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Weeknight style 25 Minute Black Pepper Jalapeño Basil Chicken Stir Fry. The super fast chicken stir fry that everyone requests. Quick-cooking chicken tossed in a sweet, tangy, and spicy black pepper sauce with plenty of bell peppers, jalapeños, and basil. Serve this chicken over coconut lemongrass rice. Every bite is saucy, sweet, spicy, and perfectly seasoned with basil. It’s delicious and healthy.
The summer of my freshman year, I remember making chicken stir-fry all the time. This was the summer I really started to get into cooking. It was also the summer I got into the habit of cooking dinner for my family, I loved it. It was always such a release of creative energy for me at the end of the day.
Chicken stir-fry was one of the dinners I had the most fun experimenting with. You don’t need a specific recipe for stir-fry. For me, it’s always a mix of whatever vegetables I have on hand. And my sauce, it’s almost never the same.
Stir-fry is fun because you can do what you want with it. So today I’m sharing a quick stir-fry recipe that was just so good it needed to be written down…and hopefully made on repeat.
This really is fast, here are the details
First up, toss the chicken with a little cornstarch, turmeric, and ginger. Tossing the chicken with cornstarch helps the sauce to thicken nicely around the chicken.
Now make the sauce. It’s simply, honey, soy sauce, rice vinegar, fish sauce (if you’d like), and plenty of black pepper.
Then stir fry the peppers and jalapeños until they just begin to soften. Add the chicken and give everything a nice toss. Then pour the sauce over top and let it simmer down and thicken over the chicken and peppers
While the chicken cooks, I always make some coconut rice with a touch of lemongrass. Using coconut milk in the rice adds additional creaminess, and the lemongrass keeps it flavorful. SO GOOD.
Now, put it all together
Spoon the rice into bowls, then add the chicken and peppers. Finish each bowl off with fresh basil.
Then serve it up right off the stove.
This really is that simple and that quick-cooking. Honestly, this will take you no more than thirty minutes to make.
Looking for other quick stir fry recipes? Here are some favorites:
30 Minute Better Than Takeout Thai Drunken Noodles
20 Minute Stir Fried Honey Ginger Sesame Noodles
30 Minute Extra Saucy Thai Summer Noodle Stir Fry with Sesame Peanuts
Lastly, if you make these 25 Minute Black Pepper Jalapeño Basil Chicken Stir Fry, be sure to leave a comment and/or give this recipe a rating! Above all, I love to hear from you guys and always do my best to respond to each and every comment. And of course, if you do make this recipe, don’t forget to tag me on Instagram! Looking through the photos of recipes you all have made is my favorite!
25 Minute Black Pepper Jalapeño Basil Chicken Stir Fry
Servings: 6
Calories Per Serving: 335 kcal
Nutritional information is only an estimate. The accuracy of the nutritional information for any recipe on this site is not guaranteed.
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 pounds boneless skinless chicken thighs or breasts, thinly sliced
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
- 1 teaspoon ground turmeric
- 1 teaspoon ground ginger
- 1-2 teaspoons black pepper
- 3 tablespoons sesame oil or extra virgin olive oil
- 1/3 cup low sodium soy sauce
- 1/4 cup honey
- 2 tablespoons rice vinegar
- 1 tablespoon fish sauce (optional)
- 2 bell peppers, sliced
- 1-2 jalapeños, seeded, if desired, and sliced
- 1 medium shallot, sliced
- 1 cup fresh Thai or regular basil chopped
Instructions
- 1. In a medium bowl, toss together the chicken, cornstarch, turmeric, ginger, and black pepper. 2. In a glass jar, combine the honey, soy sauce, rice vinegar, fish sauce (if using) and 1/4 cup water.3. Heat the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the bell peppers, jalapeños, and shallots, cook 2-3 minutes, until the peppers are charring. Stir in the chicken, tossing to combine with the peppers, cook 2 minutes. 4. Pour in the honey/soy sauce mix. Bring the sauce to a boil over medium-high heat and cook until the sauce coats the chicken, about 8-10 minutes. Remove from the heat and stir in the basil.5. Serve the chicken and sauce over bowls of coconut lemongrass rice (recipe in notes). Top with plenty of fresh basil.
Notes
Coconut Lemongrass Rice: Combine 1 (14 ounce) can coconut milk and 1/2 cup water in a medium pot. Bring to a low boil. Add 1 cup basmati rice, 1-2 tablespoons lemongrass paste, and a pinch of salt. Stir to combine, cover, then turn the heat down to the lowest setting possible. Allow the rice to cook 10 minutes on low, then turn the heat off completely and let the rice sit, covered, for another 15-20 minutes (don’t take any peeks inside!). Remove the lid and fluff the rice with a fork.
