Sesame chicken, batter-coated chicken cubes fried until crispy and covered in thick honey sesame sauce.
This popular take-out, Chinese sesame chicken needs no introduction. With a sticky-sweet sauce coating, it’s an easy chicken side dish that is sure to be a hit with the family.
There’s no better time to try out this honey sesame chicken recipe, as you only need a few ingredients to make it.
How to Make a Healthy sesame chicken
- Air fryer sesame chicken.
- The original way of making crispy sesame chicken is to deep fry the bite-size batter coated chicken pieces.
- But if you are health conscious and need a lighter and healthier version of sesame chicken, then use my air fryer chicken tender recipe to make crispy chicken tenders, cut them into bite-size pieces and toss them in the sauce.
- You can make a healthier sesame sauce,
- by using low sodium soy sauce,
- reducing the amount of sugar and increasing the amount of honey for the sweetness.
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What to serve with sesame chicken.
Here are some side dishes you can serve with sesame chicken.
- Serve with a bowl of rice, or you can serve with some,
- Serve with any type of noodle dish,
Mixed vegetable noodle.
Chicken lo mein.
- Or serve the sesame chicken as it is with a few toasted pita or naan bread cut into wedges, as an appetizer.
Tips to make Easy sesame chicken.
Deep fry or shallow fry- you can either deep fry or shallow fry the chicken pieces.
For this sesame chicken recipe, I’ve shallow fried.
Before you fry them make sure the oil is medium hot and not smoking hot. You can regulate the heat between low to medium to maintain steady heat.
Deep frying the chicken cubes– fry them in smaller batches until golden brown and place them in paper kitchen towels to remove excess oil.
Shallow frying the chicken cubes
You will be using less oil but the bottom of the pan should have a thin even layer of oil.
If you are using a larger skillet, you can spread the chicken evenly to fry them.
If you are using a smaller pan, then shallow fry them in smaller batches.
Once you place the batter-coated chicken pieces in the oil, avoid turning them constantly.
Instead, let them fry on one side for at least 3-4 minutes, or until you notice them turning golden in color, and then turn them over to fry.
The sesame chicken sauce
Make sure to constantly taste the sesame sauce, so you have the flavors balanced.
Dissolve the cornflour in a small bowl to avoid lumps in the sesame sauce.
Cook the sesame sauce over low fire until it thickens.
Utensils and appliances needed
- Chopping board and knife.
- Small frying pan to toast the sesame seeds.
- Large skillet.
- Slotted spoon.
- Platter covered with kitchen paper towels.
- 2 Medium-sized bowls.
- Cooking pan to make the sauce.
More chicken recipes
Chicken in sweet and sour sauce
RECIPE DIFFICULTY-EASY
How to make sesame chicken
Please make sure to read the recipe instructions carefully to avoid mistakes.
Ingredients
The ingredients mentioned below use standard measuring cups and spoons.
For the batter
1 large egg
3 tablespoons of cornstarch/cornflour
1/4 cup of all-purpose flour
Salt to season
1/2 teaspoon of pepper powder
500g of boneless chicken cubes
1/2 to 1 cup of vegetable oil to fry
For the sesame sauce
1/4 cup of soy sauce
1 tsp sesame oil(you can leave out the sesame oil if you don’t have it at the time of making this recipe)
3 tablespoons of sugar(white or brown)
1 tablespoon of honey
1 teaspoon of minced ginger
1 teaspoon of minced garlic
1 tablespoon of rice vinegar(substitute with white vinegar)
4 tablespoons of water
1 tablespoon of cornstarch/cornflour
1 tablespoon of sesame seeds
Method
Prep work before cooking sesame chicken.
- Have all the ingredients measured and ready.
- Mince the garlic and ginger.
- Cut the boneless chicken breast into 1″ cubes.
How to batter coat the chicken
In to a medium-sized bowl, add the egg(1 large), all-purpose flour(1/4 cup), cornflour(3 tbsp), pepper(1/2 tsp), and salt to season.
Combine well, and make sure there are no lumps in the batter.
Cut the boneless chicken into 1″ pieces. Add them to the batter and let the batter coat the chicken cubes well.
How to fry the batter coated chicken
Place a large frying pan or skillet over medium fire. Pour in the oil(1/2 to 1 cup of oil, refer to tips above).
Let the oil heat for 1-2 minutes. There should be an even layer of oil in the pan.
Once the oil is heated, use a tong to place the batter-coated chicken cubes.
Make sure the chicken cubes are spread in a single layer and not touching each other.
Maintain low-medium heat and cook the chicken cubes on one side for at least 2-3 minutes without flipping them over.
