Sesame Chicken

Medium·34 min active + 11 min resting

Battered, deep-fried chicken pieces tossed in a thick, glossy sweet sauce and finished with a heavy scatter of toasted sesame seeds.

A sweet, Americanized dish that emerged in U.S. Chinese restaurants in the 1970s–80s, alongside the wave of sweet fried-chicken plates like General Tso's and orange chicken. It adapts the technique of Chinese sweet-and-sour frying to American tastes for crisp, heavily sauced, sweeter food; it is essentially unknown as a traditional dish in China.

The crust holds a brief crunch before the sauce soaks in, then gives way to juicy dark meat. The sauce is glossy and frankly sweet, edged with soy and a little tang, and the toasted sesame adds a nutty, slightly bitter note that keeps it from being one-dimensional.

A cornstarch-based batter fries up light and crisp and gives the sauce something to grip. The sauce is reduced and thickened with cornstarch so it coats rather than runs, and tossing the chicken in at the last second keeps the crust from going fully soft. Toasting the sesame seeds first is what gives them their aroma.

Variations

Honey sesame chicken leans sweeter with honey in the sauce; some versions use chicken breast instead of thigh, or bake rather than fry for a lighter plate. It's a close cousin of General Tso's, which adds dried chili heat.

On the Palate

Where Sesame Chicken sits in the American-Chinese flavor cloud

Ingredients

Serves 4

1.5 lb (1 ½ lb)Chicken Thigh

Boneless, skinless, cut into bite-size pieces.

3/4 cup (3 ⅙ oz)Cornstarch

Most for coating, a teaspoon reserved to thicken the sauce.

3 tbspSoy Sauce

Split between the marinade and the sauce.

1/4 cup (1 ¾ oz)Sugar

The dish is meant to be sweet; adjust to taste.

3 tbspSesame Seeds

White, toasted dry until fragrant.

1 tbspRice Vinegar

For a little tang against the sweetness.

2 clovesGarlic

Minced, for the sauce.

1Egg

Beaten, to help the coating adhere.

for fryingVegetable Oil

Neutral oil for deep-frying.

How it's made

6 steps · 34 min active + 11 min waiting

1
15 min
Cut chicken thigh into bite-size pieces and marinate briefly with soy sauce, a little egg, and salt.
Watch out
Thigh stays juicier than breast through frying.
2
5 min
Toss the chicken in cornstarch (and a little flour) until evenly coated in a dry, craggy layer.
Watch out
Press the coating on; bare spots fry up greasy.
3
8 min
Deep-fry at 175°C until golden and crisp, then drain. For extra crunch, fry a second time briefly.
Watch out
Fry in batches so the oil temperature doesn't crash.
4
4 min
In a clean wok, simmer soy sauce, sugar, rice vinegar, garlic, and a cornstarch slurry until thick and glossy.
Watch out
Stop reducing the moment it coats a spoon; it thickens more off heat.
5
1 min
Add the fried chicken and toss quickly to coat, then take it off the heat.
Watch out
Work fast — the longer it sits in sauce, the softer the crust.
6
1 min
Scatter generously with toasted sesame seeds and sliced scallion, and serve over rice.
Watch out
Toast the sesame seeds dry first or they taste flat.