Sesame Chicken Recipe

In this Sesame Chicken recipe, pieces of chicken are covered in a sweet and savory sesame sauce that sticks to them. This simple recipe only takes 30 minutes to make!

My family loved this sesame chicken right away, and I think yours will too! This recipe is perfect for a weeknight dinner because it’s easy to make, tastes great, and is better for you than takeout.

The sesame sauce that covers each piece of chicken is the best part of this recipe. The flavors of sweet and salty go well together. When you mix the sauce with the browned chicken in the hot pan, the sauce gets thicker and makes the chicken stick to it. We’ve been making this sesame chicken over and over again. You will see why if you try it.

This sesame chicken isn’t fried in a lot of oil. Instead, it’s cooked in a little oil in a skillet until it’s brown and soft. Cornstarch, egg, and flour make the chicken a little crispy, but not as crispy as frying. It’s healthier and just as tasty.Soy sauce (I use low sodium), ketchup, honey, brown sugar, sesame oil, rice vinegar, garlic, and cornstarch are all you need for the sauce. For a little heat, I also like to add a tablespoon of sweet chili sauce or a pinch of red pepper flakes.

Ingredients

Chicken and coating:

• Cut the chicken breast into cubes that are 1 inch wide.
• Eggs and cornstarch: To coat the chicken so it gets a little crispy in the hot pan.
• To flavor the chicken, use salt and pepper.
• Flour: To cover the pieces of chicken. The flour helps the chicken get a tasty brown crust.
• I use canola oil instead of olive oil in this recipe because canola oil has a higher smoke point. If you want, you can use olive oil.

• ○ 1 ½ pounds (680 grams) of chicken breast, cut into cubes that are 1 inch long
• ○ Two big eggs
• ○ ½ cup cornstarch
• ○ ½ cup all-purpose flour
• ○ ½ tsp salt
• ○ ¼ tsp black pepper
• ○ 2–3 tablespoons of canola oil for cooking

Sauce ingredients:

• ○ ¼ cup soy sauce with low sodium
• ○ 2 tbsp ketchup
• ○ 3 tbsp honey
• ○ 2 tbsp brown sugar
• ○ 1 tbsp rice vinegar
• ○ 1 tbsp sesame oil
• ○ 2 cloves garlic, minced
• ○ 1 tbsp cornstarch
• ○ 2 tbsp water (to dissolve cornstarch)
• ○ 1 tbsp sweet chili sauce OR ⅛ tsp red pepper flakes (optional heat)

Garnish:

• ○ 1–2 tbsp sesame seeds
• ○ 2 sliced green onions

Instructions

1. Put all of the sauce ingredients in a small bowl first. Mix well with a whisk.
2. In a large, shallow dish, mix the eggs, cornstarch, salt, and pepper together with a whisk. Put the flour in another wide, shallow dish.
3. Put the chicken pieces in the egg/cornstarch mixture, then in the flour, and gently tap off any extra.
4. Put the oil in a big skillet, like a cast iron one. Put the chicken in the pan and cook it until it is brown and done, turning it over to cook all sides evenly.
5. Move the cooked chicken to one side of the pan. Pour the sauce into the other side of the pan and cook it, stirring it, for 1 to 2 minutes, or until it thickens.
6. Gently mix the sauce with the chicken.

Tips for best results

Cut the chicken into pieces that are no bigger than 1 inch by 1 inch so that they cook quickly.

Change the heat as you cook the chicken. If the chicken is getting too brown before it is fully cooked, turn down the heat a little.

Be careful not to let the coating come off the chicken when you flip it over.

You can keep cooking the dish for 2 to 3 more minutes on low heat after you mix the chicken and sauce together. This will make the dish less saucy, but it will turn the sauce into a tasty sticky coating on the chicken.