Chicken Kali Mirch / Pepper Chicken (Dry) makes for an easy chicken appetizer, or even a side with a main dish like biryani or fried rice.
And it’s a very low fuss recipe, using limited ingredients (just 3 ingredient marination), and under 30 minutes to make (especially if you have marinated the chicken ahead of time).
This recipe uses boneless chicken, but you can adapt it and use bone-in chicken as well.
In-fact, this recipe came about because I wanted to try and recreate the restaurant style pepper chicken that I had in a South Indian restaurant, and they had used bone-in chicken.
That being said, after having tried both, I personally prefer using boneless chicken for this kind of pepper chicken fry. And bone-in chicken for the curried version of chicken kali mirch.
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Ingredients You Need
Ingredient notes
~ Use boneless chicken thigh meat and not breast meat, for a tender and juicier pepper chicken
How to Make Chicken Kali Mirch (Pepper Chicken Dry)
- To begin with, in a dry mixer, crush the black peppercorns & fennel seeds into a fine powder.
- Then add salt to this pepper & fennel powder, and give it another quick pulse in the mixie.
- The spice rub for marinating the chicken is ready.
- Apply this spice rub to the chicken pieces, ensuring to coat it well.
- Then let the chicken marinate in this spice mix for 1-2 hours.
- Now, in a wide pan, lightly heat up the oil, and add in the black mustard seeds.
- When the mustard seeds start crackling, add the curry leaves, and red chilies (each slit in two parts), and roast for 1-2 minutes, till they get lightly roasted.
- Then add in the chopped onions, a little salt, and saute on medium flame, till the onions start to turn light brown (~ takes about 7-8 minutes).
- When the onions are done, add in the ginger garlic paste & saute for 2-3 mins, just till it loses its raw flavor.
- Finally add in the marinated chicken thigh pieces & mix it in.
- Cook covered on medium high heat, stirring intermittently, till the chicken is fully cooked ( ~ takes about 25-30 minutes).
Serving Suggestion
Serve hot as an appetizer or as a side with a rice dish.
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📖 RECIPE
Chicken Kali Mirch Recipe (Pepper Chicken Dry)
Equipment
- Hexclad Pans
Ingredients
- 2 pound boneless chicken thighs
For chicken marination
- 1 tbsp black peppercorns (kaali mirch ke daane)
- ½ tbsp fennel seeds (saunf)
- 1½ tsp salt
For main roast
- 2 tbsp oil
- 1 tsp black mustard seeds (rai)
- 10 curry leaves (cadipatta)
- 2 dry red chillies
- 1 cup chopped onions
- ½ tsp salt
- 2 tbsp ginger garlic paste
Instructions
Marination for kali mirch chicken
- Clean and cut boneless chicken thigh meat into bite sized chunks / cubes. Set aside.
- In a dry mixer, crush the black peppercorns & fennel seeds into a fine powder.
- Add salt to this pepper & fennel powder, and mix well. The spice rub for marinating the chicken is ready.
- Apply this spice rub to the chicken pieces, ensuring to coat the chicken pieces well. Let the chicken marinate in this spice mix for at-least 1-2 hours.
Making chicken kali mirch (dry)
- In a wide pan, lightly heat up the oil, and add black mustard seeds.
- When the mustard seeds start crackling, add the curry leaves, and red chilies (each slit in two parts), and roast for 1-2 minutes, till they get lightly roasted.
- Then add in the chopped onions & salt, and saute on medium flame, till the onions start to turn light brown (~ takes about 7-8 minutes).
- After this, add in the ginger garlic paste & saute for 2-3 mins, just till it loses its raw flavor.
- Finally add in the marinated chicken thigh pieces & mix well.
- Cook covered on medium high heat, stirring intermittently, till the chicken is fully cooked ( ~ takes about 25-30 minutes).
- Serve this chicken kali mirch (pepper chicken dry) hot.
Notes
- You can adapt this recipe to make chicken kali mirch using bone-in chicken too. But if you are using boneless chicken, then it’s best to go with thigh meat, and not breast meat, for a juicier pepper chicken.
Please note: The nutrition values are best estimates provided as a courtesy. The exact values can vary depending on the exact ingredients or brands used. If you rely on them for your specific diet and/or health issues, please consult a registered dietician or nutritionist.
Nutrition
Video Recipe
This post was first published in 2019, and has been republished with updated instructions, images, as well as a recipe video in July 2021.
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I can already taste the flavors. It looks amazing. Thank you for this awesome recipe. Love your food photos 😀
Thank you so much, Raj. I hope you try it, and enjoy it as much as we do.
Another amazing one, Shantala! I’ll start putting on weight just by visiting your posts now!!
Hehe, I hope not.
Thank you so much for rating. 🙂
One of my fav chicken appetizer! Love it spicy with chill beer LOL
Haha same here. Though it’s margaritas for me! 😀