Sesame Chicken

- Serves 4
This Crispy Sesame Chicken is everything you love about a good Asian chicken dish — ultra-crunchy on the outside, tender inside, and coated in a glossy sweet–savory sauce that clings to every bite. Lightly marinated chicken is coated using a clever Taiwanese-style starch method and double-fried for maximum crunch. Tossed with fragrant garlic, ginger, chilies, and a sesame-rich glaze, this dish kicks sweet and sour pork out of the park.
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If you’re looking for a restaurant-quality crispy chicken recipe you can master at home, this is it. The coating stays crunchy, the sauce is perfectly balanced, and the whole dish comes together beautifully without deep-fryer fuss. It’s the kind of dish that disappears the moment it hits the table — crisp, sticky, spicy, sweet, and ridiculously satisfying.
sesame chicken recipe
Sesame Chicken

Ingredients for ​Sesame Chicken

​Marinade
  • 1 lb (450g) chicken thighs, cut into 1-inch cubes
  • 2 cloves garlic, grated
  • Black pepper, to taste
  • Generous pinch of white pepper
  • Generous sprinkle of five-spice powder
  • 1.5 tsp soy sauce
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 1/4 tsp baking soda
  • 1 egg white
  • 1/2 tbsp cornstarch, potato starch, or sweet potato starch
  • 1 cup sweet potato starch or potato starch (for coating)

Sauce
  • 2 tbsp honey
  • 3 tbsp brown sugar
  • 2.5 tbsp soy sauce
  • 3 tbsp water
  • 2.5 tbsp ketchup
  • 1 tbsp rice vinegar

Stir-Fry
  • 2 cloves garlic, chopped
  • 1 inch ginger, chopped
  • 2 dried red chilies, halved
  • 2 large fresh red chilies, slivered
  • 1/4 red or green bell pepper, thinly sliced
  • 2 tsp potato starch mixed with 2 tsp water (slurry)
  • 1 tbsp sesame oil
  • 1.5 tbsp toasted sesame seeds
  • Diced spring onion, for garnish​

Recipe
1. Marinate the chicken
Combine the chicken with garlic, soy sauce, salt, black pepper, white pepper, five-spice, baking soda, egg white, and starch. Mix well, cover, and rest for 15 minutes.

2. Prepare the starch coating
Place sweet potato or potato starch in a bowl. Mist lightly with water using a spray bottle, let sit for 10 seconds, then whisk. Repeat four times to create tiny crunchy granules.

3. Coat the chicken
Spread half the starch in a wide container. Spread chicken pieces one by one, top with the remaining starch, cover, and shake until evenly coated. Dust off excess starch.
Lightly toast the sesame seeds in your wok and set aside.

4. First fry
Heat oil to 380°F (190°C). Fry the chicken in batches for about 2 minutes, until pale and lightly crisp. Remove and drain.

5. Second fry
Rest the chicken for 15 minutes. Fry again at 380°F for 2–3 minutes until deeply golden and very crispy. Drain and set aside.

6. Make the sauce
Whisk together honey, brown sugar, soy sauce, water, ketchup, and rice vinegar. Heat 1 tbsp frying oil in a hot wok. Add garlic, ginger, and dried chilies; sauté until lightly browned. Pour in the sauce and bring to a boil. Stir in the slurry and cook until slightly thickened.

7. Combine
Add the fried chicken, fresh chilies, and bell peppers to the wok. Toss with sesame oil and toasted sesame seeds until everything is well-coated and glossy.
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8. Serve
Transfer to a plate and finish with spring onions and extra slivered chilies. Serve immediately while hot and crispy, alongside steamed rice.
For more delicious recipes, check out our upcoming hands-on cooking classes in Downtown Singapore.​
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