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Chicken Lunch Dinner Appetizers Asian
4.6 from 66 votes

Sesame Chicken

Jump to RecipeVideoPrintRate
By: Joanna Cismaru •1/4/23 67 Comments

This post may contain affiliate links. Please read my disclosure policy.

Delicious Sesame Chicken in a sweet and savory sauce that’s crispy on the outside and moist on the inside! Tossed in a delectable and simple sauce, feel free to pop these into your mouth one after another, because this version is better than the restaurant version.

sesame chicken garnished with green onions in a fancy bowl
Table of Contents Open
  • Easy Sesame Chicken Recipe
  • Ingredients You’ll Need
  • How to make sesame chicken
  • Baked sesame chicken
  • How to serve
  • Leftovers
  • Freezing
  • Did you love these simple chicken bites? Try these:
  • Sesame Chicken
    • Video
    • Ingredients
    • Instructions
    • Equipment
    • Notes
    • Nutrition Information
  • Did You Make This?

Easy Sesame Chicken Recipe

This is a super easy recipe for battered crispy chicken doused in a delicious honey and garlic sesame sauce. I like to pile this chicken over top of fluffy white rice to ensure that every last drop of sauce doesn’t go to waste, it’s that good.

This sesame chicken melts in your mouth. It’s sweet from the honey, salty from the soy sauce, boasting big flavor with sesame oil and lots of garlic. So easy, yet so dreamy! This chicken is perfect for a weeknight dinner served over rice, lunch with a side salad, or even with some eggs for breakfast.

Ingredients You’ll Need

all the ingredients needed to make sesame chicken in individual bowls
  • Chicken breasts – Thighs will work as well. Boneless, skinless, and cut into bite-sized pieces.
  • Flour – All-purpose.
  • Egg White – This is for the flour to stick to the chicken better.
  • Sesame oil – Regular or toasted sesame oil if you can find it.
  • Garlic – The more the merrier!
  • Rice Vinegar – To add brightness, acidity and to balance out the flavors.
  • Honey – Granulated sugar, brown sugar, or agave can be used instead.
  • Soy sauce – I always use low sodium.
  • Chicken broth – Or any type of broth you have handy.
  • Sesame seeds – Regular or toasted.
  • Cornstarch – With a little bit of water to make a slurry to thicken the sauce.
detailed process shots showing how to prepare the chicken and marinade for sesame chicken

How to make sesame chicken

  1. Prep and marinate chicken: Add all the chicken and marinade ingredients to a bowl and toss well to break up the egg white. Marinate for 10 minutes.
  2. Prepare sauce: In another bowl add the chicken broth, rice vinegar, honey, soy sauce, sesame oil and whisk well.
  3. Dredge chicken through flour: Add the flour to a shallow plate or bowl. Toss in the chicken pieces and the marinade, then use your hands to toss everything together.
  4. Fry chicken: Add about a cup of oil to a wok or skillet and heat over high heat. When the oil is hot enough, add a few chicken pieces at once, shaking off any excess flour and fry for about 3 to 4 minutes or until golden and cooked through. Drain on a plate lined with kitchen towels. Repeat with remaining chicken, it will take about 3 batches.
  5. Cook sauce: In a clean wok add the prepared sauce and simmer over medium-low heat. Form a cornstarch slurry by mixing it with the tbsp of water, then pour into the sauce. Whisk the sauce and cook for another minute until the sauce has thickened.
  6. Toss chicken with sauce: Add the cooked chicken pieces to the sauce in the wok and toss well until the chicken is evenly coated. Sprinkle with sesame seeds and serve.
detailed process shots showing how to fry chicken and toss it with sauce

Baked sesame chicken

To bake this follow these instructions:

  1. Preheat your oven to 400 F degrees. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper.
  2. Prepare the chicken as instructed up to and including dredging it through flour. Place the chicken onto the prepared baking sheet. 
  3. Bake for about 20 to 30 minutes or until the chicken is golden brown and crisp.
  4. Make and cook the sauce as instructed in the recipe card.
  5. Toss chicken with sauce: Add the cooked chicken pieces to the sauce in the wok and toss well until the chicken is evenly coated. Sprinkle with sesame seeds and serve.

How to serve

These pop-able bites are great on their own as an appetizer, or you can add a few simple sides to turn them into a full meal. Here are a few of my favorite sides:

  • Coconut Rice
  • Instant Pot Rice
  • Chow Mein
  • Tofu Drunken Noodles
  • Quinoa Salad
  • Kale and Quinoa Salad
a pair of chopsticks picking of up piece of chicken from a bowl full of sesame chicken

Leftovers

Transfer the leftover sesame chicken to an airtight container and store in the fridge for 3-4 days. Make sure the chicken has fully cooled down to room temperature otherwise it will steam itself in the container.

You can toss this chicken cold into a salad straight from the fridge! Otherwise, if you’d like it warm, you can reheat in the microwave at 15-20 second intervals. You can also reheat in the oven at 450F for 5-7 minutes.

