Sesame Chicken

Sesame chicken is the takeout classic: bite-sized pieces of chicken in a light, crackly coating, tossed in a glossy sauce that is sweet from honey, salty from soy sauce and nutty from toasted sesame. Made at home, the chicken goes from the fryer to the sauce to the table in minutes, so it is still crisp when you eat it. That is the part delivery can never get right.

The recipe serves six, takes about 45 minutes, and uses a simple cornstarch batter and a quick double fry to get that restaurant crunch. Spoon it over white rice and finish with green onions.

Sesame Chicken at a Glance

Serves	6
Total time	About 45 minutes
Chicken	1 1/2 pounds breast or thighs, cut into 1-inch cubes
Coating	A thin cornstarch batter with cold club soda and egg white
Frying	365°F for 2 to 3 minutes per side, then a 30 second second fry at 375°F
Sauce	Honey, soy sauce, chicken broth, ketchup, brown sugar, rice vinegar, garlic, sesame oil
Finish	Toasted sesame seeds and sliced green onions
Serve with	White rice

Why This Sesame Chicken Recipe Works

• Mostly cornstarch, very little flour. Cornstarch fries up thinner and crisper than flour, which is why takeout chicken has that light, shattering shell.
• Cold club soda and baking soda. The bubbles and the leavening make the batter airy, so the crust is delicate instead of bready.
• The batter is mixed at the last minute. Cornstarch soaks up liquid as it sits. Mixed too early, the coating turns thick and gummy.
• Two fries. The first cooks the chicken. A short second fry at a higher heat drives off surface moisture and makes it extra crisp, so it stands up to the sauce.
• The sauce thickens on its own. A tablespoon of cornstarch is whisked into the cold sauce, so it turns glossy and clingy as soon as it boils. No separate slurry.

Ingredient Notes

You will find the full list and amounts in the recipe card. Here is what to know about the main ingredients.

• Chicken: 1 1/2 pounds of boneless, skinless breast or thighs, cut into 1-inch cubes. Thighs stay a little juicier. Breast is leaner and what most restaurants use.
• Cornstarch and flour: 2/3 cup cornstarch to just 2 tablespoons of flour.
• Club soda: 1/3 cup, cold. Cold water works too, but the coating is slightly less light.
• Egg white: helps the batter cling and crisp.
• Soy sauce: 2 tablespoons in the batter and 1/4 cup in the sauce. Use low-sodium if you are sensitive to salt.
• Frying oil: peanut oil has a high smoke point and a clean flavor. Vegetable or canola oil are fine substitutes.
• Honey and brown sugar: the sweet side of the sauce.
• Ketchup and rice vinegar: body and tang. White vinegar can replace rice vinegar.
• Toasted sesame oil: the dark, fragrant kind. A little goes a long way.
• Sriracha: one teaspoon, optional, for a gentle warmth.
• Toasted sesame seeds and green onions: the finish.

How to Make Sesame Chicken, Step by Step

1. Mix the sauce first

Whisk the chicken broth, honey, soy sauce, ketchup, brown sugar, rice vinegar, sriracha, sesame oil, garlic, cornstarch and ground ginger together in a deep, wide skillet or wok. Leave it off the heat, at room temperature. The cornstarch should not start working until the chicken is ready.

2. Prepare the chicken and heat the oil

Cut the chicken into 1-inch cubes, pat them completely dry and season with salt and pepper. Pour 4 inches of oil into a large, deep pot and heat it to 365°F. Set a wire rack over a baking sheet next to the stove.

3. Make the batter

While the oil heats, stir the cornstarch, flour, garlic powder, onion powder and baking soda together in a large bowl. When the oil is nearly at temperature, add the cold club soda, soy sauce and egg white and stir. The batter should be thin, about like thin paint. If it is thick, add a splash more club soda or water. Add the chicken and toss until every piece is coated.

4. Fry in batches

Lower the chicken into the oil a few pieces at a time, leaving space between them so the edges can crisp. Fry for 2 to 3 minutes, turn when the underside is crisp, and fry the other side until golden brown. Adjust the heat to keep the oil near 365°F. Lift the pieces out with a spider skimmer or slotted spatula.

