I’ve made it a mission to re-create several of my coffee shop and takeout favorites at home, and I haven’t stopped. It turns out that making fakeout dishes like beef and broccoli, vegetable lo mein, and this sesame chicken at home is often really simple, costs less, is easily adaptable to your flavor and dietary requirements, and tastes even better than takeout! Honey sesame chicken is simple to prepare, made with simple kitchen and pantry-friendly ingredients, and can even be meal prepped in advance.
What is sesame chicken?
Like Chinese orange chicken, sesame chicken is a popular Chinese-American dish inspired by General Tso’s chicken and popularly sold at P.F. Changs and Panda Express. However, while these dishes combine crispy battered chicken tossed in a delicious sweet and savory, semi-thick, brownish sauce/glaze made up of similar ingredients, it’s the overall flavor profile that changes. While General Tso’s chicken has a tangier, spicier sauce, Chinese orange chicken adds orange juice and zest for a brighter, fruitier profile. In comparison, sesame sauce chicken contains minimal spice, focusing on sweetness and sesame flavor. Best of all, the sauce takes just minutes to prepare and can even be made in advance.
Sesame chicken ingredients
Prepare this Asian chicken recipe with simple ingredients, many of which may already be in your kitchen/pantry.
Chicken: I used boneless skinless chicken breast, though chicken thighs will also work. You can buy the chicken whole or pre-chopped. Chicken marinade: A simple combination of egg white, soy sauce, white vinegar, baking soda, and corn starch will help to flavor and tenderize the chicken. Dry chicken coating: All you need for the light and crispy coating is all-purpose flour (or gluten-free A.P. flour), cornstarch, paprika, kosher salt, and baking powder. Vegetable oil: Or another neutral, high-heat cooking oil like grapeseed or canola oil.
The Sesame Sauce
Sesame oil: For a slightly nutty, toasty depth in this easy sesame chicken sauce. Sesame seeds: To enhance the sesame flavor. Toast the seeds first for even more flavor. Vinegar: You can use general white vinegar, rice vinegar, or white wine vinegar. Sweeteners: I’ve used a combination of brown sugar and honey for a sticky, sweet, caramelized flavor. Use only one if preferred. Soy sauce: For extra depth, use a combination of dark soy sauce and light or low-sodium soy, though you can use all low-sodium soy if preferred. If gluten-free, use tamari or coconut aminos. Aromatics: This sauce uses both ginger and garlic. Fresh is best, though puree will work in a pinch. Chili sauce: Alternatively, you can use red pepper flakes. Water: Or, for more flavor, use low-sodium chicken broth. Cornstarch: To thicken the sauce into a tasty sesame glaze. Arrowroot flour or tapioca starch would also work.
You can also make sesame shrimp by swapping the chicken for large shrimp and reducing the cooking time accordingly.
How to make sesame chicken
You can make the best sesame chicken recipe in just a few foolproof steps: marinating, battering, and frying the chicken, preparing the sauce, and combining the crispy fried chicken and sauce to serve!
Prepare the Chicken
First, cut the chicken into ½-¾-inch bite-size pieces. Then, in a large mixing bowl, whisk the egg whites into a foam, add the soy sauce and vinegar, and whisk to combine. Add the baking soda and cornstarch, and whisk once more. Toss the chicken into the marinade, ensuring it’s thoroughly coated. Then set it aside – 15 minutes is enough, but you could leave it to marinate overnight in the fridge. Then, mix well and prepare the dry coating by mixing the flour, cornstarch, paprika, baking powder, and salt in a large bowl. Set aside.
Make the Sesame Sauce
First, combine the cornstarch and soy sauce and whisk/mix until lump-free. Then add the vinegar, water, sugar, honey, chili sauce, and sesame oil. Stir and set aside. Next, mince the garlic and ginger while heating a large pan (skillet) over medium heat. Once hot, add the vegetable oil, garlic, and ginger, and sauté for 2 minutes. Stir the sauce once more and pour it into the skillet, using a silicone spatula or spoon to scrape the cornstarch and sugar from the bottom of the bowl if needed. Cook the sauce, stirring often, until the sauce boils, reduces, and thickens. This will take about 1 minute. Finally, stir in the sesame seeds and remove the pan from the heat. You can taste the sauce at this point and adjust any of the ingredients to your liking: chili sauce, sesame oil, sugar, etc.
Fry the Chicken
In a large, high-sided skillet, add at least 1 ½ inches of oil and heat over high heat until it reaches 350ºF/175ºC. If you don’t have a thermometer, dip a wooden skewer into the oil. It should bubble immediately. If it smokes, it’s too hot. Transfer the chicken from the marinade to the dry coating and coat each piece well, pressing the coating into the chicken and then shaking off any excess. Next, carefully transfer the coated chicken pieces to the hot oil and cook until cooked through with a golden brown crispy outer shell (about 4 minutes). It’s important not to overcrowd the pan. Otherwise, the temperature of the oil will be affected. Fry the chicken in batches if necessary. Once cooked, transfer the chicken from the oil to layers of paper towel to drain any excess oil. Finally, toss the fried chicken with the sesame sauce until thoroughly coated and serve. Enjoy!
What to serve with sesame chicken
My favorite way to enjoy this homemade sesame chicken is to garnish it with scallions (green onions) and more sesame seeds and serve it alongside:
Fluffy jasmine rice or easy fried rice, Quick quinoa, Noodles, or low-carb zoodles, Baby corn, Bok choy, Air-fried green beans or pan-fried sugar snap peas, Steamed broccoli, Asian broccoli salad.
More Asian food recipes
Japanese ramen Korean bibimbap Authentic Chinese Eggplant Teriyaki baked salmon Kimchi fried rice Easy Chicken Stir Fry
If you try this sesame chicken recipe, let me know how it goes in the comments below. I’d appreciate a recipe card rating and would love to see your recipe recreations – tag me on Instagram @Alphafoodie!
