I am so excited about today’s menu, we’re cooking Panda Express Black Pepper Chicken Copycat.
If you’re anything like me, you too love a good Chinese take-out meal.
But…yes, there’s always a but, BUT, sometimes I just don’t want to eat other folks cooking.
Let me explain my reasoning behind not eating take-out all the time.
Baby Girl is allergic to seafood, and because of this I limit eating out.
When Baby Girl was born she was allergic to everything from dairy, seafood, soap, lotion, people. O.K., not people, lol, just kidding, but she was allergic to everything else.
I can’t even begin to explain the amount of money I spent finding out what didn’t irritate her sensitive body.
BTW, you can’t return stuff because your kid is allergic. Let’s just say, this turned me into a real food freak.
Yes, I read labels, I read about companies, I need to know the background of everything I bring into my home because of my baby allergies.
Oh, I know she’s not a baby, she’s 15 going on 30, 5’7, and wears my clothes and shoes. But, she’s always going to be my baby!
Lastly, the reason I cook my own take-out is because I know exactly what’s in it.
And this leads me to this wonderful Copycat Panda Express Black Pepper Chicken.
I am allergic to MSG, and although according to Panda Express their food is MSG-Free, I still feel better cooking my own Chinese take-out.
I love fresh vegetables and I can load my Chinese take-out with veggies straight from my garden.
This is a quick 30 minute meal, so that’s another added bonus.
I used chicken thighs but you can substitute with breast meat if you prefer.
Another added note, I love my food spicy, but if you can’t handle the heat, please don’t use the jalapeno pepper.
If you want a little heat, then remove the seeds and vein from the pepper which holds most of the heat.
I also used my favorite veggies but I’ve made this with zucchini, baby corn, and peas in the past.
All done in less time than it takes to go out for take-out.
I served this with my Indian Buttered Rice, my family is hooked on this rice and request it with every meal.
Don’t forget to check out my Panda Express Firecracker Chicken Copycat or P.F. Chang’s Orange Peel Chicken Copycat if you want something a little sweeter.
Enjoy!
Ingredients
- 6 chicken thighs, boneless, skinless
- 1 green bell pepper, diced
- 1 orange bell pepper, diced
- 1 red onion, sliced
- 1 stalk celery, sliced
- 1 green onion, sliced
- 2 tablespoons corn starch
- 1 tablespoon creole seasoning
- 1/2 tablespoon black pepper
- 1/2 tablespoon garlic powder
- 1/2 tablespoon onion powder
- 1 teaspoon ginger powder
- extra virgin olive oil
- cooked rice
- 1/2 cup chicken broth, low sodium
- 1/4 cup oyster sauce
- 1/4 cup rice wine vinegar
- 1/2 tablespoon garlic, minced
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 teaspoon chili powder
- 1/2 teaspoon ginger powder
Instructions
- Mix sauce ingredients together and set aside.
- For the Chicken:
- Rinse chicken and pat dry, cut into 1 inch cubes, place into a bowl.
- Coat chicken with seasonings and mix well. Pour cornstarch over chicken and mix well.
- Heat about 2 tablespoons of olive oil over medium heat in a large skillet, add 1/2 the chicken and cook for 3 minutes per side.
- Remove chicken from pan, place on a plate and repeat the sauteing process with the second batch of chicken.
- Place all the chicken back into the pan and add vegetables, saute for about 5 minutes until vegetables are tender.
- Add sauce and broth to pan, bring mixture to boil, reduce heat and simmer for about 10 minutes.
- Serve chicken over hot rice.
- Enjoy!
