This Easy Sesame Chicken recipe is seriously so easy that you’ll be tempted to toss those take-out menus. The deliciously sweet and savory sauce takes only a few ingredients, all of which you can keep on hand indefinitely (keep your ginger in the freezer). You know, just in case you need some sesame chicken like, now. Oh, and this take-out fake-out sesame chicken works great for your weekly meal prep, too!
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What is Sesame Chicken?
If you’re unfamiliar with this Chinese-American fast food classic, sesame chicken is small pieces of tender chicken that have been coated in an egg and cornstarch, deep-fried until crispy, and then coated in a deliciously sweet, salty, and tangy sauce. The sauce also has a light but toasty flavor thanks to sesame seeds. You’ll find this dish at most Chinese-inspired takeout restaurants across America.
Ingredients for Sesame Chicken
Here’s what you’ll need to make this easy sesame chicken recipe:
- Chicken Thighs: We use chicken thighs for this recipe because they stay juicy and super tender without fear of drying out, and they’re very budget-friendly. You can use chicken breast, if preferred, just be careful to not overcook the chicken.
- Cornstarch and Egg: The combination of cornstarch and egg coats the chicken, keeping it tender and providing something for the sauce to grab onto. This technique of coating meat in a cornstarch mixture is called “velveting.”
- Soy Sauce: The base for the sauce is soy sauce, which provides plenty of salt and umami flavor.
- Toasted Sesame Oil: Toasted sesame oil gives the sauce a deliciously nutty flavor. Make sure to get toasted oil, which has a deep amber color and a much more pronounced flavor.
- Brown Sugar: Brown sugar provides sweetness to balance the salt of the soy sauce and the acidity of the vinegar. Brown sugar has a deep flavor, compared to the more one-dimensional flavor of white sugar. You can also use honey in place of the brown sugar.
- Rice Vinegar: Rice vinegar gives the sauce a nice tangy flavor. Rice vinegar is milder than other vinegar types, which keeps the sauce in balance and not too harsh.
- Fresh Ginger: Ginger gives the sauce zing! Be sure to use fresh ginger, not dried ginger, as it has a much more peppery flavor. Keep fresh ginger in your freezer to always have it on hand without it going bad.
- Garlic: Garlic provides a nice savory base flavor for the sauce.
- Sesame Seeds: Sesame seeds add even more sesame flavor to the sauce and a delicious visual appeal.
- Cornstarch: Cornstarch thickens the sauce into a nice glaze with a translucent, glossy finish.
- Rice and Green Onions: Serve your sesame chicken over a bed of rice with sliced green onions on top for a well rounded meal.
No Deep Frying Required
I specifically wrote this recipe for those of you out there who hate deep frying as much as I do. This recipe uses a very small amount of oil to cook the chicken and because of that, you don’t get super crispy edges as you would with a deep fry, but the trade-off is well worth it in my opinion. No leftover oil to deal with, no cooking oil smell filling your house, and no splattering oil trying to kill you. So worth sacrificing crispy edges.
What to Serve with Sesame Chicken
I like to pair my Easy Sesame Chicken with jasmine rice and a little steamed broccoli. It’s a super simple meal that is very satisfying, and stores well for meal prep! It also goes great with Crunchy Cabbage Salad, Sesame Cucumber Salad, Easy Egg Drop Soup, Savory Coconut Rice.
Easy Sesame Chicken
Servings 4Ingredients
Chicken
- 1 large egg ($0.23)
- 2 Tbsp cornstarch ($0.06)
- 1 pinch each salt and pepper ($0.05)
- 1 lb boneless skinless chicken thighs ($3.23)
- 2 Tbsp cooking oil ($0.08)
Sauce
- 1/4 cup soy sauce ($0.24)
- 2 Tbsp water ($0.00)
- 1 Tbsp toasted sesame oil ($0.33)
- 3 Tbsp brown sugar ($0.12)
- 1 Tbsp rice vinegar ($0.12)
- 1 tsp grated fresh ginger ($0.10)
- 2 cloves garlic, minced ($0.16)
- 1 Tbsp sesame seeds ($0.8)
- 1/2 Tbsp cornstarch ($0.02)
For Serving
- 4 cups cooked jasmine rice ($0.70)
- 2 whole green onions ($0.22)
Instructions
- First, prepare the sauce. In a small bowl stir together the soy sauce, water, sesame oil, brown sugar, rice vinegar, fresh ginger, minced garlic, cornstarch, and sesame seeds. (Grate the ginger with a small-holed cheese grater). Set the sauce aside.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the egg, 2 Tbsp cornstarch, and a pinch of salt and pepper. Trim any excess fat from the chicken thighs, then cut them into small 1 inch pieces. Toss the chicken in the egg and cornstarch mixture.
- Add the cooking oil to a large skillet and heat it over medium flame. Wait until the skillet is very hot, then swirl the skillet to make sure the oil coats the entire surface. Add the batter coated chicken and spread it out into a single layer over the surface of the skillet.
- Allow the chicken pieces to cook, undisturbed, until golden brown on the bottom. Then, carefully flip the chicken, breaking up the pieces into smaller clumps as you flip. Continue to cook the chicken until golden brown on the other side. Stir the chicken as little as possible to avoid breaking the egg coating from the surface of the chicken.
- Once the chicken is cooked through and golden brown on all sides, pour the sauce over top. Toss the chicken to coat in the sauce. As the sauce comes up to a simmer, it will begin to thicken. Continue to gently stir the chicken in the sauce until it has thickened, then turn off the heat.
- Serve the chicken over a bed of rice and sprinkle the sliced green onions over top.
See how we calculate recipe costs here.
Equipment
- Non Stick Cookware
- Grater
- Color Cutting Boards
Nutrition
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How to Make Sesame Chicken
Make the sauce first, so it’s ready to go when you need it. In a bowl, stir together 1/4 cup soy sauce, 2 Tbsp water, 1 Tbsp toasted sesame oil, 3 Tbsp brown sugar, 1 Tbsp rice vinegar, 1 tsp grated fresh ginger, 2 minced cloves of garlic, ½ Tbsp cornstarch, and 1 Tbsp sesame seeds.
Let’s just talk about this toasted sesame oil for a second. You must get the kind that is toasted to get the super vibrant nutty flavor that you want in your sesame chicken. Not all brands actually say “toasted” on the bottle, but you can recognize the toasted variety by its deep brown color. Regular sesame oil will be the color of straw, like vegetable oil. You want the brown stuff. ;) It’s usually in the international foods aisle, instead of the baking aisle with the other oils.
Next, trim any extra fat off of one pound of boneless, skinless chicken thighs, then cut them into small one inch cubes. One pound for me was about three chicken thighs.
Add 1 large egg, 2 Tbsp cornstarch, and a pinch of salt and pepper to a medium bowl.
Whisk the egg and cornstarch together until it is light and frothy. It may seem thick at first, but as the cornstarch dissolves in the egg, it will thin out and get nice and frothy.
Add the cubed chicken thighs and stir them to coat in the egg mixture.
Add 2 Tbsp cooking oil to a large skillet and heat it over medium. Wait until it is very hot. This is VERY important. The skillet must be very hot! Once very hot, swirl the skillet to make sure the oil coats the entire surface, add the chicken, and make sure it’s spread out into a single layer. Let the chicken cook, undisturbed, until golden brown on the bottom. It will kind of cook into a single round pancake, but don’t worry, we’ll break up the pieces next.
Then carefully flip the chicken pieces, breaking up them up slightly into smaller pieces as you flip. Cook on the other side until browned and cooked through. Make sure to not stir them too much, or you can cause the egg to come off the chicken. You can see that some of the chicken pieces are still kind of stuck together at this point. That’s okay. Just do not over stir.
