American Chinese Recipe
Sesame Chicken
Sesame chicken is a sweet-savory American Chinese fried chicken dish finished with a glossy sesame sauce and toasted sesame seeds.
Recipe at a glance
| Purpose | High-frequency Chinese restaurant menu dish |
| Cuisine or format | American Chinese |
| Menu variation rule | Protein may be adjusted without creating a separate recipe family. |
Ingredients
- 1 lb boneless chicken thighs
- 1 egg
- 1/2 cup cornstarch
- Oil for frying
- 2 tablespoons light soy sauce
- 2 tablespoons honey or sugar
- 1 tablespoon rice vinegar
- 1 teaspoon sesame oil
- 1/3 cup water
- Toasted sesame seeds
Method
- Coat chicken pieces with egg and cornstarch.
- Fry until crisp and cooked through.
- Simmer soy sauce, honey or sugar, vinegar, sesame oil, and water.
- Thicken lightly if needed.
- Toss chicken in sauce just before serving.
- Sprinkle with sesame seeds.
- Serve with rice.
Variations and substitutions
- For chicken, beef, shrimp, pork, tofu, or mixed seafood variants, keep the same sauce logic and adjust the cooking time for the protein.
- For allergies or religious dietary needs, check sauces, broth, wrappers, cooking wine, and shared wok or fryer use.
- For takeout-style dishes, sauce texture matters: the sauce should coat the food rather than become a thin soup.