Crispy Honey Sesame Chicken
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If you love takeout-style dishes, Crispy Honey Sesame Chicken will be your new favorite recipe! It’s tangy and sweet with just enough heat. Plus, it’s easy to make at home, and perfect for busy weeknights when you're craving something quick and delicious!
Need more recipes containing honey? Try my popular Honey Glazed Pork Chops, or these zesty Hot Honey Chicken Sliders that are perfect for Game Day!
Better than Takeout!
Quick and Easy - honey sesame chicken is one of those easy recipes that will remind you of Chinese takeout...but it's so much better when you make it from scratch.
Fun to Make - Asian food is fun to cook because it uses simple ingredients that blend together quickly.
Copycat Recipe - this homemade version tastes just like you ordered it from Panda Express or P.F. Changs!
Our entire family loves Chinese food so much that it's our number one choice for holiday gatherings. It's also the first thing that pops in our heads when deciding what to make for dinner.
This sesame chicken is so delicious, you won't need to hop in the car for takeout anymore since it's easy to make at home in just minutes!
The sticky honey sesame sauce is finger smacking good! Once you taste it, you'll be hooked for life. It pairs perfectly with crispy chicken over a bed of white rice.
Just talking about it makes me want to pull out a skillet and crank up the heat!
Ingredients
See quantities in the printable recipe card at the bottom of this page.
- Chicken Breasts - cut into 1 inch cubes
- Cornstarch and Flour Mixture - makes the crispy coating
- Salt and Black Pepper - the perfect seasoning
- Eggs - whisk together two large eggs
- Vegetable oil - can use another high smoke point oil instead
- Honey - substitute maple syrup instead of honey
- Soy sauce - low-sodium soy sauce is recommended, but regular soy sauce will work if you adjust the salt to taste.
- Apple Cider Vinegar - can substitute rice vinegar if preferred
- Garlic Cloves - minced
- Cornstarch and water - mix together to make a slurry
- Sesame Oil - can substitute avocado oil instead
- Sesame Seeds and Green Onions - optional garnishes but add great flavor
- Red Pepper Flakes - optional, but adds a nice touch of heat
Instructions
1 - In a shallow bowl, mix cornstarch and flour together with salt and pepper.
2 - Dip chicken pieces in a bowl of beaten eggs, then coat in the corn starch and flour mixture.
3 - Heat vegetable oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Fry the coated pieces in small batches for 4-5 minutes per side, until golden brown and cooked through (internal temperature should reach 165°F). Remove and drain on paper towels.
4 - In a clean skillet, whisk together honey, soy sauce, apple cider vinegar, and minced garlic.
5 - Mix cornstarch with water to create a slurry in a small bowl.
6 - Bring the honey mixture in the skillet to a simmer over medium heat. Stir in the cornstarch mixture and cook, stirring constantly, until the sauce thickens (about 2-3 minutes).
7 - Add sesame oil to the sauce, stirring to combine. Add the fried chicken pieces to the sauce and toss gently to coat evenly.
8 - Garnish with sliced green onions, sesame seeds and a few red pepper flakes if you like a little spice. Serve hot over steamed rice.
Helpful Tips
- Fry in small batches for best results.
- Take care not to stir the chicken until it's done on each side or the crust won't get crispy.
- Make sure the skillet or wok is set to medium-high heat so the oil will get hot enough to cook to the proper temperature.
- If you prefer a thicker sauce, add more cornstarch slurry until the sauce reaches your desired consistency.
Variations
- Add stir fried vegetables like bell peppers, broccoli or snap peas.
- Use boneless, skinless chicken thighs as an alternative.
- Substitute arrowroot powder or tapioca starch for cornstarch.
- Sprinkle on a dash or two of sriracha sauce if you like more heat.
- Serve with yum yum sauce which is everyone's favorite condiment at Chinese restaurants!
What to Serve with Honey Sesame Chicken
Rice - white rice, brown rice or cauliflower rice tastes delicious with this dish.
Stir Fried Vegetables - anything from green beans to carrots and broccoli makes the perfect accompaniment.
