Updated on November 24th, 2024
I first discovered Sesame Chicken when I was eating at a Chinese buffet. The juicy chicken and the amazing sauce had me hooked from the first bite. I knew right then that I had to make this at home. After trying a couple different recipes, I came up with one that I enjoyed the most.
I garnished this dish with the traditional sesame seeds and sliced scallions. The scallions play a big role in adding flavor to this recipe.
Another great flavor enhancer is the marinade. The marinade is basically a fruity wine and chicken base combination. It adds great flavor to the chicken and makes it very moist coming out of the deep fryer.
If you’re craving some amazing Chinese food or are just in the mood for something different, don’t be afraid to give this recipe a try.
Sesame Chicken Recipe
Sesame chicken is a tangy, crispy favorite for anyone who loves Chinese buffet.
- Prep Time: 30 minutes
- Marinade Time: 30 minutes
- Cook Time: 30 minutes
- Total Time: 90 minutes
- Yield: 4 servings 1x
- Category: Dinner
- Method: Stovetop
- Cuisine: Asian
Ingredients
Marinade
- 1 teaspoon chicken base
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon sesame oil
- ground white pepper to taste
- 1/4 teaspoon sugar
- 1 tablespoon raspberry wine
Chicken
- 1 1/2 lbs 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
Sauce
- 1 teaspoon vegetable oil
- 1 teaspoon minced fresh garlic
- 1/4 cup honey
- 1/3 cup soy sauce (reduced sodium if possible)
- 1/2 cup ketchup
- 3 tablespoons brown sugar
- 1/4 cup rice vinegar
- 1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil
- 2 teaspoons cornstarch
- 2 tablespoons sesame seeds
- 2 tablespoons sliced green onions
Instructions
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Marinate the chicken. In a bowl, mix marinade ingredients. Add chicken pieces and cover. Marinate for 30 minutes in the refrigerator.
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Prep batter. Place the eggs, salt, and pepper in a shallow bowl. Stir to combine. In a separate shallow bowl, mix flour and 1/2 cup cornstarch.
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Batter chicken. Dip each piece of chicken into the egg mixture, then into the flour. Repeat the process with all of the chicken.
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Fry chicken. Heat 3 inches of oil in a deep pan to 350°F or 177°C. Add 7 to 8 pieces of chicken to the pan. Cook for 5 minutes or until crispy and golden brown. Drain the chicken pieces on paper towels. Repeat the process with the remaining chicken.
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Make the sauce. While the chicken is cooking, combine the honey, soy sauce, ketchup, brown sugar, rice vinegar, sesame oil and 2 teaspoons of cornstarch in a bowl. Heat 1 teaspoon of oil in a large pan over medium heat. Add the garlic and cook for 30 seconds. Add the honey sauce mixture and bring to a simmer. Cook for 3 to 4 minutes or until just thickened.
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Combine and serve. Add the crispy chicken to the pan and toss to coat with the sauce. Sprinkle with sesame seeds and green onions, then serve.
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Notes
Nutrition
- Serving Size:
- Calories: 617
- Sugar: 33.6 g
- Sodium: 1733.7 mg
- Fat: 18 g
- Carbohydrates: 67 g
- Protein: 45.8 g
- Cholesterol: 217.1 mg
You wanna ruin my diet? Huh? Good, keep going. Feels good. 🙂
haha, sorry Schubsta, I just can’t stop! 🙂
This looks just too good *not* to make. Who needs take out? 🙂
haha, it’s really great. Who does need take out? Thanks for the comment Donaald.
The recipe carnival is up at Expatriate’s Kitchen. Thanks for participating.
that looks amazing, and sesame chicken is one of my fiance’s favorites! i don’t have a deep fryer though — do you think a sauteed version would work?
Katy- don’t worry, not having a deep fryer is no problem. A sauteed version would work just fine. Just add about 1/2″ of oil to your pan and fry away until golden brown. Let me know how it turns out.
Don’t know many folks with a deep fryer. glad you can have it sautéed. I’ve been turned off by beef lately.
Great stuff, I made this for dinner last night and it turned out very well. I used a berry port wine for the marinade. Thanks for the recipe I will use it again
Adam – Thanks, I’m glad you liked it. Berry port sounds very good for the marinade. Many more great recipes to come.
I love meat covered in batter and deep fried, but this recipe leaves me with one question:
What kind of oil to use for frying, so you get the best taste to the chicken ?
GFYM – I would recommend you use peanut oil for frying. Enjoy the recipe.
I am trying to find a recipe for the mushroom chicken that you find on the buffets.
Thanks
LB – Sorry, not sure exactly what you are referring to. I will look around though.
This is a wonderful recipe! I have tried this many times and it’s always a sure winner at the dinner table. It’s absolutely delicious! Thanks for sharing! Please visit my website http://www.ravingrecipes.com
That looks so great. Can’t wait to try it. I love Chinese take out, but it gets pricy when you want variety.
Foodaholic – You’re right, take out can get expensive… this is so much better though. Let me know how it turns out.
