Sesame Chicken

4.63 from 308 votes
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This is the best Sesame Chicken recipe with crispy chicken in sweet and savory sesame chicken sauce. It tastes just like Chinese restaurants and takes only 20 mins to make. Serve the chicken with steamed rice for an authentic homemade Chinese meal.

Sesame chicken with sesame sauce and sesame seeds.
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Sesame Chicken Recipe

What is Sesame Chicken?

It’s one of the most popular Chinese recipes found in Chinese restaurants and takeouts in the United States.

Everyone loves this deep-fried and crispy chicken coated with a sweet and savory sesame sauce.

Garnished with white sesame seeds, the crispy chicken and sauce pairs perfectly with a bowl of steamed rice.

This is the BEST recipe you will find online! It’s easy, authentic and tastes the same, if not better than Chinese restaurants!


Sesame Chicken Sauce

The sweet and savory sesame sauce is the star of the dish. It calls for the following ingredients:

  • Soy sauce
  • Rice vinegar
  • Sugar
  • Cornstarch
  • Water

See the recipe card for full information on ingredients.


How To Make Sesame Chicken

Sesame chicken ready to serve in a Chinese bowl.

It’s very easy to make the dish at home. First, prep the chicken, frying batter and the sauce.

Next, coat the chicken with the batter and deep fry. The final step is to make the sauce and coat the chicken with it.

This homemade recipe is very easy and fail-proof and takes less than 20 minutes to make.


Cooking Tips

For the best results that is the same as the best Chinese restaurants, please follow my cooking tips below:

  • For the crispiest chicken, follow my batter recipe and coat the chicken evenly. The frying batter produces crispy, light and airy chicken. Shake off the excess batter before deep frying the chicken.
  • Use chicken breast meat for the best flavor.
  • Do not drown the chicken with too much sesame sauce. Too much sauce will make the chicken soggy and not crispy.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is sesame chicken the same as General Tso’s chicken?

General Tso’s Chicken is a completely different dish with a spicy and dark sauce. Sesame sauce is sweet and savory in taste but not spicy. Both dishes are equally delicious!

Can I use air fryer for this recipe?

For the best results, you should deep-fry the chicken. However, you can use an air fryer to air fry the chicken.

How many calories per serving?

This recipe is only 306 calories per serving.

The best sesame chicken recipe with crispy chicken and sesame chicken sauce.

What To Serve With This Recipe

This meal is best served with steamed rice or noodles. For a wholesome Chinese meal and easy weeknight dinner, I recommend the following recipes.

I hope you enjoy this post as much as I do. If you try my recipe, please leave a comment and consider giving it a 5-star rating. For more easy and delicious recipes, explore my Recipe Index, and stay updated by subscribing to my newsletter and following me on FacebookPinterest, and Instagram for new updates.


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4.63 from 308 votes

Sesame Chicken

Easy, healthy and homemade Chinese Sesame Chicken recipe with sesame sauce. This is the BEST recipe you'll find online and tastes just like takeout restaurants.
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 10 minutes
Total Time: 20 minutes
Servings: 4 people
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Ingredients  

  • 8 oz. (230g) boneless and skinless chicken breast, cut into strips
  • oil, for deep-frying
  • 2 tablespoons oil
  • 1 clove garlic, minced
  • white sesame seeds, for garnishing

Frying Batter:

  • 1/2 cup all-purpose flour, sifted
  • 1/4 cup cornstarch
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1 egg white
  • 1/3 cup cold water
  • 1 tablespoon oil
  • 1 pinch salt

Sauce:

