With Easy Sesame Chicken you can skip the takeout and still enjoy your favorite, crispy Chinese restaurant entree in under 30 minutes!
This is a perfect homemade Chinese Food dinner. Serve it with Fried Rice, Egg Drop Soup, and Crab Rangoon for more takeout favorites.
Sabrina’s Crispy Sesame Chicken Recipe
There are several recipes you’ll come across for Sesame Chicken. Some are healthier versions without breading while some are stir fries. This is the classic mall food Chinese takeout version. It’s a quick and easy tempura fried chicken in bite-size pieces tossed with an easy sauce made with rice wine and soy sauce sweet and spicy mixture. It’s a wonderful blend of sweet, savory, and slightly spicy flavors that cling to each tender piece of chicken. It’s a tasty adventure you won’t want to miss!
Recipe Card
Ingredients
Sesame Chicken Sauce Ingredients:
- 1/4 cup soy sauce
- 1/4 cup rice vinegar
- 1/2 cup brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon corn starch
- 1/3 cup water
- 2 teaspoons sesame oil
- 1/2 tablespoon sesame seeds
Tempura Batter:
- 1/2 cup cornstarch
- 1/2 cup flour
- 2 egg whites
- 1/2 cup cold seltzer water
Chicken:
- 1 lb chicken thighs , boneless and skinless cut into 1 inch chunks
- vegetable oil , for deep frying
- 2 teaspoons sesame oil
- 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper
- 1 tablespoon minced garlic
Instructions
- To make the sauce mix all the ingredients together.
- Whisk the batter ingredients together in a separate bowl until just combined. Add the chicken pieces to the batter and coat.
- Heat 3 inches of frying oil to 350 degrees. Add the chicken to the oil in batches, frying until golden brown.
- In a large wok or skillet add the sesame oil to the frying pan, add the garlic and red pepper flakes and cook for 30 seconds.
- Add in the sauce and the chicken, coat quickly and serve immediately, garnished with sesame seeds.
Video
Notes
- Click on the “yield” amount to slide and change the number of servings and the recipe will automatically update!
- To convert measurements to grams, click on the “Metric” option next to “Ingredients” in the recipe card.
Nutrition
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Table of contents
Chef’s Note: Why skip takeout
Making Sesame Chicken in your own kitchen gives you the power to make it just the way you like. You can use better-for-you ingredients, save some cash, and take pride in creating it from scratch. Enjoy the taste of freshness and tweak things to match your preferences, all while savoring the happiness of sharing a homemade meal with your family and friends.
Kitchen Tools
- Wok or Skillet: A wok or skillet is essential for cooking the chicken and sauce. A wok’s high sides make it ideal for stir-frying, while a skillet works well too. Ensure it’s deep enough to prevent oil splatters during frying.
- Deep Fryer or Large Pot: You’ll need a deep fryer or large pot with enough capacity to accommodate the chicken pieces and sufficient oil for deep frying. A thermometer is handy for monitoring the oil temperature.
How-to-Make Video
Can This Be Made Ahead of Time?
You can prepare the sesame sauce and batter ahead of time and store them separately in airtight containers in the refrigerator for up to 24 hours. However, it’s best to fry the chicken just before serving to maintain its crispiness. Reheat the sauce and toss it with freshly fried chicken for the best results.
How to Store
- Store: To keep leftover Sesame Chicken fresh, store it in an airtight container in the refrigerator within two hours of cooking. Proper sealing prevents moisture loss and helps maintain flavors. It can stay good for 3-4 days.
- Reheat: Reheat leftover chicken in the oven or a skillet for crispy texture. To maintain the sauce’s consistency, add a splash of water before reheating in the microwave.
- Freeze: Place the chicken in a freezer-safe container or airtight freezer bags. Ensure it’s well-sealed to prevent freezer burn and use within 2-3 months.
How to Serve
Serve Sesame Chicken with steamed rice, Lo Mein, steamed broccoli, and easy recipes like Crab Rangoon and Egg Rolls for appetizers.
Frequent Questions
If you don’t have seltzer water, sparkling water or even cold club soda can work as substitutes to maintain the batter’s lightness.
