Crispy Sesame Chicken is easy to make with super crispy batter and delicious sesame sauce you’ll skip the takeout and done in just 30 minutes!
One of our favorite take out options when we aren’t looking for a recipe that is sweeter like Panda Express Orange Chicken (Copycat) or Sweet and Sour Chicken and something not quite as spicy as General Tso’s Chicken.
Sesame Chicken Recipe
There’s a number of recipes you’ll come across. Some are healthier versions without breading while some are stir fries. This is the classic mall food Chinese takeout version. Because there’s so many different versions lets go over some of the other options. This version is the best one though, especially if you’re reliving your mall food court childhood.
EASY SESAME CHICKEN RECIPES:
Baked Sesame Chicken: You can dredge the chicken in flour, egg and finally in panko. Spray the pieces of chicken with some canola 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 honey sesame chicken recipe. I also love making Chinese Honey Chicken too without any of the sesame flavors.
Sesame Chicken Stir Fry: Don’t bread the chicken – just cook it in the skillet with a bit of sesame oil and canola oil. Add fresh garlic and vegetables (bell pepper, onion and zucchini) to the skillet and cook for 1-2 minutes. Then pout the sauce in and cook until reduced (you may need to add a bit of cornstarch and water).
What to serve with Sesame Chicken?
We love to serve Chinese Steamed Rice, Lo Mein, steamed broccoli and easy recipes like Crab Rangoon and Egg Rolls for appetizers dipped in Sweet and Sour Sauce.
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HOW DO YOU MAKE SESAME CHICKEN SAUCE?
There are a couple of ways to make sesame sauce. This recipe includes soy sauce, brown sugar, garlic, sesame oil, rice vinegar and cornstarch where more in depth recipes include dark soy sauce and shaoxing rice wine.
How do you make sesame chicken? A quick and easy tempura fried chicken in bite size pieces is tossed with an easy sauce made with rice wine and soy sauce sweet and spicy mixture. Garnish with sesame seeds or even green onions.
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS:
- Is Sesame Chicken Fried? Yes, in it’s traditional form it is dredged in batter and deep fried.
- Is Sesame Chicken Sweet? Yes, with the addition of brown sugar it is slightly less sweet than orange chicken.
- Can you reheat Sesame Chicken? Once you serve the chicken the sauce starts soaking up in to the crispy chicken. Because of this reheating won’t result in crispy chicken, but it will still be tasty.
- White Meat Sesame Chicken: Use skinless chicken breasts in this Sesame Chicken in place of chicken thighs. There’s no other recipe adjustment, you will fry for one less minute.
Tools used in the making of this Sesame Chicken:
Wok: The best way to cook quickly and over high heat for Asian dishes, this wok is the perfect stir fry pan.
Rice Vinegar: Readily available in almost all grocers these days, this is a great vinegar to keep on hand. It does have a hint of sweetness to it, so don’t replace with any other vinegar except perhaps a red wine vinegar if you absolutely need to.
Sesame Oil: The flavor of sesame oil in this dish is unmistakeable and not really able to be substituted. Some Asian grocery stores will try and sell less expensive options that aren’t actually sesame oil, so just be sure the one you’re buying is authentic sesame oil.
Crispy Sesame Chicken
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? chunks
- 2 teaspoons sesame oil
- 1/4 teaspoon crushed red pepper
- 1 tablespoon minced garlic
- vegetable oil for deep frying
Instructions
To make the sauce mix all the ingredients together and to prepare the batter, add the ingredients together until just combined.
Add the chicken pieces to the batter and coat while heating 3 inches of oil to 350 degrees and 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 and add the garlic and red pepper flakes and cook for 30 seconds.
Add in the sauce and the chicken and coat quickly and serve immediately, garnished with sesame seeds.
I love this recipe, but it is just too much rice vinegar. That is all we could taste. I will cut it in half next time. The chicken was perfect. This is a fairly easy recipe.
This dish is the best, and so easy! My family loves it. I’ve passed this recipe onto many others!
tempura batter mix for sesame seed chicken
Would it be Ok to substitute club soda for the seltzer?
Yes 🙂
Loved this recipe!
