Easy Sesame Chicken – Say goodbye to takeout with this easy and delicious homemade sesame chicken recipe!
This quick and easy dinner is full of delicious Asian flavors. Sesame chicken consists of perfectly fried boneless chicken breasts that are coated in a homemade batter. Then, tossed in a sweet homemade brown sauce made from a mixture of garlic, brown sugar, ginger, soy sauce, and rice vinegar. This is a family dinner that always hits the spot.
Easy Sesame Chicken
I can’t tell you how many times this simple recipe has saved me from ordering in from my local Chinese takeout. Truth be told, this recipe is so much better than the sesame chicken from my go-to restaurant. And with the ease and quickness that it takes to make it, it’s truly hassle-free.
Next time you get the craving, toss the take-out menu – you will not be sorry by giving this a try! Better yet, my kids absolutely love it. We rarely have leftovers when it comes to this dish. You are going to love this quick and easy dinner. It’s become a staple at our house!
Why We Love This Homemade Sesame Chicken Recipe
- Quick and easy to make
- Family favorite
- Tons of flavor
- A quick weeknight dinner that can be made ahead or as a freezer meal
Ingredients/Shopping List
For the Sauce:
- 1 ½ tablespoons sesame oil
- ½ teaspoon garlic paste
- ½ teaspoon ginger paste
- ⅓ cup soy sauce (lite)
- ½ cup rice vinegar
- ¾ cup light brown sugar
- ½ cup water
- 1 ½ tablespoons cornstarch
- ¼ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
For the Chicken:
- 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts, diced into approximately 1-inch cubes
- 2 cups buttermilk
- 3 ½ cups all-purpose flour
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon black pepper
- Vegetable or peanut oil for frying
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How to Make Sesame Chicken
I have found it’s easier to make this recipe if I break it down into two sections. First, how to make the sauce and next, how to make the chicken!
For the Sauce:
Saute ginger and garlic paste in sesame oil.
Stir 1 ½ tablespoons of cornstarch into ½ cup of water. Add the remaining ingredients to the saucepan.
Simmer over medium heat, whisking occasionally, until sauce thickens. Remove from heat.
For the Chicken:
Fill a deep stockpot/Dutch oven or frying pan with 2-3 inches of oil. Heat the oil to 350°F using a food thermometer.
Prepare the chicken batter while oil is heating. Whisk together the salt, pepper, and flour in a bowl.
Pour the buttermilk into a second bowl.
Dip each piece into the flour mixture, then into the buttermilk, then back into the flour.
Pro-Tip: Our chicken is extra crispy. You can do a skinny version by simply browning the chicken in a couple of tablespoons of olive oil and coating with the sauce (skip the batter and deep-frying).
Repeat until you coat all of the chicken.
Add 5-8 pieces of battered chicken to the hot oil at a time.
Fry for about 2 minutes and then flip over to cook on the other side.
Pro-Tip: Do not add too much chicken to cook in your oil at a time. If too much chicken is added at one time, the oil will probably cool down too quickly.
Remove it from the oil once it is golden brown.
Drain excess oil back into the pan.
Pro-Tip: Keep a steady eye on the temperature of the oil. If it cools down too much, the chicken won’t cook. But if the oil becomes too hot, the chicken will burn.
Place the fried chicken onto a few paper towels to absorb any additional oil.
Continue batch cooking the chicken. When all of the chicken has finished cooking, transfer it to a large bowl.
Pour the sauce over the top and toss to coat evenly.
Pro-Tip: If sauce becomes too cool while the chicken is finished cooking, warm it on the stovetop for a few minutes just before tossing with the chicken.
Serve immediately.
Variations / Options / Add-ins
- CHICKEN: You can also use chicken thighs for this recipe.
- RICE: Sesame chicken is best served over rice. I usually make about 3 cups of cooked white rice to go with this recipe. You can use any type of rice you like. My favorites are jasmine rice and basmati.
- VEGETABLES: This sauce is good on pretty much anything. If you want to get your greens dinner, we love mixing in broccoli or pea pods!
