Honey Sesame Chicken is bite-size chicken breast dipped in egg, coated in flour and cornstarch, fried until crispy and golden, then tossed in a glossy sauce of honey, soy, a little ketchup, brown sugar, rice vinegar and toasted sesame oil. A sprinkle of sesame seeds and sliced scallions goes on top. It serves 6 over rice.
How to make it: Dip 1-inch chicken pieces in beaten egg, then in a flour and cornstarch mix. Fry them in batches in 350°F oil for about 5 minutes, until crispy and golden and 165°F inside, and drain. While the chicken fries, simmer the sauce with garlic for 3 to 4 minutes until just thickened. Toss the chicken in the sauce, add the garnish and serve right away.
Why You’ll Love It
- A crispy coating: egg, then flour and cornstarch, fried until golden.
- A pantry sauce: nothing in it you need to hunt for; it is mostly honey and soy with a few staples.
- Takeout at home: a sweet, sticky chicken dinner to serve with rice or noodles.
- Serves 6: 1 1/2 pounds of chicken feeds the family.
Ingredient Notes
Chicken: 1 1/2 pounds of boneless skinless breasts cut into 1-inch pieces. Boneless skinless thighs work too; thighs stay juicy, and breast is leaner.
Coating: 2 beaten eggs seasoned with salt and pepper, then 1/2 cup all-purpose flour mixed with 1/2 cup cornstarch.
Honey and brown sugar: 1/4 cup honey and 3 tablespoons brown sugar sweeten the sauce.
Soy sauce: 1/4 cup. Reduced-sodium soy sauce keeps the sauce from getting too salty.
Ketchup: 2 tablespoons adds color, a little tomato tang and body.
Rice vinegar: 2 tablespoons of unsweetened rice vinegar balances the sweetness. Skip red wine vinegar, and avoid white vinegar, which is too sharp; apple cider vinegar is a milder swap.
Toasted sesame oil: 1 tablespoon. Use toasted, not plain, for the stronger nutty flavor.
Cornstarch in the sauce: 2 teaspoons thickens the sauce so it clings to the chicken.
Sesame seeds: buy them toasted, or toast raw seeds in a dry pan until fragrant.
Ingredients
For the chicken
- 1 1/2 pounds boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1-inch pieces
- 2 eggs, beaten
- Salt and pepper, to taste
- 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
- 1/2 cup cornstarch
- Oil, for frying (about 3 inches deep in a deep pan)
For the sauce
- 1 teaspoon vegetable oil
- 1 teaspoon fresh garlic, minced
- 1/4 cup honey
- 1/4 cup soy sauce (reduced sodium if possible)
- 2 tablespoons ketchup
- 3 tablespoons brown sugar
- 2 tablespoons rice vinegar
- 1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil
- 2 teaspoons cornstarch
To finish
- 2 tablespoons sesame seeds
- 2 tablespoons green onions, sliced
How to Make Honey Sesame Chicken
1. Mix the egg dip. Stir the eggs, salt and pepper together in a bowl.
2. Mix the flour coating. Stir the flour and 1/2 cup of cornstarch together in a shallow bowl or on a plate.
3. Coat the chicken. Dip each piece of chicken into the egg mixture, then into the flour mix. Repeat with all of the chicken.
4. Heat the oil. Heat 3 inches of oil in a deep pan to 350°F.
5. Fry in batches. Add 7 to 8 pieces of chicken to the pan and cook for 5 minutes, until crispy and golden brown. Repeat with the remaining chicken. Check that a piece reaches 165°F on a food thermometer.
6. Drain. Drain the fried chicken on paper towels.
7. Mix the sauce. While the chicken cooks, stir the honey, soy sauce, ketchup, brown sugar, rice vinegar, sesame oil and 2 teaspoons of cornstarch together in a bowl.
8. Simmer the sauce. Heat the teaspoon of vegetable oil in a large pan over medium heat. Add the garlic and cook for 30 seconds. Add the sauce mixture and bring to a simmer. Cook for 3 to 4 minutes, until just thickened.
9. Toss and serve. Add the crispy chicken to the pan and toss to coat with the sauce. Sprinkle with the sesame seeds and green onions and serve right away.
How to Keep the Chicken Crispy
The crust starts to soften as soon as it meets the sauce, so timing matters. If your honey sesame chicken came out soft, one of these is usually why:
- Watch the oil. Use a thermometer and keep it near 350°F, bringing it back up between batches. Too hot and the outside browns before the chicken is cooked through; too cool and the chicken soaks up oil and turns greasy.
- Don’t crowd the pan. Fry 7 to 8 pieces at a time. An overcrowded pan is a common cause of a soggy crust.
- Fry right after coating. Coated chicken that sits too long before frying loses its crisp.
- Drain well. Paper towels work; a wire rack keeps the crust even crisper.
- Sauce last. Have the sauce ready, toss the chicken just until coated, take the pan off the heat and serve right away.
- Store them apart. Keep leftover chicken and sauce in separate containers.
What’s the Best Sauce for Honey Sesame Chicken?