Freezing

Place the chicken bites on a parchment paper lined baking sheet. Cover with a sheet of plastic wrap and place in the freezer for 1-2 hours, or until solid. Transfer the frozen chicken to a large freezer bag or airtight container.

Using this method, you can take out a few pieces at a time as you need them without having all of the pieces stick together. It will last up to 4 months frozen.

sesame chicken garnished with green onions in a fancy bowl

Did you love these simple chicken bites? Try these:

  • Bang Bang Chicken
  • Bacon Wrapped Chicken Bites
  • Sweet and Sour Chicken
  • Korean Fried Chicken
  • Baked Honey Garlic Chicken
  • Chicken Poppers
  • Cuban Chicharrones de Pollo
  • Chicken Milanese Bites

Before You Begin! If you make this, please leave a review and rating letting us know how you liked this recipe! This helps our business thrive & continue providing free recipes.

a pair of chopsticks picking of up piece of chicken from a bowl full of sesame chicken
4.55 from 66 votes

Sesame Chicken

Prep 10 minutes minutes
Marinating time 10 minutes minutes
Cook 20 minutes minutes
Total 40 minutes minutes
6
Rate Recipe Print Recipe
Delicious Sesame Chicken in a sweet and savory sauce that's crispy on the outside and moist on the inside! Tossed in a delectable and simple sauce, feel free to pop these into your mouth one after another, because this version is better than the restaurant version.
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Video

Ingredients

Chicken and Marinade

  • 1½ pounds chicken breasts (boneless and skinless, cut into cubes)
  • 2 tablespoon soy sauce
  • 3 cloves garlic (minced)
  • 1 egg white
  • 1 teaspoon sesame oil

For sauce

  • ½ cup chicken broth
  • 2 tablespoon rice vinegar
  • ¼ cup honey
  • 2 tablespoon soy sauce
  • 2 tablespoon sesame oil
  • 1 tablespoon cornstarch
  • 1 tablespoon water

Other

  • 1 cup all-purpose flour
  • 1 tablespoon sesame seeds

Before You Begin! If you make this, please leave a review and rating letting us know how you liked this recipe! This helps our business thrive & continue providing free recipes.

Instructions 

  • Prep and marinate chicken: Add all the chicken and marinade ingredients to a bowl and toss well to break up the egg white. Marinate for 10 minutes.
  • Prepare sauce: In another bowl add the chicken broth, rice vinegar, honey, soy sauce, sesame oil and whisk well.
  • Dredge chicken through flour: Add the flour to a shallow plate or bowl. Toss in the chicken pieces and the marinade, then use your hands to toss everything together.
  • Fry chicken: Add about a cup of oil to a wok or skillet and heat over high heat. When the oil is hot enough, add a few chicken pieces at once, shaking off any excess flour and fry for about 3 to 4 minutes or until golden and cooked through. Drain on a plate lined with kitchen towels. Repeat with remaining chicken, it will take about 3 batches.
  • Cook sauce: In a clean wok add the prepared sauce and simmer over medium-low heat. Form a cornstarch slurry by mixing it with the tbsp of water, then pour into the sauce. Whisk the sauce and cook for another minute until the sauce has thickened.
  • Toss chicken with sauce: Add the cooked chicken pieces to the sauce in the wok and toss well until the chicken is evenly coated. Sprinkle with sesame seeds and serve.

Equipment

  • Nonstick Chinese Wok – Dishwasher Safe

Notes

  1. Transfer the leftover sesame chicken to an airtight container and store in the fridge for 3-4 days. Make sure the chicken has fully cooled down to room temperature otherwise it will steam itself in the container.

Nutrition Information

Serving: 1servingCalories: 324kcal (16%)Carbohydrates: 31g (10%)Protein: 28g (56%)Fat: 9g (14%)Saturated Fat: 2g (13%)Cholesterol: 73mg (24%)Sodium: 503mg (22%)Potassium: 507mg (14%)Fiber: 1g (4%)Sugar: 12g (13%)Vitamin A: 34IU (1%)Vitamin C: 2mg (2%)Calcium: 26mg (3%)Iron: 2mg (11%)
© Author Joanna Cismaru

Notice: Nutrition is auto-calculated for your convenience. Where relevant, we recommend using your own nutrition calculations.

a pair of chopsticks picking of up piece of chicken from a bowl full of sesame chicken

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Joanna Cismaru

Joanna Cismaru

I’m Joanna (Jo for short) and this is my blog where I share with you my culinary adventures. Through Jo Cooks, I invite you to join me in my kitchen as we explore delicious recipes from around the globe, celebrate the joy of cooking, and make every meal a memorable one. Happy cooking!

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67 Comments
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BobEBoilerman
BobEBoilerman
Posted: 3 months ago

5 stars
Was looking for an easy tasty sesame chicken and tried this recipe. This meets that and then some! Followed directions exact and watched video. Very delicious, savory, with a tiny hint of sweet. Whole family loved it! Will be making again for sure!