5. Drain, then fry a second time

Spread the fried chicken on the wire rack and let it cool while you fry the rest. Then raise the oil to about 375°F and return the chicken to the pot for roughly 30 seconds. This second fry is what gives it the extra crunch.

6. Thicken the sauce

Set the skillet of sauce over medium-high heat and stir until it comes to a boil and thickens. Turn it down to a simmer.

7. Toss and serve

Add the chicken and the toasted sesame seeds to the sauce and toss until every piece is glazed. Take the pan off the heat right away. Spoon over white rice, scatter with sliced green onions and serve.

Why Fry the Chicken Twice?

Double frying is the technique behind crispy sesame chicken that stays crisp. During the first fry at 365°F the chicken cooks to about 90 percent and the batter sets. As the pieces rest on the rack, moisture from inside the meat moves out into the crust and softens it slightly. The second, hotter fry lasts only about 30 seconds, which is just long enough to drive that moisture off and harden the shell without overcooking the chicken. The result holds its crunch even after it is coated in sauce.

Oil Temperature Matters

Use a thermometer if you have one. If the oil is too cool, the batter soaks it up and the chicken turns greasy and pale. If it is too hot, the outside browns before the inside is cooked. The temperature drops every time chicken goes in, which is the reason for small batches. Let the oil come back up to 365°F between them. One reader of the original recipe fried the first round in three batches and the second in two, which is a good guide for this amount of chicken.

Chicken is safe to eat at 165°F, the safe minimum internal temperature for poultry. Cut one of the larger pieces open to check that it is white and juicy all the way through.

Chicken Breast or Thighs?

Both work, and the recipe was written for either. Chicken breast gives you neat, lean, white pieces, like most takeout sesame chicken. Thighs have more fat, so they are more forgiving if they stay in the oil a little too long, and they taste richer. Whichever you use, cut the pieces to the same 1-inch size so they cook at the same rate, and dry them well. Wet chicken thins the batter and makes the oil spit.

How to Cook the Rice

For rice with more flavor, cook it in broth. Bring 2 cups of chicken broth to a boil, add 1 cup of long-grain white rice and return to a boil. Cover tightly, turn the heat to low and simmer for 15 minutes. Take it off the heat and leave it covered for 10 minutes. It makes about 3 cups. Start the rice before you heat the oil and it will be ready when the chicken is.

The Shortcut Version

No time to fry? The sesame chicken sauce is the star, and it works on store-bought chicken. Cook frozen popcorn chicken, nuggets or tenders according to the package, thicken the sauce in a skillet and toss them together with the sesame seeds. The same sauce is also good on fried shrimp.

Deep Frying at Home, Safely

• Choose a deep, heavy pot. A Dutch oven or a tall stockpot holds heat well. The 4 inches of oil should come no more than halfway up the side, to leave room for bubbling.
• Clip on a thermometer. It is the only reliable way to know the oil temperature.
• Lower the chicken in gently. Use tongs or a skimmer and release each piece close to the surface so the oil does not splash.
• Keep water away. Dry chicken and dry tools mean less spitting.
• Have a lid nearby. If oil ever flares, cover the pot and turn off the heat. Never use water on hot oil.
• Let the oil cool completely before you strain it or throw it out.

What Thin Batter Should Look Like

The batter for this sesame chicken recipe surprises people, because it looks too thin to be right. When you lift a spoon, it should run off in a steady stream and leave only a translucent film behind, like thin paint or light cream. On the chicken it looks like a wet glaze more than a coating. That is correct. In hot oil that thin film puffs into a lacy, brittle crust. A thick, pasty batter fries up heavy and doughy, more like a nugget. If yours has thickened while it waited, loosen it with a splash of cold club soda and stir again.

How to Toast Sesame Seeds

Toasted sesame seeds taste far nuttier than raw ones. If yours are not already toasted, put them in a dry skillet over medium heat and stir constantly for 2 to 3 minutes, until they are light golden and smell fragrant. Tip them onto a plate right away, because they keep browning in a hot pan and burn quickly. A mix of white and black sesame seeds looks good if you have both.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

• Heating the sauce too early. Once the cornstarch thickens it keeps reducing. Heat it only when the chicken is fried.
• Mixing the batter ahead. It thickens as it sits and the crust loses its crispness.
• Crowding the pot. The oil temperature drops and the pieces stick together.
• Draining on paper towels. The underside steams and softens. Use a wire rack.
• Simmering the chicken in the sauce. Toss and serve. Every extra minute in the sauce costs you crunch.
• Cutting uneven pieces. Small ones overcook while large ones are still raw in the middle.

