On the menu tonight – Sesame Chicken!
Whenever we order Chinese take-out, the place we order from would offer an order of free Sesame Chicken if you ordered a certain amount of food. It’s so delicious! The chicken was fully coated with a delicious sauce and it was a little crunchy from being fried.
Sadly, that place burned down and I had to figure out my own version of that dish. I tried Jet Tila’s version of Sesame Chicken and it is FANTASTIC! Now, anytime I’m craving Sesame Chicken, I have a go-to recipe.
The next time you are thinking about ordering Chinese, consider making it yourself. It isn’t the quickest meal to make, but it sure is worth the effort.
Sesame Chicken with Jasmine Rice
Sesame Chicken with Jasmine Rice
Ingredients
- Sesame Sauce:
- 2 Tbsp ketchup
- 2 Tbsp brown sugar
- 2 Tbsp honey
- 1 Tbsp oyster sauce
- 1 Tbsp dark oyster sauce
- 1 tsp sesame oil
- 1 tsp chicken powder
- 2 tsp cornstarch mixed with 2 tsp water to make a slurry
- 2 tsp white vinegar
- Chicken:
- 1 1/2 lbs chicken thighs, cut into 1 inch cubes
- 1/2 cup water
- 2 Tbsp oyster sauce
- 1 tsp sesame oil
- 1 tsp chicken powder
- 1 cup corn starch
- 1/2 cup all-purpose flour
- 1 1/2 quarts oil for frying (peanut oil or any neutral oil)
- To Assemble:
- 2 Tbsp neutral oil (avocado or peanut)
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 inch piece ginger, minced
- 2 tsp sesame oil
- 2 Tbsp toasted sesame seeds
Instructions
Make the sesame sauce:
Whisk the ketchup, brown sugar, honey, oyster sauce, soy sauce, sesame oil, chicken powder, cornstarch slurry, and vinegar in a small bowl until combined. Set aside.
The Chicken:
Add the chicken to a large bowl along with 1/2 cup of water.
Add the oyster sauce, sesame oil, and chicken powder.
Massage the chicken for about 30 seconds to work in the seasonings.
In another large bowl, mix the cornstarch and flour together.
Dredge the marinated chicken a few pieces at a time in the cornstarch/flour mixture.
Once fully coated, place the chicken pieces onto a large sheetpan with a rack.
Let the chicken rest least 10 minutes.
Reserve the flour mixture. (I found after the 10 minutes, the coated chicken looked moist, so I re-dredged my chicken. Jet's recipe doesn't call for this, but it worked out great for me)
Pre-heat your frying oil in a Dutch oven or cast iron skillet (or a deep-fryer if you have one)
Start frying the chicken in batches taking care to watch the oil temperature. (Oil temperature will drop as you add more chicken)
Fry for 4-6 minutes per batch. (Jet's recipe says fry until golden brown. His video says to fry for a shorter time and it doesn't need to be golden brown. I only cooked mine about 2-3 minutes as it is going to cook again in the wok. Since the pieces are only about an inch, they will cook quickly. I didn't want to over cook the chicken)
To Assemble:
Pre-heat your wok or large cast iron skillet over high heat.
Add the oil
When you see the whisps of white smoke, stir in the garlic and ginger. Cook for about 30 seconds, then add the sesame sauce and bring to a boil.
Stir and scrap down the sides until the sauce is thick enough to coat the back of a spoon.
Stir in the fried chicken, sesame oil, and sesame seeds.
Fold until the sauce completely coats the chicken.
Serve hot either over rice or with the rice on the side.
Enjoy!
Notes
I found cooking the chicken a shorter amount of time during the initial fry still completely cooked the chicken and it resulted in a much more tender bite than cooking the prescribed 4-6 minutes. Test and see which you prefer. If you do go with the shorter cooking method, test and confirm the chicken is cooked through. Even though it will cook more in the wok, make sure your chicken is fully cooked.