Finally, add the prepared sauce and stir to coat. Continue to carefully stir the chicken as the sauce beings to simmer and thicken. Once it’s thickened, turn off the heat.
Sprinkle some sliced green onions over top and serve with warm rice. :) Doesn’t get better than this.
Easy Sesame Chicken – done in about 30 minutes, and NO DELIVERY FEE! :D
Is the nutrition info including the rice?
Not including the rice!
This website and recipes are awesome!
This was awesome
This recipe was simple, fun to make, and a great hit at home. I learned some new things while making this recipe that I can apply to other dishes. Furthermore, it tasted better than the majority of chinese restuarants around me and was way more afforable. Watching my family dig in was the best part. I’m saving this website and checking online to see if you have a page to follow. Thank you!
Yum! Another keeper! I doubled the sauce (I like sauce) and paired with steamed Broccoli. Everyone loved it!
I found this recipe when it was about a year old (2014!) and have been making it for my boys since!!! One of our all time favorites and so easy to make! We always double or triple the sauce! Thought it was about time I left a review since I don’t think I ever did! Thank you so much for this one Beth!
Delicious, cheap, and easy enough I could make it while my 1 year old was still happy playing with kitchen tools :)
1 cup of raw rice would be enough for this dish when cooked (I used 1.3). Super easy side dish was frying 1/2 bag frozen oriental veggies in the chicken pan afterwards, I dusted them with some corn starch then added a dash of soy sauce, vinegar, and brown sugar again to have the same flavours in a thickened sauce. Really makes the dish super filling and go a bit further :)
As an Australian, it is very sweet, but it absolutely tastes like delicious take out. Healthier version would be to cut the sugar to 1/3rd of the recipe but as a treat it’s soo good. Plus, we have plenty more leftovers for extra meals! With the veggies the 4 serves easily stretches to 5 servings or more.
Made this the other day. It was quick, easy and DELICIOUS!!
I doubled the amount of brown sugar as the sauce wasn’t as sweet as the Sesame Chicken I’m used to. Next time (and there will definitely be a next time) I may increase a little more and cut back a bit on the ginger.
I HIGHLY recommend this recipe!
Very easy to make! Wish I had bought a side to go with it like potstickers or egg rolls. The sauce is good but wish I knew how to make a spicy version. Had to buy all the ingredients so that was a little pricey, but going forward I’ll just need chicken!
This sesame chicken is delicious. I had never made it before. I think next time I’ll go for low sodium soy sauce.
This is an awesome recipe and a new favorite from this website. My husband is allergic to eggs, so I just pat the chicken pieces dry and then toss with a little salt, pepper, and a couple tablespoons of cornstarch. Not quite as much like a batter, but still gives a little coating/crunch to the chicken. We are getting ready for a big snow storm, so I’m off to the store to get ingredients for this!
Can I use breast? I don’t like the fattiness of tonight’s.
You can! Just be careful not to overcook as breasts can dry out really quickly.
made sesame scrambled egg chicken
This is a delicious recipe. I doubled it for my family and used 1/2 low sodium soy sauce and half coconut aminos (to sub for the soy sauce). I also used a Splenda brown sugar substitute. I served over Jasmine rice mixed with cauliflower rice and everyone enjoyed it.
Could I use the same “velveting” technique in an Airfryer, with the same crispy results? Has anyone tried it?
The food that you cook looks.good
I’ve been using this receipt for years now! So good and yet so easy. It doesn’t get any better.
I tried the Sesame Chicken and Sesame Chicken Sauce recipe, and it was a game-changer! The chicken came out perfectly crispy and golden, and the sauce was absolutely delicious. The balance of sweet and savory flavors was spot on.
Could I simply saute the chicken in the oil without the coating and then add the sauce to the pan? I don’t care for breaded anything. I know it won’t have the crispy texture that the breading will create.
Also, any suggestions for reducing the Sodium in this recipe? Each person only gets 1 Tbsp of soy sauce at 880 mg of Sodium per serving. What else is so high in sodium in this recipe to make it 1518 mg per person? Not the rice or chicken. I know we could use low Sodium soy sauce (510 mg of Sodium in a Tbsp. )
Adults shouldn’t have more than 2300 mg per day as per American Heart Assn.
Those sodium numbers were calculated by hand by a dietitian and it’s possible she made an error or the database of ingredients she used wasn’t accurate. I recalculated using the automatic calculator that we use now and it’s showing about 900mg sodium per serving. That being said, all nutrition facts for recipes found online should be taken with a grain of salt (pun intended) because they use ingredient databases that may or may not be the same as the ingredients you actually use. They’re a broad estimate, at best. Oh, and meat actually does contain a decent amount of sodium. :) The database we use is showing about 400mg for the chicken in this recipe (for the total amount, not per serving).
It look delicious.I will try it soon
Beth, you are a genius! Was craving takeout and made this instead and it was delicious. Only tweak I made was white pepper (instead of black) in the egg slurry, since I had it on hand and seemed to go better with the asian flavors. Thank you!
I haven’t made this.
It looks gorgeous and sounds incredibly delicious.
But I need much simpler recipes and hands,off cooking. I’m a very slow cook, and looking to get dinner on the table much more easily and quickly.
I re-write all chicken recipes to bake them as a sauce over chicken in the oven.
I use bone-on, skin-on thighs, and don’t do any trimming or chopping.
Not chopping food, especially meat or chicken, she’s loads of time.
Why chop food in advance, when I can cut it up on my dinner plate at the table, and chew it?
It saves time to just make whole cuts of meat, or bone-in, skin-on thighs (skinned and degreased as described below.)
Here is my strategy for making the fastest, simplest, safest, low-packaging, skinless, bone-in, low-fat chicken I have found.
I buy ground meat in a chub for affordability, and to reduce plastic and Styrofoam for environmental reasons; or bake whole cuts of meat or bone-in, skin-on chicken thighs. Then I can lift whole thighs from the package to the pan, with the skin still on, with a fork, for food safety and minimal cleanup – just a fork to wash.
I then bake the chicken thighs at 350 degrees for 30-40 min., til the skin comes off quickly, easily, and safely with a clean fork, and put the skin and drain the fat into a re-used can, to cool, freeze, put in a reused bread bag, and toss on garbage day. This is the fastest, cleanest, easiest, most affordable way I’ve found to get skinless chicken without getting my hands greasy and taking extra time to pull raw chicken skin off of thighs. I also don’t have to spend extra time washing the sink and cutting board and knife right to immediately remove raw chicken juices, because the chicken is only handled with a fork before it is fully cooked. Huge time-saver!
With the now-skinned, partially baked, bone-in, whole chicken thighs that are still in the pan, already baked for 30-40 minutes, I then pour my sauce over, and bake an additional 10-15 min. Served with brown rice ànd a steamed veg.
I make enough chicken (6 thighs for 1 person) and rice (3 cups raw) to last for 3 meals for the week. I put the cooled pan of chicken in a reused plastic bag or covered with foil directly into the fridge for the next two meals, so I only have to clean the pan once for the week. I then alternate this chicken meal with one other dinner for the week, such as tomato-meat sauce with cooked whole-grain penne pasta stirred in.
This provides simplicity, affordability, and a little variety by alternating two meals for the week.
I will use your delicious sounding sauce to pour over chicken baked this way. Thank you for the gorgeous recipe!
I share this cooking method a) to keep it real. – I know I will never get around to making your beautiful recipe as described, and b) in hopes you will create a section of your site for sauces to pour over hands-off, skinless bone-in baked chicken, for affordability, speed, and practicality, for those of us who want to keep hands-on time in the kitchen to the bare minimum, at low cost and good nutrition.
I like what you’re saying. You’ve given me food for though. I cook for three. I get home around 7pm and spend way to much time in prep and clean up.