0
Reply
Q+10eel
Q+10eel
Posted: 3 months ago

5 stars
I marinated the chicken, froze it, and took it out the night before (1 week later) to cook it and allow it to defrost and continue marinating. It was amazing! I would probably add two more cloves of garlic next time, as you stated, “The more the merrier!” I paired it with grilled okra, white rice, garnished it with cilantro, and my kiddo (10yrs) ate her entire plate! Thank you! 😊

IMG_2852.jpeg
Last edited Posted: 3 months ago by Q+10eel
0
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Joanna Cismaru
Joanna Cismaru
Author
Reply to  Q+10eel
Posted: 3 months ago

My pleasure, it looks great. Glad you enjoyed it!

0
Reply
DKColaluca
DKColaluca
Posted: 4 months ago

5 stars
Absolutely delicious! I always look to your site for recipes and this one did not disapoint. Well, actually, none of your recipes disappoint Jo… Keep up the great work!

1
Reply
Joanna Cismaru
Joanna Cismaru
Author
Reply to  DKColaluca
Posted: 4 months ago

Thank you so much for your kind words and continuous support! It means the world to me that you find my recipes delicious and reliable. Stay tuned for more tasty recipes to come, and happy cooking! 🍽️👩‍🍳✨

0
Reply
Deb
Deb
Posted: 8 months ago

I was wondering if you could replace the chicken stock with water if you don’t have stock on hand?

0
Reply
Joanna Cismaru
Joanna Cismaru
Author
Reply to  Deb
Posted: 8 months ago

Absolutely!!

0
Reply
Noah
Noah
Posted: 11 months ago

I did for about an hour, amazing! Thank you!

0
Reply
Noah
Noah
Posted: 11 months ago

Trying this recipe now and will update. I’m just curious if 10 minute marinade is the minimum or if i go longer will it taste better? Thank you for the recipe anyhow

0
Reply
Joanna Cismaru
Joanna Cismaru
Author
Reply to  Noah
Posted: 11 months ago

It’s the minimum but you can totally leave it a bit longer.

0
Reply
Jen Flynn
Jen Flynn
Posted: 1 year ago

Can you use an air fryer for the chicken?

0
Reply
Joanna Cismaru
Joanna Cismaru
Author
Reply to  Jen Flynn
Posted: 1 year ago

For sure!

0
Reply
EssEss EssEss
EssEss EssEss
Posted: 2 years ago

5 stars
I was worried that this would be too bland so I put in 1/4 tsp of red pepper flakes. I didn’t really need them but I will continue to do that in the future just because I like a little spiciness. There was a wonderfully strong flavor of sesame that didn’t need any accentuation. I have added this to my rotation of regular recipes to make for dinner. I am going to try to double the sauce next time to have more to pour over my rice. I used the ‘baked’ version. I wasn’t sure if the recipe was correct about adding the marinade in with the flour. but I decided to do it. I didn’t bother ‘dredging’ on a plate. I just dumped the flour into the same bowl where I was marinating and stirred all the pieces to get them coated with the flour. It coated the pieces beautifully that way.

0
Reply
Lynn
Lynn
Posted: 3 years ago

5 stars
Great recipe! Thank you so much. I will substitute a quarter of the flour in the coating with cornstarch to make it even more crispy. I’ll let you know how it goes.

0
Reply
C Mcgee
C Mcgee
Posted: 3 years ago

Is it possible to bake in oven instead of frying?

0
Reply
Joanna Cismaru
Joanna Cismaru
Author
Reply to  C Mcgee
Posted: 3 years ago

Yes, there are instructions in the post, under baked sesame chicken. 🙂

0
Reply
Cindy
Cindy
Posted: 3 years ago

Do you add the marinade to the flour along with the chicken?

0
Reply
Joanna Cismaru
Joanna Cismaru
Author
Reply to  Cindy
Posted: 3 years ago

Yes, add everything in there.

0
Reply
Deb
Deb
Posted: 3 years ago

I will be making this for sure, looks so good! What is the make of your wok? It looks cast iron

0
Reply
Joanna Cismaru
Joanna Cismaru
Author
Reply to  Deb
Posted: 3 years ago

For this recipe I used a new wok I just bought from amazon and I just love it, nothing sticks to it, here’s the link (affiliate) to it: https://amzn.to/35w36Fv

0
Reply
Nancy Berg
Nancy Berg
Posted: 3 years ago

5 stars
Made this for dinner and it was incredibly delicious and so easy. Will be making this again very soon.

0
Reply
Cookie Monster
Cookie Monster
Posted: 4 years ago

5 stars
I was looking for a recipe that used sesame oil and came across this one. I’m glad I did because it was delicious! It was pretty easy to make and had great flavor!

0
Reply
Joanna Cismaru
Joanna Cismaru
Author
Reply to  Cookie Monster
Posted: 4 years ago

Glad you liked it!

0
Reply
Oksana
Oksana
Posted: 5 years ago

5 stars
Thanks for the recipe. It was delicious!

0
Reply

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