Easy Sesame Chicken

This easy sesame chicken was simple to make, took less than 30 minutes to put on the table, and made my family’s lunch a little more special. I found this recipe on Crunch, Creamy, Sweet interesting because I had never tried frying the chicken pieces in a mixture of egg and cornstarch before, and I was curious to see how it turned out–it gave the chicken a really nice crisp texture. I loved how easy the recipe was to throw together, that it used ingredients I had on hand,  and that my family enjoyed it. This easy sesame chicken recipe paired nicely with garlic rice and Asian roasted broccoli.

Easy Sesame Chicken

Sauce:

• ½ cup low-sodium soy sauce ***Use ½ the amount if you have regular soy sauce, or it will be much too salty.
• ½ cup chicken broth ***Water can be substituted
• 3 tbsp packed brown sugar
• 2 tbsp rice vinegar
• 1 tbsp cornstarch
• 2 tsp toasted sesame seeds
• 1 tsp toasted sesame oil
• 3 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 tsp fresh ginger, minced

Chicken:

• 1 egg, well beaten
• 3 tbsp cornstarch
• Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
• 1 lb boneless, skinless chicken thighs or breasts, cut into bite-sized pieces
• 2 tbsp vegetable oil, divided
• Toasted sesame seeds, for garnish, if desired

How to Make Easy Sesame Chicken:

In a small bowl, whisk the low-sodium soy sauce, chicken broth, brown sugar, rice vinegar, cornstarch, sesame seeds, garlic, and ginger together until well combined. Set aside.

In a small bowl, whisk the egg with cornstarch and some freshly cracked pepper to taste, until well combined. Add the chicken pieces and coat.  

Heat 1 tablespoon of oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Place chicken, piece by piece, without overcrowding, in the hot skillet and cook on all sides until the batter is golden and slightly browned.

Remove the chicken to a plate, then add another tablespoon of vegetable oil to the hot skillet, then cook the remaining chicken until golden and slightly browned. Remove to the plate.

Wipe the excess oil from the skillet, then add the well-whisked sauce to the hot skillet. Cook for 1 minute, stirring constantly, then add the chicken and stir to coat the pieces evenly. Simmer for 2-3 minutes, or until the sauce has thickened.

Remove from the heat and sprinkle with more sesame seeds if desired, and serve immediately. Enjoy.