Crispy Sesame Chicken with Sesame Sauce (Air Fry or Baked!)
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Whenever I make this Crispy Sesame Chicken, it disappears almost immediately. It’s that good!
This sesame chicken recipe is healthier than most deep-fried chicken recipes you may find at Chinese restaurants. What could be better than homemade chicken goodness with a healthy serving of sesame udon noodles right now?
Making a meal from scratch is much more satisfying than ordering takeout.
This post will show you how to make sesame chicken using my foolproof, neat, easy method! And like I said, it’s better than takeout!
Oh, and I can’t forget…
The delectable sesame sauce that gets slathered on the chicken is so good and easy to make, too.
You might already have most of the ingredients for the sauce in your pantry. It includes pantry staples like sesame oil, garlic, soy sauce, brown sugar, and sesame seeds.
Basically, this Crispy Sesame Chicken is all good things we love about a fuss-free weeknight dinner:
- Easy to make
- Ultra flavorful
- Saucy, crispy, crunchy, yummy
- Healthyish
- Protein-rich
- It can be used for rice bowls or sliced for salads (hello, Chopped Chicken Salad!)
Some of my other takeout favorites to make at home are my Easy Mongolian Beef, Healthy Orange Chicken, and Weeknight Cashew Chicken Stir Fry.
Here’s the lineup for Crispy Sesame Chicken
(For the full recipe, scroll down to the recipe card below)
- Chicken tenders, chicken cutlets, or chicken thighs
- Flour
- Eggs
- Panko Breadcrumbs
- Sesame Seeds
- Salt and Pepper
You’ll bake until the chicken is golden brown, coat it in the sauce, and garnish with green onions and sesame seeds.
The result? Tasty, super easy, crispy sesame chicken yumminess ready to be enjoyed!
How to make sesame chicken
Honestly, it’s so simple.
Use this foolproof method for the perfect results whenever you’re breading chicken.
(For the full recipe, scroll down to the recipe card below)
Dredging station
You’ll need 3 shallow dishes or bowls: 1. flour, salt, and pepper. 2. Eggs 3. Panko and sesame seeds.
Get dunking!
With one hand, dip each chicken tender in flour first and coat both sides. Then with your other hand, dunk in the egg and then switch back to your dry hand to dunk in the breadcrumb mix pressing the crumbs to adhere.
Bake until crispy
(or air fry!) Both options work perfectly.
Make it saucey!
While the chicken bakes, whisk together the ingredients for the sauce. Heat on the stove and thicken with a cornstarch slurry.
Time to enjoy
Brush the sauce on the chicken tenders or dip an enjoy! I love the chicken with rice and roasted broccoli or chopped up on my sesame chicken salad.
I love baking/air frying the sesame chicken instead of deep frying because
- The cooking process is simplified & neat & not as messy compared to frying in hot oil
- The chicken is nice and crispy and is never gummy.
- The breading stays on and doesn’t fall off!
Tips for making the best crispy sesame chicken
- Buy chicken tenderloins (chicken fingers/chicken tenders) so you don’t have to cut a chicken breast.
- Organize your ingredients: Neatly arrange the shallow bowls from left to right: flour, egg, and Panko breadcrumbs. Be sure you have the sheet pan prepped. You can place the chicken directly on the sheet pan as you bread it.
- Bake the chicken! There is no need to deal with hot, splashing oil on the stove. Bake them in the oven on a sheet pan, and they will still get nice and crispy.
- OK – healthy, baked, crispy sesame chicken recipe – GO!
FAQ
What internal temperature should the chicken be cooked at?
Chicken is considered safe to eat at an internal temperature of 165°F
What do you serve with chicken tenders?
We love these sesame chicken tenders with fried rice, steamed rice, roasted veggies, or ramen noodles, potstickers, asparagus.
How do you remove the tendon from the chicken strip?
Simply use a paring knife or hold the tendon with one hand and use the tines of a fork in between the tendon and chicken and pull on the tendon until it’s removed.
Can I make these in the air fryer?
Yes! 400°F for ~6 minutes per side, flipping halfway through, or until outsides are crispy and golden and chicken reaches an internal temperature of 165°F.
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Crispy Sesame Chicken
Ingredients
For the chicken
- 1 1/2 lb. chicken tenders or chicken cutlets
- 2 large eggs, whisked
- 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
- 1/2 tsp. salt
- 1/2 tsp. pepper
- 1 cup Panko Breadcrumbs
- 1 Tbsp. sesame seeds
For the sauce
- 1/3 cup soy sauce
- 2 Tbsp. canola oil
- 2 Tbsp. sesame oil
- 2 Tbsp. rice vinegar
- 1 Tbsp. brown sugar or honey (add more for a sweeter sauce )
- 1 Tbsp. sesame seeds
- 1 tsp. fresh ginger, minced
- 1 tsp. fresh garlic, minced or pressed through a garlic press
- 1 tsp. chili garlic sauce
- 1/4 tsp. salt and pepper, or to taste
- 1 Tbsp. cornstarch
- 1 Tbsp. water
- green onions (optional)
Last step! If you make this, please leave a review and rating letting us know how you liked this recipe! This helps our business thrive & continue providing free recipes.
