• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to footer navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar

RecipeTin Eats

Fast Prep, Big Flavours

  • My RecipeTin
  • Recipes
  • Recipes By Category
    • Mains
      • Chicken
        • Chicken mince
      • Beef Recipes
        • Ground Beef (Mince)
      • Pork
      • Lamb
      • Turkey
      • Shrimp / Prawns
      • Salmon
      • Fish
      • Salad Meals
    • Soups
    • One Pot
    • Slow Cooker
    • Sides
      • All
      • Vegetables
      • Show Off Salads
      • Rice
      • Potato
    • Pasta
      • All
      • Pasta bakes
      • Pasta salads
    • Sweet
      • Cake recipes
      • Cupcakes & Muffins
      • Cookies
      • Puddings & Cosy Desserts
      • Bite Size
      • Pies
      • Slices & Bars
      • Frosting & Icing
    • Cuisine
      • Asian
        • All
        • Stir fries
        • Noodles
        • Soups
        • Chinese
        • Japanese
        • Thai
        • Vietnamese
      • French
      • Greek
      • Indian
      • Italian
      • Mediterranean
      • Mexican
      • Middle Eastern
      • South American
    • Dietary
      • Gluten Free
      • Low Calorie
      • Vegetarian
    • Other Categories
      • BBQ
      • Breakfast
      • Burgers
      • Cocktails
      • Party Foods
      • Rice Recipes
      • Roasts
      • Sandwiches & Sliders
  • ✨Party✨
  • Collections
  • About
    • Me
    • Free Recipe Books
    • Contact
    • eBooks
      • The Food Photography Book
      • Chicken Wings Cookbook
    • Food Bloggers Central
    • Nitty Gritty
      • Policy: Use of Recipes & Images
      • Privacy & Disclosure
Home Quick and Easy

Easy Chinese Honey Sesame Chicken

By:Nagi
Published:22 Feb '16Updated:16 Dec '20
113 Comments
Recipe v

Easy crispy oven baked Chinese Chicken tossed in a sticky honey sesame sauce. Who needs takeout Honey Sesame Chicken when it’s faster and so much healthier to make at home?

Plate of Chinese Honey Sesame Chicken

Chinese Honey Sesame Chicken isn’t huge in Australia. In fact, I rarely see it on Chinese restaurant menus. My first experience was at a hotel buffet (don’t judge me!) in New York. Then in Vegas. (Ok, judge me!)

To this day, I remain perplexed why Honey Sesame Chicken hasn’t made it to our shores. Along with Kung Pao Chicken, which still isn’t huge here though I have seen it on the odd menu in Chinatown.

I mean, crispy chicken tossed in a sweet salty sauce loaded with sesame flavours. Hello. Australia. What is wrong with us? We need to start a Honey Sesame Chicken Revolution.

Honey Sesame Chicken is usually deep fried which gives it a lovely crunchy coating. I don’t deep fry for midweek meals. Too much effort, too much mess, and my waistline can’t afford it.

So this is how I make Honey Sesame Chicken for a midweek meal – by baking it. MOST of the crunch. All of the flavour. Don’t you think this looks lovely and crispy??

Easy Chinese Honey Sesame Chicken - BAKED, not deep fried, this chicken is coated in a gorgeous sticky irresistible sauce!

Dusted Chinese Honey Sesame Chicken before and after baking

One key thing I do to make this nice and crispy – I use chunky strips of chicken rather than small pieces. This way, I can bake and broil/grill it long enough to make it crispy without the chicken shrivelling up into miserable dried chicken.

Then you toss it in the gorgeous sticky sauce….

Pouring sauce over Chinese Honey Sesame Chicken

…then you sprinkle over more sesame seeds (this is Sesame Chicken after all!) and a fresh sprinkle of shallots/scallions….(PS excuse the very pudgy Baby Hands, exceptionally hot muggy day in Sydney today)

Finishing garnishes of sesame and scallions for Chinese Honey Sesame Chicken

And then we have this.

Finished Chinese Honey Sesame Chicken with rice

This recipe has the ultimate validation – from a member of my family.

