Next Post
Swirled Blackberry Lavender Sheet Cake.
This post may contain affiliate links, please see our privacy policy for details.
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.
Absolutely delicious. Doubled the recipe. Love!!!
Hi Kat,
Awesome!! Love to hear this recipe was a winner, thanks for making it. Have the best week:) xT
This was very easy to make and delicious! Even without the rice (I messed up the rice). I’m sure it’ll be even better with rice.
Hey Meg,
Fantastic!! I am thrilled to hear that this recipe was a winner, thanks so much for making it! xTieghan
Delicious! Made this for dinner the other night and it was a hit. We’ve added this into the weekly dinner rotation. Thank you!
Hi Isabel,
Happy Sunday! I am thrilled to hear this recipe was enjoyed, thanks so much for making it! xTieghan
First of all, I love your recipes. Never cooked in my life and these are so easy to follow. This one is a Fantastic recipe. The flavors are unbelievable! I used a little less honey and added more veggies – green beans & sugar snap peas. Overall, so flavorful. Also, I used farro instead of rice. Question for you, can indirectly substitute chicken for tofu to make this vegetarian friendly?
Hey there,
Happy Friday! Thanks so much for giving this recipe a try, I love to hear that it was enjoyed! Sure, tofu would work well for you! xTieghan
I made this for dinner tonite. It’s becoming a bi-monthly dish in the rotation. A favorite!
Hi Pam,
Thank you so very much for trying this recipe, I love to hear that it was enjoyed! xxTieghan
This has become a staple in our dinner rotation!!! An absolute favorite !!!! It hits all the flavor notes , and makes a fabulous lunch the following day . Thank you , Tieghan!!!!
Hi Lisa,
Thank you so very much for giving this recipe a try, I love to hear that it was enjoyed! Happy Holidays!??
Holy moly this is a new favorite, been making this on repeat since I found the recipe a few weeks ago. I love spice and find the two jalapeños perfect but for other folks who don’t lean into spicy should probably stick to one jalapeño. I add quartered button mushrooms for extra veggies. And the basil really makes a difference. Tieghan does it again!
Hi Haley,
Happy Friday! I am thrilled to hear that this recipe was enjoyed. Thanks so much for making it and happy holidays!❄️ xTieghan
I think I’ve made this recipe about 6 times now and it’s so good every time! I always add more jalapenos for more heat, this stir fry is so flavorful and comforting.
Hey Anna,
Awesome!! I am so glad to hear this recipe was enjoyed, thanks for making it! Have the best weekend! xTieghan
This had amazing flavor! Omitted the jalapeños and added some broccoli and scallions. After I cooked the veggies I put them on a plate and fried the chicken in some butter and wow it was amazing when everything was added back together with the sauce!
Hey Erica,
Awesome!! Thanks a bunch for making this recipe, I am so glad to hear that it was enjoyed! xTieghan
Made this last night for the first time. I used a lot less jalapeno, as I don’t love really spicy food and added broccoli to it. It was amazing. Don’t skip the Basil. It is a great compliment. My teenagers and husband loved it. Eating the leftovers right now for breakfast! I also made the coconut lemongrass rice to serve with it. It is very easy to make and is a great way to take your plain rice up a notch. Both dishes will be in my regular repertoire of dinner recipes. Thank you Tiegan for another great recipe. Love your site and recipes.
Hey Diana,
I love to hear that this recipe worked out for you, thanks a bunch for giving it a try! xTieghan
This recipe is fire, yes. BUT the real star? The coconut rice. I added a lot of extra salt but man, I am never making rice for an Asian or Indian dish any other way. So so good and easy.
Hey Elaine,
Happy Sunday!! Thanks a lot for giving this recipe a try, I am so glad to hear it was enjoyed. Happy Holidays!? xx
Absolutely delicious! I add some steamed broccoli at the end. A great recipe to prep early and throw together at supper time!
Hey Sarah,
Happy Friday! I am thrilled to hear that this recipe was enjoyed, thanks to much for giving it a try!! xTieghan
Delicious recipe! The chicken was very tender, and I loved the coconut rice. I was not able to find lemongrass paste, so I used just the coconut milk. It was the perfect sweet compliment to the spicer chicken. We are definitely adding this to our meal rotation.
Hey Virginia,
Wonderful! It’s so great to hear that this recipe was enjoyed, thanks for making it! xTieghan
Wow, this was delicious, one of our favorites of all your recipes we’ve tried! I made it pretty much according to the recipe, but with only one pound of thin chicken breasts, one tsp. of pepper, two red bell peppers (wasn’t sure if you meant red or green), two jalapenos and 3 tbsp. of sesame oil since we find it more flavorful than olive oil. I also made the lemongrass rice, which was excellent, after I finally found the paste in the produce section (not where I expected it to be). Definitely will be making this again (and again).
Hi Helen,
I am so glad that this recipe was enjoyed, thanks a bunch for trying it out! Happy Thanksgiving! xTieghan
I have never written a review in my life, but this was by the far the best recipe I’ve ever made. There were several ingredients I’ve never bought before in my 15 years of cooking (lemongrass paste), but now will be staples because I will make this meal on repeat. Absolutely phenomenal!
Hey Jessica,
Awesome!! I love to hear that this recipe was enjoyed, thanks a bunch for giving it a try! xTieghan
I just made this. It was easy to make and delicious. I used one jalapeno. The only change I made was that I added some sauteed mushrooms. I served it over coconut rice and will definitely make again!
Hey Megan,
Thanks a lot for giving this recipe a try, I am so glad to hear it was enjoyed! Have the best day! xTieghan