The Best Chinese Sesame Chicken Recipe (2024)

Chicken Stir-Fry
Chinese-American
Fried Chicken
Chicken Thighs
Chicken Mains

Classic Chinese take-out, made in your own kitchen.

J. Kenji López-Alt

Culinary Consultant

Kenji is the former culinary director for Serious Eats and a current culinary consultant for the site. He is also a New York Times food columnist and the author of The Food Lab: Better Home Cooking Through Science.

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Updated December 06, 2022

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Why It Works

A balanced sauce has plenty of vinegary kick to balance out the cloying sweetness that most restaurant versions have.
Cooking the aromatics for the sauce at a lower temperature lets their flavors develop without having to superheat your wok or skillet.
Adding vodka to the chicken coating inhibits gluten formation and leaves you with a crisper crust.
Adding some of the marinade to the dry coating mixture makes more surface area which results in extra crunch.

I developed a great technique for perfecting General Tso’s crispy, battered chicken, which is easily transferred to make an amazing orange chicken, or this sesame chicken. Once you start with the General Tso's base, sesame chicken is even easier than orange chicken. 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.

The Best Chinese Sesame Chicken Recipe (3)

I make the sauce almost the exact same way I make my General Tso's sauce: sautéed garlic, ginger, and scallions deglazed with a sweet-tart mixture of soy, wine, vinegar, chicken stock, and sugar. I add a little extra sugar and sesame oil to the mix in this case, but otherwise, it's pretty much identical.

The Best Chinese Sesame Chicken Recipe (4)

Once the chicken is tossed with the sauce, I pile it up in the authentic manner: with steamed broccoli florets and a shower of toasted sesame seeds.

The Best Chinese Sesame Chicken Recipe (5)

This story was originally published under the column name "The Food Lab Redux."

July 2014

Recipe Details

The Best Chinese Sesame Chicken Recipe

Prep10 mins

Cook20 mins

Active45 mins

Total30 mins

Serves4to 6 servings

Ingredients

For the Marinade:

1 egg white
2 tablespoons dark soy sauce
2 tablespoons Shaoxing wine (see notes)
2 tablespoons 80-proof vodka
See Also
Chicken Yakitori Recipe
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
3 tablespoons cornstarch
1 pound boneless, skinless chicken thighs, cut into 1/2- to 3/4-inch chunks (see notes)

For the Dry Coating:

1/2 cup flour
1/2 cup cornstarch
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

For the Sauce:

3 tablespoons dark soy sauce
2 tablespoons Shaoxing wine (see notes)
2 tablespoons Chinese rice vinegar or distilled white vinegar
3 tablespoons homemade or store-bought low-sodium chicken stock
5 tablespoons sugar
2 teaspoons roasted sesame seed oil
1 tablespoon cornstarch
2 teaspoons peanut, vegetable, or canola oil
2 teaspoons minced garlic (about 2 medium cloves)
2 teaspoons minced fresh ginger (about one 1-inch piece)
2 teaspoons minced scallion bottoms (about 1 scallion)
2 tablespoons toasted sesame seeds

To Finish:

2 quarts peanut, canola, or vegetable oil for deep frying
Steamed white rice and steamed broccoli for serving

Directions

For the Marinade: Beat egg whites in a large bowl until broken down and lightly foamy. Add soy sauce, wine, and vodka and whisk to combine. Set aside half of marinade in a small bowl. Add baking soda and cornstarch to the large bowl and whisk to combine. Add chicken to large bowl and turn with fingers to coat thoroughly. Cover with plastic wrap and set aside.
For the Dry Coat: Combine flour, cornstarch, baking powder, and 1/2 teaspoon salt in a large bowl. Whisk until hom*ogenous. Add reserved marinade and whisk until mixture has coarse, mealy clumps. Set aside.
For the Sauce: Combine soy sauce, wine, vinegar, chicken stock, sugar, sesame seed oil, and cornstarch in a small bowl and stir with a fork until cornstarch is dissolved and no lumps remain. Set aside.
Combine oil, garlic, ginger, and minced scallions in a large skillet and place over medium heat. Cook, stirring, until vegetables are aromatic and soft, but not browned, about 3 minutes. Stir sauce mixture and add to skillet, making sure to scrape up any sugar or starch that has sunk to the bottom. Cook, stirring, until sauce boils and thickens, about 1 minute. Add half of sesame seeds. Transfer sauce to a bowl to stop cooking, but don't wipe out skillet.
To Finish: Heat 1 1/2 quarts peanut, vegetable, or canola oil in a large wok or Dutch oven to 350°F (177°C) and adjust flame to maintain temperature.
Working one piece at a time, transfer chicken from marinade to dry coat mixture, tossing in between each addition to coat chicken. When all chicken is added to dry coat, toss with hands, pressing dry mixture onto chicken so it adheres, and making sure that every piece is coated thoroughly.
Lift chicken one piece at a time, shake off excess coating, and carefully lower into hot oil (do not drop it). Once all chicken is added, cook, agitating with long chopsticks or a metal spider, and adjusting flame to maintain a temperature of 325 to 375°F (163-190°C), until chicken is cooked through and very crispy, about 4 minutes. Transfer chicken to a paper towel-lined bowl to drain.
Add chicken to empty skillet and return sauce to skillet. Toss chicken, folding it with a rubber spatula until all pieces are thoroughly coated. Sprinkle with remaining sesame seeds and serve immediately with white rice and steamed broccoli.

