Sesame Chicken
Sesame chicken is crispy fried chicken coated with tangy sweet sesame flavored sauce. Chicken fried till light golden brown and covered with a flavorful sauce.
American- Chinese recipes are trendy in the US. This recipe of Sesame Chicken is similar to some of the Cashew Chicken recipes on my blog. The first time I tried this series of American-Chinese food, I had no idea that these were easy to recreate at home. I have tried and tested this recipe a few times before coming up with this version.
This recipe is fail-proof with easy-to-follow instructions. Two main steps of this recipe are
- Frying the chicken
- You are mixing different sauces and adding them to the fried chicken.
The main trick is frying the chicken with the right type of coating and preparing a well-balanced sauce consisting of sweet, spicy, and tangy flavors.
What type of chicken meat works best?
Boneless skinless chicken thighs work best for this recipe. Chicken breasts will work too. I prefer marinating the chicken pieces so that they can better absorb all the seasonings. If you have looked into any of my other recipes, I rarely make any meat without marination. It is certainly optional as it is my personal preference.
Frying the chicken
While frying the chicken pieces, ensure that the desired temperature ( 375 F) is attained before adding the chicken. I have tried to fry the chicken in the air fryer fr the healthier option, which works well for this recipe. I wanted to keep this recipe authentic, so I have deep-fried the chicken pieces.
Sesame Chicken
- Total Time: 30 minutes
Description
Sesame chicken is crispy fried chicken coated with tangy sweet sesame flavored sauce. Chicken fried till light golden brown and covered with a flavorful sauce.
Ingredients
Chicken marination
Chicken- 1 lb. (boneless skinless chicken thighs)
Garlic powder- 3/4 tsp
Black pepper- 3/4 tsp
Soy Sauce- 2 Tbsp
Salt- 3/4 tsp
Egg white- 1
Mirin or rice wine vinegar- 1 Tbsp
Corn starch- 1 tsp
Sauce:
Honey- 1 Tbsp
Soy Sauce- 2 Tbsp
Water- 2 Tbsp
Tomato Ketchup- 2 Tbsp
Mirin or rice wine vinegar- 1 Tbsp
Toasted Sesame oil- 1 Tbsp
1 tsp potato starch + 3 tsp water- mix and pour it to the marinade
Sesame oil- 1 tsp
Sesame seeds- 2 Tbsp
Red Chili flakes- 1 tsp or as needed (optional)
1 cup of potato starch to roll the marinated chicken pieces.
Garnish: Scallions and cilantro
Instructions
1. Take 1 lb of boneless skinless chicken thighs. Add 3/4 tsp salt, 3/4 tsp garlic powder, 1 Tbsp mirin/ rice wine vinegar, 2 Tbsp soy sauce, 1 tsp cornstarch, 3/4 tsp black pepper, one egg white, and mix everything well. Marinate the chicken for at least one hour.
2. Take 1 cup of potato starch in a bowl. Coat the marinated chicken with the potato starch and fry in the oil till light golden brown or cooked well. The oil temperature should reach 375 F degrees before frying the chicken.
3. Place the fried chicken on a paper towel to drain the excess oil.
4. To make the sesame chicken sauce, in a bowl, add 1 Tbsp sesame oil, 2 Tbsp water, 2 Tbsp tomato ketchup, 1 Tbsp mirin,2 Tbsp soy sauce, and 1 Tbsp honey. Mix well and set it aside. In a small bowl, take 1 tsp of potato starch, add 3 tsp of water, and stir. Add this to the prepared sauce mixture.
5. In a wok, take 1 tsp of sesame oil, add 1 Tbsp sesame seeds, 1 tsp chili flakes, saute for few seconds. Add the fried chicken and the prepared sauce, mix it quickly to avoid any burning.
6. Garnish with sesame seeds and cilantro. Serve with white rice and veggies.
Notes
1. If you want the sesame chicken to be less sticky, you can skip adding cornstarch. Cutting the cornstarch makes the chicken softer. Cornstarch mixed with water when added to the chicken makes it crunchy.
2. White sesame seeds work the best for this recipe. You can also choose to use black sesame seeds or a combination of both.
3. You can choose to add stirfry veggies to the chicken or serve it on the side. Some of the veggies that go well with this dish are broccoli, carrots, bell peppers, mushrooms, sugar snap peas, and edamame.
4. Sesame chicken is at its best to eat fresh. Sesame chicken does not store well for a long time in the refrigerator. If planning to use it later, keep the fried chicken and sauce separately and mix it before serving. Storing the fried chicken and sauce in a separate container is also a great way to freeze for later use.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Category: Chicken Dishes
- Method: Cook
- Cuisine: Chinese
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 cup
- Calories: 175 kcal
- Sugar: 4.22 g
- Sodium: 423 mg
- Fat: 7.35 g
- Saturated Fat: 11.356 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 2.508 g
- Trans Fat: 0.0003 g
- Carbohydrates: 7.57 g
- Fiber: 1 g
- Protein: 19.23 g
- Cholesterol: 55 mg
Keywords: sesame chicken, sesame chicken sauce, easy chicken recipe, Chinese chicken, sesame toasted chicken, simple chicken lunch
