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Crispy Sesame Chicken

Crispy Sesame Chicken
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Crispy Sesame Chicken is a cozy takeout style dinner with golden fried chicken tossed in a glossy honey soy sesame sauce. It has crisp edges, sticky sweet flavor, and a fresh finish from green onions and toasted sesame seeds. Serve it over rice with steamed broccoli for a comforting dinner that feels worth the little extra effort.

Ingredients

Scale
  • Chicken
  • 1 ½ lbs. boneless skinless chicken breast, or thighs
  • Salt and pepper
  • Peanut oil, for frying, or vegetable oil or canola oil

Batter

  • ⅔ cup cornstarch
  • 2 tablespoons flour
  • ½ teaspoon garlic powder
  • ½ teaspoon onion powder
  • ¼ teaspoon baking soda
  • 1/3 cup club soda, or water
  • 2 tablespoons soy sauce
  • 1 egg white

Sauce

  • ⅓ cup chicken broth
  • ¼ cup honey
  • ¼ cup soy sauce
  • 2 tablespoons ketchup
  • 2 tablespoons light brown sugar
  • 2 tablespoons rice vinegar, or white vinegar
  • 1 teaspoon sriracha sauce, optional
  • 1 ½ teaspoons toasted sesame oil
  • 3 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 tablespoon cornstarch
  • ¼ teaspoon ground ginger

Topping

  • 2 tablespoons toasted sesame seeds
  • Green onions, sliced

Instructions

  1. Mix the sauce: Whisk the chicken broth, honey, soy sauce, ketchup, brown sugar, rice vinegar, sriracha, sesame oil, garlic, cornstarch, and ginger in a skillet while everything is still cool. Set it aside so the cornstarch stays smooth.
  2. Prep the chicken: Cut the chicken into bite size pieces and season lightly with salt and pepper. Heat 4 inches of oil in a heavy pot to 365°F.
  3. Make the batter: Stir the cornstarch, flour, garlic powder, onion powder, and baking soda in a bowl. Add the club soda, soy sauce, and egg white, then mix until the batter looks thin and smooth.
  4. Fry the chicken: Coat the chicken in the batter and fry in batches for 2 to 3 mins per side, until lightly golden and crisp. Transfer the chicken to a wire rack so the coating does not steam.
  5. Fry again: Increase the oil to 375°F and fry the chicken a second time for about 30 seconds. This quick second fry gives the coating a crispier bite before it meets the sauce.
  6. Sauce and serve: Bring the sauce to a boil over medium high heat, stirring until glossy and thickened. Add the chicken and sesame seeds, toss gently until coated, then top with green onions and serve right away.

Notes

Use cold club soda for the lightest batter, and avoid crowding the pot so the chicken fries instead of steaming. Leftovers can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days, though the coating will soften after saucing. Reheat in a 375°F oven until hot for the best texture.

Keywords: sesame chicken

Find it online: https://thesavorymama.com/crispy-sesame-chicken/