Cherry & Dennis Helper Habitat
Hong Kong-style Black Pepper Chicken Rice
港式黑椒雞扒飯
Recipe overview
Whole chicken steaks are pan-fried until golden and fully cooked, then served with onion black-pepper sauce and hot rice. Dividing the pepper between marinade and sauce builds balanced flavour.
01
Ingredients
Main ingredients
- 600 g chicken thighs
- 800 g cooked rice (Use freshly cooked rice held above60°C; rice cooking is additional)
- 1 piece onion
Marinade
- 1 tbsp light soy sauce
- 1 tbsp cornstarch
- 1 tsp Black pepper
- 1 tbsp neutral cooking oil
Sauce
- 150 ml water
- 1 tbsp oyster sauce
- 1 tsp dark soy sauce
- 1 tsp sugar
- 1 tsp Black pepper
Seasoning
- 1 tbsp neutral cooking oil
02
Tools
- knife
- cutting board
- mixing bowl
- small bowl
- frying pan
- tongs
- spatula
- measuring cup
- measuring spoons
- food thermometer
- serving plate
- timer
- Oven (for holding batch one)
- Clean baking tray
03
Steps
Step 1
Trim and flatten chicken
Trim excess fat and open the thighs into four steaks about two centimetres thick. If two batches are needed, preheat the oven to 100°C during preparation and ready a clean baking tray for holding the cooked first batch.
Step 2
Marinate chicken 10 minutes
Mix chicken with1tbsp each soy,starch and marinade oil plus1tsp pepper; cover and marinate10 minutes in the fridge. Slice onion and mix sauce meanwhile.
Step 3
Slice onion
Peel the onion and cut it into thin crescents.
Step 4
Mix pepper sauce
Mix 150 ml water with one tablespoon oyster sauce and one teaspoon each dark soy, sugar and pepper.
Step 5
Heat pan and oil
Measure 1 tbsp frying oil. If 4 thighs fit a single layer, use it for one batch; otherwise use 1/2 tbsp for each of two batches. Heat over medium until shimmering without smoking.
Step 6
Sear first side
Cook chicken in one uncrowded layer5 minutes on the first side. If four do not fit,use two batches with1/2tbsp frying oil per batch; refrigerate raw waiting chicken and hold cooked batch one above60°C. Apply the next temperature check to every batch. After batch one meets the next step’s temperature check, place it on the clean tray in the preheated 100°C oven and verify the thickest centre stays above 60°C while cooking batch two.
Step 7
Turn and cook to 75°C
Turn and cook5–6 minutes more. Probe every thickest centre:75°C for30 seconds; continue cooking and recheck if needed before removing.
Step 8
Rest and slice chicken
Rest the chicken on a clean plate for three minutes, then cut into thick strips.
Step 9
Soften onion
Stir-fry the onion in the same pan for two minutes until slightly soft.
Step 10
Simmer pepper sauce
Pour in the pepper sauce, stir and simmer for two minutes until slightly thickened.
Step 11
Return chicken to sauce
Return the chicken and fold for one minute until coated in hot sauce.
Step 12
Plate with hot rice
Divide 800 g hot rice into four portions and top with chicken and onion pepper sauce.
Common mistakes
- Changing the step order can cause uneven doneness and texture.
- Excessive heat or too little cooking time can dry the liquid or leave food undercooked.
- Using unwashed tools for both raw and cooked food increases cross-contamination risk.
Tips
Measure every ingredient by group before starting.
Taste near the end and adjust salt gradually.
