This sesame chicken recipe is healthier than most deep-fried chicken recipes you may find at Chinese restaurants. What could be better than homemade chicken goodness with a healthy serving of sesame udon noodles right now?.
This post will show you how to make sesame chicken using my foolproof, neat, easy method! And like I said, it’s better than takeout!.
The delectable sesame sauce that gets slathered on the chicken is so good and easy to make, too.
You might already have most of the ingredients for the sauce in your pantry. It includes pantry staples like sesame oil, garlic, soy sauce, brown sugar, and sesame seeds.
Basically, this Crispy Sesame Chicken is all good things we love about a fuss-free weeknight dinner:
Sesame chicken is a popular Chinese takeout dish. The sweet and savory sesame sauce on top of the crispy fried chicken makes it impossible to resist. In North America, sesame chicken is a must-have on the menu. But what gives sesame chicken its unique taste and texture? There are a few main ingredients that make it stand out and make you want it so badly.
Sesame Seeds
Not surprisingly, sesame seeds are the star ingredient in sesame chicken. Sesame seeds are what give the sauce its nutty, toasted aroma and its rich texture. The tiny seeds are packed with oil, which is released when they are toasted, amplifying their flavor. In addition to providing great taste, the high oil content in sesame seeds helps the sauce cling evenly to the chicken.
The most common way sesame seeds are used in sesame chicken is by grinding them into a paste along with other sauce ingredients. This sesame seed paste forms the base of the sauce. Some recipes also call for whole toasted sesame seeds which are sprinkled on as a garnish to provide extra nuttiness and crunch.
Soy Sauce
Soy sauce is another major player when it comes to sesame chicken sauce. Soy sauce contributes a savory umami richness as well as a pleasant saltiness. When combined with sweet ingredients like sugar or honey, the salty soy sauce flavor balances out the sweetness to create a complex highly craveable taste.
For the best flavor, sesame chicken calls for regular soy sauce, not the low-sodium variety. Low sodium soy sauce lacks the hearty punch that gives the sesame chicken sauce its bold personality. Make sure to use just enough soy sauce so it accentuates flavor without overpowering it.
Rice Vinegar
It might seem strange to use rice vinegar in Chinese-American food, but it’s an important part of making restaurant-quality sesame chicken taste great. Rice vinegar adds a mild sour and acidic taste to the sauce that brings out the best in all the other flavors. It cuts through the sesame oil and soy sauce’s richness and helps keep the sweetness in check.
Rice vinegar is gentler than Western vinegars like white wine vinegar or cider vinegar. Its mellow acidity blends into the sauce instead of sharply standing out. When shopping, be sure to select plain rice vinegar rather than seasoned rice vinegar, which contains added sugar and salt.
Chicken Thighs
To get the tender, juicy texture that sesame chicken is known for, you must use the right cut of chicken. Chicken thighs are the perfect choice. Not only do they taste better than breasts, but when cooked, they stay very moist. Chicken thighs have just the right amount of meat, bone, and skin. The meat stays soft and juicy because of the bones and skin.
Chicken thighs hold up especially well when fried. They become crispy and crunchy on the outside while the interior stays succulent. Sesame chicken made with chicken breasts tends to turn out disappointingly dry and stringy in comparison. For the best results, remove the skin before frying but leave the bones in.
Cornstarch
One of the best things about sesame chicken is how crispy it is, which is made possible by cornstarch. That light, delicate crunch comes from dusting the chicken pieces in cornstarch before frying them. As the chicken is fried, the cornstarch coats each piece and turns into a crispy shell.
Cornstarch performs its magic because it contains a very high percentage of starch, which is insoluble in water. When the cornstarch-coated chicken is fried, the starch stays dry and transforms into a crispy outer layer. Flour lacks this same frying power because it contains proteins and other compounds that absorb oil.
