The Best Chinese Sesame Chicken Recipe (2024)

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Stir-Fry
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Classic Chinese take-out, made in your own kitchen.

J. Kenji López-Alt

Culinary Consultant

Kenji is the former culinary director for Serious Eats and a current culinary consultant for the site. He is also a New York Times food columnist and the author of The Food Lab: Better Home Cooking Through Science.

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Updated December 06, 2022

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Why It Works

A balanced sauce has plenty of vinegary kick to balance out the cloying sweetness that most restaurant versions have.
Cooking the aromatics for the sauce at a lower temperature lets their flavors develop without having to superheat your wok or skillet.
Adding vodka to the chicken coating inhibits gluten formation and leaves you with a crisper crust.
Adding some of the marinade to the dry coating mixture makes more surface area which results in extra crunch.

I developed a great technique for perfecting General Tso’s crispy, battered chicken, which is easily transferred to make an amazing orange chicken, or this sesame chicken. Once you start with the General Tso's base, sesame chicken is even easier than orange chicken. The main difference is that sesame chicken tends to be a little sweeter (if you can imagine that) than General Tso's, with no heat, and a good shower of toasted sesame seeds is added to the sauce.

The Best Chinese Sesame Chicken Recipe (3)

I make the sauce almost the exact same way I make my General Tso's sauce: sautéed garlic, ginger, and scallions deglazed with a sweet-tart mixture of soy, wine, vinegar, chicken stock, and sugar. I add a little extra sugar and sesame oil to the mix in this case, but otherwise, it's pretty much identical.

The Best Chinese Sesame Chicken Recipe (4)

Once the chicken is tossed with the sauce, I pile it up in the authentic manner: with steamed broccoli florets and a shower of toasted sesame seeds.

The Best Chinese Sesame Chicken Recipe (5)

This story was originally published under the column name "The Food Lab Redux."

July 2014

Recipe Details

The Best Chinese Sesame Chicken Recipe

Prep10 mins

Cook20 mins

Active45 mins

Total30 mins

Serves4to 6 servings

Ingredients

For the Marinade:

1 egg white
2 tablespoons dark soy sauce
2 tablespoons Shaoxing wine (see notes)
2 tablespoons 80-proof vodka
1/4 teaspoon baking soda
3 tablespoons cornstarch
1 pound boneless, skinless chicken thighs, cut into 1/2- to 3/4-inch chunks (see notes)
See Also
bread cake recipe | instant bread ka cake | no bake black forest cake

For the Dry Coating:

1/2 cup flour
1/2 cup cornstarch
1/2 teaspoon baking powder
1/2 teaspoon kosher salt

For the Sauce:

3 tablespoons dark soy sauce
2 tablespoons Shaoxing wine (see notes)
2 tablespoons Chinese rice vinegar or distilled white vinegar
3 tablespoons homemade or store-bought low-sodium chicken stock
5 tablespoons sugar
2 teaspoons roasted sesame seed oil
1 tablespoon cornstarch
2 teaspoons peanut, vegetable, or canola oil
2 teaspoons minced garlic (about 2 medium cloves)
2 teaspoons minced fresh ginger (about one 1-inch piece)
2 teaspoons minced scallion bottoms (about 1 scallion)
2 tablespoons toasted sesame seeds

To Finish:

2 quarts peanut, canola, or vegetable oil for deep frying
Steamed white rice and steamed broccoli for serving

