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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Vonnie
I love this recipe 😋. It’s so flavorful and this is my 2nd time making this dish. My family loves it also. This time I made alot more sauce because we like eating the sauce over the rice.
Beth Pierce
Thanks, Vonnie! So glad that you like the sesame chicken recipe. We like lots of sauce too!
Lauren
Followed this recipe exactly as written and doubled the sauce like suggested in the tips. This was absolutely delicious!!! Tasted way better than takeout; that’s not an exaggeration! The sauce was amazing- it had a bit of kick but that can easily be adjusted with less chili sauce. And the chicken was delicious with the light batter. I used boneless skinless chicken thighs. It did take a bit of prep, but was still manageable to be had as a delicious weeknight meal. And now I have lunches for the next few days too.
Beth Pierce
Thanks, Lauren! I am so glad that you liked the sesame chicken. It is such a tasty recipe!
Jack
This was delicious! I have tried it before but it has been a while. Reading this one, it made me want to try it again. Thank you for reminding me!
Richard Lowe
Interesting recipe. I like cooking things like this myself, because store-bought stuff like this tends to be loaded with MSG, which gives me terrible headaches.
LisaLisa
Oh, this looks so delicious and easy to make. Sesame Chicken is by far one of my favorite dishes. I think I’ll give this recipe a try.
Beth Pierce
Thanks, Lisa! Enjoy!
Rhea
This Sesame Chicken recipe sounds absolutely delicious and full of flavor. The combination of crispy fried chicken and a sweet and salty sauce with a hint of spice is a winning combination. I love how simple and straightforward the recipe is, making it perfect for anyone looking to recreate their favorite Chinese takeout dish at home.
Beth Pierce
Thanks, Rhea! I am so glad that you liked the sesame chicken. It is one of our favorites.
Jennifer L Prince
This is my favorite sesame chicken recipe, and better than any takeout I have ever ordered. My sister is always bugging me to make it for her.
khoingn | The Broad Life
I’m watching a chicken restaurant on YT and this article pop-up right away. My menu for today surely has chicken haha.
Marysa
Looks just like when we order out. The sauce looks so amazing and flavorful. Thanks for a great recipe!
Donna
This recipe combines such great flavors. It is one of our favorite dishes and one the family asks for over and over again.
Kristy Bullard
So good! A million times better than any restaurant or take-out! I am allergic to gluten so I used coconut amino’s instead of soy sauce.
Beth Pierce
Thanks, Kristy! So glad that you liked it!
Jocelyn @ HipMamasPlace.com
Yum! We love Sesame Chicken in our house! I’m definitely trying this!
Eileen M Loya
My family loves this recipe! It is very similar to General Tso’s chicken dish, but I think yours is better. We added it to our regular rotation.
Andrea
I’m impressed with the creativity and attention to detail in this sesame chicken recipe! The step-by-step instructions are easy to follow, and the end result was absolutely delicious.
Beth Pierce
Thanks, Andrea! So glad that you liked it!
Lisa Seaton
These sound phenomenal! Do you think they could be made gluten free? I’d LOVE to try making them.
Beth Pierce
I am not sure. Perhaps one of the readers will know more.
Stephanie
I almost always order sesame chicken when dining at a Chinese restaurant. This recipe turned out great – so glad I now know how to make this dish at home.
Beth Pierce
Awesome! Now you upped the game!