I have a lot of willing taste testers in my life. But I rarely get helpful feedback from them. (“OMG, everybody loved it!” does not count as constructive feedback!)

On the other hand, we have my family – mother, brother and sister. Always respectful, always appreciative when someone cooks. But…..we definitely don’t hold back if we have….erm….. thoughts. 😉

Trust me, it goes both ways. I give it as good as good as I get it!

So yesterday (Sunday), my sister happened to drop by and I sent her home with takeaway containers filled with this Honey Sesame Chicken as well as Kung Pao Chicken (coming soon!). That evening, I got a text.

“The chicken was really nice.”, my sister wrote. “But your rice needs work. It was dry.”

Gasp! My rice, dry? Offensive. And so began a string of fiery text messages back and forth about the rice.

But this isn’t about my rice. It’s about the Honey Sesame Chicken. It has my sister’s stamp of approval. Go forth and enjoy! – Nagi x

Overheard photo of Chinese Honey Sesame Chicken

Hungry for more? Subscribe to my newsletter and follow along on Facebook, Pinterest and Instagram for all of the latest updates.

Easy Chinese Honey Sesame Chicken - BAKED, not deep fried, this chicken is coated in a gorgeous sticky irresistible sauce!

Easy Chinese Honey Sesame Chicken

Author: Nagi | RecipeTin Eats
Prep: 10 mins
Cook: 20 mins
Total: 30 mins
Dinner
Chinese
4.85 from 20 votes
Servings3 -4
Tap or hover to scale
Print
Crispy oven baked chicken chicken with a sesame crust tossed in a sticky sauce. Really easy and absolutely irresistible! If you can't find sesame paste or tahini, substitute with peanut butter. Seriously! (Refer to Note 2)

Ingredients

Chicken

  • 1 lb / 500g chicken thighs , cut into 1.2cm/ 1/2" slices (Note 1)
  • 1/2 tsp salt
  • 2 tsp sesame paste OR tahini (Note 2)
  • 2 tsp soy sauce
  • 1 1/2 tbsp sesame seeds , toasted
  • 1/2 cup plain flour
  • Oil spray

Sauce

  • 1 tbsp Chinese cooking wine (Shaoshing / Shaoxing wine) or sherry (or use chicken broth/stock)
  • 3/4 cup chicken broth / stock
  • 1 tsp rice wine vinegar or Chinese black vinegar (or ordinary white vinegar)
  • 3 1/2 tbsp honey
  • 1 1/2 tbsp soy sauce , all purpose ordinary (Note 3)
  • 2 tsp sesame oil

Cornstarch

  • 1 1/2 tbsp cornstarch / cornflour mixed with 2 tbsp water

To Cook

  • 2 tsp oil (vegetable, canola, peanut)
  • 2 garlic cloves , minced

Garnish

  • 1 scallion/shallot stem , sliced
  • 1/2 tbsp sesame seeds , toasted

Instructions

  • Preheat oven to 200C/430F with shelf placed on the highest level. Spray baking tray with oil.
  • Mix sesame paste and soy sauce in a bowl (to loosen it up, easier to coat chicken). Add chicken, salt and sesame seeds.
  • Place flour in a separate bowl and coat chicken in flour, shaking off excess. Place chicken on baking tray.
  • Bake for 12 minutes. Remove from oven.
  • Flick to broiler/grill as high as it will go with shelf about 15cm/6" from the heat source.
  • Turn chicken. Broiler/grill for 5 minutes until golden and quite crispy (Note 4), then remove.
  • Meanwhile, mix together Sauce in one bowl and Cornstarch in another.
  • Heat oil in a wok or skillet (I used a skillet) over medium heat. Add garlic and cook for 30 seconds until fragrant but not browned.
  • Add Sauce and bring to bubble. Add Cornstarch and cook for 30 seconds until it thickens into a thick syrup.
  • Remove the Sauce immediately from the stove and pour over the chicken.
  • Toss chicken in Sauce then sprinkle over Sesame Seeds and Shallots/Scallions to serve. Serve with rice.