Thank you
You have outdone yourself with this one. I kept yelling THIS IS SO GOOD as my husband and I devoured this dish. I threw some cut up red peppers in, which were also delicious. Thank you for always posting such awesome recipes.
could you make this in an air fryer?
Anything with a wet batter should be kept out of an air-fryer.
Does the calorie count at the bottom included the rice? Are you about to suggest a serving size, for example half cup rice and 4 ounces of cooked chicken ?
Yes, the calorie count includes the rice. The recipe card says there are 4 servings and calls for 4 cups of rice. So it would be 1 cup of rice per serving. And yes, it would be 4 oz of chicken or one thigh.
Very good and easy to make thank you
It was delicious!
Had no problem with the coating- everything went just as described.
I made for dinner and this was SO tasty! I used b/s breasts (on hand) cut into chunks. Had doubts about the amount of egg mixture but it was enough for the two breasts. Maybe next time I’d add another egg. Practiced my patience and did not rush the chicken browning…after flipping it was all ‘game on’ good & looked legit. I added a splash more soy to the sauce because we were serving over yakisoba noodles (soooo good) in a noodle bowl. Definitely making again….significant other raved about it!
Now that eggs aren’t as affordable, are there any alternates to use for the chicken coating? Very very good and easy!
We haven’t tested this recipe with any egg substitutes, so I’m hesitant to give you any specific suggestions that might not be successful. However, you could try thinning out the cornstarch with warm water or milk until it reaches the same consistency as the slurry you see in the step-by-step process photos. ~Marion :)
I made it with ground chicken and skipped the whole egg/cornstarch batter part! Just brown the ground chicken and once its cooked, add the sauce and follow the rest of the recipe. Very easy this way and I found it still super tasty!
I prefer to dredge the chicken pieces in cornstarch then fry in a bit of oil – makes them nice and crispy – before adding sauce. :)
Man I was bad at the chicken part, and I was really worried it wouldn’t come out well because it looked like I made an egg pancake. Fellow at-home-chefs, stick with it! It’s okay even if it looks weird!
It turned out delish. I made a double batch of sauce because I had 1.7 lb of chicken thighs ($5 at Aldi, can’t beat it). I then steamed some carrots “chips” that were on sale from Publix to add in with it – I originally wanted broccoli but the carrots were on sale and they turned out to be the best choice! Served over brown rice and it was phenom. It took me longer than the “prescribed” time table in the recipe (maybe closer to 45 min) but I will 100% make it again!
My family enjoys this dinner a lot, we have it about once a month. I love that it’s really easy to throw together and neither kid will complain about it. :)
I’m sure it’s something I did, but the egg and corn starch mixture just slid off the chicken. So one side even up totally breaded, while the other was just bare chicken. It then dissolved into my sauce. Like I said, I’m sure it was me, but beware.
Hey Jordan, I haven’t made this before and I don’t know if it will help with this recipe but I’ve had similar experience with other breaded chicken recipes. Make sure the chicken is dry first (pat with a paper towel) then coat it lightly in flour and shake off the excess before putting it in the egg bath. Then just make sure your oil is very hot like the recipe says.
I made this last night and my family loved it! I used chicken breasts because it’s all I had. I think it would be even better with thighs!
Excellent recipe! We cut the brown sugar in half and it was plenty sweet. Highly recommend this.
This is DELICIOUS!! However, EVERY Budget Bytes’ recipe I have tried is delicious!!
Hands down the best sesame chicken I’ve made from scratch! This recipe is a real gem 🧡
A favorite for this family. My 5 yr asked for this specifically when it was his turn to choose and prep a meal! The only change we make is to bump the sauce by 1.5 since it’s so good to have the extra on veggies and rice.
This is a wonderful and easy recipe to make. It was delicious! I didn’t have any sesame oil and used grape oil instead. While the rice was cooking, and I was browning the chicken,I blanched some broccoli. After I added the sauce to the chicken I added the broccoli to the mix. Every thing was done in less than a half hour! Excellent recipe and I will make it again
The recipe is perfect as-is. My favorite tweak is browning pineapple chunks with the chicken before you pour over the sauce. Thanks so much for your wonderful website! :)
I’ve made this a few times and it is always excellent. I made it again tonight using tofu and soy curls because I don’t eat meat anymore. It is absolutely fantastic.
This cheats way of crispy chicken didn’t work for me it just turned into a massive omelette then broke up and left loads of egg pieces in my dish. Lovely flavours but next time I will spend a bit longer making my chicken the longer way
Great recipe! I needed to whip the egg/cornstarch a bit more, and I needed to use a bigger pan, but SO delish! Really was about 1/2 hour start to finish, and it was gone faster than I could have hoped.
Thank you so much for this recipe, SO much easier than the bazillion other complicated recipes out there, and the flavors are great! Thank you so much!
Actually super impressed by this recipe! I found it on a whim while looking for last minute dinner ideas. Relatively simple process and ingredients and turned out great. Was glad I happened to print this one out because I will be keeping it around to use again and again!
I tried this amazing recipe just today and Im speechless utterly delicious
Absolutely delicious homemade version of sesame chicken, packed with awesome flavors! I loved making this and smelling all the fragrances. I will definitely make this again, and also wanted to note that it took me an hour to make this! Between cutting raw meat and battering/browning thoroughly, definitely a lot more than 25 mins for the amateur chef! =)
You don’t realize how much I love you for this recipe alone. I somehow managed to stumble upon the seemingly ONLY sesame chicken recipe which does not involve deep frying and it is FREAKING PERFECTION IN MY MOUTH! AND it’s healthy??? THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU A MILLION GAZILLION TIMES! I’ve prepared this for both of my parents, my sister and her hubs, and some of my friends… EVERYBODY LOVES IT!
Finally made this tonight, it was delicious.
I lessened the sugar, used dried ginger since I don’t keep fresh on hand, and made extra sauce since I make a boatload of stir fried veggies.
The family and I really enjoyed it!
Great sauce. Great idea in terms of cooking the egg and corn starch all at once.
Execution? Not so great I think.
I somehow ended up with scrambled egg coated chicken lol. Maybe I didn’t leave the chicken to cook long enough before flipping around? That’s my best guess. Followed the rest of the instructions exactly.
I’ll tweak the egg and cornstarch part probably. But everything else is great! Thanks for the recipe!
This turned out to be magnificent! I was skeptical about the egg mixture, every other recipe has the chicken dredged in egg then flour/cornstarch… however this was much easier and it worked out wonderfully! My tip is cut the heat down just a little and let the chicken get well browned! I only let it very lightly brown, and some of my pieces weren’t quite done. So I had to put them back in. Another tip is to put your chicken in the freezer for a few minutes so it’s partially frozen (not completely frozen!) before you cut it. Makes it easier to work with. And lastly, if you’re adding veggies and serving it over rice, double the sauce! I added broccoli, water chestnuts, and baby corn. Absolutely devine!!!!
This is fantastic. It’s like you’re reading my mind with the deep frying aspect. I made this last week, and accidentally fidgeted with the chicken even though the recipe said to let it cook through before flipping. Oops, sorry… This time, I’m going to slightly increase the sauce ingredients and throw in some broccoli, plus let the chicken cook.
I made Sesame Chicken for dinner tonight and it was delicious. I’m going to add this recipe to my dinner line up! I followed the instructions and it turned out great. Thank you!
Why do you hate deep frying? I literally came here TO LEARN abot deep frying this. Will go elsewhere. Next.
So you didn’t make the recipe yet you rated it 1 star?
I hope you’re happy with your life’s choices.
Tonight’s dinner! Really good. And I think next time I’ll add orange zest. Or lemon? It would go so great in this. Thank you for this recipe!