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400°F.
- Line a baking sheet with foil and place a rack on top of it. Spray with non-stick spray.
- Set up the dredging station: you'll need three shallow dishes or bowls. In the first dish, combine the flour, salt, and pepper. Beat the eggs in the second dish and in the third dish combine the Panko and sesame seeds.2 large eggs, whisked, 1/4 cup all-purpose flour, 1/2 tsp. salt, 1/2 tsp. pepper, 1 cup Panko Breadcrumbs, 1 Tbsp. sesame seeds
- Dip chicken tender in flour first and coat both sides. Then dunk in the egg and finally in the breadcrumb mix pressing the crumbs to adhere. Place on the prepped baking sheet and repeat process with remaining chicken.1 1/2 lb. chicken tenders or chicken cutlets
- Bake for ~20 minutes or until the chicken is golden brown and reaches an internal temperature of 165°F.
- To air fry: 400°F for ~12 minutes, flipping halfway through at the 6 minute mark, or until outsides are crispy and golden and chicken reaches an internal temperature of 165°F.
- While the chicken bakes, make the sesame sauce. Whisk all the ingredients for the sauce together in a measuring cup or large bowl.1/3 cup soy sauce, 2 Tbsp. canola oil, 2 Tbsp. sesame oil, 2 Tbsp. rice vinegar, 1 Tbsp. brown sugar or honey, 1 Tbsp. sesame seeds, 1 tsp. fresh ginger, minced, 1 tsp. fresh garlic, minced or pressed through a garlic press, 1 tsp. chili garlic sauce, 1/4 tsp. salt and pepper, or to taste
- Pour sauce into a small saucepan over medium heat, bring the sauce to a simmer. Then, in a small ramekin, combine the cornstarch and water. Whisk the cornstarch slurry into the sauce and whisk until the sauce thickens. If the sauce seems too thick, add filtered water until the desired consistency is reached.1 Tbsp. cornstarch, 1 Tbsp. water
- Brush the sauce over the cooked chicken and garnish with more sesame seeds and green onions. Serve as is or with your favorite sides, we love roasted broccoli and rice!
Equipment
Video
Notes
- You can use chicken tenders or use chicken breasts and slice in half horizontally so you have two cutlets.
- If you’re sensitive to salt, feel free to not add any salt in to the sauce. If you prefer a sweeter sauce, add in a little more honey or brown sugar to it.
- Keep it simple and dunk in your favorite ketchup or BBQ sauce.
- You can bake the chicken directly on a baking sheet if you’d like, just be sure to spread an even layer of olive oil down the the baking sheet. Flip chicken tenders halfway through and add more olive oil if any chicken starts to stick to the pan.
- Store chicken properly in the fridge for up to 3-4 days.
Nutrition Information
Nutritional information is provided as a courtesy and is automatically calculated. It should only be construed as an estimate rather than a guarantee. Ingredients can vary and Kroll’s Korner can’t make any guarantees to the accuracy of this information.
I also had my sauce separate from the oil. I played around with it. Seems like I added too much cornstarch. I added a little bit of water at a time and it merged back together. Delish! Thanks for the recipe.
Oh no I am so sorry! Its a thicker sauce, but I am glad it all worked out and you enjoyed it!! Thank you 🙂
Personally, I think there’s too much ginger and sesame oil. To make this more like a Sesame Sauce, it needs to be sweeter.
That’s a great note about the sesame sauce an adjusting sweetness to your preference, I will add a note about that in the recipe card. Thanks!
This was easy to prepare and a tasty meal. I broiled the chicken at the end of the cooking time to brown the coating. We added extra chili paste and the sweet taste with the spicy aftertaste was very good. This is an easy weeknight dish with ingredients usually in my pantry.
That sounds yummy – thank you so so much for making it! 🙂
I may have made a mistake, but the oil separated. I did add extra brown sugar, remixed it, and it was fantastic!
Easy recipe and delicious.
So easy to make and super crispy – thanks for an easy family dinner.
Thank you so much! Now I am craving them 🙂
Love the chicken but my sauce separated (oil). I followed the recipe to the ‘T.’
??♀️What did I do wrong?
Hi Joy. I am so sorry this happened. Perhaps the sauce got too hot on the stove when you brought it to a simmer. That is my only guess. Once again so sorry. xo, Tawnie
Delicious!! We added extra brown sugar/ honey and less of the chili paste. My family gobbled it up! I will never order it again from a restaurant! So much better making it at home! Thank you for posting!
Delicious!! We added extra brown sugar/ honey and less of the chili paste. My family gobbled it up! I will never order it again from a restaurant! So much better making it at home!
I am so glad Linda! Thank you!!
I’m totally drooling over here. Sesame chicken is my absolute favorite and this looks amazing. Making this right away!
Thank you so much Andrea! I hope you love it 🙂 xo, Tawnie