Crispy. Sauce. Sweet. Savoury. EASY.
This Chicken with Sesame Seeds is kind of impossible to stop eating. It’s crazy good.
Need a quick and easy dinner that’s crispy, saucy, and also just a teensy bit fancy? One that makes everyone think you snuck out to pick up takeout because there’s no way you made this yourself? You have come to the right place friend.
Golden and perfectly crunchy bites of chicken coated in a sticky, sweet, and savoury sauce with honey, soy, and garlic. It’s super simple but tastes anything but. And… 30 minutes is all you need to whip this up and impress everyone (including yourself)!
And yes, before you ask… yes, we are frying the chicken. I know, I know what you’re thinking… frying is a pain, frying is messy, frying is more work. I hear you. I do not accept your protests.
Shallow frying in about half an inch of oil is what it takes to create the crispiest chicken. And crispy chicken is what we want here right? Maximum crispiness? This is not a baked sesame chicken recipe or an air fryer recipe or a slow cooker recipe. If that’s what you need then my friend, that is what Google is for. I hope you find one that creates perfect sesame chicken but I suspect I’ll see you back here soon.
This chicken is crispy McCrisperson crispy. It is crackly, crunchy and exactly what you want it to be.
Scroll past the recipe if you’re looking for tips, substitutions, questions, etc. and details on how to make this recipe, but if you want to get straight to it, here’s my recipe-ish…
Chicken with Sesame Seeds
Ingredients
For the Sauce:
- 2 garlic cloves minced
- 1/4 cup honey
- 1/3 cup soy sauce
- 1/4 cup brown sugar
- 2 Tbsp white vinegar
- 1 Tbsp Chinese cooking wine
- 1 Tbsp chili garlic paste
- 1 Tbsp sesame oil
- 1 tsp sriracha
- 2 Tbsp water
- 2 tsp cornstarch
For the chicken:
- 1 1/2 lbs boneless skinless chicken (breasts or thighs), cut into bite sized pieces
- 2 eggs
- 1/2 cup flour
- 1/2 cup cornstarch
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 1/2 tsp salt
- Oil for frying
For serving:
- Sesame seeds
- Green onions
Instructions
- Combine all sauce ingredients in a bowl. Whisk well and set aside.
- Add the chicken to a large bowl, whisk the eggs together and add them in with the chicken. Season with a little S&P and stir well.
- In a shallow bowl combine the flour, cornstarch and salt. Mix well.
- Dip the chicken pieces one at a time in the flour mixture and set aside (I set them on a parchment or wax paper lined baking sheet).
- Heat 1/2” oil in a heavy skillet.
- Fry chicken in batches until browned and cooked through, setting aside on a paper towel lined plate as you go.
- Remove excess oil from the skillet. Add in the sauce and bring to a simmer.
- Add the chicken back in. Cook a few minutes to ensure chicken is cooked through.
- Serve over rice garnished and lots of sesame seeds and sliced onions.
chicken with sesame seeds Recipe ingredients, tips, substitutions:
Chicken – you can use skinless boneless chicken thighs here or skinless boneless chicken breasts. I’ve used both and I think they both turn out very well.
Sesame Seeds – obviously. If there was a substitute we wouldn’t call this chicken with sesame seeds.
Sesame Oil – I buy toasted sesame oil because the rich flavour can’t be beat in this recipe.
Flour and Cornstarch – the combination of the two produces the crispiest results.
Garlic – garlic makes this so good. I like two cloves but you can add a little extra if you love the stuff.
Brown Sugar – I like the dark stuff but light works too.
Vinegar – I use plain old white vinegar, but rice vinegar works and so does apple cider vinegar.
Frying Oil – I use canola oil or peanut oil or grapeseed oil, usually, but any high heat oil works.
Chicken with Sesame Seeds Recipe Variations:
Spicy Version – increase the Sriracha in the sauce from 1 tsp to 1 Tbsp and also add in a big pinch of red pepper flakes.
Broccoli Version – quickly roast some broccoli florets and toss them in just before serving (I toss my broccoli with oil and S&P and roast at 450 for 10 minutes).
Maple Sesame Version – swap out the honey for maple syrup for a sticky maple sesame sauce.
chicken with sesame seeds recipe, how to make it…
This is going to be super easy friends—grab a bowl and whisk together all your sauce ingredients like you’re a pro chef. Set that saucy goodness aside to wait while you work on the chicken.
Toss your chicken pieces into a large bowl, whisk up those eggs and give the chicken a little egg bath. Don’t forget a good pinch of S&P because seasoning is non-negotiable.
In another bowl, mix together your flour, cornstarch, and salt. Coat each piece of chicken in the flour mixture, a few at a time so you don’t create a big bowl of glue (yes, it’s a touch tedious, but worth it!).
Heat about 1/2 inch of oil in a heavy skillet. When the oil is nice and hot, fry the chicken in batches until they’re crispy and golden—like little crunchy nuggets of happiness. Let the chicken pieces hang out on a paper towel-lined plate while you finish the rest.
Once you’ve fried the last batch, pour off the excess oil, pour the sauce into the skillet and bring it to a simmer. Add the chicken back in and let it bubble away in that delicious sauce for a few minutes. Once you know the chicken is cooked through you’re ready to go.
Serve the chicken over rice, with a generous shower of sesame seeds and a sprinkle of green onions on top. Ta-da! Less then half an hour and dinner is served!
looking for some recipes to serve with this chicken? try these…
- Instant Pot Jasmine Rice – piled on top of this rice is my favourite way to eat it.
- Asian Spicy Cucumber Salad – with this yummy salad on the side.
- Smashed Cucumber & Crispy Rice Salad – two birds with one stone? Why not?
- Garlicky Fried Rice – if you want a little more from your rice.
- Veggie Fried Rice with Spicy Chili Garlic Aioli and Crispy Shallots – if you’re trying to be fancy.
- For dessert I think Cardamom Chocolate Chunk Banana Muffins would be perfection.
If you like this Chicken with Sesame Seeds Recipe let me know what you think in the comments below and please find and follow me on Social Media!
