Chinese Sesame Chicken

Important cooing tips:

The secret to ensuring your chicken remains crispy even after tossing it with the sauce is double-frying. Any neutral oil can work for frying.

You can adjust the sauce to taste before you toss it with the chicken. To have the sesame sauce be less sweet, so you can choose to add the lesser amount of honey and/or brown sugar if you prefer.

Don’t overcook your sauce: Boiling the sauce for 1-2 minutes essentially reduces it down into a sticky glaze, making it glossy and thick enough to coat the chicken. Don’t cook the sauce too thick, or too sticky, as it will be bitter.

 However, if you do find that your sauce is reducing a bit too fast, you can either reduce your heat, or add a splash of hot water to dilute the mixture and let it reduce again.

Drizzle in the sesame oil last: Sesame oil is almost always added at the final moments of cooking to retain its bold flavour and aroma. By doing this simple step, you’re able to actually taste the toastiness of the sesame oil in the foreground, as opposed to it being muted in flavour.

Only briefly toss the chicken in the sauce: 15-30 seconds is all you’ll need to quickly toss the chicken in the sesame sauce. If you overdo it, your crispy chicken may risk getting soggy due to the steam and heat produced in the pan.

What vegetables can I eat this with?

Veggies can help to cut the richness of the dish and to make it a more complete and filling meal. by pairing this with stir-fried greens like broccoli, cabbage, and/or zucchini. directly into the stir-fry, such as carrots, bell peppers, and celery.

TO STORE: Refrigerate sesame chicken within 2 hours after cooking it. Stored in an airtight container, sesame chicken will keep well for 3 to 4 days.

To make this ahead of time, keep the sauce and cooked chicken separate from each other to prevent the chicken from getting soggy.

How do I store leftovers?

Leftover sesame chicken can stay fresh in the refrigerator for up to 5 days and stored in an airtight container. These are perfect for meal-prepping as well, just note that the texture may not be as crispy as freshly cooked.

Freezing these is also possible, though the texture of the coating may get soggy and/or soften over time.

 

Servings

3-4

Ingredients

450 g chicken, cut into bite-sized pieces

• 1.5 tbsp sesame oil
• 2 tsp sesame seeds
• 1 clove garlic, grated

• 2 green onions thinly sliced

Ingredients for Batter

• Half cup cornstarch
• 2 tbsp flour
• 1 tbsp soy sauce
• 1 egg white
• Sesame Sauce
• 2 tbsp soy sauce
• 1& Half tbsp ketchup
• 1 tbsp rice vinegar and wine>
• 2 tbsp sesame seeds to garnish
• White Pepper, salt, brown sugar and honey  as per taste

 

Directions

• Prepare the batter by combining all the ingredients in a bowl until you have a smooth, paint-like batter consistency (add more water if too thick).
• Add in the chicken and gently mix to ensure the chicken pieces are well coated with the batter.
• Deep fry the coated chicken pieces for about 5-7 minutes, or until fully cooked through and golden. 
• Double fry (optional, but highly recommended): Turn the heat to high, and fry the chicken for a second time (~375 F) for 30-60 seconds until golden brown and crispy. Set aside to cool on a wire rack.

In a separate bowl, mix together all the ingredients for the sesame sauce until smooth ².

• Pour the sauce into a large pan or wok and bring to a boil for about 1-2 minutes, or until slightly thickened.
• Once thickened, add in the fried chicken pieces, sesame oil, and sesame seeds. Gently toss until the chicken is fully coated in the sauce.
• Top with green onions. Enjoy with a side of rice and fresh veggies!