This stuff is AMAZING. Like, tastes like the sesame chicken from a local favorite spot that catered my wedding. I don’t like deep frying either so having such an amazing alternative is just plain awesome. This is hands-down my new favorite meal prep, and it’s obviously great immediately. So fast, so easy, so, so good.
I made two batches of this recipe tonight — for one batch I followed the recipe exactly (only substitute was that I used low-sodium soy sauce because that’s all I buy) and the second batch I substituted the soy sauce for coconut aminos because I have family members with hashimotos and they can’t eat soy sauce. Turns out, none of us cared for the recipe with soy sauce but LOVED this recipe substituted with coconut aminos. We found that the recipe with soy sauce was too salty and too strong, but the recipe made with coconut aminos was delicious, just like you’d get from takeout.
Have you used chicken tenders for this recipe?
I haven’t, but they would probably work alright.
This got 6 thumbs up in our family, even the pickey eater said, after one bite, “This is a make again one!” It’s such a different way to cook the chicken. Thank you!
This is genuinely one of my favourite meal ever. I think I’ve cooked it every week for the past year. It is so nice! Somedays I just fry the chicken with the cornstarch, bake it till it’s cooked and then simmer in the sauce in the pan. Such a great feed/
As usual Beth saves the day. Chinese takeout has seen steep prices increases so I thought I would give this a shot. It was amazing! My toddler and husband finished their meals quickly. I used a large pan to allow the chicken to spread out, handled the pieces delicately. Cornstarch always seems intimidating but I followed the instructions and it was perfect. Next time I might add a side of broccoli or an Asian vegetable. Thank you BB!!
I love this with chicken, but, I made it with pork cubes tonight. Just as delicious! I did not change anything else, I just subbed pork and it is yummy!
Oh my gosh I just made this and it was delicious! Super easy, and so tasty, even without garnishes. I almost always have all these ingredients in the pantry so this is going into the rotation for sure!
I’ve done it twice now with good results both times. I added a little more ginger than suggested the second time and liked it better. I reserve 1/4 of the sauce and after the chicken’s done I take it out and put broccoli florets in the same hot pan, with a few TBSP water, a little oil, and the rest of the sauce and stir fry it. I have been using a non-stick wok, and it works well.
Can you marinate the chicken in the sauce before you cook it?
I don’t advise that. It will probably interfere with the way the cornstarch coating adheres to the chicken. Mmarinades that have been used on raw chicken need to be boiled for a solid ten minutes to make them safe for consumption and this sauce will thicken way too much before ten minutes is up.
The sauce was a tad too sweet/salty for me. I’ll be using less soya sauce next time and substitute the 3 tbsp of sugar with 1 tbsp of sugar + 1 orange (juice).
Is the calorie count including the white rice? Thanks.
Yes :)
Easy and delicious! Made exactly as stated and it turned out great. I will be making this Sesame Chicken again and again.
I followed this recipe to a T and it turned out really terrible :(
Hi Katie. Not sure what you did wrong and you didn’t specify what terrible was. Chicken tough, sauce too thin or what, but I have made this a hundred times and never had a problem. If you are an inexperienced cook, then maybe if you explain what terrible meant, we can help
This recipe looks great! Do you think I could cook the chicken in an airfryer instead?
Unfortunately, I’ve never used an air fryer, so I can’t offer advice on that.
Very tasty! but I feel like 1 lb of chicken is not enough for 4 people
Hi Kevin. If you add a nice Asian salad with ginger dressing as a side, or egg rolls or even Asian blend stir fry vegetables, this is more than enough
Absolute winner here – this is definitely going on a regular rotation in my house :) delicious!!
This was so good that I’m still craving it one week later. I was a bit too rough and lost a lot of the egg coating when turning the chicken, but the sauce still formed a glazy layer on the chicken in the areas without egg. Looking forward to making this again!
Really really tasty! I made this to the letter and it is very good. Also eating it for leftovers so it holds up well.
Love this dish! Made exactly as is and it’s delicious.
I never leave comments on recipes, but was just so good! It was incredibly easy to make and tasted so much better than takeout. We had it with the Crunchy Cabbage Salad and it was an all-around great dinner. Thanks for making me feel like such a good cook tonight!
How do leftovers hold up? Is this good for meal prep or best eaten fresh?
This one is definitely best when fresh, but you wouldn’t catch me turning down the leftovers. :) The sauce can get a little cloudy in appearance after it’s been in the fridge, but it still tastes great.
I tried this with shrimp and the batter didn’t stick as well, any suggestions?
You might need to dry off the shrimp really well to help it stick.
Hi Beth! How would you recommend making this vegetarian? I tried it tonight with tempeh and while the sauce was DELISH, the tempeh didn’t really do it justice. Do you think tofu would be better?
I’ve got you covered: Pan Fried Sesame Tofu ;)
Thank you!! Trying this tonight!
This recipe looks delicious and easy, but I’m allergic to eggs. Is there anything that can be substituted for the egg? I haven’t seen an egg used in this manner before so I don’t know what I can use as a substitute. TIA
I don’t have a good substitution for the egg here, unfortunately. I would probably just sauté the chicken “naked” and drench it with the sauce that way. :)
My son is allergic to eggs as well. I use ‘Bob’s Red Mill Egg Replacer’ they sell it at grocery stores and Walmart. It’s in the baking goods aisle. Been using it for years when I need eggs for baking and recipe’s like this. Works great, good luck!
Looks amazing! Is there much difference if you use chicken breasts?
You shouldn’t have to do anything differently, just keep in mind that breast meat isn’t quite as tender and juicy as thigh meat. :)
All I can say is; zero leftovers!My wife raved about it for days,I can’t wait to make it again.Followed the recipe exactly, wouldn’t change a thing.
Quick question: If I wanted to make this vegetarian by subbing cauliflower florets for the chicken, would you still recommend coating the cauliflower in the cornstarch mixture? Just prep the sauce and coat the cauliflower in that? Thanks!
I’ve actually tried that and didn’t get great results. I have yet to figure out a good method for using cauliflower with this.
My family said it was “amazing and delicious”
Cripes – and I’m no cook!
This was quick to throw together and packed with flavor! Definitely one of those dishes that tastes even better the next day.
I loved the technique of mixing the egg and cornstarch together and the dredging. So much less messy than a traditional dredge.
Th is for another great meal 🤗
Thank you for this easy recipe. I made it tonight for a quick dinner and it was delicious!
So easy to follow and very simple. I only have regular sesame oil, but it taste delish 😋.
Thank you.
Great quick meal! I would just double the amount of acid and use 1 tbsp sugar instead of 3. I put 2 actually and I thought that was still too sweet.
Very nice simple recipe. We sometimes use tofu instead of chicken and it works very well still. I like the sauce, its subtle so you can dress it up if you want.
I love everything I’ve ever tried on this website, but am sorry to say that this was not delightful. Too salty, and lacking something. It was okay, but not fabulous ( like every other recipe I’ve gotten here). Sorry.
Hi Julia! Try low sodium soy sauce, add more garlic and substitute honey for sugar. Add the honey after you add the sauce to the cooked chicken and stir gently. I think you’ll like it
This was excellent!! So easy and absolutely delicious. Husband loved it too!! Thanks for another great recipe that will go into the rotation
Excellent recipe. I made it the first time with regular sesame oil and the second time with toasted sesame oil. It’s not a huge difference, but it was better with toasted sesame oil! I used chicken breast not thighs for the meat eaters. I’m a vegetarian so I made a version with extra firm tofu that came out really good. I served over quinoa with a side of broccoli.
Made this for the first time tonight, I usually don’t comment on recipes but…this one is fantastic! I will be making it again,and again……..thanks Kathy
Can you bake this in the oven ?
Nope, you need the quick, dry heat of a skillet to make this one work correctly.
This is such a fantastic recipe! I made it for the first time today and absolutely loved it! I’m already planning on making it a second time. Thank you!
