This easy Sesame Chicken Recipe combines pieces of battered, crispy fried chicken with an eight-ingredient sesame sauce, with 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 made of tender pieces of chicken dipped in eggs and cornstarch, then fried crispy and 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 refrigerator 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 it in a fridge for up to 2 months, and use it in bang bang shrimp and chicken lettuce wraps.
How to Cook Sesame Chicken
This is the summary version; see the recipe card below for the complete list of ingredients and the instructions.
Coat the chicken in a cornstarch egg mixture. Deep fry the chicken in hot oil until golden brown and crispy. Remove the chicken to paper towels to drain. Toast the sesame seeds in a dry skillet over medium heat.
Saute the garlic in a little olive oil. Stir in the soy sauce, rice vinegar, sesame oil, chili sauce, honey, ketchup, and brown sugar. Thicken it with a cornstarch slurry. Add the cooked chicken to the skillet with the sauce and stir to combine. Garnish with the toasted sesame seeds and green onions. Serve promptly over white rice or Asian noodles.
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.
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.
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 it, cool it completely, store it in a freezer-safe container, and freeze it 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 a fantastic flavor.
More Asian Recipes
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 Asian 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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Kelly Bolen
Can anyone say yummy? This was so delicious!
Maureen
I love Asian food. The flavors are just outstanding. This crispy sesame chicken was so yummy! I will make it again and again.
Luna S
Yum! This is one of my favorite dishes to make. Some people think it is odd to add the ketchup, but I promise it doesn’t taste like it. I am hungry now thinking about making this dish!
Stephanie
Definitely a 5 star recipe. I would never have thought I could make a good Chinese dish at home. The tips were so helpful!
Beth Pierce
Thanks so much, Stephanie!
Karen
This is a hit with my family! The recipe was easy to follow and make. The flavors are great. I will be adding this recipe to my regular rotation. Thank you for sharing this delicious recipe.
Beth Pierce
Thanks, Karen! The pleasure is all mine!
Nicole Park
This recipe is FIVE STARS!! Directions were clear and easy to follow. Only made one change – I did not have any sambal so I added one teaspoon of sriracha and also a teaspoon of red pepper flakes in with the garlic. Doubled recipe and made about three pounds of chicken. Served with steamed rice/barley and steamed vegetables. Delicious 🤤 😋
Beth Pierce
Thanks Nicole. I am so glad that you liked it. We love it and I wish I had some for dinner tonight.
Blanche Knox
Absolutely delicious. I’m eating it right now. I had a craving for Sesame Chicken. At times like this, I miss NY where every delicacy is at your fingertips. The good part is people like you who recipes. Thank you. PS>: I didn’t have sambal oelek on hand so I substituted gochujang for it. It came out wonderful.
Beth Pierce
Thanks Blanche! I am glad that you liked it. Thanks for the tip on the sambal oelek.
Kim
Great recipe, family really enjoys it. Are you able to provide the previous version of the sauce ingredient list? The older version of the sauce without the brown sugar & ketchup was my kid’s favourite. Thanks.
Beth Pierce
I will email it to you.
L
one of my favorite take out dishes – can’t wait to try this!
Dana
Amazing chicken recipe! So much flavor and I love the texture. It’s so much like takeout but obviously so much better when homemade!
Beth Pierce
Thanks Dana! So glad that you liked it!