Honey Sesame Chicken Recipe - Grumpy's Honeybunch (2024)

Published: Last updated: by Shelby Law Ruttan · As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

This Honey Sesame Chicken recipe is crispy pieces of chicken coated in a sticky sweet honey sesame sauce sprinkled with sesame seeds.

Honey Sesame Chicken Recipe - Grumpy's Honeybunch (1)

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.

Jump to:
  • ❤️ Why I Love This Recipe
  • Ingredients
  • 🔪 Instructions
  • 🙋 Recipe FAQ's
  • 💭 Top Tips
  • 📖 Variations
  • 🍽 Equipment
  • Storage
  • 🏫 What I've Learned
  • Serving Suggestions
  • Related Recipes
  • 📖 Recipe
  • 💬 Comments

❤️ 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!

Honey Sesame Chicken Recipe - Grumpy's Honeybunch (3)

Ingredients

Boneless skinless chicken breasts or chicken thighs.

Corn starch and all-purpose flour to coat the chicken.

Soy Sauce:

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.

Ketchup

Honey

Oyster Sauce: No substitutions recommended. If you cannot use Oyster Sauce due to fish allergies, I just recommend leaving it out without a substitution.

Honey Sesame Chicken Recipe - Grumpy's Honeybunch (4)

🔪 Instructions

To batter the chicken

  1. In a medium bowl, whisk together the soy sauce, wine, sesame oil, and sugar until combined. Add the chicken and marinate for 1 hour.
  2. 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

  1. Add the oil to a deep fry pan over medium high heat and bring to 350 degrees.
  2. Gently place the chicken in the hot oil and fry until the chicken is cooked through and the batter is golden brown.
  3. Drain the chicken pieces on paper towels.

To make the sauce

  1. In a small bowl, mix the sweet chili sauce, ketchup, honey, oyster sauce, soy, sauce, and water in a medium saucepan.
  2. Bring the sauce mixture to a boil, then simmer for 3 minutes, until the sauce begins to thicken.
  3. Toss the sauce with fried chicken pieces. Sprinkle with sesame seeds and green onions (if using).
Honey Sesame Chicken Recipe - Grumpy's Honeybunch (5)

🙋 Recipe FAQ's

What can I substitute for cornstarch?

Rice flour, potato starch, or arrowroot starch are good substitutes and will give the same crispy results as cornstarch.

Can I reuse the oil the chicken was fried in?

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.

Honey Sesame Chicken Recipe - Grumpy's Honeybunch (6)

💭 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.
Honey Sesame Chicken Recipe - Grumpy's Honeybunch (7)

🍽 Equipment

Cutting Board

Chef's knife

Wire whisk

Mixing bowls

Ziplock bag

Frying pan

Mesh skimmer

Medium saucepan

Honey Sesame Chicken Recipe - Grumpy's Honeybunch (8)

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.

Honey Sesame Chicken Recipe - Grumpy's Honeybunch (9)

Bang Bang Chicken with Quinoa

Bang Bang Shrimp

Honey Walnut Shrimp

Vietnamese Caramel Chicken

Crispy General Tso's Tofu

Don't forget to check out my Amazon storefront for some of my favorite products!

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 Recipe - Grumpy's Honeybunch (11)

Honey Sesame Chicken

Shelby Law Ruttan

This Honey Sesame Chicken recipe is crispy pieces of chicken coated in a sticky sweet honey sesame sauce sprinkled with sesame seeds.

4.25 from 8 votes

Print Recipe Pin Recipe Save

Prep Time 15 minutes mins

Cook Time 30 minutes mins

Total Time 45 minutes mins

Course Main Dish

Cuisine Asian

Servings 4

Calories 309 kcal

As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

Ingredients

for the chicken

for the honey sesame sauce

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).

Notes

Nutrition fact take into consideration oil absorbed by deep frying.

Nutrition

Calories: 309kcalCarbohydrates: 14gProtein: 20gFat: 19gSaturated Fat: 2gPolyunsaturated Fat: 5gMonounsaturated Fat: 11gTrans Fat: 1gCholesterol: 54mgSodium: 1345mgPotassium: 380mgFiber: 1gSugar: 8gVitamin A: 61IUVitamin C: 1mgCalcium: 32mgIron: 1mg

Keyword Honey Sesame Chicken, Honey Sesame Chicken Recipe

Tried this recipe?Mention @grumpyshoneybunch or tag #grumpyshoneybunch!

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About Shelby Law Ruttan

Shelby is the author/owner of Grumpy's Honeybunch. Established in 2007, she shares and preserves family recipes as well as recipes for cooking light and keto. She has authored the One-Pot Paleo Cookbook and The Pescatarian Keto Cookbook. She is an experienced, self-taught home cook who loves to share recipes with others. She also authors the websites Honeybunch Hunts and The Best Vegetarian Recipes. You can see her work on websites such as Veal Made Easy, Parade, Community Table, SoFab Food, Yummly, and FoodGawker.

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Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Teresa

    There appears to be an error in the sweet chili sauce measurement. How much sweet chili sauce?

    Reply

    • Shelby

      3 Tablespoons. Thanks for letting me know. When I moved to a different printable recipe I must have cut that part off!

      Reply

  2. 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.

    Reply

  3. 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!

    Reply

  4. Carlsbad Cravings

    This sounds incredible! I am loving all the flavors going on here - anything with oyster sauce is calling my name!