When you notice the side of the chicken that is facing the oil, turn golden brown, flip them over to fry the other side. Fry the second side for 2 minutes.
Once both sides are evenly fried, reduce heat to low and move them around to shallow fry a bit more for 1-2 minutes.
Place the fried chicken cubes on a paper kitchen towel to remove any excess oil and let it cool.
Transfer any remaining oil in the pan to a separate bowl and reuse the same pan to make the sesame sauce.
How to make the sesame sauce.
In a bowl, mix in soy sauce(1/4 cup), sesame oil(1 tsp),half of the water(2 tbsp), brown sugar(3 tbsp), honey(1 tbsp), vinegar(1 tbsp), ginger(1 tsp), minced garlic(1 tsp).
Dissolve the cornflour(1 tbsp) with the rest of the water(2 tbsp).
Add the soy sauce mix to the pan and slowly simmer over very low heat for 2 minutes.
Add the cornflour mixture and let the sesame sauce simmer over low heat for another 2 minutes or until you notice the sauce thickening.
Remove the pan from the stove and add the fried chicken cubes to the sauce.
Combine well, the remaining heat is sufficient to further thicken and coat the chicken cubes
In a separate, smaller frying pan toast the sesame seeds for a minute, and then add them to the chicken, toss well, garnish with some sesame seeds.
Serve warm
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Easy sesame chicken recipe.
This popular take-out, Chinese sesame chicken needs no introduction. With a sticky-sweet sauce coating, it’s an easy chicken side dish that is sure to be a hit with the family.
Ingredients
- For the batter
- 1 large egg
- 3 tablespoons of cornstarch/cornflour
- 1/4 cup of all-purpose flour
- Salt to season
- 1/2 teaspoon of pepper powder
- 500g of boneless chicken cubes
- 1/2 to 1 cup of vegetable oil to fry
- For the sesame sauce
- 1/4 cup of soy sauce
- 1 tsp sesame oil(you can leave out the sesame oil if you don’t have it at the time of making this recipe)
- 3 tablespoons of sugar(white or brown)
- 1 tablespoon of honey
- 1 teaspoon of minced ginger
- 1 teaspoon of minced garlic
- 1 tablespoon of rice vinegar(substitute with white vinegar)
- 4 tablespoons of water
- 1 tablespoon of cornstarch/cornflour
- 1 tablespoon of sesame seeds
Instructions
- Have all the ingredients measured and ready.
- Mince the garlic and ginger.
- Cut the boneless chicken breast into 1″ cubes.
How to batter coat the chicken
In to a medium-sized bowl, add the egg(1 large), all-purpose flour(1/4 cup), cornflour(3 tbsp), pepper(1/2 tsp), and salt to season.
Combine well, and make sure there are no lumps in the batter.
Cut the boneless chicken into 1″ pieces. Add them to the batter and let the batter coat the chicken cubes well.
How to fry the batter coated chicken
Place a large frying pan or skillet over medium fire. Pour in the oil(1/2 to 1 cup of oil, refer to tips above).
Let the oil heat for 1-2 minutes. There should be an even layer of oil in the pan.
Once the oil is heated, use a tong to place the batter-coated chicken cubes.
Make sure the chicken cubes are spread in a single layer and not touching each other.
Maintain low-medium heat and cook the chicken cubes on one side for at least 2-3 minutes without flipping them over.
When you notice the side of the chicken that is facing the oil, turn golden brown, flip them over to fry the other side. Fry the second side for 2 minutes.
Once both sides are evenly fried, reduce heat to low and move them around to shallow fry a bit more for 1-2 minutes.
Place the fried chicken cubes on a paper kitchen towel to remove any excess oil and let it cool.
Transfer any remaining oil in the pan to a separate bowl and reuse the same pan to make the sesame sauce.
How to make the sesame sauce.
In a bowl, mix in soy sauce(1/4 cup), sesame oil(1 tsp),half of the water(2 tbsp), brown sugar(3 tbsp), honey(1 tbsp), vinegar(1 tbsp), ginger(1 tsp), minced garlic(1 tsp).
Dissolve the cornflour(1 tbsp) with the rest of the water(2 tbsp).
Add the soy sauce mix to the pan and slowly simmer over very low heat for 2 minutes.
Add the cornflour mixture and let the sesame sauce simmer over low heat for another 2 minutes or until you notice the sauce thickening.
Remove the pan from the stove and add the fried chicken cubes to the sauce.
Combine well, the remaining heat is sufficient to further thicken and coat the chicken cubes.
In a separate, smaller frying pan toast the sesame seeds for a minute, and then add them to the chicken, toss well, garnish with a some sesame seeds.
Serve warm.
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