If there is a chicken recipe that I constantly make at home, it would be this sesame oil chicken recipe. Sesame oil chicken or 麻油鸡.
I make it at least once every few weeks, with lots of ginger and sesame oil. It’s a homey dish that everyone enjoys.
In Malaysia, sesame oil chicken or pork is often served to new mothers, during the confinement month after childbirth. Chinese people believe that ginger and sesame oil are heaty ingredients that help strengthen and nourish the body of new mothers and will speed up recovery after childbirth.
This chicken is so delicious and takes only a few ingredients: ginger, sesame oil, chicken and soy sauce. Stew and braise the chicken, preferably in Chinese clay pot, and you will have the most amazing, aromatic, tender and utterly mouthwatering chicken for steamed rice.
The best thing about it is that it takes only 20 minutes to make. Try it for dinner tonight, I will guarantee you that you will make it a dinner staple!
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sheba
I do happen to have some sesame oil at home..and was just wondering what to use it for. This chicken looks just wow!!!
pigpigscorner
Serve with sambal belacan?! Great idea!
Rasa Malaysia
Yes, sambal just makes everything better!
Suman Singh
oh my, that looks incredibly delicious..must try this one soon…thanks for sharing this recipe.
Alta
This does sound deliciously homey and comforting! I love sesame. Yum!
Tricia
This is one of my fav dishes. I use drumsticks, too. I add alot of ginger in mine … love the smell and heat! Hmmm…I think it’s time to make this again!!! Yummy!
Rasa Malaysia
Yes, more Ginger and sesame oil please!
John Schuler
I would like to try this but I’m confused about sesame oil.
Does this use the toasted sesame oil? I recently moved to Koreatown and have shopped at the various markets but am unable to tell the difference between the toasted and not toasted.
Can you shed some light? ( I know I should ask someone in these stores but haven’t ) Any recommendations on specific brands?
Rasa Malaysia
Toasted sesame oil. It’s darker in color. I use Kadoya Pure Sesame Oil, Made in Japan.
Che
Thank you for this recipe! I have fond memories of “mua yiew kwey” that’s how we call it in Manila (we speak hokkien). my mom made it all the time and I completely forgot about this.
More power to you! My husband thinks I am a good cook – in truth, I just copy most of your recipes!!
If you are in Dubai, please, let me know, it would mean the world to me to have yum cha with you :)
Rasa Malaysia
Yes, we call it mua yu kay, sounds about the same! I love this, my late mom used to make this quite a bit but with pork, and fried eggs in the sauce! I loved it so much!
Glad to know you love my recipes! Hopefully I will get to Dubai one day!
Mark
This looks very nice. I even have the ingredients in my pantry. I think I could easily cook this on a weeknight.
Rasa Malaysia
Yes Mark, it’s easy to make, you might like it, it’s great!
LimeCake
This looks just like how my grandma makes it. She sometimes uses leftover cooked chicken to make this. You make it look so simple! And i agree – sambal makes everything better!
the lacquer spoon
I feel a bit scary to imagine how many bowls of rice I can eat up with this saucy chicken, aaahhhh!!
Rasa Malaysia
LOL. I know. Do you like sambal belacan? You will eat more with sambal belacan!!!
tigerfish
I also fall to Kadoya Sesame Oil when in the US. This is also one homey dish I enjoy very much. Shall make this soon….you must eat more of this! :P just so good!
Lori Lynn
It sounds simply perfect. I’m a fan of toasted sesame oil.
LL
DailyChef
Wonderful. I love the flavor of seasame and sesame oil.
Velops
This sounds very similar to a Chinese dish that is very popular in Taiwan.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sanbeiji
Even though the name literally means “three cups chicken” it is just a guideline about using equal amounts of sesame oil, soy sauce, and rice wine to your taste.
Rasa Malaysia
Velops – I have a 3-cup chicken recipe: https://rasamalaysia.com/three-cups-chicken-recipe/
The taste of sesame oil chicken and 3-cup chicken are completely different though.
Simon
I agree with bee here. Although San bei ji is a delicious (as a taiwanese friend said it in mandarin) is a delicious dish. This recipe uses fewer ingredients, but personally I prefer the sweetened mix of succulent chicken, chili, basil and saltiness in San Bei Ji more.
Couldn’t manage to get sambal balacan, but made it with a homemade sambal ulek instead. Also turned out great.
Jun Low
hi, i made this last night and omg it was yum! i just used chicken thighs without the bones instead cos i have a lazy family haha!
Rasa Malaysia
Jun – that’s so great that you tried the recipe. It’s so easy and delicious, right? I love this recipe. Can eat all of them by myself. Boneless meat works fine, too. But I like chicken drumsticks for this specific recipe. :)
Jun Low
It just makes me think of home (Singapore). I remember my aunt eating this and ginger fish during her confinement period :D Thanks so much again.
