No takeout needed to enjoy crispy, sweet, and delicious Sesame chicken.
Perfect for families, one thing everyone can agree on is a double-fried chicken recipe! With savory breaded chicken and a sweet honey soy sauce, each golden brown bite pairs well with a side of rice or ramen.
Why you will love making Honey Sesame Chicken
Homemade Version of Panda Express – This chicken recipe is a great version of a local takeout joint’s original recipe with none of the drive. It’s so easy to make homemade Chinese food in your kitchen!
Alter for more heat – We typically keep recipes fairly tame on our site, but this dish can be altered with pepper flakes, cloves garlic, and hot sauce to bring the heat.
Simple Ingredients:
- boneless, skinless chicken thighs, cubed/bite sized pieces
- soy sauce
- egg white
- Seasonings – minced garlic, kosher salt, and ground black pepper
- cornstarch, plus more for coating
- vegetable oil for frying
- white rice, cooked and kept warm for serving
- sesame seeds and dry chives, optional for serving
Sauce Ingredients:
- honey
- brown sugar
- dark soy sauce
- ketchup
- apple cider vinegar
- cornstarch + water = slurry
How to make Crispy Sesame Chicken with Honey
- Mix chicken, soy sauce, egg white, garlic, salt and pepper, and corn starch. Evenly coat the chicken. Cover and refrigerate chicken pieces for 1-2 hours to marinate. Remove from refrigerator and coat in additional cornstarch.
- Heat vegetable oil in a large skillet.
- Fry chicken in skillet and drain on paper towels.
- Repeat and fry again to make it extra crispy.
- Remove pieces of chicken from the pan and drain on paper towels.
- In a separate large skillet, add tangy sauce ingredients and heat on medium until boiling, stirring frequently.
- Add cornstarch slurry and mix until it begins to thicken.
- Reduce heat to low and add chicken and mix well to coat with savory honey sesame sauce.
- Sprinkle crispy coating with sesame seeds (and chives or green onions if desired) before serving with a bed of rice (Jasmine rice is recommended).
Chicken Recipe Tips
As a reminder, no matter how homemade sesame chicken is cooked (fried, baked, air fry, or deep fried) it must reach an internal temperature of 165. Keeping chicken pieces the same size ensures that all chicken is done cooking around the same time, preventing over or under-cooking.
As with all fried chicken, to keep chicken crispy and enjoyable, serve immediately after smothering in the sticky sauce.
Do not overcrowd the pan – if necessary, make chicken in batches.
Using chicken thighs over boneless skinless chicken breasts has a bit more flavor and prevents dried chicken. We recommend thighs in this recipe.
Related Chicken Recipes
- We love the ease of a slow cooker, and this crockpot pineapple chicken recipe is a stress-free, highly rated dinner you can count on. Another great slow cooked dish? Try our Slow cooked Olive Garden Chicken Pasta Recipe.
- Casseroles are a time-honored tradition for families because of how reliable they are! Try a Ritz Cracker Chicken Recipe, Chicken and Rice Casserole Recipe or Tuna Casserole.
- Chicken so good you will want to say MARRY ME!
- The Ninja Foodi is a boss when it comes to chicken recipes. Try Ninja Foodi Air Fried Chicken wings or Air Fryer Chicken Tenders.
Crispy Sesame Chicken
Ingredients
Sesame Chicken Recipe
- 1½ pds boneless, skinless chicken thighs cubed
- 3 tbsp. soy sauce
- 1 egg white
- 1 tbsp. minced garlic
- ½ tsp. salt
- ¼ tsp. black pepper
- 2 tbsp. cornstarch plus more on side for additional for coating
- vegetable oil for frying
- white rice cooked
- sesame seeds and dry chives optional for serving
Honey Soy Sauce
- 4 tbsp. honey
- 3 tbsp. brown sugar
- 5 tbsp. soy sauce
- 4 tbsp. water
- 4 tbsp. ketchup
- 2 tbsp. apple cider vinegar
- 1 tbsp. cornstarch dissolved in 2 tablespoons cold water
Instructions
- Mix together chicken, soy sauce, egg white, minced garlic, salt and pepper, and cornstarch, and evenly coat in chicken.
- Cover and refrigerate the battered chicken for 1-2 hours to marinate.
- Remove from refrigerator, coat in additional dry cornstarch.
- Heat vegetable oil in a large skillet.
- Fry chicken in skillet and drain excess grease on paper towels. Repeat and fry again to make sesame chicken extra crispy.
- Remove double-fried chicken from pan and drain on paper towels.
- In a separate large skillet, add all sauce ingredients EXCEPT cornstarch slurry and heat on medium until boiling, stirring frequently.
- Once ingredients are combined and heated, add the cornstarch slurry and mix until the sauce begins to thicken. Reduce heat to low and add cooked chicken and mix well to coat all sides.
- Sprinkle chicken with sesame seeds and chives or sliced green onions if desired before serving with cooked white rice
Notes
- Chicken should reach an internal temperature of 165 degrees.
- Cut chicken the same size to prevent over or under cooking of pieces.
- Make rice while the chicken is in the fridge marinating.
Nutrition
Nutritional information is an estimate and provided to you as a courtesy. You should calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients used in your recipe using your preferred nutrition calculator.
Sharing of this recipe is encouraged and appreciated. Copying of full recipe to any social media is prohibited.
