This easy Sesame Chicken Recipe combines pieces of battered, crispy fried chicken with an eight-ingredient sesame sauce, which has sweet and salty flavors and just a hint of spice. It is so simple to prepare and tastes so much better than takeout.
Enjoy it garnished with thinly sliced green onion and toasted sesame seeds. Serve this tasty protein-filled dish over quinoa or brown rice.
Sesame chicken is tender pieces of chicken dipped in eggs and cornstarch and fried crispy, then tossed in a sweet and salty sauce. Indulge in this mouthwatering homemade sesame chicken, which is easy to make and flavorful. Your taste buds will thank you.
Do you like Chinese? We love it. Most Asian dishes are easy to prepare once you learn just a few tricks to the trade. This Easy Sesame Chicken Recipe is one of my favorites and has incredible flavor. If you like this recipe, try my shrimp fried rice, chicken chow mein, and sweet and sour pork.
Ingredient Notes and Substitutions
See the complete list of ingredients below on the recipe card.
- Chicken: boneless skinless chicken breasts or thighs
- Vegetable oil: or any oil that is good for frying with a neutral taste and a high smoking point, like canola oil or peanut oil
- Rice vinegar: apple cider vinegar and white wine vinegar are fairly good substitutes
- Sesame seeds: store them in the fridge for up to a year
- Sesame oil: also a key ingredient, will last in a cool, dark place for 8 months or in the fridge for up to 2 years
- Chili sauce: I use sambal oelek, which is ground fresh chili paste. You can find it in the Asian food section of most grocery stores. Store in a fridge for up to 2 months and use it in bang bang shrimp and chicken lettuce wraps.
Preparation Tips
- This Sesame Chicken Recipe has a hint of spice, but the honey makes it very mellow. If in doubt, add the chili sauce very slowly and taste. Your taste buds will tell you when to stop.
- Take a few minutes and toast the sesame seeds. It is well worth the effort.
- You can substitute chicken thighs for the chicken breasts. They are just as delicious.
- Leftovers can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days. They can be reheated on the stovetop over low heat or in the microwave at reduced power.
Frequently Asked Questions
Sambal oelek is a fresh ground chili paste found in the Asian food section of your local grocery store. It is pretty spicy, but when paired with other ingredients like soy sauce, honey, and brown sugar, it tames it, and the overall taste is very flavorful and satisfying. Store in the refrigerator for up to two months or freeze in small containers for up to six months.
To freeze, cool it completely, store it in a freezer-safe container, and freeze for up to 3 months. Reheat on the stovetop over low heat or in the microwave at reduced power. Again, the chicken will not stay crispy, but it will still have fantastic flavor.
Serving Suggestions
I like to serve this sesame chicken with brown or white rice or Chinese noodles like ramen. Sometimes, I include an appetizer like crab rangoon or Japanese dumplings or something lighter like Asian cucumber salad or Asian chopped salad.
Sesame Chicken Recipe
Ingredients
Chicken
- 1 ½ lbs. boneless skinless chicken breasts or thighs cut into bite size pieces
- 2 eggs
- ½ cup cornstarch
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
- vegetable oil or canola oil for frying
Sauce
- 2 tablespoons sesame seeds
- ½ tablespoon olive oil
- 2 cloves garlic finely minced
- ⅓ cup low sodium soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon rice vinegar
- 2 teaspoons sesame oil
- 1 tablespoon chili sauce sambal oelek
- ¼ cup honey
- ¼ cup ketchup
- 2 tablespoons brown sugar
- 2 tablespoons cornstarch
- ¼ cup cold water
- 2 green onions sliced thin
Instructions
- Beat the eggs, cornstarch, salt, and pepper together. Add the chicken and stir to combine. Heat 2 inches of vegetable oil over medium-high heat in a heavy pot or Dutch Oven. Once the oil reaches 350 degrees, fry the chicken pieces until golden brown and crispy. Move to paper to towels to drain.
- Meanwhile, in a large dry skillet over medium-high heat, add the sesame seeds and cook until lightly toasted, shaking the skillet several times. Remove the sesame seeds into a small bowl.
