Sesame Chicken (The BEST Recipe with Video!!) - Rasa Malaysia (2024)

Recipe IndexJump to Recipe

This post may contain affiliate links. Please read my privacy policy.

This is the best Sesame Chicken recipe with crispy chicken in sweet and savory sesame chicken sauce. It tastes just like Chinese restaurants and takes only 20 mins to make. Serve the chicken with steamed rice for an authentic homemade Chinese meal.

Sesame Chicken (The BEST Recipe with Video!!) - Rasa Malaysia (1)

Sesame Chicken (The BEST Recipe with Video!!) - Rasa Malaysia (2)

Table of Contents

Sesame Chicken Recipe

What is Sesame Chicken?

It’s one of the most popular Chinese recipes found in Chinese restaurants and takeouts in the United States.

Everyone loves this deep-fried and crispy chicken coated with a sweet and savory sesame sauce.

Garnished with white sesame seeds, the crispy chicken and sauce pairs perfectly with a bowl of steamed rice.

This is the BEST recipe you will find online! It’s easy, authentic and tastes the same, if not better than Chinese restaurants!

Sesame Chicken (The BEST Recipe with Video!!) - Rasa Malaysia (3)

Other Recipes You Might Like

  • Honey Sesame Chicken
  • Honey Chicken
  • Lemon Chicken
  • Orange Chicken
  • General Tso’s Chicken

Sesame Chicken Sauce

The sweet and savory sesame sauce is the star of the dish. It calls for the following ingredients:

  • Soy sauce
  • Rice vinegar
  • Sugar
  • Cornstarch
  • Water

How to Make Sesame Chicken?

It’s very easy to make the dish at home. First, prep the chicken, frying batter and the sauce.

Next, coat the chicken with the batter and deep fry. The final step is to make the sauce and coat the chicken with it.

This homemade recipe is very easy and fail-proof and takes less than 20 minutes to make.

Cooking Tips

For the best results that is the same as the best Chinese restaurants, please follow my cooking tips below:

  • For the crispiest chicken, follow my batter recipe and coat the chicken evenly. The frying batter produces crispy, light and airy chicken. Shake off the excess batter before deep frying the chicken.
  • Use chicken breast meat for the best flavor.
  • Do not drown the chicken with too much sesame sauce. Too much sauce will make the chicken soggy and not crispy.

Frequently Asked Questions

Is Sesame Chicken the Same As General Tso’s Chicken?

General Tso’s Chicken is a completely different dish with a spicy and dark sauce.

Sesame sauce is sweet and savory in taste but not spicy. Both dishes are equally delicious!

Sesame Chicken (The BEST Recipe with Video!!) - Rasa Malaysia (4)

Can I Use Air Fryer for This Recipe?

For the best results, you should deep-fry the chicken. However, you can use an air fryer to air fry the chicken.

How Many Calories per Serving?

This recipe is only 304 calories per serving.

What Dishes to Serve with This Recipe?

This meal is best served with steamed rice or noodles. For a wholesome Chinese meal and easy weeknight dinner, I recommend the following recipes.

How to Cook Sesame Chicken?

Please refer to the recipe card and video for detailed step-by-step method on how to make this recipe.

For more great recipes like this, sign up for our newsletter. We’ll send daily recipes you’ll love!

Join

Sign up for our newsletter!

Sesame Chicken

Easy, healthy and homemade Chinese Sesame Chicken recipe with sesame sauce. This is the BEST recipe you'll find online and tastes just like takeout restaurants.

