Pepper Chicken Recipe

Pepper Chicken recipe with step-by-step photos & a recipe video. Pepper Chicken is a popular South Indian dry chicken recipe made with chicken, stir-fried with onions, garlic, curry leaves, and freshly ground black pepper masala. Serve this spicy pepper chicken fry as a side dish with steamed rice and dal.

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This recipe is different from Chinese black pepper chicken. If you love to cook your chicken with veggies and sauces then try this Chinese black pepper chicken stir fry recipe.

Pepper Chicken Dry

This dry pepper chicken recipe is from Andhra cuisine, famous for its spicy dishes. The specialty of this chicken dish is its freshly ground pepper chicken masala. It gives an amazing aroma and restaurant-style flavor to the chicken.

If you love Andhra recipes, you may also like our Andhra Chicken Fry, Andhra Fish Fry, and Hyderabadi Chicken Masala.

Dishes from South Indian cuisine are mainly flavored with black pepper and fresh curry leaves. This dry pepper chicken recipe tastes absolutely delicious similar to what you get at the restaurants.

About this recipe

In this recipe post, I am sharing how to make pepper chicken recipe. Freshly ground pepper masala gives this dish a unique aroma and flavor.

This dish looks spicy but you can always adjust the spice level as per your taste. I have shared some tips in this recipe post to reduce the spiciness of the dish.

I have posted many chicken recipes on this website but this recipe is our family favorite. Even my kids approved of it.

We love the beautiful aroma & the spicy flavor of this dish. Try this recipe, you will not be disappointed.

If you like this recipe, you may be interested in these other amazing Indian chicken recipes

• Andhra Chicken Fry
• Hyderabadi Chicken Masala
• Chicken Masala Fry
• Kolhapuri chicken sukka
• Chicken 65
• Dahi chicken

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Why You Need This Recipe

• Easy step-by-step instructions with a recipe video.
• Quick & easy to make– The spices required to make this dish are very simple and easily available in the kitchen pantry. You can make this simple chicken fry within 30 minutes.
• Easy to customize – All the ingredients to make this peppered chicken are easily available in the Indian kitchen pantry. See the ingredient list below for alternative ingredients. You can add or skip the ingredients as per your taste.
• One-pan recipe – You can make this dry chicken recipe in a single pan.
• Homemade pepper masala powder – The aroma and flavors of this masala are amazing. You can easily make it at home within 15 minutes.
• Make-ahead recipe – You can make this recipe ahead of time. Let it come to room temperature. Transfer it to an airtight container and refrigerate. Stays good for 2-3 days in the refrigerator.
• Freezer-friendly – This recipe freezes well. Stays good for 15 days.
• Gluten-free

Pepper Chicken Ingredients and Substitutions

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1. Chicken – I have used chicken with bones to make this recipe. Chicken with bones tastes better. However, you can also use boneless chicken breasts or chicken thighs.
2. Spices – Black pepper, fennel seeds, coriander seeds, cumin, cloves, green cardamom, and cinnamon.
3. Onions – I have used red onions for this recipe. Substitute it with yellow onion.
4. Ginger & garlic – Basics of Indian cuisine. Fresh ginger and garlic cloves give a nice aroma and flavor to the chicken dish. Use fresh ginger and garlic paste for the best flavor. You can substitute it with store-bought ginger-garlic paste.
5. Spice powders – Turmeric powder, and red chili powder. You can use any red chili powder but the spiciness of red chili powder differs. Add it according to its spiciness.
6. Salt
7. Lemon juice – It gives a nice tangy flavor to this chicken dish. Substitute it with vinegar.
8. Herbs – Coriander leaves and fresh curry leaves.

For the detailed list of ingredients & their measurements, please check out the recipe card below.

Cooking Tips

1. Marinate the chicken for at least 30 minutes to an hour. If you are marinating the chicken for an hour then cover and keep it in the refrigerator. Do not skip the marination step. Marinating the chicken makes it tender and juicy. Also, prevents the chicken from drying out.
2. Dry roast the ingredients, stirring continuously on low heat until aromatic. Stir continuously while roasting the spices so that they get roasted evenly.
3. Be careful while adding water to the recipe. It is a dry chicken recipe so add less water while cooking the chicken.
4. To reduce the spiciness – decrease the quantity of black pepper and skip adding red chili powder to the recipe. Similarly, if you want to make it spicy then increase the quantity of red chili powder in the recipe. The recipe I shared here will give you mildly spiced chicken.
5. Curry leaves give this chicken fry its authentic flavor and aroma. Do not skip it.

How to make Pepper Chicken Recipe (Step-by-step instructions with photos)

Preparations

1. Marinate the chicken with yogurt, ginger-garlic paste, and salt. Cover and keep it aside for 30 minutes.
2. Chop the onions and set them aside.

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Making pepper masala

1. Heat a deep bottom pan over medium-low heat.
2. Roast cumin, black peppercorns, fennel, coriander seeds, cinnamon, green cardamom, and cloves until aromatic. Transfer it to a plate.
3. Let it cool down to room temperature. Grind it to a fine powder. Pepper masala is ready.

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To make dry pepper chicken recipe

1. Heat 2 tbsp of oil in a deep bottom pan over medium heat.
2. Add onions and saute until golden.
3. Add the marinated chicken and cook until the color of the chicken changes from pink to white.
4. Add turmeric powder, red chili powder, and pepper masala. Combine and cook it for 2-3 minutes.
5. Add 1/4 cup of water and combine.

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6. Cover and cook on low-medium heat until the chicken is cooked. Stir it frequently in between to avoid masala sticking to the bottom of the pan.
7. Taste the masala and add salt.
8. Add lemon juice and fresh curry leaves.
9. On medium-high heat, combine and cook until the gravy dries up. It will take around 2 minutes.
10. Cook until masala starts to leave oil from the sides.
11. Garnish with coriander leaves and serve.
12. Serve pepper chicken fry with steamed rice and dal.

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Serving Suggestion

• Serve it with Roti/Paratha (Indian flatbread)
• You can also serve it with steamed rice and dal. It is my favorite combination. Serve some salad and lemon wedge on the side.
• For low-carb options serve it with cauliflower rice or quinoa.
• You can also serve it with steamed rice and rasam.
• Or serve it with Fried rice.

Storage Suggestion

• Store the leftovers within 2 hours of making the dish.
• Let the leftovers come to room temperature. Transfer the ingredients to an airtight container and refrigerate. Stays good for 2 days. Reheat it in the microwave or stovetop until piping hot and serve.
• You can also freeze it. Stays good for a month.

Variations that you can try

• Add some greens or vegetables to the recipe – Add streamed broccoli, baby spinach, capsicum, etc.
• Make it with shrimp instead of chicken.

If you make this recipe, please leave a comment and a starred review below.

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