Yes, in its traditional form, it is dredged in batter and deep-fried.
You can use skinless chicken breasts in this recipe in place of chicken thighs. There’s no other ingredient adjustments, you will fry for one less minute.
Variations
Because there are so many different versions, let’s go over some of the other options. Howver, this version is the best one for reliving your mall food court childhood.
- Baked Sesame Chicken: You can dredge the chicken in flour, egg, and finally in panko. Spray the pieces of chicken with some vegetable oil spray and bake at 375 degrees for 25 minutes. Toss with sesame sauce then continue baking for an additional ten minutes.
- Honey Sesame Chicken: Replace the brown sugar in the recipe with honey for a more pronounced, sweet, honey taste.
- Stir Fry: Don’t bread the chicken – just cook it in the skillet with a bit of sesame oil and vegetable oil. Add fresh garlic and vegetables (bell pepper, onion, and zucchini) to the skillet and cook for 1-2 minutes. Then pour the sauce in and cook until reduced (you may need to add a bit of cornstarch and water).
More Easy Sesame Recipes
Photo used in a previous version of this post.
Great batter, but the sauce has way too much vinegar and sugar for my taste. For reference this is from someone who isn’t a fan of vinegar and vinegar like things so I reduced it to one tablespoon (as I had to remake the sauce) and cut the sugar down to 1/3 cup. I used this recipe as a starting point for Sesame chicken and it helped me get a feel for what i do and do not want in a recipe, so for that thank you
Flawless recipe, tastes absolutely nothing like any sesame chicken I’ve ever had, it’s dramatically better. I’ve tried over a dozen recipes from this site and while they’ve all been fantastic, this is solidly on top for me, especially with how easy it is to make.
Honestly all I wanted was sesame chicken but didnt wanna go out…this is better than ANY restaurant sesame chicken thank u..perfect ratios of flavor….on another positive note tempura batter with seasonings makes best fried chicken…priceless recipe
Thanks, Mariana.
Thanks so much for this recipe! We have been craving sesame chicken for a while and haven’t had it since Covid shut everything down. My only complaint was the batter stuck to the wire basket in my deep fryer. But I transferred the oil to a nonstick pot and finished frying in it, and they came out perfect! For those saying the batter is too dry, mix it well with a whisk, then set it aside for a few minutes. After sitting, mine had thinned and was silky smooth. For the sauce, I just mixed it and set to the side, and cooked the garlic and pepper and set aside until the chicken was done. As soon as the last batch of chicken fried, I threw it in the skillet with the garlic and poured in the sauce. Next time, I will thicken the sauce before adding the chicken, but it did thicken with just a few minutes at mediu6 high heat after adding it to the chicken. Great treat for us, and I’ll be making it again!
I made this, and it was delicious. I don’t really like sweet food, so I reduced the amount of brown sugar. Perfect. I loved the smell and taste of the sesame oil. A question, doesn’t the sauce need to be cooked a little because of the cornstarch? I cooked mine a couple of minutes, and it was just right.
Also, I’ve seen other similar recipes using whole eggs, instead of just whites. Do you know what difference that makes in the crispness of the chicken ? My chicken wasn’t super crispy out of the fryer. Not crispy at all, once sauced. Still, it was delicious. And, I just had leftovers from last night and it was just as good as when it was cooked. I used a fry daddy, which is the bomb, for perfect temperature. I also used breast instead of thighs. Topped with sesame seeds and chopped green onions. Thank you for this great recipe!
To keep the chicken crispy, what about double frying?
I haven’t tested it so if you decide to try, I’d love to know how it turns out. Thanks!
Sabrina, just to say I made this dish for the second time and it is simply amazing a delicious!!! All credit for writing an amazing recipe.
Thanks, Glenda.
this looks amazing and the comments were great.
i would rather bake the chicken would that be ok. and follow your receipe Sesame Chicken Sauce do i take the chicken out of the oven and pour the sauce over it and place it back in the oven again.
Loved this recipe!! It was so much better than any of the others I’ve tried. No leftovers!
Only issue- when frying the chicken- the grease splattered a lot more than normal. I was frying at 350. Any suggestions as to why this happened?
We will definitely have this again!!
