallow frying
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 1–2 jalapeños or red chilies, sliced
- 3 scallions, sliced
- Pepper salt: 1 tsp fine sea salt + 2 tsp freshly ground black pepper + ½ tsp sugar + ¼ tsp five-spice (optional)
Method
- Marinate the chicken in soy sauce and wine for 15 minutes while you prep everything else.
- Make the pepper salt. Grind the pepper just before mixing — fresh-cracked pepper from a quality mill is aromatic and almost floral, where pre-ground is just dusty heat. Medium grind is ideal here.
- Coat. Toss the chicken in cornstarch until every piece is dry-coated.
- Fry twice. Shallow-fry in batches over medium-high heat, 3–4 minutes, and drain. Then return everything for a second 1–2 minute fry over high heat — the double fry is what keeps takeout chicken audibly crispy.
- Finish. In a tablespoon of hot oil, flash the garlic, chilies, and scallions, return the chicken, dust generously with the pepper salt, and toss.
Tips
- Thighs stay juicier than breast through two fries.
- Sprinkle any leftover pepper salt on fries, popcorn, or eggs — you'll start making a double batch.
- For a tingly Sichuan-style version, add ground toasted Sichuan peppercorn to the salt — see our Sichuan peppercorn guide.
Love this style? Try our salt and pepper shrimp next, and keep Tellicherry peppercorns in the mill.