This Honey Sesame Chicken recipe is made of bite sized pieces of battered and fried chicken that is coated in a sweet Asian sauce and sprinkled with sesame seeds. This better than take out Chinese food recipe is super easy to make and delicious!
When the urge for Chinese take out hits, I always pull up of my recipes that I call "better than take out" to make. This Honey Sesame Chicken is one, as well as Crispy General Tso's Tofu! We have discovered that the homemade version of Chinese takeout is the best version!
Saving money by cooking at home
Take out has become something of a normal for our day and age. However, it is not always budge friendly. We have been craving Asian flavors lately. And, since we really can't afford to buy takeout too often, I decided it was time to make my own take out versions.
This Honey Sesame Chicken sounded like something that Grumpy would eat at home. So, finally, this week I made sure to have all the ingredients I needed to make it!
My family loved this meal very much. I made Veal Egg Rolls and Fried Rice to go with it! This is a keeper as it is variety and even Grumpy liked it!
What you need to make Honey Sesame Chicken
Most of these ingredients you probably already have in your home, and they are not hard to come by. Note that not sticking to the ingredients for this Honey Sesame Chicken recipe will result in a possible recipe fail.
Chicken Thighs or Breasts: whichever cut of meat you prefer.
Corn Starch and Flour to coat the chicken
Soy Sauce: This is the brand I use.
Sesame Oil: This is an important ingredient, it gives a certain flavor to the sauce that marinates the chicken pieces and should not be skipped.
Sweet Chili Sauce: You can find this in the grocery store near the hot sauces. I like to buy this brand.
Ketchup: This brand is the only brand I use, and I usually buy sugar-free if I can find it.
Honey: I only use raw unfiltered honey.
Oyster Sauce: No substitutions recommended, other than making your own. If you cannot use Oyster Sauce due to fish allergies, I just recommend leaving it out without a substitution.
Tips for making this Honey Sesame Chicken recipe
- Cut the chicken into bite sized pieces. This will allow the chicken to cook quickly.
- Use a candy thermometer to keep track of the oil temperature. It should not go higher than 350. If it drops lower than 350, allow the oil to reheat to 350 before resuming frying the chicken.
- Do not skip marinating the chicken pieces. This imparts the flavor you want and will help tenderize it.
- The flour and cornstarch will cling to the outside of the chicken, giving it a light breading when fried. I do not recommend skipping the cornstarch. This is what helps the honey sesame chicken coating stay crispy.
Substitutions you can make for ingredients
- Coconut Aminos can be substituted for soy sauce
- Seasoned rice vinegar can be substituted for cooking wine
- I encourage you to use the sesame oil if you can. It has a distinct nutty flavor. However, if you cannot use sesame oil, you can replace it with olive oil
- Cornstarch gives a little crispiness to the batter that fries around the chicken pieces. I don't recommend substituting, however if you must, try arrowroot or increase the flour by 1 tablespoon
- If you don't want to use the sweet chili sauce, this Chili Garlic Sauce can be used. I suggest using ½ tablespoon to start as it is pure chilis and more concentrated than the sweet chili sauce.
- If you must substitute the oyster sauce, just use additional soy sauce and add a couple drops of Worcestershire sauce in it.
- Maple syrup can be substituted for the honey.
- I do NOT recommend you make all these substitutions at once. I would only go with one or two if needed. Doing so can be the cause of a recipe fail.
*If you made this Honey Sesame Chicken recipe, please give it a star rating*
Honey Sesame Chicken
Ingredients
for the chicken
- 12 oz. chicken breast cut into bite sized pieces
- 1 tablespoons light soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon cooking wine
- ½ tablespoon sesame oil
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- 1 tablespoons flour
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon pepper
- oil for frying
for the honey sesame sauce
- 1 tablespoon sweet chili sauce
- 2 tablespoons ketchup
- 1-2 tablespoons honey
- 1 tablespoon oyster sauce
- 2 tablespoon light soy sauce
- ¼ cup water
- 1 tablespoon toasted sesame seeds
- green onion tops sliced off garnish (optional)
Instructions
- Marinate chicken in soy sauce, wine, sesame oil and sugar for about an hour.
- Mix flour and cornstarch and place in a large ziploc bag. Drain chicken and add to flour mixture. Shake gently to coat.
- Place oil in a deep frying pot and heat to 350 degrees. Gently place the chicken into the hot oil and fry until the chicken is cooked through and the batter is golden brown. Drain the chicken pieces on paper towels.
- In a small bowl, mix the sweet chili sauce, ketchup, honey, oyster sauce, soy, sauce and water in a medium sauce pan.
- Bring to a boil then simmer until sauce begins to thicken.
- Toss sauce with chicken pieces, sprinkle with sesame seeds and green onions (if using).