Recipe Notes:

1. The chicken is sliced rather than diced so that way they are larger pieces that dry out during the cooking period. I use chicken thighs because they are juicier than breast. It can be made with breast but the flesh will be slightly drier.
2. Sesame paste is a Chinese ingredient that can be found at Asian grocery stores. I honestly cannot tell the difference between it and Tahini (the sesame paste used for hummus). PEANUT BUTTER is also an adequate substitute. I promise! It adds a bit of nutty flavour and acts as the same binding agent.
3. Please do not use LIGHT or DARK soy sauce. Use an all purpose ordinary soy sauce. I use Kikkoman. You will know it is an all purpose one because it won't have "light", "dark" or "sweet" soy sauce on the label. Light soy sauce is too salty for this dish and the flavour of dark soy sauce is too intense.
4. Fact is, baking chicken will not be as crispy as deep frying. But it's far healthier and it is still crispy! If you want to go all out, use the same coating but deep fry the chicken in oil. For extra extra crunch, fry it twice.
5. I used to have my own recipe from scratch but then I saw this one from Woks of Life. It tasted even better so this recipe is a bit of a mash up of mine and theirs! 🙂
6. Nutrition per serving, assuming 4 servings. Rice not included.
Chinese Honey Sesame Chicken_Nutrition

Nutrition Information:

Serving: 222gCalories: 425cal (21%)Carbohydrates: 26.3g (9%)Protein: 40.1g (80%)Fat: 17.2g (26%)Saturated Fat: 3.8g (24%)Cholesterol: 111mg (37%)Sodium: 1043mg (45%)Potassium: 420mg (12%)Fiber: 1g (4%)Sugar: 13.5g (15%)Vitamin A: 50IU (1%)Vitamin C: 0.8mg (1%)Calcium: 60mg (6%)Iron: 3.1mg (17%)
Did you make this recipe?I love hearing how you went with my recipes! Tag me on Instagram at @RecipeTinEats.

Closeup of Chinese Honey Sesame Chicken

SaveSave

Previous Post
Coconut Shrimp / Prawns with Spicy Thai Mango Sauce
Next Post
Baked Macaroni Cheese with Chicken & BROCCOLI (One Pot)

Hi, I'm Nagi!

I believe you can make great food with everyday ingredients even if you’re short on time and cost conscious. You just need to cook clever and get creative!

Read More

Free Recipe eBooks

Join my free email list to receive THREE free cookbooks!

Related Posts

Close up of Asian Glazed Baked Barramundi on coconut rice with a side of cucumber salad

Asian Glazed Baked Barramundi recipe

Pile of Asian Chilli Chicken served over rice with steamed asian greens on the side

Asian Chilli Chicken

Salad Nicoise - French Tuna Salad

Nicoise Salad (French Salad with Tuna)

More Quick and Easy

Reader Interactions

Leave a Comment Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Cooked this? Rate this recipe!




113 Comments

  1. Leora says

    April 13, 2019 at 4:16 am

    This is the fifth recipe I’ve used on this blog and they’re all incredible. I moved to Israel and I’ve missed American Chinese takeout and this was absolutely perfect. Thanks for all the amazing recipes.

    Reply
  2. Cameron McIntyre says

    May 21, 2017 at 7:00 pm

    4 stars
    We made this last night. The sauce is absolutely divine. 10/10. We have made a few of your recipes now and they have all been brilliant.

    Reply
    • Nagi says

      May 21, 2017 at 8:44 pm

      I’m so pleased to hear you enjoyed this Cameron! Thanks for letting me know – N xx ❤️

      Reply
  3. Tam says

    September 12, 2016 at 4:19 pm

    How is it I’ve only just discovered your blog?!?!
    It’s like we are spirit animals. It seems like I have found someone whose love for French toast rivals my own.
    And you’re Australian too! This was meant to be!

