Honey Sesame Chicken

Honey sesame chicken is a really simple and delicious take-out style dish that can be made in the air fryer. The chicken is seasoned with a few common Asian ingredients and coated in potato starch before being air fried. This recipe is perfect for those quick weeknight meals.

Growing up, I never ate much Chinese takeout because my parents would always tell me that it is unauthentic or just isn’t healthy. However, once I moved away from home for University, I found myself eating takeout a few times a month and it has really grown on me. I find myself craving Chinese takeout at random times and that’s not a good thing lol.

This is one of those meals that will remind you of that takeout style battered chicken in a tangy sauce without as much oil and guilt. I also really enjoy using this as a meal prep option, however, the chicken will not be as crispy as when it is fresh.

Key ingredients/steps for honey sesame chicken

Five spice powder: Five spice powder is a combination of cinnamon, fennel, star anise, peppercorns and other spices. That being said, it is a very strong spice used in traditional Chinese cooking and a little goes a long way.

Shaoxing rice wine: Shaoxing rice wine is a very popular rice wine used to marinate meats. It helps tenderize the meat and can be substituted with sake.

Corn starch: I like to add corn starch in the marinade because it acts as a thickening agent which makes the coating process easier.

Potato starch: Potato starch is usually my coating starch of choice because it is a coarse grain of starch which adds to the crispiness of the chicken. This is not necessary and can be substituted with corn starch.

Sesame oil: Toasted sesame oil is also one of those ingredients that you don’t need to add much of to get amazing flavor from. I always add sesame oil at the very end because once sesame oil is cooked, it loses its aroma.

Honey Sesame Chicken

A delicious takeout style item that can be made in under 30 minutes.
Prep Time 10 minutes
Cook Time 20 minutes
Total Time 30 minutes
Course Main Course
Cuisine Chinese

Ingredients
  

Chicken

  • lbs chicken thighs
  • 1 tbsp soy sauce
  • 1 tsp Shaoxing rice wine
  • ½ tsp five spice powder
  • 1 tsp garlic powder
  • 1 tsp sesame oil
  • 1 large egg
  • 1 tbsp corn starch

Coating

  • ½ cup potato starch

Sauce ingredients

  • ¼ cup brown sugar
  • ¼ cup honey
  • ¼ cup soy sauce
  • ¼ cup ketchup
  • 1 tbsp rice vinegar
  • 1 tsp sesame oil

Garnish

  • sesame seeds
  • green onions

Instructions
 

  • Cut chicken into 1 inch cubes and marinate in all the chicken ingredients.
  • Allow the chicken to marinate for a few hours, but if you don't have time just skip this step.
  • Coat completely in potato starch then place in the air fryer, spray with oil, and air fry at 400F for 12 minutes.
  • Once the chicken is done cooking, throw the sauce ingredients in a pan over med-high heat and allow to simmer.
  • Add the chicken in the pan then turn up the heat to high and toss.
  • Once chicken is thoroughly coated in sauce, add a drizzle of sesame oil and top with green onions and sesame seeds to serve.
Keyword chicken, honey sesame chicken, honeybutter, sesame

If you enjoyed this recipe, check out some similar ones here: