Chicken Black Pepper with Egg Fried Rice (Restaurant-Style Chinese Platter at Home)

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Whenever we go out for Chinese food, this is the plate I end up ordering: chicken in a thick, glossy black pepper sauce, a mound of egg fried rice, a fresh salad with that pink creamy dressing, and a crown of crispy white noodles on the side. For a long time I thought this platter was something only restaurants could make. Then one weekend I decided to recreate it at home, piece by piece.

My first try tasted fine, but it did not look or feel like the restaurant version. The chicken was a little dry, and the sauce was thin and pale. Two small changes fixed everything. First, I started coating the chicken in egg white and cornflour before frying, which keeps it soft and juicy. Second, I crush whole black peppercorns just before cooking and thicken the sauce with a cornflour slurry at the very end, so it turns dark, glossy and clings to every piece.

Now this platter is my go-to when the family asks for a restaurant-style dinner at home. Everything can be prepared in stages: the rice boiled in the morning, the chicken marinated in advance, and the crispy noodles fried in seconds just before serving. When it all comes together on one big plate, it honestly looks and tastes like it came from our favourite Chinese restaurant.

What Is in a Chinese Platter?

A Pakistani-style Chinese platter usually brings together one saucy chicken dish, egg fried rice, a crunchy salad with a creamy dressing, and crispy fried noodles. In this version the star is chicken black pepper: tender chicken in a savoury soy and oyster sauce with a strong, warm kick of freshly crushed black pepper.

My Tips for Restaurant-Style Results

• Velvet the chicken. The egg white and cornflour marinade is what makes restaurant chicken so soft.
• Use freshly crushed pepper. Crush whole peppercorns in a mortar or grinder just before cooking.
• Add the cornflour slurry at the end. Pour it in slowly while stirring for a smooth, glossy sauce without lumps.
• Use cold rice. Rice boiled the night before fries up light and separate. For more fried rice tricks, read my wok hei fried rice guide.
• Fry the noodles last. Crispy rice noodles puff in seconds and stay crunchy only for a short while, so fry them just before serving.

More Chinese Favourites

If your family loves this kind of food, try my chicken manchurian with a simple shortcut as another dish for the same platter.

Fozia Siraj

Chicken Black Pepper with Egg Fried Rice (Chinese Platter)

Soft, velvety chicken in a glossy black pepper sauce, served with egg fried rice, crispy fried rice noodles and a creamy salad. A complete restaurant-style Chinese platter made at home.

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Prep Time 25 minutes mins

Cook Time 40 minutes mins

Marinating & Cooling Rice 30 minutes mins

Total Time 1 hour hr 35 minutes mins

Servings: 4 people

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: Chinese, Pakistani Chinese

Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients

  

Chicken Marinade

• 500 g boneless chicken breast cut into bite-size cubes
• 1 egg white
• 2 tbsp cornflour
• 1 tbsp soy sauce
• 1 tsp white vinegar
• 1/2 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp black pepper

Black Pepper Sauce

• 3 tbsp oil
• 1 tbsp garlic finely chopped
• 1 tsp ginger finely chopped
• 2 tbsp soy sauce
• 1 tbsp oyster sauce
• 1 tsp dark soy sauce for colour, optional
• 1 1/2 tsp black peppercorns freshly crushed, or to taste
• 1 tsp sugar
• 1 tsp white vinegar
• 1 cup chicken stock or water
• 1 1/2 tbsp cornflour mixed with 3 tbsp water
• 3 spring onions green parts sliced
• 1 tsp sesame seeds toasted

Egg Fried Rice

• 2 cups basmati rice boiled with salt and cooled completely (see notes)
• 3 tbsp oil
• 2 eggs lightly beaten
• 2 cloves garlic chopped
• 1 small carrot finely diced
• 3 spring onions chopped
• 1 tsp salt or to taste
• 1/2 tsp white pepper
• 1 tsp white vinegar

Crispy Noodles

• 50 g thin rice vermicelli (rice sticks)
• 2 cups oil for deep frying

Salad and Dressing

• 2 cups iceberg lettuce shredded
• 1/2 cup red cabbage finely shredded
• 1 small carrot cut into thin matchsticks
• 3 tbsp mayonnaise
• 1 tbsp ketchup
• 1 tsp chilli garlic sauce
• 1 pinch black pepper

Equipment

• Wok or large frying pan
• Small pot for deep frying
• Mixing Bowls

Method

 

Prepare ahead

1. Boil the rice in salted water until just cooked, drain and spread on a tray to cool completely. Cold, dry rice is the key to fried rice that does not turn sticky.
2. Mix the chicken with all the marinade ingredients and rest for at least 30 minutes.

Cook the chicken black pepper

1. Heat oil in a wok on high heat. Add the chicken in a single layer and stir-fry for 5 to 6 minutes until it turns white and lightly golden. Take it out of the wok.
2. In the same wok, fry the garlic and ginger for 30 seconds until fragrant.
3. Add soy sauce, oyster sauce, dark soy sauce, crushed black pepper, sugar and vinegar. Pour in the stock and bring to a boil.
4. Stir the cornflour slurry and pour it in slowly while stirring. Cook for 1 to 2 minutes until the sauce turns thick and glossy.
5. Return the chicken to the wok, toss to coat and simmer for 2 minutes. Finish with spring onion greens and sesame seeds. Taste and add more pepper if you like it sharper.

Make the egg fried rice

1. Heat oil in a clean wok. Scramble the eggs until just set and push them to one side.
2. Add garlic and carrot and stir-fry for 1 minute.
3. Add the cold rice, salt, white pepper and vinegar. Toss on high heat for 3 to 4 minutes, breaking up any lumps, until every grain is hot. Mix in the spring onions.

Fry the crispy noodles

1. Heat oil in a small pot until very hot. Test with one strand: it should puff up instantly.
2. Add small handfuls of rice vermicelli. They puff up in 2 to 3 seconds, so lift them out straight away and drain on paper towels.

Make the salad and plate up

1. Mix mayonnaise, ketchup, chilli garlic sauce and black pepper into a smooth dressing.
2. On a large platter, arrange the fried rice, the chicken black pepper, the lettuce and cabbage salad with dressing on top, and a pile of crispy noodles. Garnish the rice with carrot matchsticks and serve hot.

Notes

Cold rice matters: boil the rice a few hours ahead or the night before. Freshly cooked rice turns mushy in the wok.

Soft chicken every time: the egg white and cornflour coating (velveting) keeps the chicken juicy, just like restaurants.

Pepper: crush whole peppercorns just before cooking. Ready-made pepper powder does not give the same sharp aroma.

Shortcut: no rice vermicelli? Skip the crispy noodles, or serve with prawn crackers instead.