Sesame Chicken Recipe

overhead view of sesame chicken over white rice in a bowl.

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This homemade sesame chicken is crunchy, sticky, sweet, and just the right amount of spicy. It's so much better than takeout!

Prep Time20

Cook Time30

Total Time50

Course: Dinner, Main Course

Cuisine: asian

Difficulty: Easy

Servings:

Author: Krista Teigen

Ingredients

For the Chicken

⅔ cup cornstarch
½ cup all-purpose flour
¾ teaspoon kosher salt
1 pinch ground black pepper
2 large eggs
1½ pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts cut into bite-size pieces
1-2 cups vegetable oil for frying

For the Sauce

½ cup honey
⅓ cup low-sodium soy sauce
2 tablespoons sesame seeds
1 tablespoon brown sugar
1 tablespoon rice vinegar
2 teaspoons sesame oil
2 teaspoons sriracha
2 teaspoons cornstarch
2 tablespoons minced onion
2 cloves garlic minced
1 (1-inch piece) fresh ginger minced
Chopped green onion for serving

Instructions

In a large shallow bowl, whisk together the cornstarch, flour, salt, and pepper.
⅔ cup cornstarch, ½ cup all-purpose flour, ¾ teaspoon kosher salt, 1 pinch ground black pepper
In a separate shallow bowl, whisk the eggs together.
2 large eggs
Dredge the chicken pieces in the dry mixture. Then, add the pieces to the eggs. Let the excess egg drip off the chicken before dredging once again in flour mixture. Transfer the pieces to a large plate or sheet pan.
1½ pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts
Heat the oil in a large skillet set over medium heat.
1-2 cups vegetable oil
Once heated, use a tongs to transfer the chicken to the skillet. Turn off heat.
Working in batches, fry the chicken for 3-4 minutes per side until golden brown and crispy. Transfer the chicken to a sheet pan lined with paper towel.
In a small bowl, whisk together the honey, soy sauce, sesame seeds, brown sugar, rice vinegar, sesame oil, sriracha, and cornstarch.
½ cup honey, ⅓ cup low-sodium soy sauce, 2 tablespoons sesame seeds, 1 tablespoon brown sugar, 1 tablespoon rice vinegar, 2 teaspoons sesame oil, 2 teaspoons sriracha, 2 teaspoons cornstarch
Drain or wipe the excess oil from the skillet, leaving 1 tablespoon over medium heat.
Add in the onion, garlic, and ginger, and stir, cooking for about 1 minute.
2 tablespoons minced onion, 2 cloves garlic, 1 (1-inch piece) fresh ginger
Stir in the sauce and let it sizzle for a minute until thickened.
Turn off the heat, stir in the chicken pieces, and toss to coat them in the sauce.
Serve the chicken over rice and sprinkled with chopped green onion, and sesame seeds.
Chopped green onion

Video

Notes

I prefer to use boneless, skinless chicken breasts but thighs will also work.
I like to fry in vegetable oil since it has a neutral flavor and a high smoke point.

Nutrition