I made this recipe tonight. It was awesome. Instead of 2 boneless/skinless chicken breasts, I used a 1.25 lb package of chicken breast tenders and cubed those. Turned out to be about 50 pieces. I also doubled the sauce. I will definitely be making this one again!
Pat – I’m glad you enjoyed the recipe. Stick around because there’s many more good ones to come.
I really am excited by this recipe. I’ve been trying to make sesame chicken for a while, all the recipes came up lacking. This seems promising, may have to cook it tomorrow.
Russell – Thanks. If you’re looking for a great sesame chicken recipe, this is it. I hope you like it and let me know how it turns out.
Bobby, I may have missed it, but how long did this recipe take to make you total? I want to give myself enough time. I got the 1/2 hour for marinade and 10 min for frying. What about all the prep work? Thanks for the great recipe. Sesame chicken is one of my favorite.
apple – I would say about an hour and a half. I hope you enjoy the recipe – let me know how it turns out.
This sounds amazing! I would like to make it for dinner tonight and was wondering how many people this would serve.
Laura – I would say this would probably serve 2 if they are decent eaters. I hope you enjoy it.
Hi Bobby,
Man your one looks even better than the one that we get in the resturant (im talking about the picture)
My question is, whats a chicken base ? can i get it at shoprite ?
Furthermore, I got religious issues with wine (alcohol) so is there any alternative that you might suggest ? or can I just skip that ! ?
Would love if you could reply back to my email
Thanks ! !
This recipe is the closest to restaurant style that I could find. I added some chopped onion to the sauce and it was great tasting. The whole family enjoyed. Thank you! This one is a keeper. I can’t wait to make it again
Tahsin – Thanks! I sent you an eamil.
Jen – Great, I’m glad you enjoyed the recipe!
I made this tonight, except with 6 large scallops and family friendly fruit punch.
My family loved it, but next time I think I’ll double or triple the sauce recipe (there was enough for 6 scallops, but not much more).
I changed the chicken for beef (I am allergic )
This recipe is wonderfull !!!!
This is awesome! It is my favorite recipe for this meal! It’s better than what you get in the resturaunts!
Hi Bobby
That’s amazing! oh I just want to eat it I am a big fan of sesame chicken i will try this veeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeery
soon
BOBBY is that possible u can send me more chiness recipes
Hi,
I love it, but for religiouse reasons what can I use instead of wine.
Hira Shaikh – I have many more Chinese recipes on my blog and many more to come. Subscribe to my RSS feed to recieve future recipes. You can see my site map for a list of all the recipes on here.
Baidaa – You can use any fruity juice, such as grape or cherry. Enjoy.
Hey, your recipe looks great! I love sesame chicken but so far I haven’t been able to find a recipe I really liked. I’m excited to try yours though!
just a quick question though,
What is chicken base and where can I get it?
Jasmin – Chicken base is a powder that is used to make chicken broth. It is yellow in color and comes in a plastic jar. You should be able to find it at most grocery stores. If you can’t find it, crushed chicken Bouillon cubes will work as well. I hope this helps and you enjoy the recipe. Thanks.
Hello Bobby,
Great blog! I will try this recepie on saturday. The only problem I have is the unit of measure… I moved to Germany and they dont know sesame chicken at all. I’m glad to find a recepie online that sticks to the “restaurant style” Thank you!
This is a great recipe. I often make a homeade General Tso’s chicken with a similar recipe. The only major differences are the addition of hot peppers, & the use of boneless/skinless chicken thighs. Great for people that crave a spicy touch. Now I can alternate between the 2 recipes!
how many serving does 2 chicken breasts make?
Josh – I would say about 2.
Just made your recipe. I used cranberry grape juice instead of the wine. It was really good.
Thank you for posting it.
This recipe is AMAZING!!! Both of my children, 1 and 3, asked for seconds, and that never happens. My husband said that it was better than any Chinese take-out food he had ever eaten. Since I am a soy sauce addict, I added 2 tablespoons to the sauce, but the rest of the recipe I followed exactly. Thank you so much for sharing this recipe…it is delish!
Wow this recipe is delicious I also added teriyaki sauce to the marinate and its delicious I would have never thought this recipe would be as close as the real thing!! thankssss so much this is deffinley going to be a favorite!!!
This recipe looks incredible. I have never made sesame chicken but it looks delicious- your pix are great, mouth-watering.
Too bad that I don’t have chicken base. Actually I don’t know what this is. I don’t think, this is availabe in the shop here. How about chicken stock instead of chicken base?
Good recipe. I substituted cranberry juice for the wine, but did everything else as directed. Thanks for posting this.
That looks delicious, just one question – what is chicken base?
UK Foodie – Chicken base is a powder that is used to make chicken broth. It is yellow in color and comes in a plastic jar. You should be able to find it at most grocery stores. If you can’t find it, crushed chicken Bouillon cubes will work as well. I hope this helps and you enjoy the recipe. Thanks.
making this recipe right now, but i dont have any wine. i substituted with pineapple juice, hope it turnes out alright….
this looks verryyy goood.
i hope to try it soon. 🙂