Homemade Sesame Chicken

A dinner plate filled with a bed of white rice with sesame chicken on top of it and a pair of chop sticks nearby.

Course: Entree

Cuisine: Chinese / American

Prep Time: 15

Cook Time: 15

Total Time: 30

Servings:

Calories: 736kcal

Author: Kris Longwell

Sesame Chicken is not hard to make at home at all. If you don't want to deep-fry the chicken, simply stir-fry it in the oil after you have stir-fried the garlic and ginger. Serve over a bed of rice, and you'll seriously consider never ordering takeout again (well, that's unlikely...but you are going to love this dish).

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Equipment

Wok, or large sturdy skillet

Ingredients

For the Sauce

1 tablespoon sesame oil
2 tablespoon honey
2 tablespoon Chinese cooking wine Shaoxing
2 tablespoon tomato paste
¼ cup brown sugar light
3 tablespoon soy sauce
¼ cup chicken stock or broth
2 teaspoon corn starch

For the Chicken

peanut oil for frying, about 4 cups
1½ lbs chicken thighs boneless, skinless, cut into bite-sized pieces
2 egg yolks
1 teaspoon soy sauce
1 teaspoon Chinese cooking wine Shaoxing
½ teaspoon salt
½ teaspoon black pepper
⅓ cup corn starch
⅓ cup all-purpose flour

For Stir-Frying

3 tablespoon peanut oil
1 teaspoon garlic minced
1 teaspoon ginger fresh, chopped

For Serving

2 tablespoon sesame seeds
4 scallions chopped
Steamed rice

Instructions

Make the Sauce

Place all of the sauce ingredients in a medium-sized bowl and whisk until the corn starch has dissolved. Set aside.
1 tablespoon sesame oil, 2 tablespoon honey, 2 tablespoon Chinese cooking wine, 2 tablespoon tomato paste, ¼ cup brown sugar, 3 tablespoon soy sauce, ¼ cup chicken stock, 2 teaspoon corn starch

Fry the Chicken

Heat the peanut oil in the wok to 365°F. A candy thermometer works well.
peanut oil
Meanwhile, place the chicken pieces into a large bowl.
1½ lbs chicken thighs
In a small bowl, add the 2 egg yolks, soy sauce, wine, salt, and pepper. Whisk until fully combined.
2 egg yolks, 1 teaspoon soy sauce, 1 teaspoon Chinese cooking wine, ½ teaspoon salt, ½ teaspoon black pepper
Add the corn starch, flour, and egg yolk mixture to the chicken. Use a large wooden spoon to stir and fully coat the chicken. There may still be some flour and corn starch at the bottom of the bowl; this is okay.
⅓ cup corn starch, ⅓ cup all-purpose flour
Working in a couple of batches, carefully add the chicken to the hot oil, shaking off excess flour before dropping it in. Use a spider, or metal tongs to move the chicken around in the oil, to prevent the pieces from sticking to each other. Fry until golden and cooked through, about 2 to 3 minutes. Remove from the oil and place on a platter lined with paper towels.

Finish Off the Dish

After the oil has cooled somewhat, safely discard it. Wipe the wok out with a paper towel.
Heat the oil over medium-high heat. Add the garlic and ginger and stir-fry for about 30 seconds, careful to not burn the garlic.
3 tablespoon peanut oil, 1 teaspoon garlic, 1 teaspoon ginger
Pour in the sauce and stir frequently until slightly thickened, about 2 to 4 minutes.
Add the fried chicken and stir to coat and heat through, about 2 more minutes.
Remove from heat and stir in 1 tablespoon more of sesame oil.
Serve at once with steamed rice and garnished with sesame seeds and chopped scallions.
2 tablespoon sesame seeds, Steamed rice, 4 scallions

Video

Notes

NOTE: Watch the video in the recipe card for visual guidance.

If you don't have a wok, no worries, you can easily make this in a nice, large, sturdy skillet.

Boneless, skinless chicken breasts can be used in place of the chicken thighs, if desired.

Sherry is a good substitute for the Chinese cooking wine. Shaoxing can be found in the Asian section of many well-stocked supermarkets, or at Asian food markets, or online (see body of post for link).

Because this dish comes together very quickly, it's really important to have all of the ingredients prepped and measured out before you get started.

If you don't want to fry the chicken, just prepare it as written, but instead of deep-frying, simply stir-fry it after you've quickly sautéed the garlic and ginger. Cook, stirring frequently, until golden and cooked through. No need to remove the cooked chicken, just add the sauce and cook until slightly thickened.

The finished dish will keep in the fridge in an air-tight container with a lid for up to 5 days. It can be frozen for up to a month. Completely defrost before heating on the stove.

Nutrition