Special Equipment

Wok or Dutch oven for deep frying

Notes

Shaoxing wine can be found in most Asian markets. If unavailable, dry sherry can be used in its place.

If you can't find boneless skinless chicken thighs, you can debone them yourself using this guide.

Chinese-American Orange Chicken
The Best General Tso's Chicken

Nutrition Facts (per serving)
500	Calories
20g	Fat
54g	Carbs
24g	Protein

Show Full Nutrition Label

Nutrition Facts
Servings: 4to 6
Amount per serving
Calories	500
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 20g	26%
Saturated Fat 3g	16%
Cholesterol 108mg	36%
Sodium 962mg	42%
Total Carbohydrate 54g	20%
Dietary Fiber 1g	4%
Total Sugars 11g
Protein 24g
Vitamin C 0mg	2%
Calcium 78mg	6%
Iron 2mg	11%
Potassium 331mg	7%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.

(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)

The Best Chinese Sesame Chicken Recipe (2024)

FAQs

What is the sauce made of in sesame chicken? ›

In a separate bowl, create your sauce by combining light soy sauce, ketchup, chicken stock, sugar, honey, and sesame oil. Mix until well combined and set aside. In a large bowl, combine flour, cornstarch, kosher salt, white pepper, and baking powder.

What is the difference between TSO and sesame chicken? ›

General Tso's chicken is a spicy and tangy dish made with a mix of chicken breast and thighs, while sesame chicken is a sweeter option made with succulent chicken thighs. Whether you're in the mood for something spicy or sweet, both dishes offer a delicious and crispy meal that's sure to satisfy your cravings.”

What is China's number one dish? ›

1. Kung Pao Chicken. There aren't many Chinese dishes that are more popular than Kung Pai Chicken. The classic dish originates from southwestern China, specifically Sichuan cuisine, and is associated with general Chinese food and cuisine.

Read On ›

Should I use cornstarch or flour for crispy chicken? ›

INGREDIENTS TIPS

My not-so-secret tip to the best fried chicken is a combination of FLOUR, CORNSTARCH, and BAKING POWDER. When mixed with the flour, the cornstarch makes the flour coating crispier and gives it that golden brown color!

Learn More Now ›

How do they make chicken so tender in Chinese food? ›

Chinese stir-fried chicken is extra tender due to the velveting technique. Chicken is sliced into thin, even-sized pieces and then marinated briefly in a mix of baking soda, cornstarch, wine, and seasoning. This seals in moisture and tenderizes the chicken.

Discover More ›

Does sesame chicken contain soy sauce? ›

Sesame chicken sauce is a balanced combination of sweet, sour and spicy that comes from light soy sauce, oyster sauce, dark soy sauce, rice vinegar and sugar.

Keep Reading ›

What is in Chinese sauce? ›

Basically, the most common American-Chinese Cantonese sauce (like for beef and broccoli) is almost always Oyster Sauce, Soy sauce, Corn Starch, sugar, garlic powder, onion powder, Chicken/Pork/Beef stock and optionally sesame oil. Many people add additional MSG powder to the sauce.

Explore More ›

What does Chinese sesame sauce taste like? ›

Chinese sesame paste is made with hulled seeds that are roasted before they're ground into a thick, coarse paste that takes on a dark tanned hue. On its own, its flavor is similar to unsalted peanut butter with the intensity of fresh-pressed sesame oil.