You can always use a splatter guard when making it too so it doesn’t make a mess or get on you. So glad you love it!
Amazing! The whole family loves it!! Thanks for sharing!!
Do I have to use selzter water or what can I substitute
You can also use club soda or sparkling water.
Is there a reason it would have to be seltzer water? I dont have that or club soda or sparkling water but I have everything else so I’m just curious what it does?
It allows the batter to be light and airy.
Will it ruin the recipe by using regular water?
It won’t work. You really need the carbonation of the seltzer water.
Your description hit the nail on the head! I was craving mall food after being in this social distancing world, and my whole family (even the picky 9 yr. old who asked what the sesame seeds were) devoured it. I took the suggestion several people made of heating the sauce and reducing a bit before adding the chicken (I knew bringing it to a boil would let that cornstarch activate). I fried the chicken in batches, and kept a cooling-rack on top of an oven set at 325 to keep the chicken after frying, so everything remained hot and crispy!
So glad to have helped out a craving!
This was great! Came out better than I expected.
Everything was delicious and came out exactly like the picture!! My only concern (and somebody pointed out already) was that the chicken didn’t stay crispy until I added the sauce… maybe I didn’t cook the chicken enough? I am curious… other than that, perfect recipe!!!
I made this tonight for my daughter who has been craving Chinese food for the longest time and this is what she always orders. She was very pleased, to say the least. It turned out delicious! I did simmer the sauce a while before adding the chicken to thicken it up. I will definitely be making this again!
No leftovers tonight!!! Whole family of 5 ate it and loved it!! Takes a little bit of extra time but totally worth it and it was actually fun since the ingredients were so simple!! Will definitely do this again!
I’d call that a winner!
Would this work in an air fryer? Or do you need to fry it in the oil?
I’ve not tested it using an air fryer yet. If you decide to try, I’d love to know how it turns out. Thanks!
I just made this last night…, it was AMAZING! SO good! The only thing I changed was to allow the sauce to simmer for a bit to thicken before I added the chicken, but I used all the right amounts of the right ingredients and followed all the other directions. I honestly had concerns if it would turn out like the pictures, but it did. I’ll definitely be making this often! Thank you – it was delicious!
Do I cook the sauce before hand to make it thicker?
No, just cook it longer.
I did and it was lovely.
My whole family loved it! I cooked the chicken in the sauce a lot longer- like 8 minutes so the sauce really thickened up which was perfect ! I would try to dust off the chicken when you pull it out of the batter otherwise you can get a lot of batter- still good just takes longer to cook – My family can’t wait for me to make again !
All in all, it was a decent dish. I probably won’t make it again without some major tweaking though. I think my biggest disappointment is the batter. The chicken comes out of the oil nice and crispy, but by the time the second batch comes out, the first batch is no longer crispy. It’s possible I made a mistake, but I don’t believe I did. The sauce was tasty, but it doesn’t taste like any sesame chicken I’ve ever had. I used brown sugar this time because it’s what I had on hand, but I will definitely use honey next time. Thank you for the recipe, I look forward to trying more of your dishes.
Hi there….
I’ve made this recipe and I found that preheating my oven to 200degs C with a baking tray in there too is a good place to put the freshly cooked chicken pieces whilst everything else is happening. When the sauce is ready just pull the chicken pieces out of the oven and toss in the sauce. The hot oven should keep the chicken nice and crispy for you Hope this helps.
I thought as you do, so I added a 1/4 cup more of brown sugar, and a bit more cornstarch and cooked the sauce a bit longer to cook out the sauces. It might not hurt to lightly brown the sesame seeds.
No instructions given on how to prepare chicken? There are a list of ingredients for the chicken – but no explanation. Instructions only say to prepare the batter. What about the crushed red pepper and the sesame oil?
In the ingredient list it states to cut the chicken into 1 inch chunks. Sorry for the confusion.
Yes, the instructions could have been better situated, but it’s all there. Read it through and through before starting.
Do you put the seltzer water and egg whites with the corn starch and flour?
Yes, to make the batter.
This came out great!!! Fantastic tase and not difficult. The next time I would put less sugar in the sauce, as my kids found it a little too sweet. Other than that, it needs no changes – thanks so much!!
