Need a fast chicken dinner that beats Chinese takeout? This easy honey sesame chicken recipe is ready in 30 minutes with a sweet and savory sesame sauce. Each bite is crispy, sticky, and packed with honey sesame flavor.
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Since I was a little girl, I've always had a thing for honey and sesame flavors. They complement each other perfectly, especially with chicken. This Chinese honey sesame chicken uses my go-to saucy fried chicken method, but I use less sugar because I find restaurant versions way too sweet.
After testing different amounts of white sugar and honey, I found that using less white sugar and more honey creates a thick, glossy sauce without making it overly sweet. I also found that evenly coating the chicken in cornstarch and letting the crust set before flipping keeps it crispy without using a ton of oil.
Why It Works
- Cornstarch Crust: A dry cornstarch coating creates a light, crisp crust without a wet batter.
- Hot Oil: A heavy-bottomed pan and small batches keep the oil at 325-350°F, preventing a soggy coating.
- Quick Glazing: Adding the honey sesame sauce at the end coats the chicken without giving it time to soften.
Ingredients & Substitutes
Exact ingredient amounts are listed in the recipe card at the bottom of this page.
- Chicken Thighs: Boneless, skinless thighs stay juicy during frying. Chicken breast also works but will be leaner.
- Vegetable Oil: Choose a high-smoke-point oil for frying. Canola and avocado oil work too.
- Salt
- Cornstarch: Creates the crispy coating. Potato starch works too, but avoid tapioca or arrowroot starch because the chicken pieces can stick together.
- Green Onions
Honey Sesame Sauce
- Plain Liquid Honey
- Regular Soy Sauce: Light soy sauce works too.
- Toasted Sesame Oil: Use the toasted kind for its stronger nutty flavor, not the untoasted kind.
- White Granulated Sugar: Granulated cane sugar works too.
- Toasted Sesame Seeds: Look for "toasted" or "roasted" seeds, or toast raw sesame seeds in a dry pan until fragrant.
- Cornstarch: Thickens the sauce so it clings to the chicken. Potato or tapioca starch also works.
- Shaoxing Wine: Dry sherry or dry white wine works too.
- Garlic: Fresh garlic works best here; jarred minced garlic can taste milder.
- Rice Vinegar: Avoid white vinegar because it can taste too sharp. Apple cider vinegar works for a milder tang.
- Cold Water
Note: Most Asian ingredients are typically found at Asian grocery stores, or you can check online.
Expert Tips
- Press on the coating: Gently press the chicken into the cornstarch to form rough edges that crisp up well.
- Remove excess starch: Shake off any loose cornstarch so it doesn't fall into the oil and burn.
- Fry right after coating: Don't let the chicken sit, or the cornstarch can turn damp and soggy.
Instructions
Below are step-by-step instructions on how to make honey sesame chicken:
- Whisk the Sauce: In a small bowl, whisk the listed sauce ingredients until combined and the sugar fully dissolves. Set aside.
- Prepare the Chicken: Dice the chicken thighs into even 1.5-inch pieces. Don't pat them dry; the natural surface moisture helps the cornstarch stick. Transfer to a large bowl and season evenly with salt.
- Coat the Chicken: Add cornstarch to the chicken and toss until evenly coated. If wet spots remain, add 1-2 tablespoons more cornstarch as needed.
- Fry Chicken: Heat the oil in a large, heavy-bottomed pan over medium-high heat to 350°F. Fry the chicken in small batches for 5-7 minutes total, keeping the oil at 325-350°F. Don't move the chicken until the bottom is golden and the crust has set; then flip and fry until the other side is golden and the chicken reaches 165°F. Between batches, return the oil to 350°F and remove browned bits. Transfer to a wire rack to keep the crust crisp.
- Simmer the Sauce: Remove any remaining oil from the pan. Whisk the sauce again and pour it into the pan. Simmer over medium heat for about 30 seconds, or until thick enough to coat the back of a spoon.
- Coat and Garnish: Add the fried chicken and toss just until evenly coated. Remove from the heat immediately and garnish with green onions and sesame seeds.
Variations
- Gluten-Free: Swap soy sauce for certified gluten-free tamari and replace Shaoxing wine with dry sherry.
- Spicy: Add 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes to the sauce for a kick.
Pairing Suggestions
Serve crispy honey sesame chicken with:
- Crab Rangoon: Creamy and crispy against the sweet, savory chicken.
- Lo Mein: Savory noodles make it a filling meal.
- Spicy Garlic Bok Choy: Garlicky bok choy and chili balance the sweet sauce.
Storage & Reheating
- Refrigerator: Store the chicken and sauce separately in airtight containers for up to 3 days to keep the chicken crisp.
- Freezer: Freeze the chicken and sauce separately in airtight, freezer-safe containers for up to 2 months, then thaw overnight in the refrigerator.
- Reheating: If stored together, air fry at 350°F for about 8 minutes or bake at 400°F for about 12 minutes, until hot throughout; if stored separately, air fry the chicken at 350°F for about 5 minutes or bake at 400°F for about 8 minutes, then warm the sauce over low heat with a splash of water and toss together.
FAQ
The oil was likely too cool, the pan was overcrowded, or the coated chicken sat too long before frying. Keep the oil at 325-350°F and fry the chicken right after coating.
The sauce was likely cooked too long. Stir in a small splash of water over low heat until thick and glossy again.
Yes. Lightly spray the air fryer basket with oil and arrange the coated chicken in a single layer. Spray the chicken with oil and air fry at 400°F for about 10-14 minutes, flipping halfway, until golden and crispy and the internal temperature reaches 165°F. Simmer the sauce separately until thickened, then toss with the chicken just before serving.