4.62 from 307 votes

Print

By Bee Yinn Low

Yield 4 people

Prep 10 minutes mins

Cook 10 minutes mins

Total 20 minutes mins

Ingredients

  • 8 oz. (230g) boneless and skinless chicken breast, cut into strips
  • oil (for deep-frying)
  • 2 tablespoons oil
  • 1 clove garlic (minced)
  • white sesame seeds (for garnishing)

Frying Batter:

  • 1/2 cup all-purpose flour, sifted
  • 1/4 cup cornstarch
  • 1/2 teaspoon baking powder
  • 1 egg white
  • 1/3 cup cold water
  • 1 tablespoon oil
  • 1 pinch salt

Sauce:

  • 2 tablespoons soy sauce
  • 1 tablespoon Chinese rice vinegar or apple cider vinegar
  • 4 tablespoons sugar
  • 2 teaspoons corn starch
  • 1/3 cup water

Instructions

  • Mix all the ingredients in the Sauce until well combined. Set aside.

  • Mix all the ingredients in Frying Batter in a bowl until well combined, stir a few times to make sure there are no lumps and the batter is smooth. Add the chicken into the batter, stir to evenly coat with the batter.

  • Heat 2 to 3 inches (5 to 7.5 cm) of the oil in a wok or a stockpot to 350°F (175°C) for deep-frying. Gently drop the chicken into the oil and loosen them up immediately with a spatula to prevent the chicken from clumping together.

  • Deep-fry the chicken to golden brown. Remove the chicken from the oil with a strainer or slotted spoon, draining the excess oil by laying the chicken on a dish lined with paper towels. Discard the oil.

  • Heat up 2 tablespoons of the oil in a wok or skillet over high heat. Add the garlic and stir-fry until aromatic before adding the Sauce.

  • As soon as the Sauce thickens, add the fried chicken into the wok or skillet. Stir continuously until all the ingredients are well coated with the sauce. Dish out, garnish with the white sesame, and serve immediately with steamed rice.

Notes

Watch the cooking video on this page for step-by-step guide.

My batter is very thick because it will make the chicken extra crispy, even after adding the sauce. If it's too thick to work with, add 1-2 tablespoons water to loosen it up.

Course: Chicken Recipes

Cuisine: Chinese

Keywords: Sesame Chicken Recipe

Nutrition

Nutrition Facts

Sesame Chicken

Amount Per Serving (4 people)

Calories 304Calories from Fat 108

% Daily Value*

Fat 12g18%

Saturated Fat 9g56%

Cholesterol 36mg12%

Sodium 595mg26%

Carbohydrates 33g11%

Fiber 1g4%

Sugar 12g13%

Protein 15g30%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

Notice: Nutrition is auto-calculated, using Spoonacular, for your convenience. Where relevant, we recommend using your own nutrition calculations.

Sesame Chicken (The BEST Recipe with Video!!) - Rasa Malaysia (2024)

FAQs

Why is sesame chicken so good? ›

The main difference is that sesame chicken tends to be a little sweeter (if you can imagine that) than General Tso's, with no heat, and a good shower of toasted sesame seeds is added to the sauce.

What is the same as sesame chicken? ›

Both sesame chicken and General Tso's chicken are popular Chinese chicken entrees that feature fried chicken stir fried in a sticky sauce.

What culture is sesame chicken from? ›

Sesame chicken is a dish commonly found in Chinese restaurants throughout the United States and Canada. The dish is similar to General Tso's chicken but the taste of the Chinese-based chicken is sweet rather than spicy.

Can you use sesame oil to fry chicken? ›

Sesame Oil

The neutral flavor and low smoke point make it ideal for stir-fried and sauteed meat dishes. It is full of antioxidants along with vitamin E and phytosterols that reduce the risk of chronic diseases.

What is a substitute for cornstarch in sesame chicken? ›

Instead, I dredged the chicken in arrowroot and pan fried it to get a wonderful light crispy coating. Arrowroot is also used in this recipe to thicken the sauce a bit. Arrowroot flour is simply a nutritious grain-free alternative to cornstarch.

Which is better General Tso or sesame chicken? ›

Choosing by taste:

Sesame chicken if you like the nutty notes of sesame oil and seeds. General Tso if you like a bit of spice. Orange chicken if you want something a bit sweeter.