Instructions 

  • Mix all the ingredients in the Sauce until well combined. Set aside.
  • Mix all the ingredients in Frying Batter in a bowl until well combined, stir a few times to make sure there are no lumps and the batter is smooth. Add the chicken into the batter, stir to evenly coat with the batter.
  • Heat 2 to 3 inches (5 to 7.5 cm) of the oil in a wok or a stockpot to 350°F (175°C) for deep-frying. Gently drop the chicken into the oil and loosen them up immediately with a spatula to prevent the chicken from clumping together.
  • Deep-fry the chicken to golden brown. Remove the chicken from the oil with a strainer or slotted spoon, draining the excess oil by laying the chicken on a dish lined with paper towels. Discard the oil.
  • Heat up 2 tablespoons of the oil in a wok or skillet over high heat. Add the garlic and stir-fry until aromatic before adding the Sauce.
  • As soon as the Sauce thickens, add the fried chicken into the wok or skillet. Stir continuously until all the ingredients are well coated with the sauce. Dish out, garnish with the white sesame, and serve immediately with steamed rice.

Video

Notes

Watch the cooking video on this page for step-by-step guide.
My batter is very thick because it will make the chicken extra crispy, even after adding the sauce. If it’s too thick to work with, add 1-2 tablespoons water to loosen it up.

Nutrition

Serving: 4people, Calories: 306kcal, Carbohydrates: 33g, Protein: 15g, Fat: 12g, Saturated Fat: 1g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g, Monounsaturated Fat: 7g, Trans Fat: 0.1g, Cholesterol: 36mg, Sodium: 647mg, Potassium: 264mg, Fiber: 1g, Sugar: 12g, Vitamin A: 17IU, Vitamin C: 1mg, Calcium: 40mg, Iron: 1mg

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

Please rate and comment below!

About Bee Yinn Low

Bee is a recipe developer and best-selling cookbook author, sharing easy, quick, and delicious Asian and American recipes since 2006. With a strong following of almost 2 million fans online, her expertise has been featured in major publications, TV and radio programs, and live cooking demos throughout the United States and Asia.

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Recipe Rating





234 Comments

  1. Theresa says:

    5 stars
    Made this tonight. So yummy. I added broccoli last minute

    1. Rasa Malaysia says:

      awesome!??

  2. Miho Rogers says:

    5 stars
    This is the best sesame chicken recipe using chicken breast. I have been making it all the time. Chicken is very tender.

    1. Rasa Malaysia says:

      ??

  3. Jolene says:

    5 stars
    This was delicious! Made a double batch- my husband actually asked next time to make it a little sweeter.

    1. Rasa Malaysia says:

      ??

    2. Lichelle says:

      4 stars
      To make it sweeter I added 2 TBL of light brown sugar and 2 TBL of white sugar.

  4. Lola says:

    4 stars
    Very good recipe. Next time I would use less sugar.
    Really good batter. Next time I would also try the soda water as suggested in the comments.

    1. Rasa Malaysia says:

      ??

  5. Derek says:

    Absolutely incredible wow! Only did 1 tbsp sugar on 1.5 lb batch. Was still perfect to me. 1st recipe off this site definitely will be trying more.

    1. Rasa Malaysia says:

      Awesome!?

  6. Jerimiah says:

    Very good recipe the batter was excellent, I used less sugar and added sesame oil as this is sesame chicken and should taste like seame. Next time I’ll try soda water instead of water in batter

    1. Rasa Malaysia says:

      Nice!?

  7. Dan says:

    Hey Bee,
    I see you mentioned that the chicken could be air fried. Do you have a recommendation for time and temp?

    1. Bee Yinn Low says:

      Hi Dan, I am not sure about the time as I don’t use it.

  8. Haz says:

    Hi Bee. Thank you for this delicious recipe. I have looked at your site many times and this is the first dish I have made and it was fabulous and easy. Had it with noodles but next time will try the garlic bok chow. Will be trying many more.

    1. Bee Yinn Low says:

      Awesome thanks Haz.

  9. Stephanie says:

    I made this last night and it was fantastic! Tastes exactly like the takeout version, if not better. I canโ€™t wait to try your General Tsoโ€™s recipe too!

    1. Rasa Malaysia says:

      Yes please try more recipes on my site! :)

  10. Leslie says:

    Can I use regular vinegar instead??

    1. Rasa Malaysia says:

      Yes.