This crispy Honey Sesame Chicken is made with pieces of chicken coated in a sticky honey soy sauce that's sweet, savory, and full of flavor. Finished with sesame seeds and green onion, it looks (and tastes) like something from your favorite takeout spot.
The secret is in the coating. A proper cornstarch crust keeps the chicken crispy, even once it's tossed in sauce. It's the same method restaurants use, and it's easier than it sounds.
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This recipe comes together in about 30 minutes, with ingredients you probably already have in your kitchen.
New to frying chicken? Don't worry. I'll show you exactly what "golden and crispy" looks like, how to check it's cooked through, and how to get the sauce just right on your first try.
What Is Honey Sesame Chicken?
Honey sesame chicken is a Chinese American takeout favorite. Chicken gets coated in cornstarch, fried until crispy, then tossed in a sticky honey soy sesame sauce.
It's a close cousin of sesame chicken and orange chicken. Sesame chicken leans more savory. Honey sesame chicken is a bit sweeter, thanks to the honey. Orange chicken swaps in orange juice and zest for a citrus kick instead.
Why This Recipe Works
- Cornstarch coating: gives the chicken a light, crispy shell. No heavy batter needed.
- Balanced sauce: honey brings the sweetness, soy sauce and rice vinegar keep it from tasting boring, and a touch of ketchup adds body and colour. That's the same trick a lot of restaurants use.
- Cornstarch slurry: thickens the sauce fast, so it clings to the chicken instead of pooling in the pan.
- 30 minutes, one pan: chicken and sauce cook in the same pan. Less cleanup for you.
Ingredients You'll Need
Please scroll down to the recipe card below for the full ingredients list with measurements, complete recipe method, recipe notes, and nutritional information.
Ingredients For the Sauce
- Ketchup - It sounds unusual in a Chinese-style sauce. But it's a common shortcut for tang and colour. You won't taste it as "ketchup" in the final dish.
- Light soy sauce - It is not the same as "low sodium." It's the thinner, saltier soy sauce (as opposed to dark soy sauce). Regular soy sauce works fine too, if that's what you have.
- Rice vinegar - White vinegar or apple cider vinegar works too in a pinch. Rice vinegar is just milder.
- Honey - A plain, mild honey works best here. Something strong-flavored, like buckwheat honey, can end up competing with the garlic and sesame oil instead of just adding sweetness.
- Sesame oil - Use toasted sesame oil, the darker one, not the plain light colored kind. It's what gives the sauce its nutty flavor. Add it to the sauce; don't fry chicken in it. It burns easily and turns bitter at high heat.
- Garlic - Fresh garlic gives the best flavor here. Jarred minced garlic works too, just use a little less since it's often stronger.
Ingredients For Crispy Chicken
- Chicken - I prefer thigh meat as it stays juicier than breast. Either works, though.
- Cornstarch - You'll use it twice, once in the coating and once in the slurry. Don't mix these up. The coating cornstarch is dry, mixed with salt and pepper. The slurry cornstarch is mixed with cold water until smooth.
How to Make Honey Sesame Chicken
Dice chicken into even bite-size pieces and lightly season them with salt and pepper.
Whisk the egg in one bowl. Place the cornstarch in another bowl. Dip each piece of lightly seasoned chicken in the egg, then coat it in the cornstarch. Press gently so it sticks.
Heat the oil in a large pan over medium-high heat until it's hot, about 175°C (350°F) if you have a thermometer. No thermometer? Drop in one piece of coated chicken. It should sizzle right away and start to float within a few seconds. Fry the chicken in batches. Don't crowd the pan, or the oil cools down, and the coating turns soft instead of crispy.
Cook until golden, about 5 to 6 minutes per batch. It's done at 74°C (165°F) inside, or just cut the biggest piece in half. It should be white all the way through, not pink. Transfer to a wire rack to drain, not a paper towel-lined plate. A rack lets air move underneath the chicken, so the bottom stays crispy instead of steaming and going soft.
Combine the honey, soy sauce, rice vinegar, ketchup, brown sugar, sesame oil, and garlic in a small saucepan. Stir over medium heat and bring to a gentle simmer.
Mix the cornstarch and cold water in a small bowl until smooth. Pour it into the simmering sauce, stirring the whole time. It should thicken in about 1 to 2 minutes, until it coats the back of a spoon.
Add the crispy chicken to the pan. Toss until every piece is coated in the glossy sauce.
Sprinkle with sesame seeds and green onion. Serve right away over Spicy Egg Fried Rice or plain noodles.
Recipe Tips From the Chef
- Cut the chicken into pieces that are roughly the same size. That way they all finish cooking at the same time, instead of some being done early and others still raw in the middle.
- Measure out all your sauce ingredients before you start frying. Once the chicken is in the oil, things move fast, and you won't have time to measure honey while also watching the pan.
- Don't crowd the pan when frying. Cook in batches so the oil stays hot.
- Fry the chicken as soon as it's coated; don't let it sit and wait. The cornstarch starts pulling moisture out of the chicken the longer it sits, and the coating turns pasty instead of staying crisp.
- When you add the cornstarch slurry to the sauce, pour it in slowly while stirring, not all at once. This stops it from going lumpy.
- Toast the sesame seeds in a dry pan for 2 to 3 minutes before using them as garnish. It brings out more flavor.
- Toss the chicken in the sauce right before serving. If it sits too long, the coating goes soft.
