Crispy Sesame Chicken
Crispy battered chicken in a sticky, sweet sesame sauce — perfect for a midweek Chinese-style treat or takeaway-copy night.
This sesame chicken nails the takeaway vibe — crunchy, sticky and properly addictive. It’s great for a midweek treat or a crowd-pleasing dinner when you want something a bit more special than plain roasted chicken.
The trick is a light, crisp coating and a glossy sauce balanced with honey, soy and a hint of rice vinegar. It comes together quickly once the chicken has had a short marinate, and you can double the sauce if you prefer extra gloss.
Ingredients
- 600 g boneless skinless chicken thighs
- 30 ml light soy sauce
- 10 ml sesame oil
- 1 egg
- 80 g plain flour
- 70 g cornflour
- 5 ml baking powder
- 5 ml salt
- 5 ml black pepper
- 800 ml vegetable oil — for deep-frying; most is not absorbed
- 60 g honey
- 25 g brown sugar
- 15 ml rice vinegar
- 120 ml water — for the sauce
- 3 garlic cloves — finely chopped
- 20 g fresh ginger — peeled and finely grated
- 15 ml Shaoxing wine
- 30 g toasted sesame seeds
- 3 spring onions — finely sliced, white and green separated
Equipment
- deep-fat thermometer
- slotted spoon or spider
- wire cooling rack
Instructions
Trim excess fat from the chicken thighs and cut into bite-sized pieces (about 3 cm). Pat dry with kitchen paper.
Mix light soy sauce, sesame oil, Shaoxing wine, egg, salt and black pepper in a bowl. Add the chicken, stir to coat and leave to marinate in the fridge for 20 minutes.
Meanwhile, combine plain flour, cornflour and baking powder in a shallow bowl. Toss the marinated chicken in the dry mix so each piece is evenly coated; shake off any excess.
Pour vegetable oil into a deep saucepan or wok to a depth of about 7 cm and heat to 180°C (use a deep-fat thermometer).
Fry the chicken in 3–4 batches to avoid crowding. Cook each batch for 3–4 minutes until golden and cooked through. Drain on a wire rack set over a baking tray.
While the last batch fries, make the sauce: heat a saucepan over medium heat and add a splash of the water, the garlic, ginger, honey, brown sugar, rice vinegar, light soy sauce, sesame oil and Shaoxing wine. Bring to a simmer.
Mix 1 tbsp cornflour with 2 tbsp cold water to make a smooth slurry. Stir the slurry into the simmering sauce and cook for 1–2 minutes until glossy and thickened.
Remove the sauce from the heat, add the fried chicken and toss quickly to coat. Transfer to a serving plate, scatter with toasted sesame seeds and the sliced green parts of the spring onions. Serve immediately.
Tips
- Pat the chicken dry before marinating — the drier it is, the crispier the coating.
- Keep oil temperature steady at 175–185°C; use a deep-fat thermometer and fry in small batches.
- Toast the sesame seeds in a dry frying pan for 1–2 minutes until fragrant — this lifts the flavour.
- Make the sauce ahead and reheat gently; add a little water if it becomes too thick.
- Leftovers store in the fridge for 2 days; reheat in a hot oven at 200°C fan/220°C conventional for 8–10 minutes to restore crispness.
Substitutions
boneless skinless chicken thighs → boneless skinless chicken breast, same weight
Noticeably differentplain flour → rice flour for a lighter, crisper coating (same weight)
Stays closehoney → golden syrup or maple syrup, same weight
Stays closeShaoxing wine → dry sherry or omit and add an extra 10 ml water and 5 ml rice vinegar
Noticeably different
Nutrition
Per serving · estimated
- 740
- Calories
- 44 g
- Protein
- 51 g
- Carbs
- 39 g
- Fat
- 2 g
- Fibre
- 18 g
- Sugar
- 900 mg
- Sodium
FAQ
Can I bake this instead of frying?
You can, but it won’t be as crisp. Spray or brush with oil and bake at 220°C fan/240°C conventional for 18–22 minutes, turning once; then toss briefly in the sauce.
How do I stop the sauce from going gloopy?
Make a thin cornflour slurry and add it little by little while stirring — remove from the heat as soon as it glossy-thickens.
Can I use chicken breast?
Yes, but breast dries quicker; cut into even, slightly thicker pieces and reduce frying time to avoid overcooking.
Why did my coating fall off?
Common causes: chicken too wet, oil not hot enough, or overcrowding the fryer. Dry the chicken and keep oil at 175–185°C.
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