This Asian Crispy Sesame Chicken is a delicious homemade alternative to that naughty takeaway!
I think I need to get some bees.
We use a surprising amount of honey at home – on toast, in dressings and in lots of recipes – so sometimes it feels like we should have our own honey tap. Honey features in many of our favourite dishes: sticky pork belly, honey-glazed ribs, honey in chilli con carne and of course in sweet sauces like this one. It adds that glossy, caramelised sweetness that lifts the whole dish.
This Crispy Sesame Chicken belongs firmly in the honey archives: sweet, salty, crispy, sticky and with a gentle heat. It’s the sort of family dinner everyone finishes every last scrap of. While I was photographing this batch, Chris was hovering over the pan hoping to sneak a piece. I let him — as long as he shared one while I was taking pictures.
I love serving this as a homemade alternative to a Friday-night takeaway. It isn’t the lightest meal — thanks to honey, brown sugar and a little oil to get the chicken properly crisp — but it’s still healthier than many takeout options. I like to balance it with steamed broccoli and sugar snap peas to boost the veg on the plate.
A quick note: this recipe is not intended as a US takeout copycat. Sesame chicken shows up on menus in various ways around the world, and I’ve written this version based on flavours I love rather than reproducing a specific restaurant dish. It’s still bloomin’ good.
Equipment:
To make this Sesame Chicken you’ll find the following useful:
- A good kitchen knife.
- Chopping board.
- Shallow bowls for the egg, cornflour and seasoned flour.
- Measuring jug.
- A wok or large frying pan/skillet.
- Wooden or silicone-coated spoons.
- Bowls to serve in.
- Chopsticks if you feel like being fancy.
The Crispy Sesame Chicken with a Sticky Asian Sauce Recipe:
Crispy Sesame Chicken with a Sticky Asian Sauce
Ingredients
- 5 tbsp vegetable oil
- 2 eggs lightly beaten
- 3 tbsp cornflour (cornstarch)
- 10 tbsp plain (all-purpose) flour
- ½ tsp salt
- ½ tsp pepper
- ½ tsp garlic salt
- 2 tsp paprika
- 3 chicken breast fillets chopped into bite-size chunks
Sauce: *
- 1 tbsp sesame oil optional – or simply sprinkle sesame seeds at the end
- 2 cloves garlic peeled and minced
- 1 tbsp Chinese rice vinegar white wine vinegar will work too
- 2 tbsp honey
- 2 tbsp sweet chilli sauce adjust to taste
- 3 tbsp ketchup
- 2 tbsp brown sugar
- 4 tbsp soy sauce
To Serve:
- boiled rice
- 2 tbsp sesame seeds
- small bunch spring onions/scallions chopped
Instructions
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Prep your ingredients: put the beaten egg in one shallow bowl and the cornflour in another. Mix the plain flour with the salt, pepper, garlic salt and paprika in a third bowl.
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Heat the vegetable oil in a wok or large frying pan until hot.
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Dredge the chicken pieces in cornflour, dip them in the egg so they’re fully coated, then dredge in the seasoned flour. Fry in the hot oil on high heat for 6–7 minutes, turning occasionally, until well browned and crisp. Work in batches if needed. Transfer cooked chicken to a bowl lined with kitchen paper.
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Add all the sauce ingredients to the hot wok, stir and bubble on high heat until reduced by about a third (2–3 minutes). Return the chicken to the pan and toss to coat in the sauce for 1–2 minutes so the pieces are glossy and sticky.
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Turn off the heat, divide between four bowls, serve with boiled rice and sprinkle with sesame seeds and chopped spring onions.
Notes
Serve with boiled rice or try fried rice for a heartier meal.
Nutrition info is for one serving and does not include rice.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is approximate and should be used as a guideline.
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