Excellent! This was a hit with everyone in my family. I will make this again and again.
This recipe was the best! The entire family loved it from age 7 to over 60, Including a rather fussy 16 year old. The only complaint was they wanted MORE. I am definitely making it again and again.
Just a side note. The second time I made this with reg soy. It was definitely too salty for us with the regular soy but I also preseasoned the chicken.
The next time and there will definitely be a next time, I’ll go back to the low sodium soy and will not preseason.
Can you use regular sesamie oil instead of toasted? What would the difference be?
Nope, you need toasted for this one. Regular sesame oil has a very light flavor that won’t be detected in the recipe. Toasted sesame oil has a very strong nutty flavor, which is what you need. :)
Any alternatives for rice vineager?
Looking forward to trying this out!
You really want to get rice vinegar for this one because it has a uniquely mild acidity and neutral flavor. If you use another vinegar in its place it will throw off the flavor balance.
After a couple bites, my husband told me that this may be the best chicken he’s ever had! And while he is often complimentary of my cooking, he doesn’t just throw around statements like that! A 5 star recipe for sure. And truly easy, so this is one I’ll make again often. Thank you for sharing another delicious recipe, Beth! I’ve used a few of your recipes and they’ve all been hits in our home.
Excellent recipe, yummy i woll definitely make it agaon.. only thing for me was the rice vinegar was over powering so i think next time i will reduce it…
but it is a huge hit. thank you
My fiance and I found this recipe a few months ago when we were looking for options that are cheaper (and healthier) than take out. We LOVE it!!!!!! I’ve made it for my parents and siblings now too, and it was a hit.
I was wondering if anyone has experience freezing this after it has been cooked? I’m heading back to my last semester of college and student teaching, and I’d like to meal prep on the weekends. Does it freeze well? Does anyone have tips for freezing it?
We’ve frozen this in individual portions before and it worked well. Fully cooled it in the fridge then moved it to the freezer the next morning.
Delicious.
It even works perfectly with cauliflower instead of chicken. Just double the egg and cornstarch batter. Absolutely wonderful. People-ask-for-the-recipe level good.
In list of ingredients for sauce, it shows 1/2 TBS. cornstarch, but further down in step by step photos, it says 1 TBS. DEFINITELY NEED the full TBS. or sauce too thin! Thought it needed a little more sweetness, so drizzled some honey over chicken when finished cooking. Everything else very well balanced..will make again!
I really enjoyed this recipe, sauce is fantastic! I had a bit of a problem with the batter running to one side when frying, any tips for frying that I may be missing? Thanks!
Yes, try increasing the heat slightly so the egg firms up before it has a chance to run off as much. :)
Any tips for making this recipe taste less salty? I omitted the pinch of salt but this recipe still had an overly salty taste.
You can use a low sodium soy sauce. Almost all of the saltiness in this recipe comes from the soy sauce. :)
This recipe was such a hit with my family! So much so that my dad requested it for dinner again the next night! He couldn’t believe how much it tasted like real chinese takeout (which we haven’t been able to do since COVID)
I made it with chicken breast because that’s all my grocery store had but it still worked
Can you make it with chicken breasts instead?
You can, but the thighs tend to stay more tender. :)
Excellent! Doubled the recipe hoping to have leftovers, but we ate every bit of it! Even my picky kid liked it! This is going in the regular rotation.
This was quick and easy. My husband and kid loved it. I used ground ginger instead of grated fresh and it still turned out really well.
I started making this when our local Chinese restaurant was closed for COVID. My kids and I both love it. I’ve even made it with pork chops instead of chicken and it’s still great. As a busy single dad, here’s my hack for making this even easier… I buy a bottle of P.F. Chang’s Sesame sauce and skip making the sauce. Stir it in, let it simmer and you’re good to go.
I haven’t had Chinese since lockdown because all the good places are by my work 40 min away. This was absolutely perfect! Just like takeout, but better and not that difficult surprisingly! I’m going to try it with half tofu next time since sesame tofu is my absolute favorite, but the husband needs meat. I cheated and used uncle bens microwave jasmine rice and we air fried up some egg rolls in the side too!
This was so wonderful ! ! ! ! I needed a recipe to use a pkg of chicken thighs so I picked this one for sesame chicken, and I actually had all of the pantry items. After cutting up the chicken I checked the recipe again before starting. When I read that the recipe was made for the equivalent of three cut up chicken thighs, I did some very quick ingredient multiplying, because I had 8 boneless thighs cut up ! The best tip I can give is follow what it says in the directions and don’t stir/break it up too much during the browning process, it won’t always look like an omelet. As it gets properly browned you can separate it in pieces without having the coating fall off. It was sooo delicious !
P.S. I always use coconut aminos as a “one to one ” substitution for soy sauce.
Looking forward to leftovers tomorrow !
Would this work with chicken wings?
I have made this recipe several times now. It always turns out wonderful! My whole family loves it!
Made this last night instead of ordering takeout, it was delicious! Next time I will double the recipe, my husband loved it and we wished there was more leftover!
Quick, easy, & flavorful, but too salty even though I used low sodium soy. I would sub 1/4 chicken broth for the soy, and use 2 Tablespoons soy in place of water. Maybe I’ll add a little sherry (not cooking sherry) as previously suggested, and leave out the salt from the chicken mix. I will try this again with tweaks because it is quick & easy, my family like it, and I liked that it used chicken thighs instead of breasts. I served it with the jasmine rice and some flash-fried broccolini and red pepper for an asian-style side.
I don’t know what I did wrong but I cook all the time. I consider myself a pro and I try recipes new all the time… this was terrible. Couldn’t eat more than 1 piece of chicken. I followed the recipe to a tee! My husband tells me that when I fail at least it’s edible but this time we threw away a pound of chicken
I made this for dinner tonight because the local Chinese restaurants have been disappointing lately. It was delicious and so easy to make! We will definitely be making this again. (I used ground ginger instead of fresh ginger.)
I literally just experienced the same thing. I definitely do not want to discount the 4.5 stars this recipe has earned, but it just wasnt for me. It made me feel incredibly unwell
I made this last night and I’d have to say that while I liked it, it was a little too salty for my wife (I have a higher tolerance for salt but probably should go easy on it as well). I noticed that an earlier comment is also about this, but I’m not sure that coconut aminos is the answer. If I make it again, I think I might cut the soy sauce in half to ¼ cup and replace that with perhaps a bit of Sherry (not cooking Sherry, which is also salty) and perhaps s touch of lemon juice.
I made this last night, followed recipe exactly. It was easy and delicious!!!
We made this yesterday. We steamed some broccoli and carrots and threw in some chopped fresh spinach at the end. So yummy!
Sadly, I have to limit my sodium intake. :-( Since this virtually eliminates take-out in general, & I miss Asian food the most, I’m eager to try adaptations! Even switching to low-sodium soy sauce doesn’t decrease the sodium content enough. CAN YOU OR ANY CLEVER HELPFUL READER SUGGEST A PARTIAL REPLACEMENT FOR SOY SAUCE that would work well with the other flavors? [Apologies for the caps; I’m hoping to catch other readers’ eyes if they read the comments.] Thank you!
I hope the following is permitted:
https://simplygluten-free.com/blog/2017/02/theres-no-salt-in-this-gluten-free-soy-sauce.html
I I think it’s ok bc it’s still here. That’s very thoughtful of you to share. I also love Asian foods, but have to watch my salt intake. THANK YOU!!!
Have you tried coconut aminos? 90 mg sodium/teaspoon. I actually prefer its flavor to soy sauce.