    Reply
    • Nagi says

      September 12, 2016 at 7:24 pm

      Yes I’m an Aussie!!! And YES I a obsessed with French Toast! I haven’t done one in ages because I’ve done so many already!!! N x

      Reply
  4. Vanessa Baggio says

    May 16, 2016 at 9:24 pm

    5 stars
    Wow Nagi
    We give this also a 10/10
    Loved love loved the flavours. Only suggestion: I did find it difficult coating the chicken – I used Peanut Butter. So I actually heated the Peanut Butter until it became runny which seemed to help the coating process. All in all, the flavour, including the sauce was really delicious and we all loved it !
    I also made the Cheesecake, including berries on the weekend as a belated birthday cake for my husband who had been working all week. Guess what ? It lasted approximately a day and a half until the plate was licked clean !
    So 10/10 for this dish, 10/10 for the lovely baked Cheescake ! XoX

    Reply
    • Nagi says

      May 17, 2016 at 3:29 pm

      Vanessa!! You made the cheesecake too?? I’m SO GLAD you enjoyed it!! And happy birthday to your husband! Thank you so much for your feedback on the coating. I changed the step to mix the soy sauce and tahini / peanut butter in the bowl first to loosen it up a bit, then add the remaining coating ingredients. That should do the trick! Hope you had a wonderful weekend!! And honestly, thank you so much for letting me know you enjoyed the Cheesecake, I worked really hard on that recipe so it means a lot to know you enjoyed it!! N x

      Reply
  5. Jules says

    March 31, 2016 at 10:23 am

    BEAUTIFUL!!!!!!! ??? absolute success. My partner said it looked and tasted like a restaurant dish. 10/10. I love that!!! It was crying out for rice once I saw it cooked with all that lovely sauce and I had some leftover fried rice luckily! So I microwaved that and it was a lovely feast. Mm.
    Your Asian slaw. I don’t know if I should leave separate post. It was fantastic! I actually made two bowls one with store bought coleslaw dressing as i wasn’t sure my partner would like the Asian dressing. He ate ALL the Asian dressed salad. And he had it packed for his lunch today!!! I was so pleased it’s nice to see his tastes evolving a bit. Lovely recipes!!!!! Absolute winners. Sesame chicken is my new favourite. I used potato starch to thicken it – i found it at the Asian store. It’s really cool – do you use it? (Just want to hear your opinion) ??????
    Thank you again
    Jules ????

    Reply
    • Nagi says

      April 1, 2016 at 6:33 am

      Oooh – WOW!!! He took the Asian slaw for lunch??? Talk about evolved tastes, I’m so pleased to hear that! Thank you so much for letting me know you loved it! I do use potato starch on occasion, for Korean pancakes and actually, for other Korean recipes too 🙂 It’s great!!! It makes it even crispier than using cornstarch!

      Reply
  6. Jules says

    March 22, 2016 at 11:46 pm

    Oh I was just browsing through your recipes and just saw this post – Kung Pao chicken recipe coming soon!! Fantastic. So please disregard my earlier post

    I am making these sesame fingers this week by the way along with broccoli soup and red curry

    Thanks Nagi! ????

    Reply
    • Nagi says

      March 25, 2016 at 6:15 am

      BA HA HA! I just responded to your last message! 🙂 Happy Easter Jules! Hope you have a great long weekend – N x

      Reply
  7. Katy says

    March 21, 2016 at 2:33 pm

    You Austrailian/British girls make me laugh when I read your recipes! Here in the “States” we only have white, yellow, or red (Purple) onions! When someone says brown onions, we all think of “browned onions” which is pretty much caramelized onions. This recipe & your meatball recipe looks wonderful though, can’t wait to try them both, and thanks for the giggle!!

    Reply
    • Nagi says

      March 22, 2016 at 7:17 am

      Oh dear! I do know that, I keep forgetting to mention that brown, white and yellow onions will work fine for most of my recipes! I will update the recipe.

      Reply
  8. Peggy says

    March 14, 2016 at 2:33 pm

    I made this for dinner tonight. Yum! I was amazed at how crispy and not floury the chicken came out. The oil in the tahini must have worked from the inside out. I cooked the sauce in a cast iron pan that was clean, but had previously been used to cook enchilada sauce. The good news is that the sauce didn’t taste like enchiladas, but the heat of the cayenne was present in the sauce. I highly recommend a tiny bit of cayenne or a little Siracha sauce. It added another element. But it would have been outstanding without that too.

