Next time you want a quick, flavorful, and healthy meal for lunch or brunch, make a batch of Blackstone Chicken and Pea Pods. This stir-fry uses a velveting technique to keep the chicken exceptionally tender—no more dry breast meat. It’s fast to prepare, easy to customize, and perfect for serving over rice or noodles.
Blackstone Chicken and Pea Pods
Stir-fry is one of the most versatile, weeknight-friendly dinners. This version pairs sliced chicken breasts with sweet sugar snap pea pods and a savory, slightly tangy sauce. If you prefer, swap the breasts for thighs or exchange the pea pods for broccoli, bok choy, bell pepper, or another favorite vegetable. The method stays the same and yields a crisp-tender result.
If you’d rather shortcut the sauce, store-bought stir-fry sauces work fine. The one step you shouldn’t skip is velveting the chicken: it’s what keeps the meat moist and gives the dish that restaurant-style texture.
Recipe Shopping List
Here’s what you’ll need for this recipe. For exact measurements, see the ingredient section in the recipe card below.
- Chicken breasts
- Sugar snap pea pods
- Soy sauce
- Cornstarch
- Vegetable oil
- Sesame oil
- Black vinegar
- Fresh or ground ginger
- Chili garlic sauce
- Honey
- Gochujang (optional)
- Garlic
- Sesame seeds
How to Make This Recipe (Overview)
This overview outlines the main steps so you know what to expect. Full instructions and exact measurements are in the recipe card below.
- Velvet the chicken – Critical for tender, moist chicken. The chicken is briefly marinated and coated to create a silky texture before finishing on the griddle.
- Preheat – Heat your Blackstone or griddle on high so it gets very hot before cooking.
- Precook the chicken – Quickly sear the chicken in a single layer, just long enough to set the exterior. Remove and keep warm.
- Stir-fry the vegetables – Clean the griddle, reapply oil, and stir-fry the pea pods until crisp-tender.
- Finish with sauce – Return the chicken, add the sauce, and stir constantly until the sauce thickens and the chicken is cooked through.
- Serve – Serve over rice, sprinkle with sesame seeds, and enjoy.
Recipe FAQ
Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 2–3 days. A resealable bag also works well.
Reheat briefly in the microwave or on a hot pan. Keep heating time short to avoid drying out the chicken or overcooking the vegetables.
More Asian-Inspired Recipes
- Smoked Spicy Asian Pork Ribs
- Spicy Tonkotsu Miso Ramen
- Traeger Kalbi Beef Short Ribs
- Fried Wontons
- Chicken and Eggplant Stir Fry
- Gochujang Chicken Stir Fry
- Smoked Chinese BBQ Pork
- Salmon Miso Poke Bowl
- Blackstone Teriyaki Steak Yakisoba
- Fried Pork Dumplings with Potsticker Sauce
Blackstone Chicken Stir Fry
This tender chicken and sugar snap pea stir-fry uses a velveting step before the final sear to keep the chicken moist and silky. The sauce balances savory soy, tangy black vinegar, mild heat, and a touch of sweetness.
Ingredients
- 2 pounds chicken breasts
- 1 pound stringless sugar snap pea pods
Velveting Mixture
- 6 tablespoons water
- 6 tablespoons soy sauce
- 4 teaspoons cornstarch
- 4 teaspoons vegetable oil
Stir Fry Sauce
- 2 teaspoons sesame oil
- 6 tablespoons soy sauce
- 2 tablespoons black vinegar
- 1 teaspoon ginger
- 2 teaspoons chili garlic sauce
- 2 teaspoons honey
- 1 teaspoon gochujang (optional)
- 2 teaspoons garlic
- 4 tablespoons water
- 2 teaspoons cornstarch
- 2 teaspoons sesame seeds
Instructions
- Slice the chicken across the grain into ¼-inch-thick strips.
- Combine the water and soy sauce for the initial marinade. Pour over the chicken, cover, and refrigerate for 20 minutes, stirring occasionally. Most of the liquid should be absorbed into the chicken by the end of the marinating time.
- Add the vegetable oil and cornstarch to the chicken, mixing until evenly coated. Return to the refrigerator, covered, for another 15–20 minutes.
- Preheat your Blackstone or griddle on high. Lightly oil the surface. Place the chicken in a single layer and precook for about 20 seconds per side—it’s okay if the chicken doesn’t finish cooking at this stage. Remove to a clean bowl.
- Scrape the griddle clean, add fresh oil, and let it preheat again.
- While the griddle heats, whisk together all stir-fry sauce ingredients in a bowl until smooth.
- Add the pea pods and chicken back to the preheated griddle. Stir constantly with a large spatula for about 2 minutes. Pour the sauce over the chicken and pea pods, stir to coat, and continue cooking until the sauce thickens and the chicken is fully cooked.
- Remove from the griddle and serve over rice, garnished with sesame seeds.
Tips and Variations
- Velveting is the key step—don’t skip it. It gives you moist, tender bite-sized chicken similar to restaurant stir-fry.
- Substitute chicken thighs for richer flavor, or use a mix of vegetables such as broccoli, bell peppers, or bok choy.
- If you prefer a milder sauce, reduce the chili garlic sauce and omit gochujang.
- Leftovers store well for 2–3 days in the refrigerator; reheat briefly to maintain texture.
Nutrition Information (per serving)
Calories: 276 • Total Fat: 8g • Saturated Fat: 2g • Unsaturated Fat: 6g • Trans Fat: 0g • Cholesterol: 96mg • Sodium: 1462mg • Carbohydrates: 10g • Fiber: 2g • Sugar: 4g • Protein: 39g
Nutrition data is an estimate.