More Like This
Check out these other chicken recipes:
📖 Recipe
Easy Honey Sesame Chicken Recipe (30 Minutes)
Ingredients
- 1 lb skinless boneless chicken thighs
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ¼ cup cornstarch
- ⅓ cup vegetable oil or any neutral oil
- ½ green onion finely chopped
Honey Sesame Sauce:
- ½ cup honey
- 2.5 tablespoon regular soy sauce or light soy sauce
- 2 tablespoon sesame oil toasted kind
- ½ tablespoon white granulated sugar
- 1 tablespoon sesame seeds toasted kind
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
- 3 garlic cloves minced
- 2 teaspoon Shaoxing Cooking Wine or dry sherry
- 2 teaspoon rice vinegar
- ¾ cup water cold
Instructions
- In a small bowl, whisk the listed sauce ingredients until combined and the sugar fully dissolves. Set aside.
- Dice the chicken thighs into even 1.5-inch pieces. Don't pat them dry; the natural surface moisture helps the cornstarch stick. Transfer to a large bowl and season evenly with salt.
- Add cornstarch to the chicken and toss until evenly coated. If wet spots remain, add 1-2 tablespoons more cornstarch as needed.
- Heat the oil in a large, heavy-bottomed pan over medium-high heat to 350°F. Fry the chicken in small batches for 5-7 minutes total, keeping the oil at 325-350°F. Don't move the chicken until the bottom is golden and the crust has set; then flip and fry until the other side is golden and the chicken reaches 165°F. Between batches, return the oil to 350°F and remove browned bits. Transfer to a wire rack to keep the crust crisp.
- Remove any remaining oil from the pan. Whisk the sauce again and pour it into the pan. Simmer over medium heat for about 30 seconds, or until thick enough to coat the back of a spoon.
- Add the fried chicken and toss just until evenly coated. Remove from the heat immediately and garnish with green onions and sesame seeds.
Rosa
Our whole family loved this - great flavour and easy to make. Served with steamed greens. Can see this being a regular in our house!
Christie Lai
Thanks so much for making my recipe and for sharing your positive experience with it, Rosa! Glad you and the whole family enjoyed it!
Vince
It was very good. Super easy even for a beginner like me. Wife loved it.
Christie Lai
This makes me so happy to hear, thank you so much for making my recipe Vince! Glad your wife enjoyed it 🙂
Anastasia
Loved it, super easy recipe to follow & family loved it. Will be adding this to the recipe book
Christie Lai
Thank you so much for making my recipe and for leaving this kind review, Anastasia! So glad you and your family enjoyed it!
Sal
Great recipe, easy to make
christieathome
So happy to read this, thanks for making my recipe!
Joelle
My husband and I enjoyed this. It was on the sweeter side even with leaving out the sugar because I didn’t have the wine and substituted mirin. But all around, you should be expecting a sweeter dish (as advertised) and therefore this did not disappoint!
christieathome
Great to hear and glad you enjoyed my recipe, Joelle! Thanks for making it!
Michelle
This was delicious! I made it for dinner and I'm already sharing it! It was as sweet as I thought it would be (so much honey!) but the wine and vinegar make a huge difference. Absolutely saving this recipe and trying your others!
christieathome
Thanks so much Michelle for making and sharing my recipe! Glad you enjoyed my Honey Sesame Chicken. Yes that wine and vinegar really help create balance 🙂 I hope you enjoy my other recipes too! Have a lovely day.
Christiana L
I tried so many of your recipes and all of them were amazing and so flavored and delicious, my kids love them too! Your recipes made family dinners happier and more fulfilling for us! Thank you 🙂
christieathome
This is by far the sweetest comment I've ever received here on my blog! Thank you SO MUCH for making my recipes and for sharing this kind message with me. One of my goals is to make family meals more fulfilling in taste and in joy 🙂 Have a lovely day Christiana!
Tim
Very tasty but far to sweet. I'd leave the sugar out next time for sure
christieathome
Sorry to hear it's too sweet for your liking. Thank you for making my recipe!
Rosemary Gainey
This is a wonderful recipe! Will def make it many times for family dinners with grands! I added the Chinese udon noodles and in a separate pan stir fried chopped red pepper, onion, shredded carrots with a cup of green peas to make a complete meal. SOOOOO good!! Thank you for sharing this!
christieathome
Thanks so much for making my Honey Sesame Chicken, Rosemary! I'm so happy to hear you enjoyed it with udon noodles in a delicious stir fry! I am drooling as I read your comment!
Melissa
I wish I could give this more than 5 stars!! The sauce is delicious and yummy, so easy to make. So many are tomato based and even just a little changes the sauce. This was SPOT on for an Asian sauce that we enjoyed. Now that I've made it, I'll do it again and add some heat, mushrooms and some water chestnuts, even though that changes the main recipe. I fried half in a pan with oil and the other half I did in the air fryer. Going air fryer all the way next time. Thank you for this!
christieathome
Thank you so much for these kind words and for making my recipe, Melissa!! I'm so glad you enjoyed the dish and happy you liked the sauce so much 🙂 Have a lovely day!
Jacquie
Fab recipe. Easy and delicious. Helps us avoid ordering takeaways
christieathome
Thank you for making my recipe! So glad to hear this Jacquie!
Rosemary
I have everything for this honey sesame chicken except for the Chinese wine! What could I use instead?
Heidi | The Frugal Girls
Mmmm, your honey sesame sauce is so perfect... and pairing this chicken with some steamed bok choy is so perfect!
Tasia ~ two sugar bugs
This one looks so darn good Christie! The honey sesame sauce has my name written all over it!
Josiah - DIY Thrill
This Honey Sesame Chicken looks irresistible such a great weeknight meal idea!
Michelle | Sift & Simmer
This looks like the perfect weeknight meal! Way better than take-out! Yum! 🙂