Honey Sesame Chicken Recipe - Grumpy's Honeybunch (2024)

Published: Last updated: by Shelby Law Ruttan · As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

This Honey Sesame Chicken recipe is crispy pieces of chicken coated in a sticky sweet honey sesame sauce sprinkled with sesame seeds.

Honey Sesame Chicken Recipe - Grumpy's Honeybunch (1)

This Honey Sesame Chicken recipe is made of bite-size crispy chicken pieces that are battered, fried and then coated in a sweet Asian sticky sauce sprinkled with sesame seeds. If you are a Chinese food lover, then next time you want take out, I highly recommend you make this homemade version instead.

This Honey Sesame Chicken is at the top of my family's favorite list! It is better than Chinese takeout and fare more budget friendly.

Jump to:
  • ❤️ Why I Love This Recipe
  • Ingredients
  • 🔪 Instructions
  • 🙋 Recipe FAQ's
  • 💭 Top Tips
  • 📖 Variations
  • 🍽 Equipment
  • Storage
  • 🏫 What I've Learned
  • Serving Suggestions
  • Related Recipes
  • 📖 Recipe
  • 💬 Comments

❤️ Why I Love This Recipe


✔️ This Crispy Honey Sesame Chicken recipe is an easy-to-make, budget-friendly, finger-licking favorite!

✔️ These delectable bites are coated with an easy to make savory honey sesame sauce that the whole family will love.

✔️ The sticky honey sesame sauce makes this a family favorite!

Honey Sesame Chicken Recipe - Grumpy's Honeybunch (3)

Ingredients

Boneless skinless chicken breasts or chicken thighs.

Corn starch and all-purpose flour to coat the chicken.

Soy Sauce:

Cooking Wine, helps tenderize the chicken and adds flavor.

Sesame Oil: This is an important ingredient, it gives a certain flavor to the sauce that marinates the chicken pieces and should not be skipped.

Sweet Chili Sauce: You can find this in the grocery store near the hot sauces.

Ketchup

Honey

Oyster Sauce: No substitutions recommended. If you cannot use Oyster Sauce due to fish allergies, I just recommend leaving it out without a substitution.

Honey Sesame Chicken Recipe - Grumpy's Honeybunch (4)

🔪 Instructions

To batter the chicken

  1. In a medium bowl, whisk together the soy sauce, wine, sesame oil, and sugar until combined. Add the chicken and marinate for 1 hour.
  2. In a small bowl, mix together the flour and cornstarch and place in a large ziplock bag. Drain the chicken and add to the flour mixture. Shake gently to coat.

To fry the chicken

  1. Add the oil to a deep fry pan over medium high heat and bring to 350 degrees.
  2. Gently place the chicken in the hot oil and fry until the chicken is cooked through and the batter is golden brown.
  3. Drain the chicken pieces on paper towels.

To make the sauce

  1. In a small bowl, mix the sweet chili sauce, ketchup, honey, oyster sauce, soy, sauce, and water in a medium saucepan.
  2. Bring the sauce mixture to a boil, then simmer for 3 minutes, until the sauce begins to thicken.
  3. Toss the sauce with fried chicken pieces. Sprinkle with sesame seeds and green onions (if using).
Honey Sesame Chicken Recipe - Grumpy's Honeybunch (5)

🙋 Recipe FAQ's

What can I substitute for cornstarch?

Rice flour, potato starch, or arrowroot starch are good substitutes and will give the same crispy results as cornstarch.

Can I reuse the oil the chicken was fried in?

Yes, you can. Strain any sediment from the oil and store it in an airtight container. After about 3 uses, the oil should be discarded.

Honey Sesame Chicken Recipe - Grumpy's Honeybunch (6)

💭 Top Tips

  • Use a candy thermometer to keep track of the oil temperature. It should not go higher than 350. If it drops below 350, allow the oil to reheat before resuming frying the chicken.
  • Marinating the chicken pieces imparts the flavor you want and will helps to tenderize the meat.
  • Use a paper towel lined dish to drain the chicken pieces on allowing it to absorb excess oil.

📖 Variations

  • Substitute medium shrimp for the chicken.
  • Low-sodium soy sauce or coconut aminos can be substituted for regular soy sauce.
  • Seasoned rice wine vinegar can be substituted for cooking wine.
  • Maple syrup or brown sugar can be a substitute for honey.
  • Stir ½ - 1 teaspoon of red pepper flakes into the sauce mixture to amp it up to a spicy sauce.
Honey Sesame Chicken Recipe - Grumpy's Honeybunch (7)

🍽 Equipment

Cutting Board

Chef's knife

Wire whisk

Mixing bowls

Ziplock bag

Frying pan

Mesh skimmer

Medium saucepan

Honey Sesame Chicken Recipe - Grumpy's Honeybunch (8)

Storage

Refrigerate leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge up to 3 days.

To make this ahead of time, the chicken can be fried and stored in the freezer up to 3 months. Just reheat the cooked chicken in the oven or air fryer and coat with the sauce when ready to serve.

