The Gunny Sack

  • Home
  • Christmas
  • Dinner
  • Recipe Index
    • All Recipes
    • Air Fryer
    • Appetizer
      • Dip
    • Beverages
      • Coffee
      • Smoothie
    • Breakfast
    • Crock Pot
    • Dessert
      • Bars
      • Cake
      • Candy
      • Cheesecake
      • Chocolate
      • Cookies
      • Fruit Desserts
        • Apple
        • Banana
        • Pumpkin
        • Strawberry
      • Fudge
      • Ice Cream
      • No Bake
      • Peanut Butter
      • peppermint
      • Pie
      • Truffles
    • Dinner
      • Beef
      • Bread
      • Casserole
      • Chicken
      • Grilled
      • Pasta
      • Pizza
      • Pork
      • Salad
      • Sauces and Dressing
      • Side
        • Potatoes
        • Vegetables
      • Soup
    • Snack
    • Holiday
      • Easter
      • Christmas
      • Halloween
      • Thanksgiving
      • Valentine’s Day
  • About
    • About The Team
    • Contact
    • Subscribe
menu icon
go to homepage
search icon
Homepage link
  • All Recipes
  • Christmas
  • Appetizers
  • Desserts
  • Dinners
  • About
  • Subscribe
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
  • ×

    Home » Recipes » Chicken » Sesame Chicken

    Sesame Chicken

    Published: Apr 9, 2021 · Modified: Apr 7, 2023 by Tonia Larson

    This post may contain affiliate links. Please read my disclosure policy.

    ↓ JUMP TO RECIPE ↓ JUMP TO VIDEO

    Sesame Chicken is a favorite take-out choice and you can make it at home in less than 30 minutes! Serve over rice or noodles.

    sesame chicken in a skillet with chives on top

    When dining out one of our favorite meals to order is sesame chicken with fried rice and cream cheese wontons. So today I’m sharing my sesame chicken recipe that you can make at home for your family.

    In This Post: Everything You Need To Make Sesame Chicken

    • Sesame Sauce
    • Ingredients Needed To Make Sesame Chicken
    • How To Make This Sesame Chicken Recipe
    • Variations
    • Storage
    • Frequently Asked Questions
    whisking the sauce in a small measuring bowl

    Sesame Sauce

    Start by making sesame sauce. The sauce is what makes the dish! You can use an additional sauce from the skillet to drizzle over your rice.

    • Sugar: We sweetened the sauce with brown sugar for the extra flavor it provides. You can also use granulated sugar if you prefer.
    • Soy Sauce: Low-sodium soy sauce adds lots of flavor without making the sauce too salty.
    • Hoisin Sauce: We added hoisin sauce which is a thick, sweet, and salty sauce that added flavor. If you can’t find it, try using a little sweet barbecue sauce instead.
    • Oil: Just a little sesame oil adds a lot of flavor.
    • Spice: We like adding some crushed red pepper flakes for a little heat.
    sesame chicken in a skillet with sauce.

    Ingredients Needed To Make Sesame Chicken

    • Chicken: This recipe calls for boneless, skinless chicken breasts but you could also use boneless, skinless chicken thighs.
    • Pepper: We added some coarse ground black pepper for seasoning. You don’t need to add salt since the sesame sauce is salty.
    • Flour: The flour on the chicken pieces helps seal in the moisture and helps give the chicken a brown crispy coating.
    • Oil: The chicken cubes are cooked in olive oil. You can also use vegetable oil or canola oil.
    • Sesame Sauce: You’ll also need the sesame sauce that you prepared.
    • Garnish: Top the plated chicken with sliced green onions and toasted sesame seeds.
    sesame chicken with sliced green onions on top.

    How To Make This Sesame Chicken Recipe

    This easy chicken dinner comes together in minutes. You can serve it over rice or noodles.

    • Coat: Coat the cubed chicken with flour and black pepper.
    • Fry: Brown the chicken pieces on all sides.
    • Sauce: Add the sesame chicken sauce and continue cooking the chicken while allowing the sauce to thicken.
    • Serve: Garnish with sesame seeds and sliced green onions.

    Variations

    One of our favorite variations is to make this a stir fry with veggies. After frying the chicken, remove it from the skillet and set it aside. Heat one tablespoon of oil in the pan and 3-4 cups of bite-sized vegetables for 3-4 minutes. Then, add the chicken and the sesame sauce. Stir fry until the sauce is thickened and the chicken is fully cooked.

    Storage

    Store leftover chicken in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3-4 days or in the freezer for up to two months.

    sesame chicken in a white bowl with rice.

    Frequently Asked Questions

    Which veggies could I add?

    You can add sliced carrots, diced bell peppers, diced onions, snap peas, broccoli, and cauliflower florets. Keep in mind that you may need to pre-cook the vegetables before adding them.

    What goes with sesame chicken?

    Serve the sesame chicken on plain white rice, coconut rice, fried rice, cauliflower rice, or noodles. For side dishes try roasted vegetables, a fresh salad, cream cheese wontons.

    Can I use the sesame sauce to make other sauces?