Mina
It looks delicious and easy.Thanks for sharing.
po
I made it last night and it was delicious! Thanks for the recipe :)
Audrey
OMG this is HOME dish!! The first dish I learned from my grandma when I was only 14, just because it’s my favourite. My dad, thinking I know how to cook by then because of sesame chicken, told me to fry a plate of veg and I failed miserable.
Rajesh
Love to cook this dish tonight. Is it ok if i leave out the wain.
Tqvm.
Rasa Malaysia
Yes, you can leave out the wine, but it’s more flavorful with wine. :)
Novice
I’m making this recipe, but I don’t have Chinese Rice Wine. Are there alternatives that are more common that I can use?
Rasa Malaysia
You can do without it but it’s not going to be as great.
JJ
I know I am very late with this reply, and disclaimer I do not cook with any alcohol myself, but I remember watching a Chinese chef on tv (sorry do not remember his name). In all his recipes that he used rice wine, he would always say you can use dry sherry instead. Maybe you can try that.
Rasa Malaysia
Yes sherry is fine!
richard.fila
Really enjoy this dish – the bone in chicken I think adds to the flavour. One tip though …. when cutting up a chicken drumstick the bones can shatter however, cutting when it’s still partially frozen should help.
Vanessa
I’m going to make this with boneless chicken, would you recommend that I use the “baking soda trick” for the chicken?
Rasa Malaysia
For this recipe, actually it’s better not to use the tendering method.
Peter Pantry Raider
Whenever I cut up and cook a whole chicken, my daughter reserves the drumsticks and thigh parts while my eldest son goes for the chicken breast.
I only get to eat what’s left – the bony parts and the chicken backside. Sigh! But I love those parts especially in curry or KFC.
Mrs Fox
I’m so making this tonight. However, my Mat Salleh hubs is not a fan of picking bones, so I’m afraid it’ll have to be made with boneless thighs.
I shall demand for this dish everyday during my confinement period come spring. Bones and all.
Nining
I can only get roasted sesame oil in Cairo. The one you would top soups before eating them. So won’t this oil burn if heated on high heat?
Great blog. Thanks for sharing.
Yvonne
just tried your sesame chicken recipe, it was really really good! taste came out exactly as I expected :D
Kokila
I’m staying in Kuwait and want to try this dish as it’s so mouth watering. But I can’t get the shoaling wine or rice wine over here…can I substitute these ingredients? Thanks…
Rasa Malaysia
You will need the wine as it’s what makes it so flavorful…
Shirlyn
I’ve tried this recipe a few times. It tastes just like the way my grandma used to cook it. Simply delicious! Thks for sharing this recipe. I’ll be posting it on my blog soon. :D
SparklingRachel
I love this dish, a silly question…is there a why to make it not so oily those?
Ptrcf
Delicious and simple for a working women to prepare and makes me refresh back to my childhood taste.
juliTHAPA
Chinese wine? Any good wine would do?
Rasa Malaysia
Chinese cooking wine.
cholito
Hi,
I love you site and already tried the chicken cashew nut which tasted just like in our favorite Chinese restaurant.
We also have another favorite called Sesame chicken but it looks different than this one here. We could never figure out what the sauce is made of. My guess is oyster sauce, honey and soy sauce but I was wondering if you can help me. They usually sprinkle sesame on top of it.
Thank you!
claire
when i cook sesame oil chicken, i would take out the ginger after i fried it and then add to the chicken just before serving. to me the chicken taste better that way, anyway diff people have different taste. can try if you wish to have a different taste.
EILEEN12662
I tried this yesterday, I add a little bit of chilli paid… It taste good.. Thanks Rasamalaysia!
Lisa
I have been using this recipe as a good starter, with a few minor tweaks. Instead of oyster sauce, I drizzle a little kecap manis because my kids like a touch of sweetness. I also use Kadoya toasted sesame oil for a richer sesame taste. Thanks for sharing this recipe!
Joyce
Will it be alright if I don’t have ShaoXing wine or any rice wine? Is there any alternative to this?
Rasa Malaysia
You can skip the wine but it won’t taste as great.
noor
looks yummy. i’m into chinese these days. for muslims what can you suggest as the closest substitute to the wine? i can take rice wine vinegar though but not sure about the taste.
Rasa Malaysia
You can skip but not the same taste.
FgK
It looks great, but I have one question. Do you use sweet soysauce or salty? because im sure that would make a difference.
Rasa Malaysia
Salty regular soy sauce
oilparand
hi
I’m really interested in the food.
Thank you…
Pablo Escobar
Hi Rasa,
Ten thumbs up for putting up this website! You’re a legend!
mandy
Cooked the sesame oil chicken following your recipe for dinner, it was very delicious. We had to fight for the last few pieces. Thumbs up!!!