Loved this recipe! Like others have commented, don’t sleep on the coconut lemongrass rice! It is a real value add to the recipe. As a tip for those of us on low salt diets, don’t hesitate to make this recipe with less soy sauce. I used two tablespoons of soy sauce and still loved the recipe!
Hey Jenny,
Happy Friday!! I so appreciate you giving this recipe a try, I love to hear that it was enjoyed!! xTieghan
This is so good! I added some extra veggies (broccoli, squash, and carrots) and my husband and I both really enjoyed it. Next time I think I’ll also add some fresh pineapple and maybe some cashews. This recipe is definitely a keeper.
Hey Candace,
Wonderful!! So glad to hear that this recipe was loved, thanks for making it:) xTieghan
I followed this recipe exactly and it was not good. The flavors were not balanced…it almost had a sour taste. 2nd time making a dish from this site and not having good luck. Fool me once…
Hey Sem,
So sorry to hear this, please let me know if I can help in anyway! xTieghan
Absolutely delicious love the ginger and honey flavours. Coconut rice made a great pairing.
Hey Bob,
Awesome! I am so glad that this recipe was enjoyed, thanks for giving it a go! xTieghan
Hi! Could this be made with shrimp? Any modifications to the sauce at all? It looks amazing!!!
Best,
Alli
Hey Alli,
Shrimp would work well for you here! I hope you love this recipe, please let me know if you give it a try! xTieghan
Loved this recipe!! Served on the coconut rice and with Trader Joe’s pot stickers. Will be making this again!
Literally just finished my plate and had to write a review about how GOOD this dish is! The coconut lemongrass rice is NOT optional–it makes the dish! I have never had rice turn out so good, perfectly cooked and full of flavor. As far as the chicken/sauce/veggies, *chef kiss*
The dish is perfect as is, but if you wanted to add different veggies, omit the jalenpeno if spice isn’t your thing then you could easily customize this dish. I felt like a chef today, thanks Tieghan! This just made it to the top of my rotation.
Hey Jill,
Awesome! I am so glad to hear that this recipe was enjoyed, thanks for making it! Have the best weekend! xTieghan
Hey Kate,
Awesome! I am so glad to hear that this recipe was enjoyed, thanks for making it! Have the best weekend! xTieghan
This was fantastic!
Quick and easy as described and so flavorful!
I didn’t have the lemongrass paste but the rice was still great from the coconut milk so it is definitely worth making even if you don’t have the paste.
The chicken was so tender! Not my usual mo so I’m not taking the credit for that 🙂 so I am just curious if the cornstarch has the same effect as I’ve read with velveting chicken with baking soda or was it just purely to help thicken the sauce?
Thanks for another great recipe!
Hey Lori,
Happy Friday!! I am thrilled that this recipe was a winner, thanks so much for giving it a try! The cornstarch has that same effect:) xTieghan
This was an AMAZING recipe! Loved everything about it, the rice and basil pushed it over the top. Can’t wait to eat leftovers, and will definitely be repeating this one!
Hey Rachael,
Happy Friday!! I am thrilled that this recipe was a winner, thanks so much for giving it a try! xTieghan
My fiance had one word to describe this…..”EPIC!!” I followed this recipe to a T. Easy to shop for, smelled amazing, looked fantastic on the plate, tasted even better. Nothing left over, not a single bite. Nada. Thank you for making me look like a total Rockstar!
Hey Heather,
Happy Friday!! I am thrilled that this recipe was a winner, thanks so much for giving it a try! xTieghan
I loved this recipe and it was easy
Hey Stephanie,
I am so glad to hear that this recipe was enjoyed, thanks so much for giving it a try! xTieghan
This was so so so delicious! Another great recipe 🙂
Hey Gabriella,
Thanks so much for making this recipe, I am delighted to hear that it was enjoyed! Have the best weekend:) xTieghan
Very good, and super quick, thank you for sharing it with us!
Hey Hilary,
Awesome! So good to hear that this recipe was a winner, thanks a bunch for giving it a try! xx
This is so good! I deseeded the jalapeños as some in my house are against spicy and added some additional jalapeño slices with seeds on top for those that wanted the heat – rave reviews from all! This will be in the regular rotation!
Hey Anne,
Awesome! So good to hear that this recipe was a winner, thanks a bunch for giving it a try! xx
I made this chicken for my family last night and got raving reviews. My kids (6 & 4) are not adventurous eaters but cleaned their plate. My husband loves spice and was very pleased. Thanks for sharing!
Hey Kimmie,
Awesome! So good to hear that this recipe was a winner, thanks a bunch for giving it a try! xx
We had this for dinner last night and we loved it. Thanks for sharing.
Hey Vicky,
Awesome! So good to hear that this recipe was a winner, thanks a bunch for giving it a try! xx