Tangled Noodle
I have absolutely no complaints about your recent Asian kick! This looks perfectly delicious - love that sweet sauce. 😎
Frieda
ooooh, yummy! If you like General Tsao's (you can make it mild for Grumpy), come on over and check out my recipe....so good! I'm looking for an orange chicken recipe that is like Panda's.....
pegasuslegend
I seriously think your a mind reader, this is the only chinese food I can eat and we like due to no onion in it, as I am allergic, have never figured out whats in it. now my dear friend you are a genius, I love this recipe and am printing it out right now! thank you so much!
Amanda
I'm a total sucker for many Asian dishes, I love them. I've made several from a You Tube video series called Cooking with Kai, here's the link if you want to try some https://grumpyshoneybunch.com/2010/04/are-you-seeing-pattern-here-lately.html
Yum!!
Amanda
Oh for pete's sake! Wrong link LOL Here's the correct one for Cooking with Kai http://www.youtube.com/profile?user=ltkman#g/u
Lana @ Never Enough Thyme
I love Asian food and this recipe looks like a winner to me! Thanks for sharing.
Barbara Bakes
Sounds like a delicious kick to be on. This looks like a recipe my family would love too.
Suzanne a.k.a. vivisue
Finding Asian food - GOOD Asian food is like finding a needle in a haystack. This looks wonderful and is a much needed recipe since we love Asian food but have few places to eat it "out". This will be showing up on my menu!
ICook4Fun
Hi there, thanks for the mentioned and trying this recipe. Glad that you like it.
Cajun Chef Ryan
Oh my, once we finish our first six weeks on ETL, we are going to treat ourselves to some form of animal protein. This is an all time favorite for my son whenever we visit oriental restaurants. Sesame chicken!
Bon appetite!
CCR
=:~)
Glenna
Mmmmmmmmmmmmm....now I really want that for lunch!
Deeba PAB
I see the trend and I love it...truly delicious. Simple too!!
Jill's Comfort Zone
I sure do notice the pattern! This looks yummy!
Jessie
being from NYC, I am such a huge fan of chinese food. We eat it at least 3 times a month lol. This looks great!
noble pig
Thsi looks amazing!!
Cristine
That is how I do my menu plans. I just make a menu for the week and choose as I go what I will make each day. 🙂
This looks SO good! I will definately be making this!
Megan
Yes, I'm seeing a pattern. I have also found myself thinking of you and your Asian kick during the day. I'm thinking I need to make some of this with the crack noodles!
Megan
Yes, I'm seeing a pattern. I have also found myself thinking of you and your Asian kick during the day. I'm thinking I need to make some of this with the crack noodles!
teresa
this looks so delicious!! i love that shiny sauce!
Leslie
I have been on an Asian kick too. I suppose I need to get posting!
Tami
That looks amazing. A lot of Asian recipes I make at home just don't taste as good as the restaurant versions but this is one I have to try!
Thank you so much for sharing. Your photos are awesome.
comfycook
I love Asian food. This chicken stikes a chord. I am off to get the recipe.
comfycook
I love Asian food. This chicken stikes a chord. I am off to get the recipe.
Tupper Cooks!
Very nice- I've been on a bit of a chinese kick lately. Ran across a recipe for General Tso's at Recipe Rhapsody a couple of weeks ago and made it again last night- it's my wife's new favorite. Yours looks great-I'll try it next time-thanks for the inspiration.
Tupper Cooks!
Hey I just saw your in Hermon- cool. Nice to meet another North Country neighbor!
Heavenly Housewife
Yummy! I havent eaten this in a long time. My mouth is watering at the thought of this.
*kisses* HH
Katy ~
Shelby, this looks good! I think I'll have to give this a try, without sesame seeds because of food allergies.
Sherlly
I made this for dinner today and it came out really delicious! hassle free, easy, and of coarse flavorful!
Deliciously Organic
This looks fabulous! No need to order Chinese out when I can make something this fantastic at home. Thanks!
Andrew's Mom
I love Asian foods and especially sesame chicken! Yummy.
Anonymous
This recipe was the first thing i have ever cooked in my whole entire life and im 16!! and it turned out great!! thanks for the recipe 🙂
Anonymous
It looks delicious! But does the oyster sauce make it taste fishy at all?
Shelby
I don't think it taste fishy, but if your worried about it you could probably cut the oyster sauce to 1/2 tablespoon. The combination of the other sauces help cut the strong flavor of the oyster sauce.
Thomas Family
What kind of cooking wine is used for this recipe?? I have never cooked with it and I'm not a drinker so i'm not sure what to use!! Any advice?? Thanks!
