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This Honey Sesame Chicken will be your new favorite weeknight dinner.  

Honey Sesame Chicken is our go to weeknight meal.  It is so delicious and better than takeout!  Tender chicken gets a light batter and fried up golden before getting tossed in a sweet and savory sauce made of sesame oil, honey, soy sauce and seasonings.  This is always a family favorite.

There is nothing I love more an easy copycat takeout dinner that comes together quickly and everyone will love and this chicken fits the bill.

I love that it comes together so fast, just quickly pan fry some the chicken in a light batter and then whip up that delicious sauce with that sweetness of the honey. Just a few ingredients and you will have a delicious, flavorful dinner that tastes better than takeout.  Whenever I find a dinner that everyone in my house eats I get excited!  This one is definitely a crowd-pleaser!  This copycat recipe is tasty and quick!

This chicken is perfectly crisp and tender and the sauce is amazingly delicious. This cooks up in a flavorful savory honey sesame sauce of honey, ketchup, garlic, soy sauce and of course sesame oil and sesame seeds for that pop of sesame flavor that really takes this dish to the next level.  I love the sticky sauce, it is perfect over rice!

I love that you can customize this to your family’s taste, make it spicy or sweeter, add your favorite veggies, you can totally make this recipe your own.  The sauce ingredients can be doubled if you want it saucier. 

Can we also take a minute to talk about how budget-friendly this dinner is?  Everyone is feeling the pinch with the grocery bill right now and you can’t get much cheaper than a little chicken over rice. This is so much more affordable than picking up the phone and ordering out again.  So this is a fabulous dinner when you are trying to save a few pennies.

Next time you want a copycat takeout dinner even the pickiest kids will love throw these ingredients together and in no time you will have an amazing dinner the whole family will love.  

I promise your entire family will love this Honey Sesame Chicken recipe. 

You will want to make this dinner again and again! We do!

You will love this recipe because it is

• Easy and fast.
• Family-friendly.
• Budget-friendly.
• Full of flavor.
• Easy weeknight meal.
• Great copycat.
• Takeout favorite.
• Easy chicken recipe.

Gather your ingredients.

Coat the chicken pieces.

Fry the chicken until golden and whisk up the sauce.

Cook the sauce until nice and thick.

Serve!

Can I substitute pork?

Yes, you could use boneless pork bites. 

What should I serve this with?

This is really good over rice, white rice, brown rice or fried rice would be great with this.  Steamed veggies or some roasted broccoli or garlic green beans would be great along side this. 

Can I make this spicier?

You can add red pepper flakes or sriracha to give this a kick. 

Can I add veggies?

Yes!  Broccoli, sugar snap peas or carrots would all be great in this. 

 

Ingredients used

• Chicken tenderloins –  You can also use skinless chicken breasts or boneless chicken thighs if you prefer.
• Vegetable oil –  You just want a light-flavored oil to fry in. 
• Eggs – This helps create the tempura-like batter.
• Cornstarch –  Corn starch is what gives the batter it’s lightness.
• Minced garlic – You can use fresh or jarred garlic, either will be delicious!
• Honey –  The star of the show so use a good one!
• Soy sauce –  I prefer to use lite soy sauce to cut back on the sodium content.
• Ketchup – I know it sounds a little weird in this recipe but ketchup makes a perfect base for the sauce.
• Vinegar –  You always need a little vinegar for a tangy balance. You can use apple cider vinegar, white or rice vinegar.
• Brown sugar –  Brown sugar adds more sweetness but helps the sauce really caramelize. 
• Sesame oil – Adds so much great sesame flavor. 
• Sesame seeds-  Of course you need these to top the dish!
• Green onions- I love garnishing this dish with green onions, they add such a pop of flavor. 

How to make this Honey Sesame Chicken

 

1. Meanwhile cut your chicken tenderloins into bite-sized pieces of chicken.
2. In a large bowl combine the 2 eggs and ½ cup cornstarch. 
3. Add the chicken to the egg mixture and stir to coat.
4. In a large skillet over medium high heat up about an inch of oil.
5. Once the oil is hot add the chicken in a single layer.
6. Fry until brown on each side and cooked through and golden brown.
7. Remove the crispy chicken pieces to a paper towel lined plate.
8. Repeat with the rest of the chicken.
9. Discard the oil from the pan.
10. In a mixing bowl combine the 1 teaspoon of vegetable oil, garlic, honey, soy sauce, ketchup, vinegar, brown sugar, sesame oil and 2 teaspoons of cornstarch. 
11. Add the sauce to your skillet over medium heat and whisk until it comes up to a slight bubble and starts to thicken. 
12. Remove from heat and toss your chicken in with the sauce. 
13. Garnish with sesame seeds and scallions
14. Serve!
15. Store leftovers in an airtight container for up to 3 days. The leftovers are great the next day.

Want more chicken Recipes? Check these out!

• Slow Cooker Chicken Ramen
• Slow Cooker Chicken Lo Mein
• Slow Cooker Orange Chicken
• Slow Cooker Kung Pao Chicken
• Slow Cooker Sweet and Sour Chicken

Honey Sesame Chicken

Yield: 4-6

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 20 minutes

Total Time: 30 minutes

Honey Sesame Chicken is our go to weeknight meal.  It is so delicious and better than takeout!  Tender chicken gets a light batter and fried up golden before getting tossed in a sweet and savory sauce made of sesame oil, honey, soy sauce and seasonings.  This is always a family favorite.

Print

Ingredients

• 1.5 pounds chicken tenderloins
• Vegetable oil for frying
• 2 eggs
• ½ cup cornstarch
• 1 teaspoon vegetable oil
• 2 teaspoons minced garlic
• ⅓ cup honey
• ⅓ cup lite soy sauce
• ⅓ cup ketchup
• 2 tablespoons vinegar (white, rice wine or apple cider)
• 3 tablespoons brown sugar
• 1 tablespoon sesame oil
• 2 teaspoons cornstarch
• Sesame seeds and scallions for topping

Instructions

1. Meanwhile cut your chicken tenderloins into bite size pieces.
2. In a large bowl combine the 2 eggs and ½ cup cornstarch. 
3. Add the chicken to the cornstarch mixture and stir to coat.
4. In a large skillet over medium high heat up about an inch of oil.
5. Once the oil is hot add the chicken in a single layer.
6. Fry until brown on each side and cooked through.
7. Remove the chicken to a paper towel lined plate.
8. Repeat with the rest of the chicken.
9. Discard the oil from the pan.
10. In a mixing bowl combine the 1 teaspoon of vegetable oil, garlic, honey, soy sauce, ketchup, vinegar, brown sugar, sesame oil and 2 teaspoons of cornstarch. 
11. Add the sauce to your skillet over medium heat and whisk until it comes up to a slight bubble and starts to thicken. 
12. Remove from heat and toss your chicken in with the sauce. 
13. Garnish with sesame seeds and scallions
14. Serve!

Notes

• You can use boneless skinless chicken thighs if you prefer. 
• Add a dash of red pepper flake for a little heat.
• Store leftovers in refrigerator for up to 3 days.

Nutrition Information:

Yield: 6 Serving Size: 1
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 430Total Fat: 13gSaturated Fat: 3gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 10gCholesterol: 158mgSodium: 1002mgCarbohydrates: 37gFiber: 1gSugar: 24gProtein: 40g