This recipe is so good and easy to follow. I substituted apple cider vinegar for seltzer water..Delicious! Thanks for sharing!?????
You’re welcome, Lynn. Thanks for the 5 stars.
Hi Lynn, How did the apple cider vinegar work out for the substitution?
Did it change the flavor?
I don’t have seltzer, sparkling water or club soda in my house.. TYIA!
I followed the recipe exactly. The chicken did not turn out anything like the pictures. The sauce was soup the whole way through. Would not make again.
The batter was too dry and didn’t stick to the chicken. Is there a step missing to dip the chicken in something before putting in the batter?
The batter has egg whites and seltzer water so I’m not sure how it could be too dry.
The batter was thick but not dry
I love this recipe. It really is better than takeout. Ok well not better than that one place that’s an hour away but it does give it a run for its money.
When mixing for the sauce I also add honey help thicken it up. Someone in the comments said add ketchup and I did and who know what it does but it does favor the sauce. I eyeball when I pour these but I’m going to guess about a tbs of each of these.
The batter recipe leaves it a bit too hard for me but I just added more mineral water until it looked like pancake mix consistency.
Then in batches I dump chicken into the batter. Then I use a pasta strainer so that it doesn’t have a really thick batter coat.
The part that sucks is placing each chicken individually. They will stick if you just dump.
The sauce I just boil it until it’s sticky enough so idk 10ish minutes. But not to much or else it gets hard.
Eek! This did not turn out well for me! I followed recipe to a T and it did not taste anything like sesame chicken! I’m not a newbie cook either, so I’d appreciate better instructions so my food can taste like it should
Sorry you had issues with it, Joanne.
I tried this tonight and completely flopped! My chicken would stick together, I tried a lower temp then the breading wouldn’t stay on. My husband is now out for pizza.
Oh no! Next time try adding your chicken in batches allowing it to fry up and not overcrowd the pan.
I did it in small batches, that’s why I’m so baffled as to why it failed. I cook four nights a week for family so I’m not new to cooking. I was so hoping this worked, pics look amazing.
Can I use something else besides corn starch? Something I would have in the pantry?
You can use all purpose flour or arrowroot flour.
Very good from the first bite to the last. Family of 5 and all loved it. Will make again and again. Thanks!
Great recipe! I’ve tried it twice, the second time was the best. The second time around, I added in the sauce and let it thicken a bit and then added the chicken. It worked well.
Has anyone tested this recipe with an air fryer, rather than deep frying in oil?
How long do you deep fry the chicken? I tried clicking on the times as suggested but it didn’t do anything.
You’ll want to cook them until they’re golden brown.
Ms Sabrina,
This recipe is divine!!! Easy, concise and delicious! I have made several of your recipes and they are all 5 star!! I should have commented before to let you know how much my family and I have enjoyed them. When I am searching on Pinterest for new recipes and I see you site pop up I know it is going to be delicious!! Thank you for your expertise!!!!!!!!
That’s so nice of you to say, Regina. Thanks for the 5 stars.
Can I use breaded chicken already in my freezer and toss it in the sauce after cooked and continue to bake for a bit?
Sorry, your comment got stuck in my spam filter. That should work in a pinch.
if I don’t have rice vinegar can I still use regular vinegar? or will it not taste as good?
I would use apple cider vinegar if you have it. If you only have white vinegar, add 1/4 teaspoon of sugar to it before adding. Good luck!
Great meal! Only recommendations I’d give are to go a little lighter on the rice vinegar – stroooooooong flavor- and to, as other comments have said, really thicken the sauce. Not necessarily your traditional sesame chicken, but still really yummy!
Recipe does not mention thickening the sauce. Seems a flaw.
So I made this for the family today, I added honey to it so my kids might like it a bit more. Wasn’t too hard for a guy who has never even separated eggs from their whites so I’d recommend it for anyone to try. I’ll certainly do it again
My whole family enjoyed this recipe. It’s the closest thing to restaurant sesame chicken I’ve ever made. I will be making it again soon. The only thing I did wrong was to let the chicken sit in the sauce too long. It made the chicken less crispy and I do love the crispiness of the chicken. So next time, I will be sure to serve this as soon as I mix the chicken into the thickened sauce.