- Want it extra crispy? Double-fry it. Fry the chicken once until just cooked through, let it rest for 2 to 3 minutes, then fry it again for 1 to 2 minutes until deep golden. This is the trick a lot of restaurants use for that extra-crunchy shell.
Recipe Variations
- Spicy honey sesame chicken: stir ½ teaspoon chili flakes or a spoon of sriracha into the sauce.
- Orange sesame chicken: add the zest and juice of one orange to the sauce.
- With vegetables: toss in steamed broccoli, bell peppers, or snap peas at the end. Turns it into a full one-bowl meal.
- Air fryer version: skip frying in oil. Spray the coated chicken lightly with oil instead. Air fry at 190°C (375°F) for 12 to 15 minutes, flipping halfway, until golden and cooked through. It won't be quite as crispy as frying in oil, but it's a lighter option.
Storage and Reheating
Store the leftovers refrigerated in an airtight container for up to 3 days. To freeze, fry the chicken without sauce, then freeze for up to 2 months. Toss with fresh sauce after reheating.
You can reheat the leftovers in a skillet over medium heat for a few minutes to bring back some crispiness. An air fryer works well too. Microwaving is fastest, but the coating goes soft.
Serving Suggestions
Serve this over steamed white or jasmine rice. Fried rice, noodles, or a side of Air Fryer Broccoli, Asian Din Tai Fung Cucumber Salad, or steamed bok choy work well too, if you want something a bit lighter.
Recipe FAQs
They all start the same way: fried chicken in a cornstarch coating. The sauce is what changes. Sesame chicken leans savory. Honey sesame chicken is sweeter. Orange chicken uses orange juice and zest for a citrus flavor.
Yes. Bake the coated chicken at 220°C (425°F) for about 20 minutes, flipping halfway, until golden and cooked through. It won't be quite as crispy as frying, but it's a lighter option.
The sauce is the easiest part to make ahead. It keeps in the fridge for up to 2 days; just reheat it gently before tossing in the chicken. The chicken itself is best fried fresh, but if you need to, you can fry it ahead and keep it separate from the sauce, then combine and reheat together right before serving so the coating stays as crisp as possible.
Related Recipes
For more delicious Asian fakeaway recipes, why not try:
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I hope you enjoy the process of making this Crispy Honey Sesame Chicken as much as you enjoy eating it! 🙂
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Honey Sesame Chicken
Ingredients
- 1 ½ lbs chicken, cut into bite-size pieces (650 grams)
- ¾ cup cornstarch (95 grams)
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ teaspoon pepper
- ⅓ cup vegetable, rapeseed or sunflower oil for frying
For the Sauce
- ⅓ cup honey (100 grams)
- ¼ cup light soy sauce (60 ml)
- 2 tablespoon rice vinegar
- 1 tablespoon ketchup
- 1 tablespoon brown sugar
- 2 teaspoon sesame oil
- 2 cloves garlic (minced)
For the Slurry
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
- 3 tablespoon cold water
To Garnish
- sesame seeds
- sliced green onions
Instructions
- Dice chicken into even bite-size pieces and lightly season them with a little salt and pepper.
- Whisk the egg in one bowl. Place the cornstarch in another bowl.
- Dip each piece of lightly seasoned chicken in the egg, then coat it in the cornstarch. Press gently so it sticks.
- Heat the oil in a large pan over medium-high heat until it's hot, about 175°C (350°F) if you have a thermometer. No thermometer? Drop in one piece of coated chicken. It should sizzle right away and start to float within a few seconds.
- Fry the chicken in batches. Don't crowd the pan, or the oil cools down, and the coating turns soft instead of crispy.
- Cook until golden, about 5 to 6 minutes per batch. It's done at 74°C (165°F) inside, or just cut the biggest piece in half. It should be white all the way through, not pink.
- Transfer to a wire rack to drain, not a paper towel lined plate. A rack lets air move underneath the chicken, so the bottom stays crispy instead of steaming and going soft.
- Combine the honey, soy sauce, rice vinegar, ketchup, brown sugar, sesame oil, and garlic in a small saucepan. Stir over medium heat and bring to a gentle simmer.
- Mix the cornstarch and cold water in a small bowl until smooth. Pour it into the simmering sauce, stirring the whole time. It should thicken in about 1 to 2 minutes, until it coats the back of a spoon.
- Add the crispy chicken to the pan. Toss until every piece is coated in the glossy sauce.
- Sprinkle with sesame seeds and green onion. Serve right away over Spicy Egg Fried Rice or plain noodles.
Notes
- Use a neutral oil, like vegetable, canola, or peanut oil, and heat it to about 175°C (350°F) before adding the chicken.
- Don't crowd the pan when frying. Cook in batches so the oil stays hot.
- Fry the chicken right after coating it. Letting it sit makes the coating go pasty instead of crispy.
- Chicken is done at 74°C (165°F) inside, or when it's white all the way through, not pink.
- Drain the fried chicken on a wire rack, not paper towels, so the bottom stays crispy.
- For extra crispy chicken, double-fry it: fry once until cooked through, rest 2 to 3 minutes, then fry again briefly until deep golden.
- Pour the cornstarch slurry into the sauce slowly, while stirring, so it doesn't go lumpy.
- Toss the chicken in the sauce just before serving so the coating stays crisp.
- No rice vinegar? Use white vinegar or apple cider vinegar instead.
- Leftovers keep in the fridge for up to 3 days. Reheat in a skillet or air fryer, not the microwave, to keep the crisp texture.
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