Crunchy Sesame Chicken Remix
E
By Emma
Certified Culinary Professional
•
Recipe tested & approved
Golden crispy chicken pieces coated with a corn starch-flour blend fried till crackly. Tossed in a bold sauce mixing sweet honey, tangy rice vinegar, soy, and a touch of heat from sriracha. Toasted sesame seeds bring nuttiness plus a little crunch on top. Quick egg wash binds the flour mix snug to the chicken. The sauce thickens slowly over gentle heat so it clings rather than pools. Comes together in about half an hour serving 6. Swap chicken thighs for breast if you want leaner bites. Use maple syrup instead of honey for a subtler sweetness. A no-fail approach to a craveworthy Asian-style fried chicken packed with texture and punch.
Prep:
12 min
Cook:
27 min
Total:
39 min
Servings:
6 servings
#fried chicken
#Asian cuisine
#crispy coating
#sesame seeds
#easy dinner
#spicy sauce
Crunchy pieces fried, not greasy. Chicken thighs are game for tender juicy bites, not rubbery breast dry-out. I’ve wasted good flour coats dropping eggs first, eggs last—the order matters, or you get bald spots. Toasted sesame seeds bring that firecracker crunch and nuttiness hot off the pan. Sauce sweet, sour, sharp, and spicy at subtle levels—maple syrup softens the punch from the original honey; don’t skip that sriracha kick, but tune to your heat tolerance. Toss chicken here, coat there, patience pays. Low and slow on sauce thickening, patience preaches in that step or it’s sappier mess. Really, the best flavors and textures come from knowing the signs—golden crust not burnt black edges, small tight bubbles in sauce, the soft crackle of seeds warmed just right. Fried chicken could be heartbreak but with these signals locked down, hits the spot every time.
Ingredients
- 3 tablespoons sesame seeds
- 3 large eggs
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
- ½ cup all purpose flour
- ¼ cup cornstarch
- 1 ½ pounds boneless skinless chicken thighs cut into bite sized pieces
- 2 cups neutral oil for frying (canola, vegetable)
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 3 garlic cloves minced
- ⅓ cup ketchup
- 3 tablespoons honey (maple syrup for twist)
- 3 tablespoons soy sauce
- 2 tablespoons brown sugar
- 2 tablespoons rice vinegar
- 1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil
- 1 teaspoon sriracha sauce
- 1 teaspoon cornstarch mixed with 3 tablespoons water (slurry)
- 2 sliced green onions for garnish
- steamed rice for serving (optional)
About the ingredients
Sesame seeds—watch like hawk; burn and bitter ruins finish. Eggs mixed with pepper salt bind flour better than plain water/milk. Flour and cornstarch combo is key; pure flour crust too dense. Cornstarch stands up to frying temps, keeps crust crunchy hours. Chicken thighs juicy, forgiving, less prone to dry out than breast. Oil: use neutral temps tolerate 350°F without smoking. Garlic flushes flavor, harsh burnt taste spoils sauce; cook gentle. Ketchup adds color sweetness, sub with tomato paste + sugar if needed. Honey is sweet but maple syrup tones flavor less floral, better with soy. Brown sugar adds deep caramel notes. Rice vinegar cuts richness. Sesame oil used sparingly adds toasted nuttiness. Chili sauce swapped for sriracha adds heat with flavor complexity. Cornstarch slurry thickens sauce forgivingly. Green onions bright fresh sharp garnish. Serve with rice balances richness.
Method
- Heat dry skillet over medium. Toss in sesame seeds. Stir while they start popping and smelling nutty, about 2 ½ minutes. Remove right away or they burn fast—set aside in bowl. Keeps seeds crunchy for topping later.
- In a medium bowl, beat eggs with salt and pepper till combined. This holds the flour mix tight on the chicken—skip and flour flakes off during frying, been there.
- In another bowl, whisk together flour and cornstarch evenly. Cornstarch is king here; makes crust crispy and light. If you don't have cornstarch swapping with potato starch works too. Keep mix loose—don't pack tightly or you'll get gummy coating.
- Pat chicken dry with paper towels. Starting in small batches so oil temp doesn't dip drastically, dunk pieces into egg wash. Let excess drip, then dredge in flour mix fully coating each piece. Shake off loose bits or excess flour catches in oil and burns. Arrange on sheet pan. Repeat till all coated.
- Heat oil in heavy skillet or Dutch oven over medium-high till 345-355°F. If no thermometer, test by dropping a small flour bit in—should dance and bubble aggressively but not smoke. Add 10-12 chicken pieces carefully, don’t crowd.
- Fry till deep golden, crispy, edges bubbling—about 4-6 minutes depending on size. Flip once halfway. Touch a piece—it should feel firm but springy inside. Fish out with slotted spoon, drain on wire rack set on a sheet pan to keep the bottom crisp, not soggy.
- Repeat in batches, maintaining oil temp between 340-350°F. Too cool and chicken absorbs oil greasy; too hot means burning flour before cooked through.
- While frying, heat olive oil in large skillet over medium-high. Toss in garlic. Stir and listen for sizzle. When golden and aromatic, about 2-4 minutes, drop heat to low.
- Whisk in ketchup, honey (switched to maple syrup here for gentler sweetness), soy sauce, brown sugar, rice vinegar, sesame oil, sriracha. Slowly stir in cornstarch slurry. Almost no lumps, coats whisk smoothly. Keep on low heat. Sauce thickens gradually; bubbles tiny and slow—don’t rush or it breaks.
- Once sauce is glossy and kind of sticks to pan when pulled with spoon, fold in fried chicken pieces. Toss so every chunk wears sauce like a jacket but not dripping.