High Heat Frying
Simply breading chicken with cornstarch alone doesn’t guarantee it will turn out crispy. The frying method is equally important. To get sesame chicken with the proper crispy exterior, it must be fried at a high temperature – between 350-375°F. This high heat causes the cornstarch coating to rapidly turn golden brown and form a crunchy crust before the chicken interior overcooks.
Frying at too low of a temperature will lead to chicken that is greasy and limp rather than crispy. The coating will absorb more oil instead of quickly setting. Don’t be tempted to crowd too many chicken pieces in the pan either. This brings down the oil temperature and steams the chicken. Fry just a few pieces at a time for maximum crispness.
Ginger and Garlic
In addition to the core ingredients mentioned already, ginger and garlic also play a subtle but vital role in sesame chicken flavor. Minced or grated fresh ginger adds a touch of zing and brightness. Garlic provides an aromatic background note. Together, they round out the complex flavor profile.
The quantity of ginger and garlic must be carefully balanced. Too much will make the sauce taste too strong and spicy. Just a teaspoon or two of each is usually plenty for a full batch of sesame chicken. Whisking the ginger and garlic into an egg white slurry before adding them to the sauce helps mellow their sharpness.
So the next time you’re devouring perfectly crispy sesame chicken with a sweet, salty, and slightly spicy sauce, you’ll know it’s the alchemy of these key ingredients that make it so delicious. The combination of sesame, soy sauce, vinegar, and cornstarch elevate simple fried chicken into the takeout treat we all know and love. Follow these tips to unlock the secret formula for homemade restaurant-quality sesame chicken.
Here’s the lineup for Crispy Sesame Chicken
(For the full recipe, scroll down to the recipe card below)
- Chicken tenders, chicken cutlets, or chicken thighs
- Flour
- Eggs
- Panko Breadcrumbs
- Sesame Seeds
- Salt and Pepper
Cover the chicken in the sauce and bake it until it’s golden brown. Add green onions and sesame seeds on top.
The result? Tasty, super easy, crispy sesame chicken yumminess ready to be enjoyed!
How to make sesame chicken
Honestly, it’s so simple.
Use this foolproof method for the perfect results whenever you’re breading chicken.
(For the full recipe, scroll down to the recipe card below)
You’ll need 3 shallow dishes or bowls: 1. flour, salt, and pepper. 2. Eggs 3. Panko and sesame seeds.
With one hand, dip each chicken tender in flour first and coat both sides. Then with your other hand, dunk in the egg and then switch back to your dry hand to dunk in the breadcrumb mix pressing the crumbs to adhere.
(or air fry!) Both options work perfectly.
While the chicken bakes, whisk together the ingredients for the sauce. Heat on the stove and thicken with a cornstarch slurry.
Dip the chicken tenders or brush them with the sauce, and then enjoy! I like the chicken with rice and roasted broccoli, or I chop it up and put it in my sesame chicken salad.
Crispiest sesame chicken
FAQ
What are the ingredients in sesame chicken?
Sesame chicken typically includes chicken pieces, a sauce made with soy sauce, honey, sesame oil, and other ingredients, and is often garnished with sesame seeds.
What is the secret ingredient in Chinese stir fry chicken?
Dry Sherry: The secret ingredient to a Chinese restaurant’s stir-fry is Shaoxing wine—but it’s not gluten-free. I’ll instead add a splash of dry sherry (a cooking wine, not sherry vinegar) if I have it. You don’t need much and it isn’t required, but it really does add a delicious layer of flavor.
What does sesame sauce contain?
Make this tasty sauce with Japanese sesame paste, sugar, soy sauce, rice vinegar, and dashi (Japanese soup stock). Pronounced [Goh-mah Dah-Leh]. Its consistency is smooth and creamy, offering a harmonious blend of nutty, sweet, salty, and umami flavors.
What is in almond chicken?
Almond chicken typically consists of stir-fried chicken with almonds and vegetables, often in a savory sauce. It usually has chicken, toasted almonds, vegetables like bell peppers, mushrooms, and celery, and a sauce made of soy sauce, broth, and cornstarch.