Description
Crispy honey sesame chicken brings together tender chicken pieces coated in a glossy, slightly sweet glaze that sticks to every bite. Your dinner table gets a simple weeknight meal that tastes like it came straight from your favorite takeout spot, done right in your own kitchen.
Ingredients
Scale
Protein and Marinade:
- 1.5 pounds chicken breast or thighs, cut into 1-inch pieces
- 1 teaspoon chicken bouillon powder
- 0.5 teaspoon white pepper
- 1 tablespoon water
Coating and Frying:
- 2 large eggs
- 0.5 cup all-purpose flour
- 0.5 cup cornstarch
- 2 teaspoons baking powder
- 0.5 teaspoon salt
- 0.25 cup water
- 2 teaspoons vegetable oil
- vegetable oil for frying (enough for 2–3 inches deep in pot)
Sauce and Garnish:
- 3 tablespoons light soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon oyster sauce
- 2 tablespoons rice vinegar
- 2 tablespoons ketchup
- 0.25 cup honey
- 3 tablespoons brown sugar
- 3 tablespoons water
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 tablespoon sesame oil
- 2 teaspoons cornstarch
- 3 tablespoons water
- green onion, sliced
- toasted sesame seeds
Instructions
- Combine your 1 ½ lb of chicken pieces with 1 teaspoon chicken bouillon powder, ½ teaspoon white pepper, and 1 tablespoon water in a bowl, then let it sit for at least 10 minutes so the flavors can settle in.
- Whisk together 2 large eggs with ½ cup all-purpose flour, ½ cup cornstarch, 2 teaspoons baking powder, ½ teaspoon salt, ¼ cup water, and 2 teaspoons vegetable oil until your batter reaches a smooth consistency.
- Coat each marinated chicken piece thoroughly in the batter, making sure nothing gets left behind.
- Heat enough vegetable oil to reach 2-3 inches deep in your pot and bring it to 365°F, then working in batches, fry your chicken for 3 minutes and transfer to a wire rack to drain.
- Raise your oil temperature to 375°F and fry the chicken a second time for 2 minutes until it turns golden and crispy, then drain again on the rack.
- In a small bowl, mix together 3 tablespoons light soy sauce, 1 tablespoon oyster sauce, 2 tablespoons rice vinegar, 2 tablespoons ketchup, ¼ cup honey, 3 tablespoons brown sugar, and 3 tablespoons water, setting this aside for later.
- Add 1 teaspoon vegetable oil to your wok over medium heat and sauté 4 minced garlic cloves for about 30 seconds until the aroma fills your kitchen.
- Pour your sauce mixture into the wok and let it simmer for 2 minutes at medium heat.
- Create a slurry by mixing 2 teaspoons cornstarch with 3 tablespoons water, then stir this into your sauce and cook for 1 more minute until it thickens up nicely.
- Remove your wok from heat, add 1 tablespoon sesame oil, then add your fried chicken and toss everything together so each piece gets coated in the glossy sauce.
- Transfer to a serving dish and sprinkle your toasted sesame seeds and sliced green onion over the top.
Notes
- Marinating the chicken in bouillon powder seasons it from the inside out, so don’t skip this step even if time is tight; 10 minutes makes a real difference in flavor.
- The double-fry method is what gives your chicken that restaurant-quality crispiness, so resist the urge to skip the second fry or rush it; those two minutes at the higher temperature create the golden crust everyone loves.
- Make sure your sauce is ready before frying the chicken since the coating will start to soften if it sits too long, and you’ll need to work quickly once everything comes together.
- For a lighter version, bake the battered chicken at 400°F for 15 minutes instead of frying, then toss it with the sauce; the texture won’t be quite as crispy, but it still tastes great and cuts down on oil.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 8 minutes 30 seconds
- Category: More Fried Chicken
- Method: Frying
- Cuisine: Chinese-American
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 4
- Calories: 480 kcal
- Sugar: 26 g
- Sodium: 780 mg
- Fat: 18 g
- Saturated Fat: 3.5 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 13.5 g
- Trans Fat: 0.1 g
- Carbohydrates: 38 g
- Fiber: 1.5 g
- Protein: 38 g
- Cholesterol: 140 mg