🏫 What I've Learned

Dark meat has more flavor than whit meat and usually less expensive. For this reason I recommend using chicken thighs over chicken breasts. This recipe can be made with both types of chicken, whatever your preference may be.

3-4 inches of oil is all you need to deep fry the chicken pieces.

Serving Suggestions

Serve this Honey Sesame Chicken recipe with a side of Garlic Scallion Noodles or brown rice, crab rangoon, Venison Potstickers, and air fryer egg rolls.

Honey Sesame Chicken Recipe - Grumpy's Honeybunch (9)

Bang Bang Chicken with Quinoa

Bang Bang Shrimp

Honey Walnut Shrimp

Vietnamese Caramel Chicken

Crispy General Tso's Tofu

Don't forget to check out my Amazon storefront for some of my favorite products!

When you make this recipe, please comment below and let me know what you think. I'd love it if you tag me on Instagram @grumpyshoneybunch or #grumpyshoneybunch so I can see your photos!

If you love this recipe, please leave a ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ rating

📖 Recipe

Honey Sesame Chicken Recipe - Grumpy's Honeybunch (11)

Honey Sesame Chicken

Shelby Law Ruttan

This Honey Sesame Chicken recipe is crispy pieces of chicken coated in a sticky sweet honey sesame sauce sprinkled with sesame seeds.

4.25 from 8 votes

Print Recipe Pin Recipe Save

Prep Time 15 minutes mins

Cook Time 30 minutes mins

Total Time 45 minutes mins

Servings 4

Calories 309 kcal

As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.

Ingredients

for the chicken

for the honey sesame sauce

Instructions

  • In a medium bowl, whisk together the soy sauce, wine, sesame oil, and sugar until combined. Add the chicken and marinate for 1 hour.

  • In a small bowl, mix together the flour and cornstarch and place in a large ziplock bag. Drain the chicken and add to the flour mixture. Shake gently to coat.

  • Add the oil to a deep fry pan and heat to 350 degrees.

  • Gently place the chicken in the hot oil and fry until the chicken is cooked through and the batter is golden brown.

  • Drain the chicken pieces on paper towels.

  • In a small bowl, mix the sweet chili sauce, ketchup, honey, oyster sauce, soy, sauce, and water in a medium saucepan.

  • Bring the sauce mixture to a boil, then simmer for 3 minutes, until the sauce begins to thicken.

  • Toss the sauce with fried chicken pieces. Sprinkle with sesame seeds and green onions (if using).

Notes

Nutrition fact take into consideration oil absorbed by deep frying.

Nutrition

Calories: 309kcalCarbohydrates: 14gProtein: 20gFat: 19gSaturated Fat: 2gPolyunsaturated Fat: 5gMonounsaturated Fat: 11gTrans Fat: 1gCholesterol: 54mgSodium: 1345mgPotassium: 380mgFiber: 1gSugar: 8gVitamin A: 61IUVitamin C: 1mgCalcium: 32mgIron: 1mg

Keyword Honey Sesame Chicken, Honey Sesame Chicken Recipe

Tried this recipe?Mention @grumpyshoneybunch or tag #grumpyshoneybunch!

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About Shelby Law Ruttan

Shelby is the author/owner of Grumpy's Honeybunch. Established in 2007, she shares and preserves family recipes as well as recipes for cooking light and keto. She has authored the One-Pot Paleo Cookbook and The Pescatarian Keto Cookbook. She is an experienced, self-taught home cook who loves to share recipes with others. She also authors the websites Honeybunch Hunts and The Best Vegetarian Recipes. You can see her work on websites such as Veal Made Easy, Parade, Community Table, SoFab Food, Yummly, and FoodGawker.

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Reader Interactions

Comments

  1. Teresa

    There appears to be an error in the sweet chili sauce measurement. How much sweet chili sauce?

    Reply

    • Shelby

      3 Tablespoons. Thanks for letting me know. When I moved to a different printable recipe I must have cut that part off!

      Reply

  2. Brenda

    Was quite nice, but sauce had a too-strong flavour for us. I did double the sauce and used medium sherry in place of cooking wine. Probably would have to reduce soy and oyster sauces in the overall sauce. I think after those changes, this will be awesome! Will definitely be trying this again. Thanks for the recipe.

    Reply

  3. Kristin @ Dizzy Busy and Hungry!

    What a great recipe! I am glad you were on an Asian kick and came up with this great recipe!

    Reply

  4. Carlsbad Cravings

    This sounds incredible! I am loving all the flavors going on here - anything with oyster sauce is calling my name!

    Reply

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Honey Sesame Chicken Recipe - Grumpy's Honeybunch (2024)

FAQs

What is Panda Express honey sesame chicken made of? ›

Ingredients: chicken breast strips, green beans, yellow bell pepper, water, distilled vinegar, modified food starch, corn starch, contains less than 2% of: wheat, caramel color, ginger, garlic, phosphoric acid, salt, sodium phosphate, sesame oil, sesame seeds. *The dish uses a proprietary batter and sauce.