This one is built from pantry staples, and every part has a job. Honey and brown sugar sweeten it. Soy sauce brings the salty, savory base. Ketchup adds color, a light tomato tang and body. Rice vinegar adds a hint of acid to balance the sugar, garlic adds flavor, and toasted sesame oil gives the nutty taste the dish is named for.
Simmer the sauce only until it’s thick enough to coat the back of a spoon. If it cooks too long it turns gummy; a small splash of water over low heat makes it glossy again. You can make the sauce up to 2 days ahead and keep it in the fridge.
What Does Panda Express Put in Honey Sesame Chicken?
There’s no official ingredient list to go by. Food bloggers describe the restaurant dish as crispy battered chicken pieces tossed in a sweet and tangy honey sesame sauce, served with yellow bell pepper and green beans. The recipe here is a homemade honey sesame chicken, not a copy of the restaurant’s.
Variations
- Chicken thighs: use boneless skinless thighs in place of breasts; cook them to 165°F.
- Add vegetables: sauté 1 thinly sliced yellow bell pepper and 1 cup of chopped green beans in 1 tablespoon of sesame oil for about 5 minutes until golden, then toss them in with the chicken and sauce.
- A little heat: stir 1/4 to 1 teaspoon of red pepper flakes into the sauce.
- No deep frying: skip the coating and sauté the chicken pieces in a little oil until they reach 165°F, then make the sauce as written. The chicken won’t be crispy.
Storage & Reheating
Refrigerator: Refrigerate leftovers within 2 hours (1 hour if it’s over 90°F) in shallow covered containers, with the chicken and sauce apart if you can. Eat within 3 to 4 days.
Freezer: Freeze leftovers for 3 to 4 months. Thaw in the refrigerator.
Reheating: Reheat the chicken covered until it reaches 165°F, and bring the sauce to a rolling boil before tossing them together.
What to Serve With It
Serve it over steamed white rice or egg fried rice, or with noodles like chicken chow mein. Steamed broccoli on the side adds something green; for a full stir-fry, see chicken and broccoli stir fry.
More takeout-style chicken: 3-ingredient orange chicken, slow cooker General Tso’s chicken, or pan-seared honey garlic chicken breasts with no frying.
Frequently Asked Questions
What are the ingredients in honey sesame chicken?
Chicken breast, eggs, flour and cornstarch for the coating, and oil for frying. The sauce is honey and soy sauce with brown sugar, ketchup, rice vinegar, toasted sesame oil, garlic and a little cornstarch. Sesame seeds and scallions finish it.
Why is my honey sesame chicken not crispy?
The oil was too cool, the pan was crowded, the coated chicken sat too long before frying, or it sat in the sauce too long. Fry at 350°F in small batches and toss with the sauce right before serving.
Can I use chicken thighs?
Yes. Boneless skinless thighs work in place of breasts; cook them to 165°F.
Can I make the sauce ahead?
Yes, up to 2 days ahead. Keep it in the fridge and bring it to a simmer before tossing it with the chicken.
How do I know the chicken is done?
Check a piece with a food thermometer: chicken is done at 165°F. Golden color alone isn’t a reliable sign.
Final Notes
Keep the oil hot, fry in small batches and toss in the sauce at the last minute, and the chicken stays crispy all the way to the table. If you add the peppers and green beans, tell me in the comments how you liked it.
Honey Sesame Chicken
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Ingredients
- 1 1/2 pounds boneless skinless chicken breasts cut into 1-inch pieces
- 2 eggs beaten, for the coating
- salt and pepper to taste, stirred into the eggs
- 1/2 cup all-purpose flour for the coating
- 1/2 cup cornstarch for the coating
- oil for frying, about 3 inches deep in a deep pan
- 1 teaspoon vegetable oil for the sauce pan
- 1 teaspoon fresh garlic minced
- 1/4 cup honey
- 1/4 cup soy sauce reduced sodium if possible
- 2 tablespoons ketchup
- 3 tablespoons brown sugar
- 2 tablespoons rice vinegar
- 1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil
- 2 teaspoons cornstarch for the sauce
- 2 tablespoons sesame seeds to finish
- 2 tablespoons green onions sliced, to finish
Instructions
- Stir the eggs, salt and pepper together in a bowl.
- Stir the flour and 1/2 cup of cornstarch together in a shallow bowl or on a plate.
- Dip each piece of chicken into the egg mixture, then into the flour mix. Repeat with all of the chicken.
- Heat 3 inches of oil in a deep pan to 350°F.
- Add 7 to 8 pieces of chicken to the pan and cook for 5 minutes, until crispy and golden brown. Repeat with the remaining chicken. Check that a piece reaches 165°F on a food thermometer.
- Drain the fried chicken on paper towels.
- While the chicken cooks, stir the honey, soy sauce, ketchup, brown sugar, rice vinegar, sesame oil and 2 teaspoons of cornstarch together in a bowl.
- Heat the teaspoon of vegetable oil in a large pan over medium heat. Add the garlic and cook for 30 seconds. Add the sauce mixture and bring to a simmer. Cook for 3 to 4 minutes, until just thickened.
- Add the crispy chicken to the pan and toss to coat with the sauce. Sprinkle with the sesame seeds and green onions and serve right away.
