Making restaurant-style crispy sesame chicken without a ton of sugar or deep frying. The chicken is juicy and tender with a chewy coating and a flavorful sauce full of umami. You can’t miss this dish! {Gluten-Free Adaptable}
Sesame chicken is a popular dish on Chinese takeout menus. But did you know that you can easily make it at home?
You typically see two types of sesame chicken recipes. The first type replicates the takeout-style crispy sesame chicken but requires you to deep fry the chicken. The second type uses a simple stir fry approach, but doesn’t give you that crunchy surface. This recipe provides a better solution, so you can create the perfect crispy, crunchy chicken without deep frying.
Why this recipe
Now here is the trick to creating crispy chicken with a crunchy coating that is like the takeout you’d get from a Chinese restaurant, without making a mess.
The killer coating for extra crispy chicken
Simply use the formula: oil + salt + egg + cornstarch
Not only does it season the chicken and make it flavorful, but it also yields an extra crispy exterior, even after you coat it with sauce.
How to make crispy chicken with less oil
The answer is by pan-frying, which requires just 3 to 4 tablespoons of oil to coat your skillet. Simply cook the chicken one side at a time until golden brown, and transfer it to a plate for a minute to cool. Taste a piece of chicken. You’ll be surprised at the juicy and flavorful interior and super crunchy coating.
Extra flavorful sauce with less sugar
This recipe uses cooking wine, Chinkiang vinegar, and plenty of fresh herbs to create an extra fragrant sauce that is rich and delicious. Many recipes out there use half a cup (or a whole cup!) of sugar. This one uses just a quarter cup, but I guarantee the results will be amazing.
Sesame chicken ingredients
Which cut of chicken to use
My favorite cut for sesame chicken is chicken thigh. It results in very juicy tender chicken bites with the crust properly crisped up. However, you can use chicken breast as well. The chicken will end up a bit less tender but will be flavorful as well.
Chinkiang vinegar
Chinkiang vinegar is also called black vinegar. It has a dry, tart flavor that is balanced by a malty umami and accented by a slightly woody and smoky aroma. The malty umami is what makes Chinkiang vinegar special, as it gives dishes and sauces a characteristic flavor and fragrance, in addition to its sourness. You can learn more about this ingredient HERE.
I used Chinkiang vinegar in my recipe to give the sauce a bit of an extra tangy taste with a ton of umami. But if you don’t have this ingredient on hand or need to make the dish gluten-free, you can replace it with rice vinegar.
You can easily find Chinkiang vinegar in large Asian markets or Chinese grocery stores. You can also purchase it on Amazon.
Mise en place
When you’re ready to cook, your table should have:
Marinated chicken
Mixed sauce
Sliced aromatics (garlic and onion)
When you get everything ready beforehand, your cooking will take no time and you’ll be less likely to forget to add important ingredients.
How to make sesame chicken
Making sesame chicken is super easy:
Pan fry the chicken until crispy
Take the chicken out of the pan and let it cool slightly (very important, the chicken will keep crisping up as it cools)
Saute the aromatics
Add the sauce
Add back the chicken and mix them together
Garnish with a bit more green onion and serve
How to serve sesame chicken
Sesame chicken is very easy to make and it makes a great one-bowl meal served over steamed rice.
You can also serve it with other side dishes to make a multi-course dinner. For example:
Ready to make some killer sesame chicken at home? Happy cooking and I hope you enjoy the dish as much as I do!
More Chinese takeout recipes
Want to Know More?Receive our 5-Day Chinese Cooking Crash Course & Recipe Updates! Subscribe
Crispy Sesame Chicken (without Deep Frying)
Making restaurant-style crispy sesame chicken without a ton of sugar or deep frying. The chicken is juicy and tender with a chewy coating and a flavorful sauce full of umami. You can’t miss this dish! {Gluten-Free Adaptable}To make this dish gluten-free, use dry sherry instead of Shaoxing wine, use tamari to replace soy sauce, and use rice vinegar instead of Chinkiang vinegar.
Author: Maggie Zhu
Course: MainCuisine: ChineseKeyword: takeout
Prep Time: 15 minutes minutesCook Time: 10 minutes minutesTotal Time: 25 minutes minutes
Ingredients1 lb (450 g) chicken thighs (or breast) , cut to 1” (1.5 cm) pieces 1/2 teaspoon salt1 tablespoon peanut oil (or vegetable oil)1 egg , beaten1/2 cup cornstarchCook1/4 cup peanut oil (or vegetable oil)2 cloves garlic , minced2 green onions , sliced (reserve some for garnish)
InstructionsCombine chicken pieces and salt in a big bowl. Mix well and let marinate for 10 to 15 minutes while preparing the other ingredients.Mix the sauce ingredients together in a medium-sized bowl.When you’re ready to cook, add the oil and beaten egg into the bowl with the chicken. Stir to mix well. Add cornstarch. Stir to coat chicken, until it forms an uneven coating with little dry cornstarch left unattached.Heat oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat until hot. Add the chicken into the skillet with minimal overlap. Separate chicken pieces with a pair of tongs or chopsticks to ensure even searing.Cook without touching the chicken for 2 to 3 minutes, or until the bottom turns golden. Flip to brown the other side, 2 to 3 minutes. Transfer chicken to a big plate and remove the pan from the stove. Let the chicken cool for 2 to 3 minutes (it will increase the crispiness of the chicken).Wipe the extra oil from the pan using a few layers of paper towel held in a pair of tongs (if needed), leaving about 1 tablespoon of oil in the pan. Add the garlic and green onion. Stir fry for a few seconds to release the aroma.Stir the sauce again to thoroughly dissolve the cornstarch. Pour it into the pan. Stir immediately to thicken the sauce. When the sauce is bubbling and thickened, add back the cooked chicken and turn off the heat. Stir quickly to mix everything well. Transfer to a plate and serve hot over steamed rice as a main dish.
Video
NutritionServing: 1serving, Calories: 316kcal, Carbohydrates: 26.3g, Protein: 8.4g, Fat: 19.6g, Saturated Fat: 3.6g, Cholesterol: 62mg, Sodium: 872mg, Potassium: 140mg, Fiber: 0.7g, Sugar: 13g, Calcium: 42mg, Iron: 1mg