    If you prefer a milder sauce, you can skip the red pepper flakes. Or if you don’t have hoisin sauce try using sweet barbecue sauce instead. Additional ingredients you could try adding include garlic, ginger, chili paste, oyster sauce, or honey.

    sesame chicken in a bowl with white rice

    Want more chicken recipes? Try these next:

    • This Chicken Stir Fry recipe quick, easy family dinner recipe is great for busy nights. You can substitute beef for chicken and rice for the noodles.
    • Sweet and spicy General Tso Chicken is delicious with carrots and peppers! Serve over rice or noodles for a family dinner.
    • This 30-minute skillet recipe for Orange Chicken is easy to make and so delicious! It’s an easy dinner recipe that your whole family will love.
    • This Honey Garlic Chicken recipe is so easy to prepare and will be a family favorite! Made with chicken breasts and a four-ingredient honey garlic sauce.
    sesame chicken in a bowl with white rice

    Sesame Chicken

    You can make this easy Sesame Chicken recipe at home in less than 30 minutes! It's made with chicken breasts and homemade sesame sauce.
    4.58 from 7 votes
    ↑ Click stars to rate!
    Print Review SaveSaved! Add to Shopping ListGo to Shopping List
    Prep Time: 10 minutes minutes
    Total Time: 10 minutes minutes
    Servings: 4 servings
    Prevent your screen from going dark

    Equipment

    Toasted Sesame Seeds
    Sesame Seed Oil
    Hoisin Sauce
    All-Clad Fry Pan Set

    Ingredients

    Sesame Chicken

    • 1 lb boneless skinless chicken breasts cubed
    • ½ teaspoon coarse ground black pepper
    • ¼ cup flour
    • 3 tablespoon olive oil
    • 1 tablespoon sliced green onions
    • ½ tablespoon toasted sesame seeds

    Sesame Sauce

    • ½ cup brown sugar
    • ¼ cup low sodium soy sauce
    • 1 tablespoon hoisin sauce
    • 2 teaspoon sesame oil
    • ½ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes if desired

    Instructions

    Sesame Sauce

    • Combine the brown sugar, soy sauce, hoisin sauce, sesame oil, and red pepper flakes in a small bowl. Set aside.
      whisking the sauce in a small measuring bowl

    Sesame Chicken

    • Put the cubed chicken in a large zip-top bag and sprinkle it with coarse ground black pepper and flour. Close the top of the bag and shake the chicken to coat it evenly with flour.
      coating meat with flour in a gallon sized ziptop bag
    • Heat olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the flour-coated chicken. Cook for 3-4 minutes, flip the pieces over and cook for another 3-4 minutes.
      cubed chicken cooking in a skillet
    • Turn the heat down to medium. Add the sesame sauce. Stir and cook for 4-6 minutes, until the sauce is thickened and the chicken is cooked through. Garnish with sesame seeds and sliced green onions.
      boiling sauce in pan with chicken cubes

    Video

    Notes

    Store leftover chicken in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3-4 days or in the freezer for up to two months.

    Nutrition

    Serving: 4oz | Calories: 398kcal | Carbohydrates: 36g | Protein: 27g | Fat: 16g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g | Monounsaturated Fat: 10g | Trans Fat: 0.01g | Cholesterol: 73mg | Sodium: 783mg | Potassium: 542mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 28g | Vitamin A: 125IU | Vitamin C: 2mg | Calcium: 49mg | Iron: 2mg
    Course: Chicken
    Cuisine: Asian
    Author: Tonia Larson

    More Chicken

    • A bowl of chicken tortellini alfredo.
      Slow Cooker Chicken Alfredo Tortellini
    • Pineapple chicken kebobs.
      Pineapple Chicken Kabobs
    • Sliced southwest chicken on a cutting board.
      Southwest Chicken
    • Chicken Tinga on tacos on a platter.
      Chicken Tinga

    About Tonia Larson

    Hi! I’m Tonia, the owner and recipe creator at The Gunny Sack, where I’ve shared easy recipes for busy people for 12+ years! My family-friendly meals, easy side dishes, and delicious desserts include mouthwatering photos, dynamic videos, and step-by-step instructions to help you cook at home.

    « How To Make Fried Rice
    Ham and Potato Soup »

    Comments

    1. Heather S. says

      March 3, 2023 at 2:37 pm

      5 stars
      Made this for dinner last night and it was easy and so so yummy. I have a 8, 6, and 2 year old and they all loved it too! I served it with Tonia’s cream cheese wontons and trader joes fried rice.10/10 would recommend!

      Reply
    2. Amy K says

      January 29, 2023 at 12:58 am

      5 stars
      This will be something I make for my family from now on! Very good flavor!

      Reply
    3. Tom says

      March 27, 2022 at 2:22 am

      5 stars
      Sometimes when I try a new recipe we have an okay to pretty good meal. Other times we end up ordering carry out…
      I decided to give this Sesame Chicken recipe a try. I followed the recipe exactly and it turned out great. I have to say that this is the only dish I have ever made, Chinese or otherwise, that tasted like it came from a really good restaurant!
      Thanks so much

      Reply

    Leave a Reply Cancel reply

    Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

    Recipe Rating




    Tonia Larson and Brian LarsonHi, We are Brian and Tonia Larson! We hope you enjoy our family-friendly meals, easy side dishes, and tasty desserts!
    • Facebook
    • Instagram
    • Pinterest
    sign up for emails button
    Disclosure | Privacy Policy | Nutrition Disclaimer

    Copyright © 2023 · Genesis Framework by StudioPress · WordPress · Log in