    Reply

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Honey Sesame Chicken Recipe - Grumpy's Honeybunch (2024)

FAQs

What is honey sesame chicken made of? ›

Add 1/3 cup of honey, 2 tablespoons of soy sauce, 2 tablespoons of sesame oil, 3 crushed garlic cloves, 1 tablespoon of sesame seeds, 1 tablespoon of rice vinegar, 1 tablespoon of cornstarch and 1/2 cup of water to a small bowl. Use a fork to whisk together and combine, then set aside. Cook the chicken.

What is the difference between honey sesame chicken and orange chicken? ›

What is the difference between orange chicken and sesame chicken at Panda Express? Both dishes use breaded and deep-fried white meat chicken. Orange chicken sauce contains orange juice whereas sesame chicken does not.

Why is sesame chicken so sweet? ›

The dish involves chicken (usually thigh) pieces that are de-boned, battered and Chinese deep-fried, then dressed with a translucent, reddish-brown, semi-thick, somewhat sweet sauce made from corn starch, vinegar, wine or sake, chicken broth and sugar, the last of which is a major contributor to sesame chicken's ...

What flavor is sesame chicken? ›

Sesame chicken sauce is a balanced combination of sweet, sour and spicy that comes from light soy sauce, oyster sauce, dark soy sauce, rice vinegar and sugar.

What is the difference between General Tso chicken and honey sesame chicken? ›

Sesame chicken's sauce accentuates the flavor of sesame and is a brown sugar/honey based sauce. General Tso's chicken's sauce is more pungent with hoisin, ginger and rice vinegar. When they do have in common is soy sauce and corn starch.

What is the difference between TSO and sesame chicken? ›

General Tso's chicken is a spicy and tangy dish made with a mix of chicken breast and thighs, while sesame chicken is a sweeter option made with succulent chicken thighs. Whether you're in the mood for something spicy or sweet, both dishes offer a delicious and crispy meal that's sure to satisfy your cravings.”

What does Chinese sesame chicken have in it? ›

For the Sauce: Combine soy sauce, wine, vinegar, chicken stock, sugar, sesame seed oil, and cornstarch in a small bowl and stir with a fork until cornstarch is dissolved and no lumps remain. Set aside. Combine oil, garlic, ginger, and minced scallions in a large skillet and place over medium heat.

What is the difference between General Tso and kung pao? ›

Kung pao chicken and General Tso's chicken are similar in that they are both chicken-based dishes with a hint of chili, but the primary difference is that latter is deep-fried and coated with a syrupy sweet and sour sauce, and the former is coated with a gentle, more balanced sauce.

What does General Tso taste like? ›

General Tso's Chicken is that perfect combination of sweet, savoury, spicy and tangy with crispy Chinese chicken bites. It's a Chinese takeout favourite that just pushes all the right buttons!

Do Chinese people eat sesame chicken? ›

Sesame Chicken isn't a real Chinese cuisine, but Asian restaurants have promoted it. Despite the fact that certain recipes call for a brief soak in sesame oil and soy sauce, the majority isn't marinated. Bite-sized bits of chicken breast are often breaded in flour and cornstarch before being with salt and black pepper.

What ethnicity is sesame chicken? ›

Sesame Chicken is an Asian-American dish that was invented in North America and still appears on Chinese take-out menus to this day.

Why is Chinese food meat chewy? ›

In Chinese cooking, proteins like beef, pork or chicken are velveted first before stir-frying them. There are several ways to velvet, but at its most basic level, it involves marinating meat with at least one ingredient that will make it alkaline. This is what tenderizes the meat, especially cheaper, tougher cuts.

What is the sauce made of in sesame chicken? ›

In a separate bowl, create your sauce by combining light soy sauce, ketchup, chicken stock, sugar, honey, and sesame oil. Mix until well combined and set aside. In a large bowl, combine flour, cornstarch, kosher salt, white pepper, and baking powder.

Does sesame chicken taste like General Tso? ›

Sesame Chicken is typically salty with a hint of sweetness, served with sesame seeds. General Tsos is typically sweeter with a little more heat and served with broccoli and carrots. The sauce is usually more red in color than the brown sauce served with sesame chicken.

What is better General Tso or orange chicken? ›

While both dishes feature crispy fried chicken pieces coated in a sweet and savory sauce, there are some key differences between the two. General Tso's chicken is typically spicier and has a more complex flavor profile, with a sauce that includes soy sauce, vinegar, and chili peppers.

What is honey sesame chicken at Panda Express? ›

HONEY SESAME CHICKEN

Thin, crispy chicken strips with green beans and crispy yellow bell peppers with our delicious honey sesame seed sauce.

What is sesame chicken sauce made of? ›

Mix chicken broth, brown sugar, vinegar, soy sauce, sesame oil, chile paste, and garlic together in a small pot. Bring to a boil. Reduce heat to a simmer.

What is Chinese honey chicken made from? ›

In a large mixing bowl, mix together Chicken, Chinese Cooking Wine, Light Soy Sauce, and Egg White. Set aside to marinate for 10 – 15 minutes. In another bowl, combine Chicken Bouillon, Water, Chinese Cooking Wine, Rice Vinegar, Light Soy Sauce, Honey, and Brown Sugar. Set aside.

What is sesame chicken batter made of? ›

Prepare the battered chicken: Sift flour, 2 tablespoons cornstarch, baking soda, and baking powder into a bowl. Pour in low-sodium soy sauce, sherry, 2 tablespoons water, vegetable oil, and dash sesame oil; stir until smooth. Stir in chicken until coated with the batter, then cover, and refrigerate for 20 minutes.

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