Not sure what happened. I made it verbatim from the recipe and the sauce was very watery. It didn’t stick to the chicken at all. The chicken itself was good. There was just no flavor. The end result was chicken soaking in Watery liquid.
I have tried to make Chinese dishes at home and the results have always been less than satisfying, but the very first time I made this, it tasted as good as any Sesame Chicken I have ever gotten for takeout. This is now my go-to recipe for Sesame Chicken, so good. The only thing I found was that frying the tempura battered chicken took way longer than I expected. I also used chicken breast instead of thighs and the chicken was still moist and delicious.
Thanks for the 5 stars, Joe.
I recommend this recipe but the last step is not self-explanatory for a beginner. You are supposed to “simmer” the sauce until it gets thick or it has a caramelized texture (around 2-3 min), and then you can add the chicken and coat it quickly.
Good luck to everyone and enjoy!
This info would have been great to know an hour ago. I had chicken soaking in some watery liquid. I’ll never get that half hour of my life back.
We loved this recipe! The 2nd time around I added a few tbsp of honey and like it even better. This will be a staple in our house from now on. ?
Thanks for coming back to let me know, Billy. I appreciate the 5 star rating.
I’m Sita, the one who wrote all ready. I just wanted to say; I have celiac desiseas, so I made it gluten free, and it works so well!!
🙂
Thanks for coming back to let me know.
Hi! My and my parents LOOOOOOVE this recipe! Tomorrow’s my birthday and I’ve requested it for dinner! It’s PERFECT, comforting, sweet, spicy, tangy, salty, sesame-e, crispy, saucy, and wonderful!!! One question: It’s pretty crispy, but how do you make it crispier, and in the shape you want it, if you know what I mean?
All in all, I would recommend this recipe to anyone (already have), so thank you so so much!
Absolutely delicious!!!! It is easy to make and well worth it!!! Thanks so much for sharing this recipe!!
You’re welcome, Tanda.
I’m so glad I found this recipe. I didn’t have sesame seeds but it didn’t matter, it was absolutely delicious. I will definitely make this again! Next I want to try your General Tso’s chicken. Thanks!
Thanks for the 5 stars, Rebecca.
My daughter and I made this last night for dinner…followed the recipe exactly, except we doubled the recipe and used 1lb chicken thighs and 1 lb breasts. The chicken was very crispy and the sauce was sweet with just enough zing form the red pepper flakes. We tossed in some cooked broccoli when we got to the wok step. We were high-fiving each other as we took our first bites. Waaaay better than take-out!
When making the sauce..it seems at first like it may be too runny, but when we added it to the wok when we did the stir fry step it thickened up really quickly.
This recipe is a keeper and we will be making it again for sure.
The tempura batter was vertY light
This was the best attempt I’ve made at sesame chicken My family loved it. I hope it works the second time as well as the first.
Tnanx
Yay!!
I made your recipe for sesame chicken and it was good but I used to go to a Chinese restaurant and get the best sesame chicken I have ever had. I’ve not found a restaurant or recipe that is close to it. The restaurant has closed and I don’t know how they made it. The sauce was pink and it was sweet but not too sweet. I didn’t taste the rice vinegar or much soy sauce in it. Do you have any idea what they could have done to make it so different from all the other places? I’m not trying to insult you. Your receipe was good, like I said, I’m just trying to find a recipe like the one they used. If you have any suggestions, I would welcome and appreciate them. Thanks
Hi sorry just saw this comment. Do you have a name for the restaurant? I could look at old yelp photos if they have any and see what it looked like. Without more detail it would be hard to help. Happy Thanksgiving!
Hi, I don’t know the exact ingredients that your fav restaurant might have used however since it’s a Chinese restaurant, they probably experimented with other asian ingredients that are usually used for sauces. The pink color was probably food coloring, I can’t think of an ingredient that could give it that pink color naturally. If the pink color was detected then it means that they didn’t use dark ingredients like oyster sauce or soy sauce in heavy amounts otherwise the sauce would have a browner color. If you didn’t taste the rice vinegar then maybe they didn’t use it. They might have used sugar, cornsyrup or honey for the sweetness.