- In the same skillet, heat a little olive oil over low heat. Add the garlic and cook for 1 minute while stirring constantly. Add the soy sauce, rice vinegar, sesame oil, chili sauce, honey, ketchup, and brown sugar. Mix the cornstarch with the water and whisk into the sauce mixture and cook until thickened.
- Add the cooked chicken to the skillet. Stir to combine with the sauce and garnish with the scallions and toasted sesame seeds. Serve promptly over rice or Chinese noodles.
Video
Notes
- Sambal oelek is a fresh ground chili paste found in the Asian food section of your local grocery store. It is pretty spicy, but when paired with other ingredients like soy sauce, honey, and brown sugar, it tames it, and the overall taste is very flavorful and satisfying. Store in the refrigerator for up to two months or freeze in small containers for up to six months.
- To freeze, cool it completely, store it in a freezer-safe container, and freeze for up to 3 months. Reheat on the stovetop over low heat or in the microwave at reduced power. Again, the chicken will not stay crispy, but it will still have fantastic flavor.
- I like to serve this sesame chicken with brown or white rice or Chinese noodles like ramen. Sometimes, I include an appetizer like crab rangoon or Japanese dumplings or something lighter like Asian cucumber salad or Asian chopped salad.
Nutrition
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Rose Ann Sales
Wow! This is such a really amazing recipe! It was absolutely delicious and I will make it again. I love it!
Richelle Milar
That was absolutely delicious and tasty! I could eat this every week. So much better than takeout. Thanks for the great recipe.
Marie Gizelle
My husband cooks crispy chicken with many different sauces and toppings. he has done a similar one like this before but without the sesame seeds, I will show him, thank you!
Beth Pierce
I hope that you and your husband enjoy the recipe.
Susan
We love Chinese takeout – but not the 35 drive to go get it. I’m super excited to make this dish this weekend! And I sincerely appreciate the helpful tips 🙂
Beth Pierce
You are most welcome Susan! Enjoy!!
Tasheena
My family loves Sesame Chicken, I can’t wait to try this recipe.
Tara Pittman
My boys love this recipe. I add a little more chili sauce for a little extra kick and I make it with chicken thighs. It is delicious!
Forever My Little Moon
This sesame chicken looks so good! Thanks for sharing your recipe, will have to try it sometime!
Beth Pierce
I hope you enjoy it as much as we do!
Amber Myers
We just love this sesame chicken! I like the sesame seeds toasted just like in the recipe. It is one of my family’s favorite recipes. Thanks for sharing.
Julie Williams
I have had this recipe pinned for quite awhile and finally made it tonight. OMG, it was DELICIOUS! My husband and kids all really enjoyed it and will definitely be a regular for us. Thank you!
Beth Pierce
Thanks Julie! So glad that you and your family liked it!
M E Wallace
Made the recipe for dinner tonight. I really enjoyed it. Totally forgot the sesame seeds; so I can’t wait to make it again and INCLUDE the sesame seeds. The sauce is very quick and easy to make. Used air fryer to cook my chicken pieces so I had to delay the start of my sauce. I did add water to thin out sauce. Also Added some steamed broccoli to the pot. Really enjoyed this sauce.
Beth Pierce
Thanks so much! So glad that you liked it!
Claudette
Can you tell me what kind of chili sauce to look for? Do you mean Asian chili sauce or the chili sauce you can find near the ketchup and mustard in the grocery store?
Beth Pierce
Asian Chili Sauce
Rebecca
If I don’t have chili sauce, is there a substitute you’d suggest? Thanks!
Beth Pierce
Do you have any sriracha? It is not going to be as good.
Ice
I just made this and I have to say, this is my new favorite “Chinese take out made at home” dish. The sauce is to die for and the recipe comes together so quickly. I served it with basmati rice and followed in your footsteps and sprinkled it with sesame seeds.
A winner!! Thanks for sharing.
Beth Pierce
The pleasure was all mine! I am so glad that you liked it! I need to make that again soon! My family loves it!
Allyson Zea
I love that I can make this at home and know exactly what’s going into it! Thanks for the easy recipe!
Allyssa
Thank you so much for this amazing sesame chicken recipe! It is so delicious and really tasty! Highly recommended!
Katie
This is my go to when I’m craving Asian flavors. Better than takeout!