Why is Sesame Chicken so sweet? ›

The dish involves chicken (usually thigh) pieces that are de-boned, battered and Chinese deep-fried, then dressed with a translucent, reddish-brown, semi-thick, somewhat sweet sauce made from corn starch, vinegar, wine or sake, chicken broth and sugar, the last of which is a major contributor to sesame chicken's ...

Is honey sesame chicken the same as orange chicken? ›

Orange chicken and sesame chicken may both feature boneless chicken meat, but they are distinct dishes that differ in several key ways. While sesame chicken uses a base sauce of soy sauce and sesame oil to create a savory, nutty flavor, orange chicken incorporates soy sauce and orange zest for a sweet and tangy taste.

What flavor is Sesame Chicken? ›

Sesame chicken sauce is a balanced combination of sweet, sour and spicy that comes from light soy sauce, oyster sauce, dark soy sauce, rice vinegar and sugar.

What is the most unhealthy thing at Panda Express? ›

"Panda Express's Orange Chicken and Chow Mein are considered unhealthy due to their high levels of sodium, sugar, and unhealthy fats," says Young.

What happened to Panda Express Honey Sesame Chicken? ›

Panda Express first introduced the Honey Sesame Chicken Breast in 2013, and has brought it back a number of times for people to enjoy. The return was always sporadic, but after its return to menus in August as a limited-time offer, Panda Express is now opening up a permanent spot on the menu.

Do Chinese people eat sesame chicken? ›

Similar to General Tso's chicken, sesame chicken is made with a soy-based sauce, though it favors sweet notes rather than spicy. Sweetened soy sauce is actually used heavily in Shanghainese cooking, but a dish exactly like this is hard to come by in China.

What ethnicity is sesame chicken? ›

Sesame chicken is a Chinese delicacy that originated in the Canton region. The dish became famous in North America after it was brought over by immigrants who built restaurants serving their native country's cuisine.

What is General Tso's chicken really made of? ›

Basic ingredients include: Sauce: soy sauce, rice wine, rice-wine vinegar, sugar, cornstarch, dried red chili peppers (whole), garlic. Batter / breading: egg, cornstarch. Dish: broccoli, chicken dark meat (cubed).

What is the difference between General Tso and kung pao? ›

General Tso's is sweeter with a milder spice, featuring deep-fried battered chicken. Kung Pao is spicier with stir-fried chicken, vegetables, and peanuts. Also, General Tso's has Chinese-American roots, while Kung Pao hails from Sichuan cuisine.

What is the difference between General Tso and General Tao? ›

General Tao, General Tso, General Zuo

Zuo Zongtang, also known as General Tso in the United States, was a well-known military man from Hunan Province in China. It turns out that Chef Peng Chang-kuei was also from Hunan Province and was made ambassador of a chicken recipe with a spicy-sour sauce, called General Tao.

What is the difference between General Tso and Hunan chicken? ›

General Tso's Chicken is battered and deep fried whereas Hunan Chicken is lightly dusted in cornstarch and stir fried or lightly pan fried. General Tso's Chicken is sweet and mildly spicy, far less spicy than Hunan Chicken, with the zing coming from a generous amount of ginger verses chili peppers.

What is in Panda Express honey sesame chicken? ›

HONEY SESAME CHICKEN

Thin, crispy chicken strips with green beans and crispy yellow bell peppers with our delicious honey sesame seed sauce.

What is grandfather chicken? ›

Grandfather's Chicken is typically prepared by marinating the chicken in a mixture of soy sauce, ginger, garlic, and other seasonings. The marinated chicken is then either pan-fried or braised until it is cooked through and the flavors have infused into the meat.

What is happy family Chinese food? ›

Happy Family is a dish that combines various meats with fresh vegetables in a light brown Chinese sauce. Typically the meat will be chicken, beef or pork as well as seafood - usually shrimp. This great combination of meats make it a favourite on the takeout menus as you get lots of protein within the one order.

Is Panda Express sesame chicken white meat? ›

Most panda express chicken dishes use white meat. For example, chicken with string beans, mushroom chicken, honey sesame chicken, and black pepper chicken. What is the difference between orange chicken and sesame chicken at Panda Express? Both dishes use breaded and deep-fried white meat chicken.

What is Chinese honey chicken made from? ›

In a large mixing bowl, mix together Chicken, Chinese Cooking Wine, Light Soy Sauce, and Egg White. Set aside to marinate for 10 – 15 minutes. In another bowl, combine Chicken Bouillon, Water, Chinese Cooking Wine, Rice Vinegar, Light Soy Sauce, Honey, and Brown Sugar. Set aside.

What's the difference between sesame chicken and teriyaki chicken? ›

Is sesame chicken the same as teriyaki chicken? No. Sesame chicken is usually battered and fried in oil, then coated in a thick sweet sesame sauce. On the other hand, teriyaki chicken is usually grilled or pan fried and then glazed with a sweet sauce.

What is the Panda Express Beyond chicken made of? ›

Beyond's trademarked The Original Orange Chicken is made from plant-based protein instead of traditional animal meat. The dish is wok-tossed in "Panda's signature sweet, spicy and tangy orange sauce" and reportedly has a crunchy texture, according to Panda Express.

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