Black Pepper Mushroom Chicken Stir Fry

This mushroom chicken stir fry features tender sautéed mushrooms and golden pan-fried chicken cubes tossed in a savory black pepper stir fry sauce.

With back-to-school season either in full swing or soon for a lot of folks, my mind is on all the easy weeknight recipes and naturally, that means a good stir fry is inevitable!

And when I say good what I really mean is the bomb because holy cow, this is just an absolute pan of dinner gold.

I’m not sure if it’s the crispy chicken or the tender mushrooms I’m more in love with here but I should probably eat more and let you know.

My absolute favorite part about this stir-fry is that anything goes in the mushroom department! You can use several different kinds of wild mushrooms such as oysters, cremini, etc, but it also works just as well with affordable button mushrooms.

Bottom line: your dinner agenda is begging for this.

This Stir Fry features…

• Tender sauteed mixed mushrooms and green onions
• Crispy, golden pan-fried chicken pieces
• A savory black pepper soy sauce

Making the Stir Fry

(scroll down to the bottom of the post for the full recipe)

Ingredients You Will Need

• Chicken thighs
• Cornstarch
• Soy sauce
• Kosher salt
• Black pepper
• Vegetable oil
• Mushrooms
• Green onions
• Garlic
• Ginger
• Brown sugar
• Sesame oil
• Oyster sauce
• Rice wine vinegar
• Rice

Choosing Your Chicken

I recommend using boneless skinless chicken thighs for this stir-fry. This cut of chicken is fast to pan fry and turns out super tender and juicy inside every time.

If you don’t have thighs on hand, boneless skinless chicken breasts will work, however, they may not cook up quite as juicy as thighs.

Tips for Perfect Stir Fry

1. Cut chicken in uniform pieces – aim for 1-inch cubes so the chicken cooks evenly.
2. Coat chicken in cornstarch – a light cornstarch coating and just a touch of soy sauce to help it stick will ensure the chicken cooks up crispy on the outside and juicy on the inside.
3. Use a wok – using a wok gives you a heating surface most ideal for stir fries. If you don’t have a wok, you can use a large stainless steel skillet instead.
4. Pan fry in a single layer – work in batches to pan fry the chicken, adding more oil to the pan as needed. Be careful not to overcrowd the pan or the chicken won’t crisp up evenly.
5. Cook mushrooms separately from chicken – the mushrooms cook quickly alongside the green onions so I prefer cooking these separately from the chicken.
6. Use freshly-ground black pepper – you can’t beat the flavor of freshly-ground pepper and I highly recommend going this route.

Recipe Variations

Try these ideas for a different twist on this stir fry.

• Use different vegetables – try adding sweet pepper, snow peas, carrots, broccoli, green beans, or cabbage.
• Make it spicy – this stir-fry is mild as-is, but you can easily add some heat by adding a minced jalapeno or serrano pepper, red pepper flakes, or hot sauce.
• Use beef instead of chicken – thinly sliced beef strips will work great in place of the chicken thighs.

Serving Suggestions

I recommend serving this stir-fry hot from the wok or skillet alongside steamed white rice, brown rice, cauliflower rice, or quinoa with lots of extra green onions on top.

Has there ever been a more gorgeous bowl in the history of dinners?? It’s almost unreal how incredible the tender mushrooms and golden chicken cubes pair with that black pepper sauce and there’s so much savory umami flavor in every bite.

I hate to say it but it’s dishes like this that put my favorite Asian food take-out place in serious danger of losing my patronage. This stuff is just too good.

Save this recipe using the ‘save to recipe box’ button below. If you make it, please let us know! Leave a comment + star rating below, or take a photo and tag it on with #wholeandheavenlyoven.

More stir fries to add to your menu next!

• Peanut Satay Chicken Stir Fry
• Thai Basil Beef Stir Fry
• Cashew Tofu Stir Fry