Air Fryer Sesame Chicken Recipe
Air Fryer Sesame Chicken - crispy chicken pieces cooked in the air fryer and served in a simple sticky-soy-sesame sauce. A quick and easy dinner that cooks in less than 20 minutes.
Ingredients
- 6 large skinless chicken thigh fillets (about 750g/1.65lbs untrimmed or 600g/1.3lbs once trimmed)
- 3 tbsp cornflour (cornstarch in USA)
- 1/4 tsp salt
- 1/4 tsp pepper
- 1/2 tsp garlic powder
- 1/2 tsp paprika
- 3 tbsp oil
- 1.5 tbsp sesame oil
- 1 tsp garlic powder (or use 2 minced cloves garlic)
- 1.5 tbsp Chinese rice vinegar
- 3 tbsp honey
- 3 tbsp sweet chilli sauce
- 4 tbsp tomato ketchup
- 3 tbsp light brown sugar
- 3 tbsp light soy sauce
- 3 tbsp dark soy sauce
- sesame seeds
- chopped spring onions (scallions)
- boiled or egg fried rice
Instructions
- Take the chicken thigh fillets, trim off the excess fat, and cut into bite-sized chunks. Put to one side.
- In a medium-sized bowl, mix the cornflour, salt, pepper, garlic powder, and paprika.
- Place the chicken in the bowl with the cornflour, and mix, ensuring every piece of chicken is completely covered.
- Drizzle the oil over the chicken in the bowl and mix it all up. You should end up with the chicken pieces looking well-coated and quite sticky.
- Place the chicken in the airfryer basket and cook at 190C/375F for about 15-18 minutes - until the chicken is fully cooked and no longer pink in the middle. Check on the chicken and give it a shake at least 3 times during cooking, to ensure the chicken doesn't stick together. You may have to work in two batches if you have a small airfryer.
- While the chicken is cooking make your sauce. Add all of the sauce ingredients to a microwave-safe bowl and stir together. Microwave on high for about 3 minutes, stirring every minute, until the sauce is hot and slightly thickened (see notes for saucepan alternative).
- Remove the chicken from the air fryer and toss in the sauce (either in the saucepan or in a bowl).
- Sprinkle on the sesame seeds and spring onions and serve. I like to serve with egg fried rice.
Notes
For optimal crispiness, avoid overcrowding the air fryer basket; cook in batches if necessary. Feel free to adjust the sauce ingredients to your taste. If you prefer less soy flavor, reduce the soy sauce and add more honey for sweetness. Adding chopped vegetables like bell peppers or snap peas during the last few minutes of cooking can enhance the meal's nutritional value. Make the sauce ahead of time and store in the fridge for easy meal prep.