Thanks so much for this recipe!! Only change I would suggest is letting that sauce thicken up a bit. I am no chef by any means. When I cook anything other than basics like spaghetti (using Ragu lol) I use a recipe and have to follow it to a tee. A recipe could take a step off a cliff, and in the next second, I’d be airborne too. So if a recipe is “off”, I never have any clue how to make it better. I just have to find another recipe. With this, I made 1 batch following your exact instructions. Sauce was extremely thin & I tasted too much of the soy sauce. The sauce’s ingredients didn’t seem as if they’d come together right & the sauce just immediately soaked right into the chicken. And while it was good, it did not taste like sesame chicken. While studying the recipe to see if I’d missed something, I noticed a suggestion in comments to let the sauce simmer. I decided to take another go at it. Using the same thin sauce, I turned the heat back on & let it simmer for a long while, while I got more chicken dipped and fried. Like I said, Idk much about cooking but I know flour’s a thickening agent so I even sprinkled a little of that in there. Necessary? Who knows. But I’m impatient haha. It thickened up nicely & finally turned familiar in color. I tossed in my chicken, plated it, sprinkled sesame seeds and BAM! It looked JUST like the kind I get at my favorite Chinese restaurant. And the taste knocked me off my feet, it was so similar. Biiiiiig difference from the first batch! I wish I could post my before and after pics. It was all YOU on the recipe. Never would have been able to compile all of that on my own, so thank you. But to make that sauce come together like it should, people, Let. It. Simmer.
Me and my family LOVED the sesame chicken I wished we made more
Hi if I ran out of corn starch what can I substitute for it?
Flour or arrowroot are great substitutions.
Does sesame oil make a difference if not used?
It’ll change the flavor profile.
Just made this dinner tonight for my husband and I tonight. We must have said “this is SO good” 100 times while eating it. One of the best meals I have ever made.
Love it!
Just lovely! I cut the sesame oil in half and added ginger after tasting the sauce base (which does need to be simmered until uniform and thick, as others have noted). I overcooked my chicken a bit due to adding it in too large batches— it took too long to brown. But this is a real keeper! Pretty easy too. I threw it in after frying some spring rolls and had some very happy kids.
How much ginger
I’m not sure what I missing, but the sauce was very thin. The recipe just says to mix ingredients. Should they be simmered? Boiled? Reduced? For how long?
Also 2 tsp of sesame oil were included in the sauce and in the chicken list of ingredients. Was that right? That was very overwhelming.
The sauce gets mixed in at the end with the chicken. Feel free to adjust the sesame oil to fit more to your liking.
Another win! This is my go-to website for dinner ideas, everyone always loves them! I added broccoli and red pepper just to get some extra veggies and the sauce over them was fantastic!
You just made my day, Alison. Thank you!
This sounds delicious! Can it be made with whole eggs?
No, you’ll just want to use the whites of the eggs for this recipe.
Can this be made gluten free?
Sorry but I haven’t tested it as a GF recipe. If you decide to try, I’d love to know what worked for you. Good luck!
Sounds like it will be great! My question is about the Tempura batter. Do we mix all the ingredients together and then dip the chicken pieces in? Or do we do the traditional step by step dipping process? if so, can you describe the steps? And why seltzer water? Can that be substituted?
Thank you!!
For the tempura batter, mix all the ingredients together and then the chicken will be dipped into that and then fried. The seltzer water adds a crispness to the batter. You can substitute with club soda in a pinch. Hope this helps!
Can you substitute the seltzer water for tonic water? Or would that add a bitter taste?
It be better to use club soda as a substitute.
Delicious recipe. Crispy chicken and just the right amount of sauce.
So glad you enjoyed it, Audra. Thanks for the 5 stars.
So tasty and easy! I made my first batch. My only question would be: how do I endure crudpiness when deep frying? I was hesitant to put 3inches of oil (I use olive oil which is pricey). Also, does overstuffing if the tempura batter affect the texture when frying? Definitely going to make again!
I’m so glad you enjoyed it! I would recommend using canola or peanut oil to fry. They’ll be more budget friendly.