- Plate chicken, sprinkle toasted sesame seeds and sliced green onions over top. Serve over hot steamed rice or alone for snack mode. Extra sauce? Use as dipping or drizzle over veg.
- Cleanup note: while oil is still warm but safe, strain and save for reuse if clean and fresh. Frying multiple batches wastes too much oil otherwise.
Cooking tips
Toast seeds first dry pan over medium—smell nutty in 2-3 mins tops, or bitter burnt if left. Egg bath with salt pepper improves seasoning baseline and adhesion. Flour mix neat with cornstarch, no lumps critical. Dry chicken skin surfaces for better cling; excess moisture wrecks crust. Coat chicken first egg, then flour; flip till coated evenly. Shake off excess; too much flour covers leading to burnt taste. Oil heated to 345-355°F vital. Use thermometer or small flour drop test—the way bubbles behave tells. Fry in small batches to keep temp stable, gain crisp crust. Cook till golden brown, edges crackle; firm feel when pressed. Drain on wire rack not towels to avoid sogginess. Garlic softened, cooked till golden, not burnt ensures aromatic base with no bitterness. Sauce ingredients combined after garlic; slurry added last to slowly thicken over gentle heat. Low simmer visible with small bubbles. Toss chicken off heat into sauce, fold swiftly to coat, no soaking. Serve garnished with seeds and greens. Key problems: burnt garlic—discard and start; burnt seeds—replace; soggy chicken—check oil temp and drying prep; lumps in sauce—whisk slurry well before adding; sauce too thin—continue simmer carefully; over thick—thin with water incrementally.
Chef's notes
- 💡 Toast sesame seeds dry but stay sharp on smell and color. Nutty pop sound cues readiness; 2-3 mins at medium heat tops. Burnt seeds hit bitter bitter hard; discard and start fresh. Quick removal from pan prevents carryover heat cooking evil. Keep seed crunch intact for topping layer texture contrast at end.
- 💡 Egg wash with kosher salt and black pepper does double duty—moisture and subtle seasoning. Skip salt-pepper at risk of bland spots or flour flaking off frying. Salt boosts umami, pepper cuts sweetness slightly; don't overdo or mask sauce layers. Beat until smooth but gently, not frothy, keeps coat even and sticks well.
- 💡 Flour to cornstarch ratio key; cornstarch crunch beats pure flour dullness almost every time. Swapping cornstarch for potato starch okay but texture differs—potato starch absorbs more moisture, crunch softer. Keep flour mix loose, no packing. Clumps gum up coating, flip to dry patchy breading. Cornstarch high heat tolerance guards crisp hours after frying.
- 💡 Dry chicken pieces thoroughly; paper towels your friend here. Wet skin means slipping flour, soggy final crust from steam trapped between. Coat in egg wash first, then dredge evenly in dry mix. Excess flour clumps burn in oil fast; tap off lightly or bits blacken pockets. Arrange coated on sheet pan before frying to avoid sticking each other.
- 💡 Oil temperature critical—345 to 355°F. Without thermometer test with flour chunk. Should sizzle, dance, bubble fast—if smoke or no bubbles, temp’s off. Fry small batches so oil stays steady; overcrowding plummets heat, greasy chicken results. Flip once mid-way for even browning; edges crackle when done. Texture cues better than clock minutes always.
- 💡 Sauce garlic needs patience. Golden, soft, fragrant—not browned or dark. Burnt garlic dumps harsh bitter into whole pan. Add condiments after garlic softens; stir slowly. Cornstarch slurry last, low heat only brought up slowly avoids lumps. Sauce bubbles tiny and slow—keep low simmer or sauce breaks, dull matte instead of glossy sticky coating.
- 💡 Toss fried chicken off-heat into sauce. Quick toss coats without dripping sauce pools. Sauce thickness balances cling not drowning. Sauce too thick? Add spoon water. Too thin? Simmer longer; patience beats dumping more slurry—risks gummy mess. Keep texture glossy like velvet, sauce should glaze skin not soak through crumb.
- 💡 Final garnish with toasted sesame seeds and sliced green onions right at plating. Seeds bring fresh crunch contrast; green onions add sharp green pop brightens plate visually and cuts richness. Serve with steamed rice optional but soaks sauce nicely adds clean neutral buffer for bold flavors hitting together.
Common questions
How to tell sesame seeds toasted enough?
Watch heat—not too hot. Smell nutty aroma after 2 minutes. Seeds start subtle pop sound and color light brown. Left too long get dark brown spots, bitterness. Stop right when scent peaks. Use fine mesh spatula to stir frequently. Immediate removal prevents ruin.
Can I use chicken breast instead of thighs?
Yes but dry risk high. Breast lacks fat, dries faster. Brine or marinade recommended for moisture. Cook shorter time, watch texture closely. Thighs forgive more abuse with juiciness. Adjust frying temperature lower slightly if breast used; avoid overcooking. Texture trade-off for leaner meat is real.
What if sauce lumps up?
Usually slurry mixing or heat too high. Mix slurry well before adding. Add slowly whisk constantly. Heat low to medium-low only after slurry. If lumps form, strain sauce or whisk vigorously. Sometimes, start sauce again if very clumpy. Patience pressing is key; rushing breaks sauce structure.
How to store leftover fried chicken?
Cool completely on rack, prevent trap steam sog. Store airtight in fridge max 3 days. Reheat oven 350°F or air fryer; keeps crust crispier vs microwave steams and sogs. Sauce stored separately prolongs crisp. Can freeze in sealed bags up to one month, thaw overnight fridge before reheating.