Directions

For the Marinade: Beat egg whites in a large bowl until broken down and lightly foamy. Add soy sauce, wine, and vodka and whisk to combine. Set aside half of marinade in a small bowl. Add baking soda and cornstarch to the large bowl and whisk to combine. Add chicken to large bowl and turn with fingers to coat thoroughly. Cover with plastic wrap and set aside.
For the Dry Coat: Combine flour, cornstarch, baking powder, and 1/2 teaspoon salt in a large bowl. Whisk until hom*ogenous. Add reserved marinade and whisk until mixture has coarse, mealy clumps. Set aside.
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. Cook, stirring, until vegetables are aromatic and soft, but not browned, about 3 minutes. Stir sauce mixture and add to skillet, making sure to scrape up any sugar or starch that has sunk to the bottom. Cook, stirring, until sauce boils and thickens, about 1 minute. Add half of sesame seeds. Transfer sauce to a bowl to stop cooking, but don't wipe out skillet.
To Finish: Heat 1 1/2 quarts peanut, vegetable, or canola oil in a large wok or Dutch oven to 350°F (177°C) and adjust flame to maintain temperature.
Working one piece at a time, transfer chicken from marinade to dry coat mixture, tossing in between each addition to coat chicken. When all chicken is added to dry coat, toss with hands, pressing dry mixture onto chicken so it adheres, and making sure that every piece is coated thoroughly.
Lift chicken one piece at a time, shake off excess coating, and carefully lower into hot oil (do not drop it). Once all chicken is added, cook, agitating with long chopsticks or a metal spider, and adjusting flame to maintain a temperature of 325 to 375°F (163-190°C), until chicken is cooked through and very crispy, about 4 minutes. Transfer chicken to a paper towel-lined bowl to drain.
Add chicken to empty skillet and return sauce to skillet. Toss chicken, folding it with a rubber spatula until all pieces are thoroughly coated. Sprinkle with remaining sesame seeds and serve immediately with white rice and steamed broccoli.

Special Equipment

Wok or Dutch oven for deep frying

Notes

Shaoxing wine can be found in most Asian markets. If unavailable, dry sherry can be used in its place.

If you can't find boneless skinless chicken thighs, you can debone them yourself using this guide.

Chinese-American Orange Chicken
The Best General Tso's Chicken

Chicken Stir-Fry
Chinese-American
Fried Chicken
Chicken Thighs
Chicken Mains

Nutrition Facts (per serving)
500	Calories
20g	Fat
54g	Carbs
24g	Protein

Show Full Nutrition Label

Nutrition Facts
Servings: 4to 6
Amount per serving
Calories	500
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 20g	26%
Saturated Fat 3g	16%
Cholesterol 108mg	36%
Sodium 962mg	42%
Total Carbohydrate 54g	20%
Dietary Fiber 1g	4%
Total Sugars 11g
Protein 24g
Vitamin C 0mg	2%
Calcium 78mg	6%
Iron 2mg	11%
Potassium 331mg	7%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.

(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)

FAQs

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.

View Details ›

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."

Explore More ›

What is sesame chicken from a Chinese restaurant? ›

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 ...

Is sesame chicken Americanized? ›

While Sesame Chicken is certainly not a traditional Chinese dish, it always comes to mind when I think of Chinese food. Sesame Chicken is an Asian-American dish that was invented in North America and still appears on Chinese take-out menus to this day.

Explore More ›

Is General Tso Chicken sesame chicken? ›

The main difference is that sesame chicken tends to be a little sweeter (if you can imagine that) than General Tso's, with no heat, and a good shower of toasted sesame seeds is added to the sauce.

View Details ›

What is the healthiest thing to order at a Chinese restaurant? ›

Steamed fish or seafood with ginger, scallions and soy sauce. Steamed fish and veggies are packed with fiber and protein. One of the healthiest places you can choose an entree on a Chinese restaurant menu from is the seafood section, according to Amy Yiu, RD, a registered dietitian with Health Stand Nutrition.

What is the healthiest dish at a Chinese restaurant? ›

10 Healthy Chinese Food Options to Order

Steamed Fish or Seafood. Steamed seafood is one of the healthiest options you could choose from a Chinese restaurant menu. ...
Steamed Buns. ...
Miso Soup. ...
Rainbow Stir Fry. ...
Cucumber and Mushroom Salad. ...
Chinese Steamed Scallops and Glass Noodles.

Jul 9, 2023

Tell Me More ›

Does sesame chicken contain soy sauce? ›

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.

Keep Reading ›

What is Chinese sesame paste made of? ›

Chinese sesame paste (zhī ma jiàng, 芝麻酱) is a richly flavored, thick paste made from toasted white sesame seeds. While you may have heard of tahini, which is a Middle Eastern/Mediterranean paste made from sesame seeds, it is different from Chinese sesame paste in that it contains hulled, raw sesame seeds.

Discover More ›

Is tahini sauce the same as sesame sauce? ›

Tahini is sometimes listed as a substitute for sesame paste, but in my mind, the two aren't interchangeable. Though tahini is also made from white sesame seeds, those seeds are usually untoasted or lightly toasted. By comparison, toasted sesame paste is more assertive and aromatic and also thicker in texture.