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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.
This post was originally published on August 19, 2021
I made this last night and it was delicious! Definitely going to be a family favorite!
Hey Kathy,
Wonderful! I am so glad that this recipe was enjoyed, thank you so much for giving the recipe a try!! xTieghan
My husband and I made this recipe last night and WOW, this was a winner! We’ll be making this on regular rotation from now on. This dish tastes really great with the suggested coconut rice!
Hey Jane,
Wonderful! I am so glad that this recipe was enjoyed, thank you so much for giving the recipe a try!! xTieghan
So good! So spicy! (Used too much jalapeño with the seeds!) And so quick! This one’s a keeper.
Hey Jodi,
Wonderful! I am so glad that this recipe was enjoyed, thank you so much for giving the recipe a try!! xTieghan
I’m at a novice-home-cook level and let me tell you this was an awesome meal! It legit tastes like something from a restaurant and the family devoured it. This recipe’s a keeper, so glad I happened upon it.
Hey Sabrina,
Wonderful! I am so glad that this recipe was enjoyed, thank you so much for giving the recipe a try!! xTieghan
This was amazing!
Hey Lucy,
Wonderful! I am so glad that this recipe was enjoyed, thank you so much for giving the recipe a try!! xTieghan
I have a picky family and we all loved dish. They even went for seconds!!! THANK YOU!!!!
Hey Kelly,
Wonderful! I am so glad that this recipe was enjoyed, thank you so much for giving the recipe a try!! xTieghan
This was definitely a HIT! I shared it with several friends and will make again.
Hey Denise,
Wonderful! I am so glad that this recipe was enjoyed, thank you so much for giving the recipe a try!! xTieghan
Made this last night and it was a huge hit with my husband, who usually hates stir fry. My nephew didn’t like it but he has zero spice tolerance, especially for pepper, so that’s his problem! It was quick and easy to make, also. Definitely start making the coconut rice FIRST or it won’t be done. I also slightly reduced the soy sauce.
You could easily add or swap out other vegetables depending on preference/the season.
Hey Abby,
Wonderful! I am so glad that this recipe was enjoyed, thank you so much for giving the recipe a try!! xTieghan
Made this the other night for dinner and we both loved it. There is so much basil in the garden along with jalapenos so know we will make this again. Thanks for another winning recipe!
Hey there,
Wonderful! I am so glad that this recipe was enjoyed, thank you so much for giving the recipe a try!! xTieghan
I make two new recipes of yours a week (seriously don’t know what I’d do without you!). But this one has got to be one of the easiest, quickest, and so much flavor for a fast weeknight meal! This will be on repeat in our house!
Hey Laura,
Thanks so much for giving this recipe a try, I love to hear that is was enjoyed:) xTieghan
So goooood!
Hey Clare,
Thanks so much for giving this recipe a try, I love to hear that is was enjoyed:) xTieghan
Super delicious! This is definitely the quickest recipe of yours that I’ve ever made. My life has been changed for the better since I discovered halfbakedharvest!!!!! Thank you for so so many amazing recipes!
Hey Jill,
Thanks so much for giving this recipe a try, I love to hear that is was enjoyed:) xTieghan
This was delicious. Perfect combination of flavors and so easy. Prepped in the morning so it came together so quickly at dinner time.
Hey Susan,
Thanks so much for giving this recipe a try, I love to hear that is was enjoyed:) xTieghan
Made this last night with my 15 year old nephew, ABSOLUTLY AMAZING! Will defiantly be making this again.
Hey Heather,
Thanks so much for giving this recipe a try, I love to hear that is was enjoyed:) xTieghan
Great recipe! This one will definitely be added to my regular rotation. Simple and easy to make with tons of great taste. Thanks for another flavorful meal.
Hey Josslyn,
Fantastic! I am delighted to hear that this recipe was enjoyed, thanks a lot for giving it a try! Have the best week:) xTieghan