This Black Pepper Chicken is a quick easy one-pot dish and a delicious Chinese-inspired dish based on Panda Express’ popular black pepper chicken! This speedy stir-fry is ready to dive into in well under half an hour. This quick and easy dish is made with crisp peppers, sauteed onions, and crunchy celery!

• 2 tablespoons sesame oil, divided
• 1 pound boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into bite-sized pieces
• 1/2 cup baby Bella mushrooms, cored and thinly sliced
• 1 small red onion, peeled and thinly-sliced
• 2 stalks of celery, thinly sliced on a bias
• 2 cloves garlic, peeled and minced
• 1/4 cup soy sauce
• 1 tablespoon cornstarch
• 1 tablespoon oyster sauce
• 1 tablespoon rice wine vinegar
• 2 teaspoons freshly-cracked black pepper
• 1/4 teaspoon ground ginger

Directions:

1. Heat 1 tablespoon oil over medium-high heat in a large sauté pan or wok.  Add chicken and sauté for 4-5 minutes, stirring occasionally, until the chicken is cooked through and no longer pink on the inside.  Use a slotted spoon to transfer the chicken to a clean plate, and set it aside.
2. Add the remaining 1 tablespoon oil to the sauté pan, along with the bell pepper, onion, celery and garlic.  Sauté for 5-6 more minutes, stirring occasionally.
3. as the veggies are sautéing, whisk together the soy sauce, cornstarch, oyster sauce, vinegar, black pepper and ginger in a small bowl until combined.
4. add the chicken and sauce mixture to the pan, and stir until the veggies and chicken are evenly coated.  Continue to cook for 1-2 minutes, or until the sauce has thickened.  Taste, and season with extra soy sauce and/or black pepper as desired.
5. Remove from heat, and serve immediately.