Sesame Chicken
- Bobbi Jo Lathan
- Jun 6
- 3 min read
This here is a quick and tasty way to prepare chicken breasts. It’s sweet and tart with just the right amount of heat. And, I LUV the crunchy texture and taste of the sesame seeds sprinkled on top. Dee-lish!
SESAME CHICKEN
Recipe by: Bobbi Jo Lathan
Recipe type: Entree
PREP TIME
20 mins
COOK TIME
20 mins
TOTAL TIME
40 mins
INGREDIENTS
3 boneless, skinless chicken breasts (cubed)
White rice (for serving. I used Basmati/ follow cooking instructions on the package)
Batter-marinade for chicken:
4 tablespoons flour (all-purpose)
4 tablespoons cornstarch
1 teaspoon baking soda
1 teaspoon baking powder
3 tablespoons Tanari Sauce (or low-sodium soy sauce)
1 teaspoon kosher salt
2 teaspoons sesame oil
6 tablespoons water
1 tablespoon dry sherry
Sauce for chicken:
3 tablespoons sesame oil
2 teaspoons fresh ginger (grated)
3 cloves garlic (minced or pressed)
1 teaspoon chili paste (or 1 ½ teaspoons red pepper flakes)
2 cups chicken broth (I always keep some fresh frozen broth left over from stewing chicken/ the dog eats stewed chicken with his crunchy food)
4 tablespoons cornstarch
1 cup water
¾ cup sugar (I have used brown sugar and it also worked well)
2 tablespoons sherry vinegar
2 tablespoon soy sauce
2 cups peanut oil (for frying-should come halfway up sides of skillet)
3 tablespoons sesame seeds (toasted-see below)
INSTRUCTIONS
For Batter-Marinade of Chicken:
1. Wash and pat dry them boneless chicken breasts and throw them on a cutting board and cut them evenly, into approximately 1- inch cubes.
2. Get yourself a large mixing bowl and add all the ingredients for the batter/marinade together: the flour, cornstarch, baking powder, baking soda, soy sauce, kosher salt, sesame oil, water, and sherry.
3. Now, whisk it all together until “used” (as Grandmama Watson used to say…meaning until it is well mixed and you can’t tell one ingredient from another).
4. Toss them chicken cubes you cut up into the batter/marinade and mix with a big spoon until all the chunks are well coated.
5. Place some plastic wrap or Press & Seal over the top of the bowl and refrigerate for about 30 minutes while you make the sauce and toast the sesame seeds.
Toasting the Sesame Seeds:
1. To toast the sesame seeds, just throw them into a heated non-stick fry pan. Toss ‘em around for 3-5 minutes until they go from blonde to light golden brown (careful not to burn and turn them bitter) and set the toasted sesame seeds aside for later.
For the Sauce:
1. In a large mixing bowl, add the chicken broth, cornstarch, water, sugar, sherry vinegar and soy sauce. Whisk until blended.
2. Next, in a large skillet, (one that’s big enough to add all the chicken pieces later) heat the sesame oil over a low heat.
3. Add the fresh ginger and fresh garlic and sauté for about 1 ½ to 2 minutes ‘til fragrant and add the chili paste and stir.
4. Now, as you add the chicken broth-cornstarch mixture to the garlic and ginger in the saucepan, (you can turn the heat up to medium) keep stirring or whisking constantly.
5. The mixture will begin to thicken due to the cornstarch and then become more clear in about 2 minutes. Once this happens, then reduce the heat to the lowest setting,(or place a lid over the cooked sauce and turn the heat off completely) while we fry up the chicken.
Frying the Chicken:
1. Remove your chicken-marinade out of the ice box.
2. In a cast iron skillet (or deep fryer) heat the peanut oil (which should be about halfway up the sides of the skillet).
3. Once the oil is bubbling (about 350ᵒ if you use a deep fryer-BUT frankly, cast-iron works better) then fry the chicken chunks a few at a time, turning them to cook evenly on all sides, until golden brown and crispy; about 5 minutes. You can work in batches.
4. Now, let the chicken drain on some paper towel or drain on a metal rack with a pan underneath, to remove any excess oil.
5. Once all the chicken pieces are fried and drained, add them all to your large skillet containing the sauce. Stir together until all the chicken is well coated.
6. Let this cook on a low setting for another 3-5 minutes so the chicken can take on the flavors of the sauce.
7. Then, serve your delicious Sesame Chicken over some fluffy white rice, and sprinkle with your toasted sesame seeds before serving to your very happy hungry guests!