Can you give more details? Was the sauce clear looking? What was the complete flavour profile? They could have used Msg to give it more flavour. They might have experienced with umami flavours like mushroom, oyster sauce, dashi broth, tahini maybe or even Chinese wine. If it had sourness but no vinegar taste and smell then they might have used Chinese wine for the sour profile instead. Hard to tell without more details, you’ll probably have to experiment different sauces before you figure it out.
Yamm Yamm, I like it, is so sweet.
Wow So good!!! Both my husband and I said it tasted 10x better than take out. The batter is crispy, light, and delicious. Will definitely be making this again !!
OMG!
I have never, ever posted on a recipe…. but, this was the best sesame chicken EVER! And I made it gluten free! Tapioca flour and corn starch. I also dipped them in some GF Panko before I cooked them. Hubby and I were both speechless!!!
Yay!! I’m honored to be the first recipe you loved enough to want to leave a review for. Thanks!
This was outstanding. Better than takeout. Did the recipe exactly how it’s written except subbed shrimp for the chicken and cooked the sauce to thicken it up before I added the shrimp. Excellent! Will definitely be making again!
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.
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.
This was very easy to make, and it was delicious!!! I’ll be making my own take out for now on! My family loved it. We made egg rolls and white rice to go with it. It tastes even better the next day after all of the flavors have soaked through the chicken. This was awesome!! Thanks for sharing.
You’re welcome, Olivia. Thanks for the 5 stars.
I followed your exact recipe and it turned out sooo good! I’m a bit skeptical at first since I’ve never had anything like this before. The chinese food here (Indonesia) is so different than chinese food in the US. The only thing that came close to this (sweet-savory-sour combination) is Ayam Asam Manis (sweet and sour chicken), where you usually use the combination of ketchup and sugar for the sauce. But I’m glad I gave this recipe a try. Thank you!
I am so glad you decided to give it a try too. Thanks for the 5 star rating.
I thought this turned out great.
So glad you enjoyed it, Justin.
Hi Sabrina!
Just found this lovely website of yours! Read the thumbnail bio of yourself and I’m just plain excited about exploring more of your corner of the Internet! I’m a professional chef, pastry and kitchen and can truly say that you sure know your stuff!
Made this super sesame chicken tonight and cannot wait to try more of your food! My daughter loves honey chicken, so I’m going to surprise her with that sometime later this week.
So happy to “meet” you! Hope his is the beginning of a long friendship!! 🙂
Skye
Nice to meet you too and so happy to hear you are enjoying the site! Let me know how your daughter likes this recipe 🙂
SOOOO Yummy!!
Thanks! Glad you liked it!
Wow! I thought this recipe was amazing, but my husband thought it was absolutely out of this world! He said it was the best Chinese food-style chicken he has had from anywhere. I’ve made it a few times now, always following the recipe exactly except adding a diced jalapeño to the sauce this most recent time because I had some fresh ones in the garden. It definitely kicked up the spiciness (which we love), so tonight I think I’m going to add 2. I always pair it with just some white Jasmine rice and veggies. I also love to top it with some sliced green onions. Thanks for the great recipe.
So glad you liked it and thank you for this review. It made my day! I love the idea of adding jalapeños! I might just have to reserve a bit of sauce and chicken separate to try that out (I’m the only real spicy fan in the house haha)
Was so sticky and yummy will make again!!
Happy to hear that! It is very yummy and we make it a lot!
Could I use an air fryer for the chicken in this recipe?
I haven’t used it personally, but I know that people do use one – feel free to try it and let me know how it goes.
How do I keep the chicken crispy? Bite sized pieces cook super fast in the hot oil. If I waited for Them to be completely browned on the outside then they would be way overdone inside.
So this is always a tricky thing. It’s all about making sure there is enough air getting to it that it doesn’t get soggy. I recommend placing it on a wire rack on a baking sheet and keeping it the oven at 250 degrees. Don’t put it on paper towels or allow it to steam by covering it. Hope this helps!
Made this for dinner tonight. Easy recipe that I will be using again and again. I substituted the garlic and chili peppers with chili garlic paste to make it easier and it turned out delicious. Thanks for the recipe, I’ll be checking out your other ones as well.
So happy to hear that it came out well and you liked it! Let me know what other recipes you try and how they turn out!
