Sesame Chicken
In this Sesame Chicken recipe, tender bites of chicken are coated in a sweet and savory sesame sauce. This easy recipe comes together in just 30 minutes. Serve it with rice and broccoli for a delicious meal.
Ingredients
- ¼ cup low sodium soy sauce
- ¼ cup ketchup
- 2 tablespoons honey
- 1 tablespoon brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon sesame oil
- 1 tablespoon rice vinegar
- 1 tablespoon sweet chili sauce (or pinch red pepper flakes, optional but recommended)
- 3 cloves garlic (minced)
- 2 teaspoons cornstarch
- 1.5 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts (cut into 1-inch pieces)
- 2 large eggs
- 3 tablespoons cornstarch
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- ¾ cup all purpose flour
- 2 tablespoons canola oil (or avocado oil)
- cooked white or brown rice
- chopped green onions
- sesame seeds
Instructions
- Prepare the sauce by combining all sauce ingredients in a bowl and whisking until well combined. Set aside.
- In a wide, shallow dish or pie plate, combine the eggs, cornstarch, salt and pepper. Whisk until well combined.
- In a second wide, shallow dish, place the flour.
- Working in two batches, coat the chicken pieces first in the egg and cornstarch mixture and then in the flour, gently shaking off any excess. Place the coated chicken pieces on a clean plate.
- Heat the canola oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Once hot, use tongs to add the coated chicken pieces to the pan. Cook until the chicken is browned and cooked through, stirring/flipping to help the chicken cook evenly, about 10 minutes. Be gentle when flipping the chicken pieces to keep the coating on the chicken. If the chicken is browning too much before it is cooked through, turn down the heat a little.
- Move the chicken pieces to one side of the pan. Pour the sauce into the other side of the pan. Cook, stirring the sauce, until it thickens, 1-2 minutes. Then gently toss the chicken pieces with the sauce. If desired, you can cook for 2-3 more minutes over low heat. This will make for a less saucy dish, but will make the sauce into a delicious sticky coating on the chicken.
- Serve immediately, over rice and sprinkled with chopped green onion and sesame seeds.
Notes
To ensure optimal flavor, allow the chicken to marinate in the sauce for a few minutes before cooking. Use a meat thermometer to confirm the chicken reaches 165°F for safety. For a crunchier texture, consider pan-frying the coated chicken instead of simply browning it.