Chinese

Serving

Sesame Chicken

Name: Sesame Chicken
Total time: 40 min
Yield: 3 servings
Cuisine: Chinese
Ingredients: 1 lb Boneless, skinless chicken thighs (cut into 1-inch chunks); 1/2 cup Cornstarch (for dredging); 3 tbsp Soy sauce; 3 tbsp Brown sugar; 2 tbsp White vinegar; 1 tbsp Sesame oil; 2 tbsp Toasted white sesame seeds; 1 tsp Cornstarch (mixed with 1 tbsp water for the slurry)

Similar to General Tso's, but sweeter and coated heavily in toasted sesame seeds.

40 minutes

Serves 3

Dinner

14 min prep

22 min cook

Contains common allergens

Sesame Soy Wheat

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Good to know

Crispy

Matched from this dish's own ingredients and timing. Browse more: crispy recipes

Instructions

6 steps

1
Dredge the Chicken: Toss the chicken chunks in 1/2 cup cornstarch with a pinch of salt until heavily coated. Shake off the excess.
2
Fry the Chicken: Heat oil in a wok to 375°F (190°C). Deep-fry the chicken in batches for 5-6 minutes until ultra-crispy and golden brown. Drain on a wire rack.
3
Make the Sauce Base: In a small bowl, whisk together the soy sauce, brown sugar, white vinegar, and sesame oil.
4
Thicken the Sauce: Drain the oil from the wok. Pour in the sauce mixture and bring to a simmer. Stir in the cornstarch slurry and cook for 1 minute until the sauce is thick, dark, and syrupy.
5
Glaze the Chicken: Toss the crispy chicken back into the wok. Stir rapidly for 30 seconds to ensure every piece is perfectly coated in the sticky glaze.
6
Add Sesame Seeds: Turn off the heat. Sprinkle the toasted sesame seeds generously over the chicken and give it one final toss to distribute evenly before serving.

Sesame Chicken — plated and served — Serving moment. How Sesame Chicken looks plated and ready to eat — a representative photo, not a step in the recipe.

Listahan Family Score™

65/100

Works for many families

Allergen-friendly 70

Kid-friendly 55

Weeknight-easy 54

Budget-friendly 86

Great leftovers 65

Pantry-friendly 58

Score reflects how well this recipe fits a typical busy household. In the app, your Family Score is personalized to your household's allergens, kids, and pantry.

Nutrition

per serving

220

Calories

2 g

Protein

36 g

Carbs

8 g

Fat

Estimated per serving. Actual values depend on the brands and portions you use.

Listahan cooking guide

Chef notes & practical guide

Technique notes, ingredient swaps, serve-alongside ideas, storage guidance, and equipment for this recipe.

Cultural context

Sesame Chicken is an American Chinese restaurant creation that emerged in the 1970s and 1980s, adapted from Hunanese sweet-and-spicy chicken dishes by chefs who found that toning down the heat and amplifying the sweetness suited broader American palates. The sauce is built around toasted sesame oil and seeds, which give the dish a nutty warmth that distinguishes it from its close cousin General Tso's Chicken. While it has no direct classical Chinese ancestor, it has become a genuinely beloved dish in its own right.

Listahan note

This version focuses on getting a shatteringly crisp coating that holds for at least 10 minutes after saucing, so the dish arrives at the dinner table with real texture rather than a soggy crust.

Technique cues

Use a combination of flour and cornstarch in the batter at roughly a 1:2 ratio; the cornstarch is what creates a crisp shell while the flour gives it enough body to cling to the chicken.
Toast the sesame seeds in a dry pan until they are just fragrant and golden before adding them to the sauce; raw seeds taste flat and grassy in comparison.
Add the fried chicken to the sauce off the heat and toss quickly; leaving the pan on high heat continues to cook and soften the coating.

Kitchen flow

Parallel prep: Mix and measure all sauce ingredients into one bowl before the oil heats; once frying begins there is no downtime to measure.
Make-ahead: The sauce can be made up to four days ahead and refrigerated; fry the chicken fresh and toss it with the warmed sauce right before serving.
Leftover move: Break leftover sesame chicken over cold soba noodles with shredded cucumber and extra sesame dressing for a satisfying next-day lunch.
Cleanup rhythm: After plating, fill the sauce pan with warm water and let it soak while you eat; the sugar-based glaze dissolves easily once cool rather than requiring scrubbing.

Ingredient brief

Role, handling, and swap guidance for each key ingredient.

boneless skinless chicken thighs

main protein

Purpose: Thighs stay juicy through the frying and saucing process where breast meat would dry out.

Handling: Cut into 1.5-inch chunks of consistent size so they fry evenly without any pieces being raw or overdone.

Adaptation: Chicken breast works if you prefer leaner meat; fry at slightly lower heat and for a shorter time to prevent dryness.

sesame oil

flavor anchor

Purpose: Toasted sesame oil is the defining aroma of this dish and cannot be replaced without losing what makes it distinctly sesame chicken.

Handling: Add it at the end of cooking the sauce rather than at the start; high heat destroys its delicate flavor.

Adaptation: There is no true substitute; if sesame allergy is a concern, see the smart swaps section.

rice vinegar

balance

Purpose: It provides the slight tartness that keeps the sweet sauce from feeling one-dimensional.

Handling: Measure with the other sauce ingredients before cooking begins.

Adaptation: Apple cider vinegar works in the same proportion with a slightly more fruity character.

soy sauce

savory base

Purpose: It provides saltiness and umami that counterbalance the sweetness of honey or sugar in the glaze.

Handling: Use light or all-purpose soy; dark soy can overwhelm the pale, glossy appearance of the sauce.

Adaptation: Tamari is a seamless swap for a gluten-free version.

sesame seeds

garnish and texture

Purpose: Toasted seeds add a nutty crunch that reinforces the sesame flavor layered into the sauce.

Handling: Toast in a dry skillet over medium heat, shaking constantly, for about 2 minutes until pale gold.

Adaptation: Hemp seeds give a similar texture for those with sesame allergies, though the flavor is milder.

Technique notes

Fry in small batches of no more than six or seven pieces at a time; overcrowding drops the oil temperature and produces steamed, soggy chicken instead of a crisp crust.
Let the sauce come to a full simmer before adding cornstarch slurry; adding it to a cold sauce creates lumpy starch pockets that never fully hydrate.
A light drizzle of additional toasted sesame oil over the finished dish, just before serving, restores any aroma lost during the sauce reduction step.

Ingredient swaps

Sesame allergy direction: Replace sesame oil with a neutral oil and the sesame seeds with finely chopped toasted sunflower seeds; the dish becomes a honey-soy chicken with a similar profile.
Gluten-free direction: Substitute tamari for soy sauce and use a 100% cornstarch coating instead of the flour-cornstarch blend.
Lower-sugar direction: Replace half the honey or sugar with unsweetened applesauce, which adds body and mild sweetness without the same glycemic impact.
Weeknight shortcut: Air-fry the coated chicken at 400 F for 12 minutes instead of deep-frying; the crust is slightly less dramatic but cleanup is dramatically faster.

Serve alongside

steamed white rice
stir-fried snap peas with ginger
egg drop soup
cold jasmine iced tea
sparkling apple cider

Serving suggestions only — check pairings for your household's allergens.

Storage & reheating

Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days; the coating will soften overnight as it absorbs the sauce.
Reheat in a 400 F oven for 8 minutes on a rack to restore some crispness; avoid microwaving if texture matters to you.

Equipment

wok or deep heavy-bottomed pot for frying
spider strainer or slotted spoon for pulling chicken from oil
wire rack for draining fried pieces

Make this household-aware

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