You could try coconut aminos. It’s a popular substitute for soy sauce for people who are gluten free or eat a wheat or soy free diet. It has about 90 mg sodium per serving. 🙂
Hi, I hope this helps. I looked on The Spruce Eats Website and it came up a Recipe for Low -Sodium Soy Sauce Substitute that you can make Sodium free because it uses Beef Broth it has other ingredients as well in it. They also have a Paleo 30 Soy Sauce Substitution online as well that uses Coconut Aminos which might work I’m am not sure how much Sodium is in Coconut Aminos. Coconut Aminos are a substitution that is used a-lot in Vegan cooking.
Blessings,
Gina
This looks really good! I would like to make this vegan, thinking I could try it with seitan or tofu instead of chicken but not sure about the egg. Any suggestions for what to use in the batter in place of egg? Also, would tapioca starch work instead of corn starch?
Yes tapioca starch would work great! You could use egg replacer or just water to help coat the chicken.
Coconut milk works in replace of the egg
I love your website! It is my go-to for all things easy my, especially for weeknights! I crave this sesame chicken recipe all the time! Curious as to why you cook the chicken like a pancake though? It didn’t work for me the first time, so the second time I just did it normal, and it turned out really good!
I made this Sesame Chicken recipe and it turned out perfectly delicious! My local stores were out of Sesame oil, so I lightly toasted 1/4 cup of sesame seeds, then saturated the seeds in 1 cup of sunflower oil and strained the seeds which made delicious homemade sesame, oil. I also used low sodium soy sauce and doubled the recipe for the sauce, This dish is so quick & easy to prepare and turned out better than any take out Sesame chicken I’ve ever tried, thank you!
I have yet to try this recipe, but from the looks of it it seems to be so yummy!
I was just wondering if it’s possible to substitute the cornstarch for plain old flour because in my country I’ve never seen cornstarch available anywhere. any ideas if it would still turn out good?
Hi Julia! Where are you located? Arrowroot starch is a good substitute. Flour could work in a pinch but won’t quite give you the crunch.
Thanks for the quick reply! I’m from Germany but maybe I’ve just always looked in the wrong aisles, so please don’t stone me if I’ve simply overlooked it :D . But since cornstarch seems to have so many uses I’ll try to locate a store or buy it online :)
They definitely have corn starch in Germany. We lived there for a year and I accidentally bought that instead of powdered sugar when making a cake. That was the worst frosting I ever made! :) Check the baking aisle if you’re having trouble finding it. I think I got it at REWE or Penny.
Hi Julia, you’ll have no problem finding it in Germany. It might already be in your pantry. Corn starch is Mondamin
I thought the sauce was perfect! I did a little less soy sauce and a little more sesame oil, just knowing that the brand of sesame oil I have on hand isn’t as potent. I was hoping to have some leftovers, but nope! My boyfriend demanded seconds! :)
Worst ever. Dont bother. If i could give zero stars i would.!!
To me this didn’t taste like sesame chicken at all. Just a very sweet beef and broccoli. But over all it tasted good.
Really loved the old version much more. Made this earlier this week. Didn’t read the header about the changes in the recipe. Couldn’t find my old print out; used the latest version on the website. Wife and 3 sons all felt that there was too much soy/salt. Sauce wasn’t thick enough. Then we found out that it had been changed. Still tasty, but typically there is very little in way of leftovers. This time there was more leftovers than usual.
Very salty and not crunchy like sesame chicken is supposed to be. could not really taste anything but salt. some comments mention not adding the extra salt, but I like to judge a recipe by it’s original content not by adjustments commentators make. Was not enjoyable at all.
Tried this recipe this last night. It was a hit. Will be a regular in our house from now on. Thanks.
So so delicious!!! Had to sub chicken breasts & apple cider vinegar, and I didn’t have green onions or sesame seeds, but it was still so great!!
This is… AMAZING! I do agree with previous comments though about adding some veggies (broccoli, peas, etc.) next time. My only note is that it took a loooong time to brown the chicken- definitely more than 15 minutes. Either turn up the heat or be prepared to wait!
Delicious. Subbed tofu in for chicken. Served over coconut rice. Yummy!!
This is SO GOOD! Definitely will be making again and again. Tastes like Panda Express, but better!
Such a versatile recipe! Just made this and subbed the chicken with cauliflower and….. so good! It even looks a lot like chicken and tastes amazing. The texture is good too! I used a whole head of fresh cauliflower and coated it with the batter, pan-fried until tender and set out on paper towels to drain the excess oil. I also drained the oil from the pan before adding the sauce mixture (I usually double it b/c I like mine saucy). I let the sauce thicken before turning the heat off and adding the cauliflower back in to coat. Served over rice!
Thank you for sharing your alternative! I was wondering what it was like with cauliflower, I will be trying it this week!
This was so good I couldn’t believe it!! So simple and it’s better than take out. I will make this often.
So so so good. Simple recipe so the flavor was kind of surprising. Will definitely make again. Used chicken tenderloin bc it’s what I had. And subbed ACV for rice vinegar. Next time I’ll sauté some veggies with it. Thanks for another winner
I love this recipe! It comes together so quickly and is really delicious. Thanks for another winner Beth!!!
SO GOOD! And easy to make. Not sure I’ll ever buy this from a Chinese restaurant again.
i know this recipe doesn’t need more comments but omg IT IS SO GOOD! followed it exactly and it’s delicious and perfect. served with short grain white rice and lettuce on the side!
This was so good I couldn’t believe it. So easy and better than take out. I will be making it often!!
This is such a great recipe. It is far healthier than Panda Express, but is just as tasty! Super easy and flavorful. I added extra ginger and garlic, and used mixed veggies in the rice. My whole family loved this, will make again!!
Made this as meal prep over the weekend using a chicken breast (I am not a fan of thighs) and loved it. So happy I found and I will be making it again definitely.
Thank you sooo much for this detailed recipe.
I’ve been searching for a simple and tasty chicken recipe, and you nailed it!
I used chicken breast and it was still very delicious. My 3 year old and husband loved it. I served it with white rice and broccoli.
I didn’t like the amount of Ketchup in this. I’m not sure why I didn’t read the comments first, but other than that, it was a good starting recipe. I’ll probably decrease the Ketchup and try Hoisin next time.
There’s no ketchup in this recipe.
This was absolutely delicious. I especially appreciated the video that showed how to flip the chicken in sections to retain the golden crust. Excellent, restaurant-quality food made at home! I used breasts in lieu of thighs, and served it over brown basmati rice. So. Darn. Good,
I loved this recipe, as I do of so many on your site! I was wondering if it could be adapted to the crockpot? I will be making this a lot for my five-year-old. Thank you Beth!
Unfortunately you won’t be able to get these same textures with a slow cooker because slow cookers are a very wet cooking environment and skillets are a dry cooking environment, but you might like this Slow Cooker Honey Hoisin Garlic Chicken. Similar flavors, but as I mentioned, the final texture is different.
This recipe has been our “go-to” for sesame chicken since our son cooked it for us several years ago. It NEVER disappoints!
We don’t use green onions, but we do use extra garlic (is there a such thing as “too much garlic?” Nah! & extra sauce.
Thanks so much for sharing. It’s AMAZING!!
Never too much garlic! Happy to hear it’s still a favorite Tonya.
This recipe is probably the best thing I’ve ever cooked!
Thank you so much Mawson!
My 13 year old daughter saw this recipe on Instagram and showed it to me because she thought it sounded good. We made it for dinner tonight, and we all really liked it. My youngest said we need to make it again. I’ve never cooked chicken thighs diced and coated in egg and cornstarch before, so my expectations were low. It was surprisingly good.
I love everything about this! Happy you found us!
The sauce in this recipe is great!! (I didn’t wanna fry the chicken so I didn’t refer to that part of the recipe.) Ironically enough I forgot to buy sesame oil at the store and didn’t feel like going back to buy some once I realized, so I made the sauce minus the sesame oil, tasted it and it was still pretty good. It great as a foundation sauce to build on top of as well lol Either way my dinner came out delicious and I will definitely refer to this recipe again!
