This baked sesame chicken recipe yields deliciously crispy, juicy, and flavorful chicken—without the need for deep-frying! We toss it in a slightly sweet, savory sauce that tastes just like restaurant-style sesame chicken.
Ingredients
For the chicken:
- 1 pound boneless skinless chicken thighs - cut into 1-inch/3cm chunks
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
- 1 teaspoon sesame paste
- ¼ teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon Shaoxing wine
- ¼ cup all purpose flour
- 2 tablespoons toasted sesame seeds
- ⅛ teaspoon fresh ground white pepper
For the sauce:
- 2 teaspoons canola oil
- 1 clove garlic - minced
- 1 tablespoon Shaoxing wine
- ¾ cup chicken stock
- ½ teaspoon rice wine vinegar
- 3 tablespoons sugar
- 1 tablespoon soy sauce
- 1 teaspoon dark soy sauce
- 2 teaspoons sesame oil
- 2 tablespoons cornstarch - mixed into a slurry with 2 tablespoons/30 ml water
- 1 scallion - chopped
Instructions
Marinate the chicken:
- Mix the chicken with the cornstarch, sesame paste, salt, and Shaoxing wine and set aside for 20 minutes to marinate.
- Mix the flour, sesame seeds, and white pepper in a separate bowl.
- Preheat the oven to 475°F/250°C.
Dredge and bake the chicken:
- Use your hands to mix the marinated chicken again until there is no standing liquid.
- Dredge the chicken pieces in the dry mixture, and place them on a sheet pan lined with parchment paper or nonstick foil.
- Bake at 475 degrees for 8 minutes on the top rack.
- Flip the chicken pieces and broil on low for 3 minutes until golden brown. Remove from oven.
Make the sauce:
- Heat your wok to medium heat and add the oil and garlic.
- Stir for 5 seconds, and then add the Shaoxing wine.
- After another 5 seconds, immediately add the chicken stock, rice wine vinegar, sugar, soy sauces, and sesame oil until everything’s at a simmer.
- Gradually add the cornstarch slurry to the sauce while stirring constantly. Let simmer for 20 seconds. The sauce should be thick enough to coat a spoon.
Finish and serve:
- Add the chicken and scallions and toss until coated with sauce.
- Garnish with toasted sesame seeds and serve.