Thai Garlic Pepper Chicken
A street-stall classic — chicken seared with a punch of garlic and cracked black pepper.
Ingredients
- 400 g Chicken
- 8 cloves Garlic
- 1 tsp Black pepper
- 2 tbsp Soy sauce
- 1 tsp Sugar
- 2 tbsp Neutral oil
- ½ Lime
- 200 g Rice
- 2 tbsp Cilantro (optional)
Method
- Rinse the rice and cook it in twice its volume of water, covered, until tender and the water is absorbed, about 15 minutes.
- While the rice cooks, slice the chicken into thin pieces.
- Roughly pound the garlic and black pepper together, or crush them with the side of a knife, into a coarse paste.
- Heat the oil in a wide pan over high heat. When it shimmers, add the garlic-pepper paste and fry until fragrant, about 30 seconds.
- Add the chicken and stir-fry until just cooked through, about 6 minutes. Add the soy sauce and sugar and toss to glaze.
- Off the heat, squeeze the lime over and serve over the rice with a scatter of cilantro.
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About Thai Garlic Pepper Chicken
Thai garlic pepper chicken, gai gratiam prik thai, is a street-stall standard built on one of Thailand's oldest flavor pairings: pounded garlic and cracked black pepper. Before the chile came to Thai cooking, black pepper carried the heat, and this dish keeps that older character front and center, searing thin slices of chicken with a coarse garlic-pepper paste. It's fast, savory, and unpretentious, the kind of quick stir-fry cooked to order over high heat and served over rice. Pounding the garlic and pepper into a rough paste rather than mincing is what releases their full aroma into the hot oil.
The result is punchy and fragrant: sharp garlic, the warm woody bite of black pepper, and a light soy-and-sugar glaze clinging to just-cooked chicken. A squeeze of lime off the heat and a scatter of cilantro lift it, cutting the richness and keeping it fresh. It's a complete weeknight plate in about twenty minutes, the rice cooking while everything else comes together in a single hot pan. High heat and a fast hand matter here, since the chicken should cook through quickly without drying out and the garlic paste should sizzle without scorching.
Thai Garlic Pepper Chicken: frequently asked questions
How many calories are in Thai Garlic Pepper Chicken?
A serving has about 729 calories — 42.9g protein, 37.9g carbs, 44.6g fat, 1.9g fiber. Figures are estimated from the ingredient amounts and will shift with your portions and brands.
Is it high in protein?
Each serving has about 42.9g of protein, roughly 24% of its calories.
Is Thai Garlic Pepper Chicken gluten-free?
As written, no — it contains Soy sauce. You'd need a certified gluten-free swap for that ingredient to make it gluten-free.
Do I need every ingredient to make Thai Garlic Pepper Chicken?
The core ingredients are essential, but you can leave out cilantro — it's optional and mainly there for extra flavor or finish.
How many servings does Thai Garlic Pepper Chicken make?
This recipe makes 2 servings. In the app you can scale it up or down and the ingredient amounts adjust automatically.