Glad to hear it worked out for you!
This looks delicious and I’m looking forward to making it. I just need a bit of extra guidance please. Do you use low sodium soy sauce or dark soy sauce, and is it seasoned or unseasoned rice vinegar. Thank you!
Hello, it is unseasoned rice vinegar. :) And I actually don’t use dark or low sodium soy sauce. It’s just regular soy sauce in the U.S., but may be the same as what some call “light” soy sauce. Not that it is low in sodium, it’s just not the thick, aged “dark” soy sauce.
This was the 1st time trying this recipe. Have to say, EXCELLENT!!! It was easy to prepare, and well, just as easy to cook. I would suggest to all i know try it and will. Thank you to the recipe provider. Major kudos!!!
Thank you Jennifer!
This is absolutely the best sesame chicken recipe I’ve found. There’s a local grocery store that makes and sells their own sesame chicken and it’s our favorite. This recipe tastes exactly what we buy at the store! It’s definitely in heavy rotation in our house.
Thank you Kelly!
This is my favorite Budget Bytes recipe! It is so yummy!!
Thank you Caitlin!
Amazing and easy to make! Thank you!
This recipe is great. I will try adding vegetables next time. I am terrible at cooking, so we will see how straying from the directions will go….
You can do it Sarah!
I just made it with baked broccoli seasoned with olive oil, salt, and pepper. Super easy and really good!
I used half raw honey and half monkfruit sweetener instead of brown sugar. I was out of sesame oil so I used Japanese chili oil, which is spicy sesame oil. I really like the sweet and spicy combo, will definitely make again!
Oh that sounds like a great healthy swap! Thanks for sharing Erika.
I made this last night using chicken breast instead of thighs, and it was such a hit! I doubled the recipe and let the sauce simmer with the chicken for about 5 minutes and it thickened right up. Thank you!!
Great tips! Thanks for sharing Hannah.
I have made this recipe for my whole family and it was a superhit! Everyone loved it so much we had it 2 nights in a roll!
Yes that’s awesome!
Wonderful recipe and so simple! There’s never any leftovers when I make this!
That’s a good problem to have! :)
Great! I made this for my guy and me for a cozy friday night in on the couch watching TV. We both loved it and its all gone. I only had 1 medium sized chicken breast left from the week and it was plenty. It was maybe 1/3 of a pound. Was more than enough for us with the rice.
This recipe was totally delicious! I know sesame chicken isn’t supposed to be spicy, but I think I’ll add some heat next time. Thank you so much for your website!
Just wanted you to know that this recipe is a new favorite! It’s “hubby-approved”, very delicious and easy as the name suggests. We will make it often. Thank you for all the work you’ve done developing your wonderful recipes!!
Got to love it when it’s a hubby approved recipe! They become staples in my meal plan.
Didn’t taste bad, but in no way was this the sesame chicken I was hoping for.
This was so delicious! The flavors were incredible. Way better than take out. Thank you Beth for such an easy and delicious recipe.
So good! I used chicken breast and it came out great! For the soy sauce, I always reduce it by half. For this recipe I added water to equal 1/4 cup. Husband doesn’t like salty and I always use liquid aminos which tend to be super salty. I can’t wait to try with tofu. I added some steamed broccoli to give it some veg. A+!!
Well I suppose every Chinese restaurant in America is making Sesame Chicken wrong, then.
It was definitely sesame chicken. I go heavy on the ginger. May try breast meat only because hubby prefers. Added in thinly sliced carrot and snow peas. Will make it again.
Put the instructions for rice at the top. I have seen several of these with rice where they aren’t mentioned until it says, add on top of your freshly cooked rice and all of a sudden you need to cook rice for 20 minutes.
Well, what do you expect? the recipe is for sesame chicken, it teaches you how to make it. no reason for it to explain when/how to make rice (especially if you don’t plan on having rice with it). It should be obvious that if you want rice with it that you should make rice before its done.
LOL
Planning on making this tonight! Any suggestions on a vegetable side dish that would go well with this?
I honestly usually keep it simple with some steamed broccoli florets, but if you want something a little more fancy you could do this Roasted Broccoli Salad, Sesame Kale, or Thai Cucumber Salad.
This turned out fantastic and immediately made its way onto our ‘winners’ list. Thanks!
This still tastes good, but please note that it is NOT sesame chicken. It’s TERIYAKI CHICKEN with sesame seeds. Highly disappointed.
This is my first time cooking, and it’s easy enough to follow, and the taste is so good, I love it! Thank you so much, you make me wanna cook even more!
So good!! I’ve been making the original recipe for a few years, and was excited to try the update – it’s even better! LOVE! I often make this with chicken breast instead of thighs, and it turns out great.
Thank you for all of your wonderful recipes!!
Delicious recipe! I tried it on the recommendation of my sister (thanks, Nat). The whole family loved it! Thanks!
I made this recipe and it tasted amazing. I was wondering the how much chicken and rice I should give per serving, though!
I don’t usually measure the volume of the chicken because they have unusual shapes, I just divide the chicken into four equal portions. For the rice I usually serve one cup per person.
Sesame chicken has always been my favorite Asian dish since I first had it as a kid. Making this was so much fun and it was probably the best tasting sesame chicken I’ve had to boot! It honestly shocked me how perfectly balanced the flavors were (even with my haphazard measuring) and I will definitely be making this many times in the future. Thank you so much for creating and sharing this recipe: it even inspired me to do meal prep this week with the dish and I don’t think I’ve been looking forward to lunch as much as I am now!
I made this as a quick weeknight meal on Thursday and it turned out great! My husband loved it too, I wish I would have doubled it because we finished the whole pan!
I tried this tonight and wow…it really is an awesome recipe. thank you! I substituted the real deal ginger with something out of a tube. I also used regular white vinegar. I didn’t shop for the ingredients before making it, which I will do next time. I look forward to trying it as the creator laid out. Because even with those small substitutions, it was extremely tasty and rivaled any good sesame chicken served in a nice restaurant!
Do you have to use rice wine vinegar or can you substitute with apple cider vinegar?
Rice wine vinegar is much more mild than apple cider vinegar, so if you use apple cider it may throw the flavor balance off a bit.
I was so excited to make this for dinner tomorrow, since my family is coming over, until my husband reminded me that he can’t have chicken on Fridays during lent. :(
So I guess now the plan is to make half sesame chicken and half sesame tofu. Do you think that will work?
This works great with tempeh, too. I like the texture of tempeh better than tofu for this. Here is my Sesame Tempeh recipe. :)
Awesome recipe the whole family loved it. Will definitely be making this again.
I may have commented previously, but grabbed this recipe last night for another go round. One thing–I always toast the sesame seeds–it takes a few minutes, but increased flavor is worth the time–a couple of tablespoons in a dry 8 or 9″ skillet over medium high heat and keep them moving either with a utensil or by tossing them in the pan. Remove them from the pan as soon as they are golden–if you leave them in the hot skillet, they may scorch even when you take the pan off the heat. The other thing this recipe needs is another kind of heat–when we discovered this Hunanese recipe in an Austin restaurant in the late 80s, it was really spicy. As its popularity in the US has grown, it has become bland. I like to toast some whole dried chilis, but a pinch of crushed chili flakes will work well, too, and is much easier to control–ie, start with a little and add a more if needed. I served with broccoli florets, but anything green is beautiful and delicious. I’ve used green beans, spinach, sliced zucchini, snow peas, and even carrots which are not green and provide less color contrast, but are cheap and yummy. I used chicken breast last night which is cheaper in my location than thighs
Totally agree with you, toasted sesame seeds are worth the extra effort.
I do a large amount then pop them in a container in the freezer. They don’t freeze, but it keeps them fresh and on hand when you need them.