Is sesame chicken an American thing? ›

Sesame Chicken is an Asian-American dish that was invented in North America and still appears on Chinese take-out menus to this day.

Is teriyaki chicken the same as sesame chicken? ›

Is sesame chicken the same as teriyaki chicken? No. Sesame chicken is usually battered and fried in oil, then coated in a thick sweet sesame sauce. On the other hand, teriyaki chicken is usually grilled or pan fried and then glazed with a sweet sauce.

What is better, Szechuan chicken or General Tso's? ›

Our experts say… General Tso's chicken is about the most dangerous Chinese dish on the menu—dark meat battered and deep-fried, then cooked with vegetables in a sweet, spicy sauce. Szechuan chicken, made with leaner, white meat and sautéed with vegetables, is a far better choice.

Is sesame a black or white? ›

Sesame seeds are usually categorized by their color, brown, black, tan, and white. Typically brown, black, and tan colored ones are unhulled varieties. White ones, more commonly seen on hamburgers, are the hulled varieties.

Do Chinese restaurants use sesame? ›

The culinary uses of sesame seeds and sesame oil is ubiquitous in Chinese cuisine, from being a key ingredient in Sesame Tong Shui, a Cantonese black sesame soup, to Bang Bang Chicken, a Szechuan dish made with sesame paste, sesame oil, and garnished with sesame seeds, to Tang Yuan, sweet rice balls with black sesame ...

What country did sesame originate from? ›

Most wild species of the genus Sesamum are native to sub-Saharan Africa. S. indicum, the cultivated type, originated in India. Archaeological remnants of charred sesame dating to about 3500-3050 BCE suggest sesame was domesticated in the Indian subcontinent at least 5500 years ago.

What is sesame chicken batter made of? ›

Prepare the battered chicken: Sift flour, 2 tablespoons cornstarch, baking soda, and baking powder into a bowl. Pour in low-sodium soy sauce, sherry, 2 tablespoons water, vegetable oil, and dash sesame oil; stir until smooth. Stir in chicken until coated with the batter, then cover, and refrigerate for 20 minutes.

Is it better to cook with sesame oil or olive oil? ›

Both olive oil and sesame oil have different places in the kitchen. If you are only looking for one oil with a versatile taste and smoke point, then you should choose olive oil. However, sesame oil can be a great addition to your pantry, especially if you cook a lot of recipes from Asian cuisines.

What is the best oil to cook chicken in? ›

Canola Oil

Benefits: With a high smoke point and neutral flavor, canola oil is excellent for frying chicken.

Why is sesame so good? ›

Sesame seeds are an excellent source of manganese and calcium, both of which help your bones grow healthy and strong. Calcium also plays a role in nerve signal transmission, muscle movement, blood vessel function, and hormone release. Other vitamins and minerals found in sesame seeds include: Phosphorous.

What makes Chinese chicken so good? ›

It's because they tenderise chicken using a simple method called Velveting Chicken using baking soda. It's a quick and easy method that any home cook can do, and can also be used for beef. Use this for all your favourite Chinese chicken dishes, like Cashew Chicken, Chicken Stir Fry, Chow Mein and Kung Pao Chicken.

References

Top Articles
Latest Posts
Article information

Author: Sen. Ignacio Ratke

Last Updated:

Views: 5637

Rating: 4.6 / 5 (76 voted)

Reviews: 91% of readers found this page helpful

Author information

Name: Sen. Ignacio Ratke

Birthday: 1999-05-27

Address: Apt. 171 8116 Bailey Via, Roberthaven, GA 58289

Phone: +2585395768220

Job: Lead Liaison

Hobby: Lockpicking, LARPing, Lego building, Lapidary, Macrame, Book restoration, Bodybuilding

Introduction: My name is Sen. Ignacio Ratke, I am a adventurous, zealous, outstanding, agreeable, precious, excited, gifted person who loves writing and wants to share my knowledge and understanding with you.