This recipe is so good! Almost tastes better than the real thing. The only issue I had was the sauce didn’t feel thick enough for me, but that was an easy fix with some reducing and some dissolved cornstarch. I made a few substitutions as well, I used white meat because I personally am not a fan of chicken thighs (I know.. sue me) , I also for the life of me could not find sesame oil at any grocery store! (Kroger, Walmart or HEB) so I just used a little olive oil and It still was super tasty! Although next time I’m going to use the sesame oil because i believe it makes a world of a difference. Overall, I’ll be making this again. Happy happy happy 🙂
Glad to hear you liked it! Sesame oil will definitely kick it up a notch, but it is good to have a back up with EVOO. 🙂
For the batter, do you combine all ingredients together or is it an egg wash than dry batter steps? Currently in the process of making this!!
So sorry I’m just now seeing this. You’ll want to combine all the ingredients together. I hope you enjoyed it.
Just made this. I substituted diced Serrano’s for the crushed red pepper flakes (cause I didn’t have them , but it really didn’t make a difference) IT WAS Delicious!!!!! I served it with jasmine rice and steamed broccoli. C’est magnifique!
Thanks for coming back to let me know how much you enjoyed it!
Quick question…..do I whip the egg whites??
Nope, no need to whip them. Enjoy!
I’m trying your Sesame Chicken tonight and just sent the hubby to get the seltzer water. Can’t wait; already the kitchen smells wonderful.
This recipe was fantastic! It was so easy to make and tasted great!
Used the recipe for the sauce. Omitted the sesame seed oil (hubby doesn’t like the taste), and the seeds. Soooo good. I had to use red wine vinegar, so cut it shy of 1/2 a cup, and used brown sugar. I used regular grilled chicken cut into bites. If I had fried the chicken I would definitely heat up the sauce, and wait for it to thicken prior to covering the fried chicken pieces. Saved. So many good recipes on this site!!!
Thanks, Kim!
I found that the batter did not hold up when placed in the pan. It did not brown as expected and did not have a crunch.
The flavor of the sauce was good, however.
This recipe was okay. Not great, but okay. It’s very much a fast food/Panda Express like recipe. If that’s what you’re craving I would recommend it… otherwise I would say to pass on this one.
Is there anything I can use as a substitute to the seltzer water?
I haven’t tested either with this recipe but generally tonic water or lemon-lime soda are adequate substitutes. I hope you enjoy it!
This was a fantastic recipe! We paired it with a simple fried rice. The chicken texture is crispy and so flavorful. I will look for other sauces to toss this same chicken in. Huge fan!
Mine had a lot of crunch. Wonder what happened you yours? Very good
Is there anything I can substitute for soy sauce? I have an intolterance for soy.
You can try Worcestershire sauce but it will change the flavor. I’ve seen other substitutions making your own by boiling beef bouillon, balsamic vinegar, molasses, ginger, white pepper, garlic powder and water for 15 minutes. Good luck!
A substitute for soy sauce would be coconut aminos, it is very similar. It is often used by people who can not eat soy products.
It’s rare that a recipe doesn’t have garlic in it and especially so for an Asian dish. Maybe Im just drawn to those recipes, though. ?Innnnnyhooooo, next time, garlic, and adding it to the leftovers for tomorrow. I did not bread mine and added a cornstarch/ water slurry to thicken it so it clung to the chicken. I’m not sure clung is a word.
The recipe calls for 1 tablespoon of minced garlic.
Delicious! The quantities of sauce and batter ingredients were just right.
Seltzer water isn’t sold here so I substituted ice cold tap water and 1/2 tablespoon lemon juice.
So glad you enjoyed it, Carol.
Hi! Looks wonderful but what can I use as a substitute for seltzer water?
You can use any type of carbonated water. 🙂
I made the stir fry version tonight since I had a breast thawed out. It was great! Can’t wait to try the traditional version. Forget ordering out, we will have sesame chicken whenever we want it. Thanks!
So wonderful to hear, Linda! Thanks for the 5 stars!
This was… Eh. Can’t say I loved it. But didn’t hate it either. Won’t make it again. Maybe I’m just not a fan of sesame chicken anymore or maybe I can’t cook it right. Still worth a try and glad I did it.
