Skip takeout and make sesame chicken at home! It is quick, easy, and made with a few basic ingredients you likely already have at home.
My version is made without the heavy breading typically found at Chinese restaurants. This lightened-up chicken is still delicious and full of flavor. This recipe is one of the many classic Chinese takeout recipes I like to create at home. We love this orange chicken, General Tso’s chicken, and sweet & sour chicken to name a few.
Ingredients
Flour: Creates a light coating on the chicken. The flour also helps the sauce thicken slightly.
Salt & Black Pepper: Enhances the flavor of the chicken.
Ground Ginger: Ginger adds a bright, warming flavor to the dish. I am a huge fan of fresh ginger, but I like ground ginger for this recipe. It combines easily in the flour mixture to coat the chicken.
Chicken Breast: Chicken thighs would also work well.
Oil: I have used either olive or canola oil for this recipe and both work well. Unlike many stir-fry recipes using high heat, I use medium heat in my nonstick skillet. So you don’t need the high smoke point of canola oil.
Low Sodium Soy Sauce: The base of the sauce.
Brown Sugar: Stir-fry sauces are typically a mix of savory and sweet. Brown sugar makes the sauce delightfully sweet.
Sesame Oil: Adds richness and flavor.
Sesame Seeds: A nice pop of crunch and flavor to finish the dish.
Instructions
Mix the flour, salt, pepper, and ginger in a sealable bag or container. Shake the container until the chicken is well coated with the flour mixture.
Add the chicken to a non-stick pan coated with oil. Cook the chicken until lightly brown and cooked through. Remove the chicken and add the soy sauce and brown sugar to the skillet. Stir as the sugar dissolves into the soy sauce.
Add the chicken back to the skillet. Then give it a few tosses to ensure it is coated with sauce. Stir in the sesame oil and plate over rice with a sprinkle of sesame seeds.
I like to serve Sesame chicken with fried rice with lots of veggies to make it a complete meal.
Enjoy!
Sesame Chicken
Ingredients
- ¼ cup flour
- ¼ tsp salt
- ¼ tsp black pepper
- ¼ tsp ground ginger
- 1 boneless skinless chicken breast cut into bite-sized pieces
- 1 Tbsp olive or canola oil
- ¼ cup reduced sodium soy sauce
- 2 Tbsp brown sugar
- 1 tsp sesame oil
- 1 tsp sesame seeds
Instructions
- In a sealable plastic bag or container, combine flour, ginger, salt, and pepper. Add chicken, seal, and shake well to coat the chicken in the flour mixture.
- Add oil to a large nonstick skillet over medium heat. Pull the chicken and shake off the excess flour mixture. Add chicken to skillet and sauté, stirring for 7-9 minutes until cooked through. Remove chicken to a clean plate.
- Combine soy sauce and sugar in the skillet. Cook, stirring occasionally, until the sugar dissolves, about 1 to 2 minutes. Add the chicken and stir to coat the chicken with the sauce. Stir in sesame oil and sprinkle with sesame seeds.
- Serve immediately over rice.