Lettuce Wraps - provide butter lettuce leaves to scoop up the crispy chicken pieces and sticky sauce.
Storing Leftovers
Leftovers: This recipe can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
Make Ahead: You can prep the meat and savory sauce ahead of time, but it's best to fry the chicken when it's fresh for maximum crispiness.
To Reheat: Reheat in a skillet over medium heat until warmed through, or microwave on high heat in 30 second intervals until hot. (Recipe will not be crispy if you reheat in a microwave.)
To Freeze: Freeze the fried chicken pieces separately from the sauce for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge and reheat as needed.
More Favorite Dinners
If sesame chicken is your kind of meal, try these other recipes that are packed with flavor and lip-smacking good!
Recipe Card
Crispy Honey Sesame Chicken
*See notes in blog post for detailed tips, photos and instructions.
Ingredients
Sesame Chicken
- 1.5 pounds chicken breasts boneless skinless, cut into 1-inch pieces
- ¾ cup all-purpose flour
- ¼ cup cornstarch
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- 2 large eggs beaten
- ⅓ cup vegetable oil for frying
Honey Sesame Sauce
- ⅓ cup honey
- ¼ cup soy sauce
- 3 Tablespoons apple cider vinegar
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 1 Tablespoon cornstarch
- ¼ cup water
- 1 Tablespoon sesame oil
- 2 Tablespoons sesame seeds
Optional Garnishes
- ¼ cup green onions thinly sliced
- ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes (optional heat)
Instructions
- In a shallow bowl, mix cornstarch and flour together with salt and pepper.
- Dip chicken pieces in a bowl of beaten eggs, then coat in the corn starch and flour mixture.
- Heat vegetable oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Fry the coated pieces in small batches for 4-5 minutes per side, until golden brown and cooked through (internal temperature should reach 165°F). Remove and drain on paper towels.
- In a clean skillet, whisk together honey, soy sauce, apple cider vinegar, and minced garlic.
- Mix cornstarch with water to create a slurry in a small bowl.
- Bring the honey mixture in the skillet to a simmer over medium heat. Stir in the cornstarch mixture and cook, stirring constantly, until the sauce thickens (about 2-3 minutes).
- Add sesame oil to the sauce, stirring to combine. Add the fried chicken pieces to the sauce and toss gently to coat evenly.
- Garnish with sliced green onions, sesame seeds and a few red pepper flakes if you like a little spice. Serve hot over steamed rice.
Notes
-
- Serve over steamed white rice if desired.
- Fry in small batches (8 pieces) for best results.
- Take care not to stir the chicken until it's done on each side or the crust won't get crispy.
- Make sure the skillet or wok is set to medium-high heat so the oil will get hot enough to cook to the proper temperature.
- If you prefer a thicker sauce, add more cornstarch slurry until the sauce reaches your desired consistency.
- Leftovers: This recipe can be stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
- To Freeze: Freeze the fried chicken pieces separately from the sauce for up to 3 months. Thaw overnight in the fridge and reheat as needed.
- To Reheat: Reheat in a skillet over medium heat until warmed through, or microwave on high heat in 30 second intervals until hot. (Recipe will not be crispy if you reheat in a microwave.)
Nutrition
Nutrition info is an auto generated estimate.
Tried this Recipe and Loved It? ❤️ Please scroll down and leave a *STAR* review!
Absolutely delicious! I served my chicken over a bed of white rice and garnished it with sliced green onions. I also like a little heat so definitely added a healthy portion of red pepper flakes. To reheat, I microwaved the chicken pieces on high for 30 seconds and then crisped them up in a skillet over medium heat. It worked well. Thank you!
That's great to hear Jay! I love your tips about reheating the chicken. 🙂
We eat out quite a bit and it's starting to get expensive. I'm going to try this recipe and see if we can save a little money.
Just made this for the first time and oh my goodness! So yummy. I will definitely add this in my rotation. I always say if we love a recipe we'll put it on a recipe card. And this one definitely gets a card!!
Awesome! Honored to be on one of your recipe cards Dana!