This Honey Sesame Chicken recipe is made of bite-size crispy chicken pieces that are battered, fried and then coated in a sweet Asian sticky sauce sprinkled with sesame seeds. If you are a Chinese food lover, then next time you want take out, I highly recommend you make this homemade version instead.
This Honey Sesame Chicken is at the top of my family's favorite list! It is better than Chinese takeout and fare more budget friendly.
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❤️ Why I Love This Recipe
✔️ This Crispy Honey Sesame Chicken recipe is an easy-to-make, budget-friendly, finger-licking favorite!
✔️ These delectable bites are coated with an easy to make savory honey sesame sauce that the whole family will love.
✔️ The sticky honey sesame sauce makes this a family favorite!
Ingredients
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Boneless skinless chicken breasts or chicken thighs.
Corn starch and all-purpose flour to coat the chicken.
Cooking Wine, helps tenderize the chicken and adds flavor.
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.
Oyster Sauce: No substitutions recommended. If you cannot use Oyster Sauce due to fish allergies, I just recommend leaving it out without a substitution.
🔪 Instructions
To batter the chicken
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the soy sauce, wine, sesame oil, and sugar until combined. Add the chicken and marinate for 1 hour.
- In a small bowl, mix together the flour and cornstarch and place in a large ziplock bag. Drain the chicken and add to the flour mixture. Shake gently to coat.
To fry the chicken
- Add the oil to a deep fry pan over medium high heat and bring to 350 degrees.
- Gently place the chicken in the hot oil and fry until the chicken is cooked through and the batter is golden brown.
- Drain the chicken pieces on paper towels.
To make the sauce
- In a small bowl, mix the sweet chili sauce, ketchup, honey, oyster sauce, soy, sauce, and water in a medium saucepan.
- Bring the sauce mixture to a boil, then simmer for 3 minutes, until the sauce begins to thicken.
- Toss the sauce with fried chicken pieces. Sprinkle with sesame seeds and green onions (if using).
🙋 Recipe FAQ's
Rice flour, potato starch, or arrowroot starch are good substitutes and will give the same crispy results as cornstarch.
Yes, you can. Strain any sediment from the oil and store it in an airtight container. After about 3 uses, the oil should be discarded.
💭 Top Tips
- Use a candy thermometer to keep track of the oil temperature. It should not go higher than 350. If it drops below 350, allow the oil to reheat before resuming frying the chicken.
- Marinating the chicken pieces imparts the flavor you want and will helps to tenderize the meat.
- Use a paper towel lined dish to drain the chicken pieces on allowing it to absorb excess oil.
📖 Variations
- Substitute medium shrimp for the chicken.
- Low-sodium soy sauce or coconut aminos can be substituted for regular soy sauce.
- Seasoned rice wine vinegar can be substituted for cooking wine.
- Maple syrup or brown sugar can be a substitute for honey.
- Stir ½ - 1 teaspoon of red pepper flakes into the sauce mixture to amp it up to a spicy sauce.
🍽 Equipment
Storage
Refrigerate leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge up to 3 days.
To make this ahead of time, the chicken can be fried and stored in the freezer up to 3 months. Just reheat the cooked chicken in the oven or air fryer and coat with the sauce when ready to serve.
🏫 What I've Learned
Dark meat has more flavor than whit meat and usually less expensive. For this reason I recommend using chicken thighs over chicken breasts. This recipe can be made with both types of chicken, whatever your preference may be.
3-4 inches of oil is all you need to deep fry the chicken pieces.
Serving Suggestions
Serve this Honey Sesame Chicken recipe with a side of Garlic Scallion Noodles or brown rice, crab rangoon, Venison Potstickers, and air fryer egg rolls.
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When you make this recipe, please comment below and let me know what you think. I'd love it if you tag me on Instagram @grumpyshoneybunch or #grumpyshoneybunch so I can see your photos!
If you love this recipe, please leave a ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ rating
📖 Recipe
Honey Sesame Chicken
Equipment
As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
Ingredients
for the chicken
- 12 ounces boneless skinless chicken thighs cut into bite sized pieces
- 1 tablespoons soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon cooking wine
- ½ tablespoon sesame oil
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- 1 tablespoons flour
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- 2 cups oil for frying , enough to bring level up to 2 inches of oil
for the honey sesame sauce
- 1 tablespoon sweet chili sauce
- 2 tablespoons ketchup
- 1 tablespoons honey
- 1 tablespoon oyster sauce
- 2 tablespoon soy sauce
- ¼ cup water
- 1 tablespoon toasted sesame seeds , optional
- 1 tablespoon green onions , green part only (optional)
Instructions
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the soy sauce, wine, sesame oil, and sugar until combined. Add the chicken and marinate for 1 hour.
- In a small bowl, mix together the flour and cornstarch and place in a large ziplock bag. Drain the chicken and add to the flour mixture. Shake gently to coat.
- Add the oil to a deep fry pan and heat to 350 degrees.
- Gently place the chicken in 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 saucepan.
- Bring the sauce mixture to a boil, then simmer for 3 minutes, until the sauce begins to thicken.
- Toss the sauce with fried chicken pieces. Sprinkle with sesame seeds and green onions (if using).
Life Tastes Good
That picture makes me drool! The sauce sounds absolutely fabulous, Shelby! I love this recipe!!
Sheena @ Hot Eats and Cool Reads
This looks wonderful!! I love anything Asian inspired!
From Valeries Kitchen
This is one of my favorites on your site, Shelby. That picture is mouthwatering!
Renee Paj
I must put this on my menu soon!! Looks fantastic!
Carrie R
This sounds so delicious! I am always a fan of making our favorite take-out dishes at home. 🙂 Pinned!
The Food Hunter
love Asian recipes...keep them coming!
The Food Hunter
Adding this to my must try list
Linda Moore
honey sesame chicken looks great and easy. will make it for dinner for my food critics.LOL
wade@avoiceformyson.com
looks like a good recipe. i will give it a try. thanks.
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/
陳悅琳
Thank you! It was perfect <3
Ale
I just made it, OMG! it was incredible! please try it.
Thank you.
Unknown
Yum! Just made this! Thank you for posting!
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
Anonymous
that looks scrumptious.
Shelby
Thank you!
Pynk
Asian food is my fav & yours looks very yummy. Will definitely be trying out this recipe! =]
Shelby
Hope you enjoy!
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 🙂
Anonymous
Hi Shelby,
I was wondering how many tsp. of sugar you put in the recipe? Thanks.
Shelby
That is 1 teaspoon 🙂
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
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!