Shelby
You can use just regular cooking wine you would find in the grocery store or just use chicken broth or even just leave it out entirely. I sometimes use Mirin in place which is a sweet Japanese cooking wine.
allysoncroxton
I just made this and I don't know what I did wrong but that sauce just ended up being an over powerful, very thin ketchup-y tasting sauce. I followed the recipe exactly, so I don't know where I went wrong. My chicken doesn't look anything like your picture:(
Shelby
Allyson, I'm sorry to hear that...you can always cut the ketchup down and use more chili sauce or use hoisin sauce instead. Play around a little to see what flavors work for you. If the sauce doesn't simmer long enough it will be thin. If you want it to thicken quicker, just thicken it with a teaspoon of cornstarch mixed with 1/8 cold water (mix together) and whisk it into the sauce while it is simmering. It should thicken. The chicken should be slightly damp to hold the flour/cornstarch mixture and you don't want the coating to be too thick. I'm not sure how your chicken cme out so I'm not sure what to tell you about a solution. Good luck and if you do try it again, I hope it works out for you.
Anonymous
This recipe is amazing! so simple and tastes sensational! I have made its several times already. Thanks so much!
Shelby
Your welcome and I'm glad you enjoy it!
Anonymous
just had for dinner tonight....very yummy, better than takeout
Shelby
Happy to hear it! 🙂
Nikki
Just made this for my scholarship hall of 50 women. They loved it! Thanks for the recipe! 🙂
Shelby
Your welcome Nikki! Glad it was loved!
Veronica Miller
This sounds REALLY good. Pinned!
Shelby
Thanks Veronica!
Anonymous
Thanks for the recipe! My daughter LOVES Chinese food and she ate this up! She also said that it was better than take out Chinese! I will continue to make recipes from your blog!
Shelby
Yay! and thank you!
Chalece
Made this tonight and everyone loved it. I substituted the cooking wine for 1 tbsp white wine vinegar and some honey (to take away from the acidic taste of the vinegar). I also omitted the oyster sauce. It was fabulous! I'll definitely be making this again.
Shelby
Chalece, glad you enjoyed it!
Anonymous
Hi Shelby,
I was wondering how many tsp. of sugar you put in the recipe? Thanks.
Shelby
That is 1 teaspoon 🙂
Roxane
how did you make the cheaters fried rice and egg rolls? i can't wait to try this it sounds yummy! thanks for sharing! 🙂
Shelby
Hi Roxane 🙂 I made "cheaters" fried rice and egg rolls by buying them at the grocery store already made. The grocery I shop at has pre-made fried rice and egg rolls in their deli section - you just warm up and eat 🙂
Pynk
Asian food is my fav & yours looks very yummy. Will definitely be trying out this recipe! =]
Shelby
Hope you enjoy!
Anonymous
that looks scrumptious.
Shelby
Thank you!
Anonymous
I can't have shellfish, any suggestions on what to replace the oyster sauce with?
Shelby
Here is a recipe for Vegetarian Oyster Sauce: http://www.recipecottage.com/vegetarian/oyster-sauce.html
Unknown
Yum! Just made this! Thank you for posting!
Ale
I just made it, OMG! it was incredible! please try it.
Thank you.
陳悅琳
Thank you! It was perfect <3
craftypiggie
I'm making this now is there a substitute for sweet Chili sauce I didn't notice this ingreident ty kat
honeyb
Here is a recipe link for sweet chili sauce on allrecipes.com. Its great for a lot of things - like dipping your chicken or shrimp in. I even dip my fries in it 🙂 http://allrecipes.com/recipe/sweet-chili-thai-sauce/
[email protected]
looks like a good recipe. i will give it a try. thanks.
Linda Moore
honey sesame chicken looks great and easy. will make it for dinner for my food critics.LOL
The Food Hunter
Adding this to my must try list
The Food Hunter
love Asian recipes...keep them coming!
Carrie R
This sounds so delicious! I am always a fan of making our favorite take-out dishes at home. 🙂 Pinned!
Renee Paj
I must put this on my menu soon!! Looks fantastic!
From Valeries Kitchen
This is one of my favorites on your site, Shelby. That picture is mouthwatering!
Sheena @ Hot Eats and Cool Reads
This looks wonderful!! I love anything Asian inspired!
Life Tastes Good
That picture makes me drool! The sauce sounds absolutely fabulous, Shelby! I love this recipe!!
Carlsbad Cravings
This sounds incredible! I am loving all the flavors going on here - anything with oyster sauce is calling my name!
Kristin @ Dizzy Busy and Hungry!
What a great recipe! I am glad you were on an Asian kick and came up with this great recipe!
Linda Mire
This really looks delicious!
Rachael Yerkes
Looks like a winner to me. Yummy!
Brenda
Was quite nice, but sauce had a too-strong flavour for us. I did double the sauce and used medium sherry in place of cooking wine. Probably would have to reduce soy and oyster sauces in the overall sauce. I think after those changes, this will be awesome! Will definitely be trying this again. Thanks for the recipe.
Teresa
There appears to be an error in the sweet chili sauce measurement. How much sweet chili sauce?
Shelby
3 Tablespoons. Thanks for letting me know. When I moved to a different printable recipe I must have cut that part off!