Going to try more of your recipes.
Rosa
Wow, this sounds delicious, I would like to try it! what do you mean by chicken drumsticks (chop into 3-4 pieces each, bone-in). Do you actually mean to chop the drumsticks? how?
BTW, I have your book and enjoy choosing a recipe every weekend :-D
Rasa Malaysia
Hi Rosa, yes using chicken drumsticks, and then chop with a cleaver to 3-4 pieces.
Hazrina Haja
Is this mua-yu? i dont know how to spell it out but recipe like this in my family is called mua-yu.
Rasa Malaysia
Yes mua yu.
NJ
Hi Will Japanese cooking sake be a suitable substitute for the chinese Wine?
Rasa Malaysia
Yes!
Charlotte
I added chopped garlic together with the ginger strips and ….wow!
Jim Connor
Can you please state whether light or dark soya sauce when it has to be used. There is also Ketchup manis. Thanks
Rasa Malaysia
Soy sauce means regular soy sauce, or light soy sauce.
Alex
I just loved this 20-minute homemade chicken recipe. Would love to enjoy my with my family
shams
I love this recipe so much.Expecting more and more new recipe.
shams
I love this recipe so much. Expecting more and more new recipes.
Rasa Malaysia
Hi Sham, thanks for your comment, you can check out all my recipes here: https://rasamalaysia.com/recipe-index-gallery/
Rini
Sesame oil chicken looks like delicious.Is it making too difficult? Can Anyone tell me?
Mary Chai
I cooked the sesame oil chicken in the claypot. It turns well and tasty. One question : how to make the gravy stronger taste? Can anyone help ? Thank you.
Rasa Malaysia
Add 1 tablespoon of oyster sauce.
candace
we made this dish twice now and the sauce is always too watery. it tastes great, but do you have a suggestion to fix this? we even doubled the recipe, but used less water and still too watery. i thought about adding cornstarch to help it congeal, but that seems wrong. lol. HELP!
btw, great site. great recipes ?
Rasa Malaysia
Hi Candace, if it’s too watery, it means you haven’t cooked it long enough. Lower your heat and simmer until the sauce reduces and the chicken is more tender. You will love it even more. Thanks for following my site! :)
Mike
Love this but my sauce never thickens. Am I not putting enough of a certain ingredient in there?
Rasa Malaysia
It would reduce to a thicker consistency if you look longer.
Bertrand
Thank you Rasa Malaysia for this wonderful recipe. It tastes (and smells) very authentic and brings me back to the fond memories of my childhood days instantaneously! Terima kasih!!!
Chien
You Sesame Oil Chicken look yummy!!
May I know what soy sauce are you using? Light or dark soy sauce? Can I use Hua Tiao Jiu?
Chien
Your Sesame Oil Chicken looks yummy!!!
May I know what soy sauce did you use? Light soy sauce or dark soy sauce? Can I use hua tiao jiu?
Thanks.
Laura W
I recently found your blog and I’m loving it. This was delicious! I’ve made it a few times and tweaked the recipe a bit to suit our tastes. Forgive me if it’s Malaysian cooking sacrilege. I use coconut aminos instead of soy sauce because we are gluten free. I used homemade chicken broth instead of water. And finally when I sauté the chicken I give it a generous sprinkling of sweet rice flour. This helps the sauce to be thicker a bit more quickly. When I am planning ahead I will marinate the chicken in the ginger and rice wine for 24 hours and I think this adds a lovely depth of flavor, but it’s not necessary. This is a quick and easy recipe, but delicious enough for company. When I served this to guests the men went back for thirds!
Vivyana
Hi, instead of using wine can i just using any vinegar(rice vinegar)?
Rasa Malaysia
No, just skip it. Wine and rice vinegar are two completely different things.
Agnes
I made this tonight using sliced thigh fillets and it was delicious. I added a TBS of oyster sauce (which I read in the comments section) and thickened with cornflour at the end. It was maybe a tad too salty with the added oyster sauce, so next time I reduce the soy sauce a bit. So simple and so tasty. Thanks for the great recipe.
Viv
First time cooking this for dinner and the taste is almost the same as my auntie’s :D
She used to cook sesame oil pork when I was in sec sch :) Best with rice!
Rasa Malaysia
Thanks for trying my recipe. Yes, I love sesame oil chicken.
Sara
Hello,.your sesame oil chicken look very yummy
Please can you write for me cooking method thanks thanks
Rasa Malaysia
Hi Sara, the recipe is where the red color bar is “GET RECIPE HERE”
Jaslyn
I tried this recipe and my whole family loved it! Thank you! I will definitely be cooking this more often! ?