Sesame Chicken. Tender juicy chicken smothered in a savoury sesame flavoured sauce. Perfect as a main dish for dinner or lunch, great for meal preparation. Ready in 20 minutes or less!
This sesame chicken stir fry is one of those delicious chicken dishes that will keep you coming back for more! I say that because it’s so easy to make and it’s so good. There are many ways to cook chicken and this is probably one of the most popular ways I’ve seen on the internet.
My Sesame Chicken recipe is simple but delicious especially when paired with some rice or in this case noodles and some leafy greens. If you make a large batch, it can last you through a few days of the week! It is also a great dish to bring for lunch at the office because it’s so good as leftovers for the next day.
You only need several ingredients for my sesame chicken bites and thankfully none of them are challenging to find at the grocer! In fact, you may have most of the ingredients in your pantry already.
Interestingly enough, this isn’t a normal dish you would find at most Chinese restaurants or in China but more so at American Chinese takeaway restaurants.
Tips for making a delicious Sesame Chicken
- Use chicken thighs. Chicken thighs are a juicy, tender cut of meat that is less likely to go dry even if you overcook it.
- Use quality sesame seeds. This will give you more flavour and a wonderful fragrance.
- Pre-mix your sauce before you begin cooking. This will make things a lot easier for you. Preparation is always key whenever it comes to cooking. This will also prevent you from possibly overcooking your chicken if let’s say you are multi-tasking.
- Source quality fresh chicken. Not only will this yield a better tasting dish but it’s healthier for you if you source meat from happy chickens.
What's the difference between sesame chicken and General Tso's chicken?
General Tso is sweet and spicy. However, Sesame Chicken is not spicy and has a stronger flavour of sesame.
Is sweet and sour chicken the same as sesame chicken?
No, sweet and sour chicken is sweeter and tangier. Sesame chicken, on the other hand, is sweeter and more savoury.
What is sesame chicken sauce made of?
It’s made of deboned chicken sliced into bite size pieces then coated in a flouring agent to give it more texture. Then it is coated in a sweet sesame soy flavoured sauce.
Is Sesame Chicken unhealthy?
I would not say it’s the healthiest Asian dish as many other recipes call for the chicken to be deep-fried in oil. However, my recipe is only shallow fried in some oil. The sugar also contains about 2 tbsp of brown sugar and is high in sodium. So if you are health-conscious, then I probably wouldn’t recommend this dish for you to eat. However, it is very delicious and life is also about indulging every now and then.
Is there gluten in sesame chicken?
Yes, the soy sauce contains gluten. If you are gluten-free I would recommend that you substitute with tamari sauce which is GF.
Other recipes you may like!
- MONGOLIAN CHICKEN
- PEKING PORK CHOPS
- SWEET AND SOUR CHICKEN
- TAIWANESE POPCORN CHICKEN
- CHICKEN ADOBO
- SOY HOISIN CHICKEN THIGHS
For this recipe
You will need the following sesame chicken ingredients:
- 6 chicken thighs, sliced into bite size pieces
- ¼ cup cornstarch
- 4 thin slices ginger with skin on
- 1 shallot, diced
- ½ tsp minced garlic
- ⅓ cup avocado or vegetable oil
Sesame chicken sauce:
- 3 tbsp soy sauce
- 1 tbsp sesame oil
- 1 tbsp sesame seeds, crushed in palm of your hand
- 2 tbsp brown sugar
- ½ cup chicken stock
- ½ tbsp cornstarch
- 1 tsp garlic minced
Optional Garnish:
- 1 stalk green onions, finely sliced
- Sprinkle of sesame seeds
How do you make sesame chicken from scratch?
- In a large bowl, combine sliced chicken with ¼ cup cornstarch and mix well. Set aside.
- In a smaller bowl, whisk together the sauce ingredients until combined.
- In a non-stick pan set over medium high heat, add ⅓ cup avocado or vegetable oil. Place a chopstick in the pan and check for bubbles. When you see see bubbles, carefully add in chicken and let this fry until crispy golden brown on all sides, about 6-8 minutes. Remove chicken from pan and transfer to a plate.
- Discard the oil but leave 1 tbsp of it in the pan. Raise heat to medium level.
- Add ginger, garlic, and shallot and fry for 30-50 seconds until fragrant.
- Next pour in sauce and let this bubble and thicken.
- Once it has thickened, add back in the chicken and give it a mix until every piece is coated in sauce. Transfer to a serving plate. Optional: garnish with more sesame seeds and green onions. Serve hot and enjoy!
Give it a try!
Well I hope you give my Sesame Chicken recipe a try! It always excites me when you guys make my recipes and I hope this is one you try.
Thanks for visiting my blog! If you enjoyed my sesame chicken thighs, please share it with your family and friends or on social media! Take a picture if you've made my recipe and tag me on Instagram @ChristieAtHome in your feed or stories so I can share your creation in my stories with credits to you!
Made this recipe and loved it?
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Take care,
Christie
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Easy Sesame Chicken (20-min. Recipe)
Ingredients
- 6 chicken thighs sliced into bite size pieces
- ¼ cup cornstarch
- 4 thin slices ginger with skin on
- 1 shallot diced
- ½ tsp minced garlic
- ⅓ cup avocado or vegetable oil
Sesame chicken sauce:
- 3 tbsp soy sauce
- 1 tbsp sesame oil
- 1 tbsp sesame seeds crushed in palm of your hand
- 2 tbsp brown sugar
- ½ cup chicken stock
- ½ tbsp cornstarch
- 1 tsp garlic minced
Optional Garnish:
- 1 stalk green onions finely sliced
- Sprinkle of sesame seeds
Instructions
- In a large bowl, combine sliced chicken with ¼ cup cornstarch and mix well. Set aside.
- In a smaller bowl, whisk together the sauce ingredients until combined.
- In a non-stick pan set over medium high heat, add ⅓ cup avocado or vegetable oil. Place a chopstick in the pan and check for bubbles. When you see see bubbles, carefully add in chicken and let this fry until crispy golden brown on all sides, about 6-8 minutes. Remove chicken from pan and transfer to a plate.
- Discard the oil but leave 1 tbsp of it in the pan. Raise heat to medium level.
- Add ginger, garlic, and shallot and fry for 30-50 seconds until fragrant.
- Next pour in sauce and let this bubble and thicken.
- Once it has thickened, add back in the chicken and give it a mix until every piece is coated in sauce. Transfer to a serving plate. Optional: garnish with more sesame seeds and green onions. Serve hot and enjoy!
Yum, all your savoury recipes look so delicious!
I'm always looking for new ways to prepare chicken and this looks like a perfect one to try! I think it will even appeal to the sugar bugs!
I really like your idea for using avocado oil to fry the chicken... and your homemade sauce is dynamite!