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Black Pepper Chicken and Tofu Protein Rice Bowl

A pan with Black Pepper Chicken and Tofu garnished with spring onion.
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This bold and savory Black Pepper Chicken and Tofu Protein Rice Bowl is a delicious meal with tender chicken, silken tofu, and a quick flavor-packed homemade black pepper sauce that brings everything together. Ready in under 30 minutes, it’s great easy dinners on busy weeknights!

Ingredients

Scale

Chicken Marinade:

  • 4.6 ounces / 130 grams Chicken Breast, boneless, skinless – sliced into bite-sized pieces
  • ½ teaspoon Potato Starch (or use Corn Starch)
  • ⅛ teaspoon freshly cracked Black Pepper
  • ⅛ teaspoon Fine Sea Salt
  • 1 teaspoon Low Sodium Light Soy Sauce

Sauce:

  • 1 tablespoon Oyster Sauce
  • ½ tablespoon Low Sodium Light Soy Sauce
  • ¼ teaspoon Dark Soy Sauce
  • 1 teaspoon Shao Xing Rice Wine
  • ½ teaspoon Brown Rice Vinegar
  • ½ teaspoon Toasted Sesame Oil
  • ½ teaspoon Pure Chili Oil (optional – pure chili oil without sediment/flakes)
  • ½ teaspoon freshly cracked Black Pepper
  • ½ teaspoon Light Brown Sugar
  • ¾ tablespoon Water

Black Pepper Chicken and Tofu Protein Rice Bowl:

  • ¼ medium / 50 grams Yellow Onion – chopped
  • 1 clove / 8 grams Garlic – minced
  • 1-3 / 3-10 grams fresh Red Chilies (optional, Bird’s Eye or any small hot variety – note 1) – finely chopped
  • 8 ounce / 220 grams Silken Tofu (1 small box, I used San-Sui Hi-Calcium Organic Silken Tofu) – cut into cubes
  • ½ tablespoon Peanut Oil (or any other neutral cooking oil with a high smoke point)
  • 1 tablespoon / 2 grams Spring Onion (Green Onions/Scallions, dark green parts only) – finely chopped
  • To Serve: Cooked Brown Rice (or Thai Jasmine White Rice – note 2)

Instructions

Prep:

  1. Marinate the chicken: Slice the chicken breasts into bite-sized pieces and add to a medium bowl. Add the potato starch, black pepper, sea salt and low sodium light soy sauce. Mix well to coat, then set aside to marinate while you prepare the rest of the ingredients.
  2. Make the sauce: Mix together the oyster sauce, low sodium light soy sauce, dark soy sauce, Shao Xing rice wine, brown rice vinegar, sesame oil, chili oil, black pepper, brown sugar and water in a small measuring cup (for easier pouring) or bowl until combined well.
  3. Prepare the fresh ingredients: Chop the yellow onion, garlic, and fresh red chilies as indicated in the ‘ingredients’ section. Drain the box of silken tofu and transfer to a small plate or bowl and slice into small cubes.

Black Pepper Chicken and Tofu Protein Rice Bowl:

  1. Cook the chicken: Heat the peanut oil over medium-high heat in small 10-inch nonstick skillet or frying pan and swirl it around. Add the chicken to one side of the pan and allow to sear for a minute. Then flip the pieces and sear the other side for another minute. Sauté until almost fully cooked and browned on the outside.
  2. Sauté the aromatics: Add the yellow onion, garlic and fresh red chilies to the other side of the pan and sauté for a minute until the onion has started to soften and the garlic and chilies are fragrant. Then mix to combine with the chicken.
  3. Add the tofu: Spread everything to the sides of the pan to make space in the center. Add the tofu and allow to cook for a minute before flipping. (It’s okay if some of the cubes break since this is silken tofu and quite soft.)
  4. Pour in the sauce: Add the sauce on top of everything and gently mix to combine until everything is evenly coated and it starts to thicken.
  5. Add the spring onion: Add most of the spring onion dark green parts and mix through to combine, then switch off the heat.
  6. Serve: Serve immediately on top of warm cooked rice and garnish with the reserved spring onion.

Equipment

Notes

  1. Fresh Red Chilies. Adjust quantity to taste based on your heat level preference. Leave them out and the chili oil in the sauce for a milder flavor. 
  2. Brown Rice/White Rice. I served up the black pepper and tofu on top of cooked short grain brown rice. You can serve on top of cooked short grain, medium grain, long grain brown or white rice of your choice. 
  3. Storing and reheating leftovers. Store leftovers, separate from the cooked rice, in the fridge for 3-4 days. Reheat in the microwave on high for 1-2 minutes, stirring halfway through. Reheat cooked rice separately too. Then plate and serve together.
  4. Nutritional information includes the rice for serving. I used 50 grams (uncooked weight) short grain brown rice. It will vary based on the type and amount of rice you use.

Nutrition

Find it online: https://thatspicychick.com/black-pepper-chicken-tofu-protein-rice-bowl/