Crispy, pan-fried chicken tossed with a sticky, glossy sauce makes this 30-minute honey sesame chicken a surefire favorite the whole family will love. Serve with steamed rice, air fryer fried rice, or veggies for a better-than-takeout night in that rivals your favorite restaurant.
Honey Sesame Chicken, at a Glance
⏰ Time: 30 minutes
🍽️ Makes: 4 servings
🛒 Key Ingredients: Chicken thighs, honey, light soy sauce, sesame oil, cornstarch, garlic
🧠 Skill Level: Easy
💪 Protein: 28g per serving
🥡 Serve With: Steamed rice, air fryer fried rice, steamed or pan-fried Asian greens
💃 Perfect For: Better-than-takeout nights, quick weeknight meals, when you’re craving something sticky and saucy
A Sticky, Saucy Bowl of Joy
Sweet and sour was always my favorite take-out order as a child, and this lovely recipe feels like a slightly more sophisticated version of that icon.
Served with steamed rice, fresh scallions, and cilantro, it makes for a very speedy, better-than-takeout dinner that’s perfect for weeknights. You could also stuff the chicken into fluffy steamed bao buns or pile them on top of two-ingredient dough garlic naan with a crunchy Asian-style slaw for a different, fun twist on the recipe. Or go all out on the better-than-takeout night and pair it with this super easy air fryer fried rice.
Traditionally, the chicken is battered and deep-fried, but here we’re pan-frying them instead. It works just as well, and the cornstarch coating helps create a light, crispy crust, without the stress and faff of deep-frying.
Ingredients You’ll Need
- Chicken thighs. Use skinless, boneless, and free-range chicken thighs. I like to use this cut because thighs are juicier than chicken breasts or tenders, but you can use them if you prefer.
- Vegetable oil. You can use any neutral oil with a high smoke point to cook your chicken pieces – sunflower, canola, peanut, or avocado are good options. Just stay away from extra virgin olive oil as it can burn.
- Cornstarch (cornflour). This ingredient serves two purposes – it gives the chicken a light and crispy crust, and it’s also used to thicken up the honey sesame sauce. If you can’t find it, use regular plain flour.
- The sauce. Use maple syrup instead of honey if you don’t have honey, and swap the rice vinegar for regular white wine vinegar or apple cider vinegar.
How to Make Honey Sesame Chicken
This is a step-by-step photo overview of how to make the chicken – the full ingredients list, with quantities and instructions, is at the bottom of the page for you.
- Toss your chicken pieces with cornstarch and a little salt.
- Mix the ingredients for your honey sesame sauce in a small bowl.
- Pan-fry the chicken in a little vegetable oil until golden all over, then remove it from the pan.
- Pour the honey sesame sauce into the pan, and cook, stirring, until sticky, thick, and glossy.
- Add the chicken pieces back into the pan, and toss them through the gorgeous sauce.
- Serve the chicken over rice, then sprinkle with more sesame seeds, sliced scallions, and cilantro.
Watch How to Make Honey Sesame Chicken
Honey Sesame Chicken FAQs
You can – the chicken just may not be quite as juicy – it’s a leaner cut.
You can, and it keeps well for 3 days, stored in the fridge in a covered container. You won’t retain any crispiness on your chicken after storing it in the sauce, so just keep that in mind. You can also freeze it, then defrost it in the microwave (or overnight in the fridge).
I love to add steamed Asian greens (like pak choi or bok choi), or you could toss steamed or broiled broccoli through the sauce with the chicken to add extra greens.
Like this recipe? Try these better-than-takeout ideas next
If you make this recipe, I’d love to hear from you! You can leave a recipe rating and a comment below. And remember to tag @DishedByKate on Instagram, Facebook and TikTok if you’ve made one of my recipes. Seeing your recreations really makes my day 😊.
30 Minute Honey Sesame Chicken
Ingredients
Method
- Make the rice (optional). Add 1 cup of rice, 1 teaspoon of salt and 1 ½ cups of water to a small saucepan and set it over high heat. Once you see the water starting to look foamy on top, pop a lid on the pan (or use a wooden board or plate), turn the heat to low, and let it cook for 10 minutes. After 10 minutes, remove the pan from the heat (still with the lid on) and let it sit until you're ready to serve.
- Prepare the chicken.Chop the chicken thighs into bite-sized pieces, then add them to a large bowl. Add ½ teaspoon of salt and ¼ cup of cornstarch, then toss to coat the chicken well. Set aside.
- Mix the sauce.Add ¼ cup of honey, 2 tablespoons of light soy sauce, 2 tablespoons of sesame oil, 3 crushed garlic cloves, 1 tablespoon of sesame seeds, 1 tablespoon of rice vinegar, 1 tablespoon of cornstarch, and ½ cup of water to a small bowl. Use a fork to whisk together and combine, then set aside.
- Cook the chicken. Set a large, high-sided frying pan or skillet over high heat, then add 2 tablespoons of vegetable oil. Once it’s hot, add the chicken and cook for about 5 minutes on each side, until it's starting to look golden.You may need to do this in batches, depending on the size of your pan. Remove the chicken with a slotted spoon and set it aside on a wire rack above a tray, or just on a plate.
- Mix the chicken with the sauce.Discard the excess oil from the pan, give the sauce a mix, then add it to the pan and set the heat to medium. Bring the sauce to a simmer and stir for a couple of minutes as it thickens up. Return the cooked chicken to the pan, then toss it through the sauce so every piece is well coated.
- Garnish and serve. If you're serving the chicken with rice, divide your cooked rice between plates. Top with the sticky chicken, then finish with the sliced scallions, cilantro leaves, and the remaining tablespoon of sesame seeds. Enjoy right away.
Delicious! I tossed in some broccoli for a bit of green and it worked perfectly