Can you use boneless chicken breast rather than chicken thighs?
You can, but the chicken pieces won’t be quite as tender. And just be sure to cut them into very small pieces.
I cooked the original recipe with boneless chicken breast, never had a problem.
Hey Beth!
I just had to comment and tell you what a delicious and oh-so-easy recipe this was!
My family and I thoroughly enjoyed eating this dish, and I even wrote a post on my blog about my adventure making it with my kids (pictures and all!)…that’s how much we loved it!
We look forward to trying many more of your recipes…thanks for sharing your culinary talents with the rest of us!
xoxo, Erica
http://www.heykidswhatsfordinner.com
Thank you, Erica!
Not very Seasame flavored in my opinion. Tastes more like an orange chicken sauce. Good, but was expecting less sweet and more seasame flavor.
Made this to recipe the first time, this time I’ve added 1/4 glass of water, 1/4 of a shredded cabbage and a bit of chopped eggplant with the lid on the pan to stir fry in with the chicken. Came out well. 👍
I made this for dinner tonight. I thought it was great. My husband wanted more coating on the chicken. I will definately make it again.
I loved 99% of the recipes I’ve tried here, but this was kind of a fail, at least for me. The cornstarch maneuver didn’t work, and I was very careful about putting the chicken in the pan and then flipping it. It became separated from the chicken pieces anyway. The sauce was too salty bc of the large amount of soy sauce. I can figure out a way around all of this, for sure, but the recipe as written just didn’t cut it for me. Again, I don’t want to be too negative bc I really appreciate this site and all the excellent recipes I’ve tried. This was the first one that I wouldn’t try again.
I followed the new direction to a tee, except I wanted a little heat w Chile sauce. I made it for the family & to my surprise they enjoyed it immensely. I have a critical family & will share their honest thoughts. Especially if I made it. Loved it. The only misgivings was it took more than 25 mins but well worth it. Big hit…
Nice, simple to make recipe with lots of flavor. I added a couple of additional tablespoons of water at the end as the sauce got a bit sticky.
How long does this save?
A few days.
Followed the directions to a T, but ended up tasting like bad teriyaki chicken. Soy sauce and brown sugar flavor was overpowering. Will have to look for a lighter sauce recipe.
Made this tonight and wasn’t a super fan. It had a strange tangy taste to it and I had been hoping it would be more sweet than it was. My boyfriend loved it however.
Love the update. We make this a couple times a month.
Wanted to add, we usually add a spoonful of sriracha to the sauce or some crushed red chili flakes because this works really well with some heat.
I took some shortcuts with the chicken. I kept the thighs whole, flattened a tad, covered in oil and dredged in cornstarch and seasoned crumbs, baked (large casserole dish wiped w/coconut oil –the best non-stick, in my mind.) Flipped halfway as I prepped the sauce, then covered with sauce, and after a few minutes, flipped again and re-basted. love, Love, LOVE this! Just made it a bit faster as I don’t like cutting raw meat or frying when I can bake.
I don’t prefer dark meat so what could I use instead of the thighs.
You can use chicken breast.
It would cost a fortune to make these recipes are aimed at the middle class, how could a working family afford it
It’s priced out at $1.44 per serving. If you can’t afford that, you’re in poverty.
You could add in vegetables that your family would eat like broccoli or an stir fry mix so that it’s not just meat which is expensive.
I shop at Aldis and head to “big stores” for specific ingredients (sesame seeds and oil for example), and i never spend a fortune on meal prep. When I was unemployed for 6 months and relied on my other half for financial help I used recipes like this to make our meals. Compared to his employed sister who was a mother of four, I could I could our fridge and freezer better than hers and cook healthy meals. She was very surprised considering how much I would haul home for 2 people at $125 on a biweekly basis (including paper products) and still have left overs.
I’m making this today and I got everything for under 20 bucks! My total only came to 20.50 because I added some extra things to bake a cake and I already have some of the ingredients at home already (eggs and ginger and cooking oil).
OMG!! Just made this and added in some veggies (pre cooked before chicken and added right before sauce) and it was fricken amazing!!! Missed the ginger in the sauce. It it didn’t matter!!! Thanks for sharing this one! It’s in my favs list now!!!
i am not sure why mine came out so salty
Mine was really salty, too, and I don’t know why. Next time, I will try low sodium soy sauce and see if that helps.
The low sodium soy sauce really helps in my opinion. I also omit the salt in the salt and pepper for the batter, just because i tend to not cook with a lot of salt.
I just made this, had to change it up a bit but besides that it was amazing
Do you have an archive of the original? It tasted a lot better than this updated one, I think.
Yep, you can download a pdf of it through the link at the end of the paragraph titled “updates” (above the video)
That was lovely so easy too. They can keep their long drawn out recipe with loads of pots. Was totally so lovely. You must do it if you haven’t already done. Xxx
My my family loves this recipe they fight over it. So good job!
I made this two nights ago and it was delicious! I added broccoli to top the rice, under the chicken and sauce. I also used chicken breast instead of thighs. Yum!
How nice Recipe….. it’s amazing…🤗🤗
So delicious!!!! Excellent recipient!!! Thank you!
Thank You for the recipe
I absolutely loved this dish! I doubled the sauce since I served with brocolli over rice. And I made two small changes. Instead of adding 2 tablespoons water to the sauce, I added two tablespoons of orange juice. And I added 2 rablespoons of soy sauce to the corn starch marinade for the chicken. I will definitely make this recipe again!
Dear Beth, THANK YOU! for adding the feature on your recipes to dial up or down the number of servings, which adjusts the measurements for ingredients! WOW! That is soooo helpful that you did all that math for me! Saved me ten minutes! There are 5 in my family, and I usually like a recipe that provides enough for my husband to pack a serving to take to work the next day, so I very frequently make measurement adjustments on recipes. Thank you!
A question, too: Sometimes I double or triple a recipe to put in the freezer for future busy weeks. Do you have recommendations for how to go about freezing/reheating this recipe, being that the sauce is sticky & the egg coating may be delicate? Ex: Freeze raw with sauce separate, or cook and add sauce then freeze? Or do you suggest not freezing? Many thanks!
This one probably isn’t the best for freezing, unfortunately. Cornstarch thickened sauces like this separate once frozen, so that part won’t be good for freezing. I suppose you could freeze it raw with the sauce separate, but I’m not sure that will save that much time in exchange for the quality loss.
This was amazing! Probably the best sesame chicken recipe I’ve made. Kids and husband ate it as well with no complaints! I didn’t have sesame seeds, so just left them out & it was still great. It definitely helped to make the sauce first, then was super easy to put together.
Delicious!
Really liked this, I added a head of broccoli and doubled the sauce (stir fried the broccoli first before the chicken.
Fresh ginger will now and forever stay in the freezer! What a genious idea! No more wasted ginger! Thank you for that one.
Great! I tried to make a vegetarian version by using Butler Soy Curls and it was awesome!
I made this for dinner last night and it was really spectacular. Everything was spot-on and I will definitely make this again. Thanks!
We had this last night for dinner, on top of some quick white minute made rice and made some homemade Egg Drop Soup to go with it!! :-) It was a great dinner and made for excellent leftovers for lunch today. Will definitely make again!
Has anyone tried this with tofu? Usually I just crisp up my tofu with cornstarch, but I’m curious if the batter will give it that delicious fried takeout feel and taste.
I have, with the old recipe, and it didn’t crisp up, but I don’t recall using extra firm tofu…
Just an update… I actually ended up making it with homemade seitan! It works really well!!
Loved this! I love seasame chicken but it’s so expensive to order and I haven’t found a good homemade recipe. This was perfect. Not quite as sweet as most takeout places, but still really good, and pretty easy. Definitely will make again