What to Do With Leftovers

Reheated in the oven, leftover sesame chicken makes a good second meal. Pile it into lettuce cups with shredded carrot and cucumber, tuck it into a wrap with rice, or chop it and stir it through fried rice at the last minute. It is also good cold from the fridge, sliced over a salad with a sesame dressing. If you expect leftovers, keep some of the fried chicken and sauce separate and combine only what you will eat that night. Unsauced chicken reheats much crisper.

Troubleshooting

Problem	Likely cause	Fix
Coating is thick or gummy	Batter mixed too early, or too thick	Mix the batter right before frying and thin it with a splash of club soda
Chicken is greasy	Oil too cool, or pot overcrowded	Hold the oil near 365°F and fry in small batches
Coating fell off	Chicken was wet	Pat the cubes completely dry before battering
Not crispy after saucing	Skipped the second fry, or sat in the sauce	Do the 30 second second fry and toss just before serving
Sauce is too thin	Did not reach a full boil	Cornstarch thickens at a boil. Bring it up, then simmer
Sauce is too thick	Reduced too long	Stir in a spoonful of broth or water
Pieces stuck together	Dropped into the oil in a clump	Add them one at a time and separate with the skimmer

Easy Swaps

Instead of	Use
Chicken breast	Boneless, skinless thighs
Club soda	Cold water
Peanut oil	Vegetable or canola oil
Rice vinegar	White vinegar
Sriracha	Leave it out for a mild sauce
Homemade fried chicken	Store-bought popcorn chicken, nuggets or tenders

Storage and Reheating

• Best fresh: sesame chicken is at its crispiest the moment it is tossed in the sauce.
• Refrigerate: store leftovers in an airtight container for up to 3 days.
• Reheat in the oven: spread on a baking sheet and bake at 375°F for 10 to 15 minutes, stirring halfway through. The oven brings back some of the crunch.
• Skip the microwave if you can: it heats the chicken but makes the coating soft.

What to Serve With Sesame Chicken

White rice is the classic base, and it soaks up the extra sauce. A simple green vegetable on the side, such as steamed green beans, rounds out the plate.

For a full takeout-style dinner at home, serve it with my chicken fried rice. More crispy chicken: the easy chicken parmesan recipe. For something saucy without the frying, try chicken pomodoro or one-pot Mediterranean pasta. You can also browse all my chicken recipes and easy dinner recipes.

Sesame Chicken FAQ

What is sesame chicken sauce made of?

Chicken broth, honey, soy sauce, ketchup, brown sugar, rice vinegar, garlic, toasted sesame oil, ground ginger and cornstarch, with optional sriracha.

How do you keep sesame chicken crispy?

Use a cornstarch batter, fry twice and toss the chicken in the sauce right before serving.

What is the difference between sesame chicken and General Tso chicken?

Sesame chicken is sweeter and milder, with sesame oil and sesame seeds. General Tso is spicier and usually made with dried chiles.

What temperature should the oil be?

365°F for the first fry and about 375°F for the 30 second second fry.

Can I use water in place of club soda?

Yes. Use the same amount of cold water. The coating will be slightly less airy.

What oil is best for frying sesame chicken?

Peanut oil. Vegetable and canola oil also work well.

Can I bake or air fry it?

This recipe was developed for deep frying, and the thin batter needs hot oil to set. For a no-fry shortcut, toss baked or air-fried store-bought popcorn chicken in the sauce.

Can I make the sauce ahead?

Yes. Whisk it together and keep it in the fridge. Stir well before heating, because the cornstarch settles to the bottom.

Is sesame chicken spicy?

No. The teaspoon of sriracha is optional and adds only a little warmth.

Can I double or triple the recipe?

Yes. One reader of the original recipe tripled it successfully. Fry in more batches and keep the oil temperature steady.