    Reply
    • Nagi says

      March 15, 2016 at 8:38 am

      Thank you Peggy, I’m so glad you enjoyed this! Thank you for letting me know!

      Reply
  9. Sarah says

    February 28, 2016 at 8:07 pm

    This looks delicious! And I love the fact that you can make it in the oven! 🙂

    Reply
    • Nagi says

      February 29, 2016 at 10:18 am

      Thanks so much Sarah!!!

      Reply
      • Monique Cannon says

        March 8, 2016 at 11:52 am

        5 stars
        Thanks for this recipe ! I know what you mean about restaurants not listing this dish. I think it’s because most Chinese/Asian restaurants seem to all have the same basic menu (unless you go to Chinatown) ….. I can virtually name all the dishes in my head.
        They also seem to be told that Aussies don’t like spicy food and only to use traditional Aussie vegetables and mild flavours ! This might have been true 30+ years ago but a quick look in any supermarket will show the prevalence of Asian vegetables, condiments and ingredients.
        I used to live and work in Xi’an, China and I so miss the real food of China !
        Cheers

        Reply
        • Nagi says

          March 9, 2016 at 4:22 pm

          Woah! that must’ve been quite an experience!

          Reply
      • Monique Cannon says

        March 8, 2016 at 3:02 pm

        5 stars
        Thanks for this great recipe ! I know what you mean about restaurants not listing this dish. I think it’s because most Chinese/Asian restaurants seem to all have the same basic menu (unless you go to Chinatown) ….. I can virtually name all the dishes in my head.
        They also seem to be told that Aussies don’t like spicy food and only to use traditional Aussie vegetables and mild flavours ! This might have been true 30+ years ago but a quick look in any supermarket will show the prevalence of Asian vegetables, condiments and ingredients.
        I used to live and work in Xi’an, China and I so miss the real food of China !
        Cheers

        Reply
  10. Gloria | Food Oh Glorious Food says

    February 28, 2016 at 11:36 am

    This is going to be our dinner tomorrow night. Looks so easy and quick to cook. I can’t wait to sink my teeth into the crunchy chicken!

    We love Kung Pao Chicken in this house – I have been cooking a couple of Kung Pao Chicken recipes from other sites, and J Daddy loves the salty and slightly spicy sauce as much as I do. We can’t wait to see your recipe!

    I’ll report back once I’ve made this dish. Yum awaits!

    Reply
    • Nagi says

      February 29, 2016 at 10:16 am

      Oooh….I await in anticipation!!!! PS J Daddy likes the sichuan peppers???

      Reply
      • Gloria | Food Oh Glorious Food says

        March 1, 2016 at 7:06 pm

        Changed our menu plan – cooking this later this week, largely because I finished work so late last night. Had your Satay Chicken Noodle Salad instead – soooooo good!

        Reply
        • Nagi says

          March 2, 2016 at 4:18 am

          Oh no!!! Are you working late often???

          Reply
  11. Maggie says

    February 26, 2016 at 6:36 am

    5 stars
    We don’t usually cook American Chinese food, but I’ll try your recipe without a second thought! LOVE the idea of crisp the chicken in the oven. I started to cook most of our dishes in the oven nowadays. The lazy way is the best 😉

    Reply
    • Nagi says

      February 26, 2016 at 12:16 pm

      Maggie, so nice to see you here! I was just browsing your site the other day to learn more about real Chinese cooking 🙂 I can’t WAIT to try the eggplant!!!!

      Reply
  12. Teirraih says

    February 25, 2016 at 3:38 am

    This is so delicious. The flavor melts in your mouth.

    Reply
    • Nagi says

      February 25, 2016 at 7:23 am

      Thank you Teiraih!! I am soooo glad you enjoyed this! 🙂

      Reply
  13. Bobbi Marshall says

    February 24, 2016 at 11:32 pm

    5 stars
    I want to take a bite out of m computer screen! Your baked chicken and the delectable sauce is going to be my new go to recipe for the boys. Quick, easy and simple. You would not find a dish like this in HK either, not just Australia. Lets start a new trend!