- OPTIONAL TOPPINGS: I love to sprinkle some toasted sesame seeds over the top of my chicken or add finely sliced green onions and a final touch.
How to Store Leftovers and Reheat Sesame Chicken
Leftovers can be stored in the fridge for 4-5 days. Store in an airtight container. To reheat simply pop this into the microwave!
I like to store the chicken/sauce mixture in its own container and the rice in a separate container. Better yet, make fresh rice to go with the reheated chicken!
Other Easy Asian Inspired Dinners
Mongolian Beef | Better Than Takeout Fried Rice | Firecracker Chicken | Chicken Lo Mein | Bourbon Chicken | Korean Beef Bowl | Egg Roll in a Bowl | Benihana Hibachi Chicken | Beef Ramen Stir Fry | Beef and Pepper Rice Bowl | Chicken Ramen Stir Fry
Sesame Chicken
Ingredients
Sauce:
- 1½ tbsp sesame oil
- ½ tsp garlic paste
- ½ tsp ginger paste
- ⅓ cup soy sauce (lite)
- ½ cup rice vinegar
- ¾ cup light brown sugar
- ½ cup water
- 1½ tbsp cornstarch
- ¼ tsp crushed red pepper flakes
Chicken:
- 4 boneless, skinless chicken breasts diced into approximately 1-inch cubes
- 2 cups buttermilk
- 3½ cups all-purpose flour
- 1 tsp salt
- 1 tsp black pepper
- Vegetable or peanut oil for frying
Optional Toppings:
- 1 tbsp toasted sesame seeds
- 3 green onions finely sliced
- 3 cups cooked white rice
Instructions
Sauce:
- In a small saucepan, saute ginger and garlic paste in sesame oil for 1-2 minutes, or until fragrant.
- Stir 1 ½ tablespoons of cornstarch into the ½ cup of water.
- Add the remaining ingredients to the saucepan: soy sauce, rice vinegar, brown sugar, cornstarch/water mixture (slurry), and red pepper flakes.
- Simmer over medium heat, whisking occasionally, until sauce thickens to a syrup consistency. (approximately 10 minutes).
- Remove from heat.
Chicken:
- Meanwhile, fill a deep stockpot/Dutch oven or frying pan with 2-3” of oil. Affix a food thermometer to the side of the pan and heat the oil to 350°F. This will take about 10 minutes to reach the desired temperature.
- While the oil is heating, prepare the battered chicken. Whisk together the salt, pepper, and flour in a bowl. Pour the buttermilk into a second bowl. Working with just a few pieces of chicken at a time, dip each piece of chicken into the flour mixture to coat it. Then, dip it into the buttermilk. Finally, dip it back into the flour mixture and set it on a separate plate. Continue to prepare all of the chicken.
- When the oil has reached 350°F, batch cook the chicken. Add 5-8 pieces of battered chicken to the hot oil at a time, frying for about 2 minutes and then flipping them over to cook on the other side for another 2 minutes. When the chicken is uniformly golden brown, remove it from the oil, draining the excess oil back into the pan, and placing the fried chicken onto a few paper towels to absorb any additional oil.
- Continue batch cooking the chicken, ensuring that the oil maintains a fairly constant temperature of 350°F. If too much chicken is added at one time, the oil will probably cool down too quickly. If the oil becomes too hot, the chicken will burn.
- When all of the chicken has finished cooking, transfer it to a large bowl. Pour the sauce over the top and toss to coat evenly.
- Serve over rice immediately, with toasted sesame seeds and green onions, if desired.
Jenn’s Notes
- Our chicken is extra crispy. You can do a skinny version by simply browning the chicken in a couple of tablespoons of olive oil and coating with the sauce (skip the batter and deep-frying).
- Do not add too much chicken to cook in your oil at a time. If too much chicken is added at one time, the oil will probably cool down too quickly.
- If sauce becomes too cool while the chicken is finished cooking, warm it on the stovetop for a few minutes just before tossing with the chicken.
