Honey Sesame Chicken
Ready in just 30 minutes, Honey Sesame Chicken is a must-make weeknight meal that’s better than takeout, featuring crispy fried chicken coated in a sweet and savory honey sesame sauce. This simple yet flavorful dish is a family favorite, offering a quick and delicious twist to your dinner routine.
What’s for dinner tonight? How about a delectable honey sesame chicken recipe? This homemade version is just as tasty as the kind from the restaurant. Crispy, coated chicken is covered in a sweet and savory sauce – it’s a chicken dish that makes you glad you ate at home.
If you love sweet and sour chicken, then you’ll love this easy chicken recipe! Like the kind from your favorite Chinese restaurant, the chicken is fried until golden brown and then smothered in a sweet and tangy sauce. It tastes so much like Chinese takeout that you might not order from them again!
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Ready in 30 Minutes. You can enjoy a quick lunch or an easy dinner.
- Copycat recipe. Perfect recipe to make when you’re craving Chinese food.
- Budget-friendly. It’s made with chicken and some pantry staples you probably already have.
- Freezer-friendly. Make a big batch and freeze them. Then, you’ll have a meal you can bake and eat!
- Easy weeknight meal. The entire family will enjoy this tasty honey chicken dish.
- Family-friendly. This is a recipe the whole family will ask for over and over again.
Ingredients
The full printable recipe card with measurements and instructions is found at the bottom of the post.
- Chicken Tenderloins: Any chicken meat will work; you’ll cut it into bite-sized pieces.
- Vegetable Oil: You’ll need oil to fry the chicken and some oil for the delicious sauce.
- Eggs: The eggs are for the fried chicken pieces.
- Minced Garlic: The garlic is for the sesame sauce.
- Honey: This sweetens the sauce and gives it the iconic sticky texture.
- Soy Sauce: A bit of soy sauce provides the essential umami taste we love.
- Ketchup: This gives both a tanginess and a hint of sweetness.
- Vinegar: Use either white vinegar or rice vinegar to add tanginess to the sauce.
- Brown Sugar: This adds a touch more sweetness to the sauce.
- Sesame Oil: This oil gives the sauce some nutty notes.
- Cornstarch: The cornstarch is used to both coat the chicken and thicken the sauce.
- Sesame Seeds: These are optional, but they are the perfect garnish.
- Scallions: Optionally, top the chicken with some chopped green onions.
How to Make Honey Sesame Chicken
It’s incredibly easy to make tender chicken in a sticky sauce. Just follow these simple steps!
- Step One: Cut your chicken tenderloins into bite-size pieces.
- Step Two: Combine the two eggs and ½ cup cornstarch in a large bowl.
- Step Three: Add the chicken to the cornstarch mixture and stir to coat.
- Step Four: In a large skillet, up about an inch of oil over medium-high heat.
- Step Five: Add the chicken in a single layer once the oil is hot.
- Step Six: Fry until brown on each side and cooked through.
- Step Seven: Remove the chicken to a paper towel-lined plate.
- Step Eight: Repeat with the rest of the chicken.
- Step Nine: Discard the oil from the pan.
- Step Ten: In a mixing bowl, combine one teaspoon of vegetable oil, garlic, honey, soy sauce, ketchup, vinegar, brown sugar, sesame oil, and two teaspoons of cornstarch.
- Step Eleven: Add the sauce to your skillet over medium heat and whisk until it comes up to a slight bubble and starts to thicken.
- Step Twelve: Remove from heat and toss your chicken with the sauce.
- Step Thirteen: Garnish with sesame seeds and scallions and serve.
What to Serve with It
This yummy chicken tastes best when served with fluffy brown rice and crispy green beans or with some classic Asian food sides.
Variations and Substitutions
- Add bell peppers to the pan as you fry the chicken.
- Instead of frying and coating raw chicken, bake some popcorn chicken and then coat it in the sauce.
- To make it taste less sweet, don’t add the brown sugar.
- You can use tomato paste instead of ketchup. This will make it taste less sweet, but the brown sugar should compensate for that.
Storage Instructions
Store leftover chicken in an airtight container. Keep it in the refrigerator for up to three days. It tastes better the next day.
Recipe Tips and Tricks
- Make it spicier by adding red pepper flakes.
- Add it to your meal prep; it reheats perfectly.
- Make sure the chicken is fully cooked. The internal temperature should be 165F.
- Add chicken to hot oil. You’ll know the oil is hot when you sprinkle some water in the pan, and it sizzles.
Can I Use Other Cuts of Chicken?
Yes, you can use other cuts of chicken. I used chicken tenders, but you can cut up boneless, skinless chicken breasts or thighs.
FAQ
You can also make this recipe in the crock pot. First, coat and fry the chicken. Then, mix together the sauce ingredients. Add the chicken and the sauce to the slow cooker. Stir it well so that all of the chicken is covered. Cook on low for about 2-3 hours.
To thicken the sauce, make a cornstarch slurry. I did this when I added cornstarch to the ingredients. If your sauce is too thin, measure the cornstarch and water exactly next time.
Takeout Recipes
Want to make more recipes that taste like takeout? Here are some of my favorites:
- Copycat Panda Express Mushroom Chicken
- Slow Cooker Chicken Lo Mein
- Orange Chicken
- Peking Chicken
- Air Fryer Crab Rangoon
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Honey Sesame Chicken
SAVE THIS RECIPE!
Ingredients
- 1 ½ pounds chicken tenderloins
- vegetable oil for frying
- 2 large eggs
- ½ cup cornstarch
- 1 tsp vegetable oil
- 2 tsp minced garlic
- ⅓ cup honey
- ⅓ cup soy sauce
- ⅓ cup ketchup
- 2 tbsp vinegar white, rice wine, or apple cider
- 3 tbsp brown sugar
- 1 tbsp sesame oil
- 2 tsp cornstarch
- Sesame seeds and scallions for topping
Instructions
- Cut your chicken tenderloins into bite-sized pieces.
- In a large bowl combine the 2 eggs and ½ cup cornstarch.
- Add the chicken to the cornstarch mixture and stir to coat.
- In a large skillet over medium-high heat heat up about an inch of oil.
- Once the oil is hot add the chicken in a single layer.
- Fry until brown on each side and cooked through.
- Remove the chicken to a paper towel lined plate.
- Repeat with the rest of the chicken.
- Discard the oil from the pan.
- In a mixing bowl combine the 1 teaspoon of vegetable oil, garlic, honey, soy sauce, ketchup, vinegar, brown sugar, sesame oil, and 2 teaspoons of cornstarch.
- Add the sauce to your skillet over medium heat and whisk until it comes up to a slight bubble and starts to thicken.
- Remove from heat and toss your chicken in with the sauce.
- Garnish with sesame seeds and scallions. Serve hot.
Nutrition
The information shown is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
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