This recipe was awesome! I was craving Chinese food and this hit the spot. I followed the recipe exactly except I had to use apple cider vinegar instead of rice vinegar because I was out. It still tasted great but I will try the rice vinegar next time and a little more brown sugar because I like mine sweet. Thank you for sharing and I will definitely make this again .
You’re welcome!
My children asked if we could rate this because it was so good! My husband, who was craving Panda tonight, said it was delicious! Thank you for a fantastic recipe!
How awesome!! That’s so sweet of them. I’m so happy your whole family loved it!
I rarely have seltzer water on hand. Do u think Sprite would work?
I found your blog today when looking for a homemade enchilada sauce. It was delicious. I’ve got a bunch of recipes lined up for my menu over the next couple of weeks. Thanks so much.
I haven’t tested it but I would think it would be a good substitution in a pinch. I’d love to know how it turns out if you decide to try, thanks!
So glad you’re enjoying the recipes. 🙂
Turned out delicious!! Wish I could post a picture. Thanks for the recipe!
You can always tag me on instagram @dinnerthendessert or use the hashtag #dinnerthendessert
I love to see photos!! So glad you enjoyed it!
Your yield says 16 servings… is that correct?
Oh no, thanks for catching that. It must have been a glitch. The recipe yields 6 servings.
yup
This is the first recipe I have made from your site, but certainly not the last!
Easy to follow and my family loved it.
Welcome to the site Alison! So glad you enjoyed it!
This was a really nice chicken dish. I didn’t have seltzer but I used 7 Up and it was very good. I did a combination of browning the chicken in the batter and transferring to a 9×13 pan to finish off in the oven as you mentioned in the recipe notes. Thank you!
Thanks for dropping by to let me know! I’m so glad you guys enjoyed it!
I don’t know what it was about this recipe but the chicken just wouldn’t fry right. I heated three inches of oil and tested it with a little slice of butter and it seemed ready, but the batter just would not turn golden brown and the chicken took forever to look in any way done. Maybe I did something wrong. Any advice for troubleshooting?
It just sounds like the oil wasn’t hot enough. I’m not sure using a slice of butter is giving you an accurate reading of how hot the oil is. I would suggest using a thermometer and seeing if that resolves the issue. Hope this helps!
Sesame chicken is my go to takeout order and this looks just like the stuff from my favorite place! I cant wait to make it!
I hope you enjoy it!
My Mom LOVES sesame chicken, and now I can’t wait to make it for her 🙂
How sweet of you! I hope she enjoys it!
I absolutely LOVE this!! It sounds SO delicious!!
Thank you!
I love it! Looks like a new favorite for weeknights!
Yes, this is so easy to get on the table!
This is my favorite Chinese dish!
Enjoy!
Omg!! Made this tonight..exactly as written..you have a money recipe..the best I have ever made..better than at a restaurant. Thank you!!
You just made my day! Thanks for dropping by to let me know! I’m so glad you guys enjoyed it!
This is our favorite recipe ever! We make it all of the time. It’s what I WISH take-out tasted like. But no need for take-out when we can make this instead 🙂
Thank you so much Hannah! I’m so glad you love it!!
Now I know where to use the extra egg whites next time. I love easy and simple recipes like this. Maybe i’ll add mango or orange jam to the sauce after I try your original recipe, yum!
I can almost taste it! I love homemade take out! 😉
GIMME ALL THE SESAME CHICKEN. This looks incredible– like, WAY better than takeout!
It’s all yours Karly!!
This looks so delicious! It’s so easy to make at home too! No need for take-out when I can make this instead!
Definitely Erin!
This is one of our favorite dishes because it pairs with so many veggies and other sides!
I am totally craving this crispy chicken right now! Cannot wait to make it!
My family loves Chinese food, and I know they would go crazy for this!
You’ll have to let me know what you think after trying it!
This dish looks fabulous! So crispy and coated in that sauce! Thank you for all the other recipes, too!
Thanks Patricia, that’s so sweet of you!
My kids’ favorite! Just wait till I surprise them with this homemade version!
#momwin
Sesame chicken is my FAVORITE dish at Wonderful Chinese in Citrus Heights. Cant wait to try your recipe.
Awesome! I’d love for you to come back and let me know what you think after you try it!!