Kasia Polish Mom
Polish-born, Chicago-raised, feeding a family of six with babcia’s recipes and a global pantry. I grew up folding pierogi at my grandmother’s kitchen table and never stopped — 15+ years of cooking from scratch, one Sunday dinner at a time. Everything here is tested on four kids, a hungry husband, and the memory of a woman who never measured anything but always got it right.
Sesame Chicken — Crispy Outside, Tender Inside
My youngest literally licked the plate. I should be embarrassed but I was too proud. This is sesame chicken — crispy on the outside, tender inside, coated in a sweet-savory sesame sauce that has a slightly nutty depth from toasted sesame seeds and just enough soy and garlic to keep it interesting. It is a crowd-pleaser in the most literal sense: it pleases every person in my crowd, which is four kids and one husband and that is a significant accomplishment with one dish.
Sesame chicken is often confused with its cousins orange chicken and General Tso’s, but the differences are meaningful. Sesame chicken sauce is sweeter and more neutral in heat than General Tso’s. It does not have the orange note. What it has, distinctively, is toasted sesame — both sesame oil in the sauce and toasted sesame seeds on top, producing that unmistakable warm, nutty note that is the defining flavor of the dish.
This recipe nails the crispy-chicken-to-glossy-sauce ratio that every Chinese restaurant sesame chicken has and that is hard to get right at home without knowing the double-fry technique. I know the double-fry technique now. This is the result.
Why This Sesame Chicken Works
Toasted sesame is a volatile flavor that degrades quickly with prolonged heat. The sesame seeds in this recipe are added after the sauce comes off heat and again as a garnish. The sesame oil is added at the very end of the sauce-making. This preserves the bright, nutty flavor that makes sesame chicken taste specifically of sesame rather than just “sweet Chinese sauce.”
The double-fry technique creates a coating that stays crispy under the glaze. First fry at lower heat cooks the chicken through. Second fry at high heat creates the glass-like crust. Together they produce a texture that holds its crunch for the five minutes between plating and eating.
Ingredients
For the Chicken
- 700g (1.5 lbs) chicken thighs, boneless, cut into 4cm pieces
- 1 tbsp soy sauce
- 1 tsp sesame oil
- 1 egg
- 100g (¾ cup) cornstarch
- 50g (½ cup) plain flour
- Oil for deep frying
For the Sesame Sauce
- 4 tbsp soy sauce
- 3 tbsp honey or sugar
- 2 tbsp rice vinegar
- 1 tbsp Shaoxing rice wine
- 1 tbsp cornstarch dissolved in 2 tbsp water
- 1 tsp sesame oil (added at the end)
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 tsp ginger, grated
- 3 tbsp toasted sesame seeds, divided
- 3 tbsp water
How to Make It
1
1Prepare and Marinate the Chicken
Combine the chicken with soy sauce, sesame oil, and egg. Mix well. Combine cornstarch and flour. Dredge each chicken piece thoroughly in the coating, pressing to adhere. Rest on a wire rack for 5 minutes while you heat the oil. The brief rest helps the coating stick properly during frying.
2
2Make the Sesame Sauce
Combine soy sauce, honey, rice vinegar, Shaoxing wine, garlic, ginger, and water in a small saucepan. Bring to a simmer. Add the cornstarch slurry and stir until thickened and glossy, about 2 minutes. Remove from heat. Stir in the sesame oil and 2 tablespoons of the sesame seeds. Taste: sweet, savory, and clearly sesame-forward. Keep warm.
3
3Double-Fry the Chicken
First fry at 160°C (320°F) for 3–4 minutes until cooked through but lightly golden. Drain on wire rack. Increase oil to 190°C (375°F). Second fry all chicken for 60–90 seconds until deeply golden and shattering-crisp. Drain immediately. Do not overlap on the rack.
4
4Sauce and Serve
Pour sauce over the hot crispy chicken. Toss to coat. Plate over steamed rice. Scatter remaining sesame seeds over the top and add sliced spring onions. Serve within 5 minutes of saucing for maximum crispness.
Sesame Chicken Tips
Toast your own sesame seeds. Pre-toasted sesame seeds from a bag are fine but fresh-toasted seeds in a dry pan for 2–3 minutes at medium heat are dramatically more aromatic. Watch them constantly — sesame seeds go from golden to burned in about 15 seconds of inattention.
Sesame oil goes in last. Sesame oil’s flavor is volatile and degrades with prolonged heat. Add it after the sauce is off heat for the brightest, most aromatic sesame flavor. Cooking it in from the beginning produces a milder, less distinct sesame note.
Honey vs. sugar. Honey produces a thicker, richer sauce that clings better to the chicken. Sugar produces a slightly cleaner flavor that lets the sesame come forward more. I use honey. My husband prefers sugar. We have both tried the other’s version and grudgingly admitted it is also good.
Serving Sesame Chicken
Over steamed rice with extra sesame seeds and spring onions. Pairs beautifully with fried rice or lo mein for a full Chinese takeout recreation at home. For the complete spread, add orange chicken and let the family compare.
Variations Worth Trying
With gochujang. Add a tablespoon of Korean gochujang to the sauce for a Korean-Chinese fusion version. The gochujang adds depth, mild heat, and a slightly fermented note that is surprisingly excellent with sesame. Not traditional, but genuinely delicious.
Sesame tofu. Use firm tofu cut into cubes, pressed dry, and fried the same way. Vegan sesame chicken that is legitimately good and convinces skeptics. Use tamari instead of soy sauce for gluten-free.
Storage
Refrigerate for up to 3 days. Reheat in a hot oven (200°C) or air fryer to restore crispness. Do not microwave. Sauce can be made ahead and stored separately for up to 5 days.
FAQ
Why is my sesame sauce not thick enough?
The cornstarch slurry needs to come to a full simmer to activate. If the sauce is still runny after adding the slurry, increase heat and stir for 2–3 more minutes. For a thicker sauce, increase the cornstarch to 1.5 tablespoons.
Can I bake instead of fry?
Yes. Coat chicken as directed, spray generously with cooking spray, and bake on a wire rack at 220°C for 20–25 minutes, flipping once. Not as crispy as double-fried but very good. Air fryer at 200°C for 14 minutes works even better.
What is the difference between sesame chicken and honey sesame chicken?
Honey sesame chicken uses honey as the primary sweetener, which produces a richer, more complex sweetness and a stickier sauce. Standard sesame chicken uses sugar. Both are valid — honey version is richer and slightly more golden in color. The sesame element is identical in both.
Kasia Polish Mom
Polish-born, Chicago-raised, feeding a family of six with babcia’s recipes and a global pantry. I grew up folding pierogi at my grandmother’s kitchen table and never stopped — 15+ years of cooking from scratch, one Sunday dinner at a time. Everything here is tested on four kids, a hungry husband, and the memory of a woman who never measured anything but always got it right.