    Reply
    • Nagi says

      February 25, 2016 at 7:20 am

      You, me, let’s head up this sesame chicken revolution!!! ??

      Reply
  14. Muna Kenny says

    February 24, 2016 at 9:36 pm

    Looks delicious Nagi! I can’t believe it’s baked, the chicken looks tender. I’d love to have it for dinner 🙂

    Reply
    • Nagi says

      February 25, 2016 at 7:18 am

      Thanks Muna!!! I think the key is cutting it into larger pieces 🙂 Keeps it nice and juicy!

      Reply
  15. Sarah says

    February 24, 2016 at 2:55 pm

    This is one of the Spork’s favorite dishes! I’ve yet to see it baked – what a healthy alternative! Pinning for later 🙂

    Reply
    • Nagi says

      February 24, 2016 at 4:29 pm

      Awww, thanks Sarah!!! Well look, if it’s one of Spork’s fave dishes, we mustn’t deprive him, hmmm???

      Reply
  16. Balvinder says

    February 24, 2016 at 1:45 pm

    Your sesame chicken looks succulent and yummy!

    Reply
    • Nagi says

      February 24, 2016 at 4:28 pm

      Thank you Balvinder!! It WAS very succulent – no overcooked dry chicken in my kitchen!?

      Reply
  17. Barbara Schieving says

    February 24, 2016 at 12:05 pm

    Looks like a meal my family would love too.

    Reply
    • Nagi says

      February 24, 2016 at 4:26 pm

      Thanks so much Barbara!! 🙂

      Reply
  18. Evelyne Cultureatz says

    February 24, 2016 at 8:23 am

    I think I have had this dish before, regardless it looks awesome and loved this baked version…. and stick sauce 😀

    Reply
    • Nagi says

      February 24, 2016 at 4:23 pm

      Thanks Evelyne!!! 🙂

      Reply
  19. Heather @ The Spicy Apron says

    February 24, 2016 at 6:23 am

    Looks wonderful! I totally agree about mid-week frying! Not for me! And LOL on the whole rice thing. As easy as rice is, I always struggle to get “perfect” rice!

    Reply
    • Nagi says

      February 24, 2016 at 7:51 am

      I still can’t believe she critiqued my rice. My mother would murder me if I couldn’t cook rice properly!?

      Reply
  20. Celeste McGinnis says

    February 24, 2016 at 5:01 am

    This recipe looked like a winner; and, since I had all the ingredients I made it today for our main meal. It was moist but crisp with just the right amount of sweet/salty Asian delight. Thanks

    Reply
    • Nagi says

      February 24, 2016 at 7:48 am

      WOO HOO!!! I’m always so excited to the first report when someone makes this!! I’m so glad you enjoyed this Celeste, THANK YOU for taking the time to come back and let me know!

      Reply
Older Comments
Newer Comments

Primary Sidebar

Hi, I'm Nagi!

I believe you can make great food with everyday ingredients even if you’re short on time and cost conscious. You just need to cook clever and get creative! Read More

Free Recipe eBooks

Join my free email list to receive THREE free cookbooks!

Meet Dozer

Official taste tester of RecipeTin Eats! Meet Dozer
As Featured On

What's for Dinner?

Close up of beef enchiladas in a baking dish, fresh out of the oven

Beef Enchiladas

Butter Chicken served over basmati rice in a bowl, ready to be served

Butter Chicken

Overhead photo of 2 black bowls with Chinese Chicken Salad with Asian Dressing, ready to be eaten

Chinese Chicken Salad

Salisbury Steak recipe in skillet.

Salisbury Steak with Mushroom Gravy

Vietnamese Coconut Caramel Chicken - 7 ingredient magic. The coconut fragrance is heavenly! recipetineats.com

Vietnamese Coconut Caramel Chicken

Fast prep. Big flavours!

Never miss a recipe

Back to Top
  • Related
  • RecipeTin Japan
  • Food Bloggers Center
  • Help
  • Contact Us
  • Image Use
  • Privacy Policy & Terms
Site Credits Maintained by Zao</span> Designed by Melissa Rose Design Developed by Once Coupled © RecipeTin Eats 2021 · All Rights Reserved Back to Top