Sesame Chicken Recipe

Today I’ll show you how you can easily make sesame chicken at home. Sesame chicken is one of the most popular Americanized Chinese dishes in the US. It is crispy and crunchy. And it has a super delicious sweet sesame glaze. Hmm… Who doesn’t like these heavenly goodies? After watching this video, you will never go to any Chinese take-outs anymore. Because this recipe is so much better!

Sesame Chicken Recipe

Serve: 2 to 4 people
Prep time: 15 minutes
Rest time: 30 minutes
Cook time: 15 minutes

For the chicken and marinades:
1 pound chicken breast, skinless, cut into 3/4 inch cubes
1 egg white
Pinch of salt
Pinch of white pepper
Pinch of sugar
1 tablespoon cornstarch slurry (1 tablespoon cornstarch and 1 tablespoon water)

For the sauce
2 tablespoons oyster sauce
1 tablespoons soy sauce
1 tablespoon rice wine
1 tablespoons rice vinegar
1 tablespoon sugar
2 tablespoons honey
Pinch of salt
Pinch of white pepper
2 tablespoons roasted white sesame seeds
1 cup chicken stock

For the batter
1/2 cup flour
1 cup cornstarch
1/2 teaspoon baking soda
Pinch of salt
1 egg
1/4 cup vegetable oil
1/2 cup water

Additional ingredients:
4 cups vegetable oil
1 tablespoon cornstarch and 2 tablespoons water
1 stalk scallions, the green part

Instruction

To prepare the chicken breast, first, trim off any excess of fat. Then slice the chicken into 3/4 inch cubes. (You could also use chicken thighs.)

To marinate the chicken, in a big bowl, add all the marinades, mix well. Then transfer in the chicken pieces. Thoroughly combine. Let it sit for 30 minutes.

To make the sauce, in a bowl, mix in all the ingredients. Put aside.

To make the batter, in a large bowl, mix in all the ingredients for the batter. (The purpose of cornstarch is to make it crispy. You could also replace it with potato starch or sweet potato starch.) （The purpose of the baking soda is for the chicken to become airy and puffy.)

Then add the chicken pieces in the batter and mix well.

To fry the chicken, in a pot, add 4 cups of vegetable oil, or about 3 inches deep. Heat it up to 350°F/177°C. (You can test the oil with your chopsticks. When you put the chopsticks in the pot, and if you see lots of bubbles around it, then the oil is ready.) Transfer in the chicken. Fry over high heat for about 5 minutes until they are golden brown. Take out the chicken and put aside. Skim off any crumbs. Then heat up the oil to 375°F/191°C. Return the chicken and deep fry for 1 minute until crispy. (Double frying makes the chicken crispier.) Take out the chicken and drain on a paper towel.

To put everything together, in a pan, pour in the sauce. Heat it up over medium-high heat for 1 minute. Then pour in cornstarch slurry to thicken the sauce. Transfer in the chicken. Stir and coat the chicken with the sauce. Add the scallions.

Serve on a plate.