After making Szechwan shrimp a few weeks ago, hubby and I were both still craving Asian food. I, for one, would definitely eat a lot more of it if I weren’t allergic to peanuts/nuts. But, I just take that as a challenge – it means I have to get really good at preparing the Asian meals I love so that I can enjoy them frequently, too. This recipe for sesame chicken takes a bit of preparation time, but the results are so worth it. You’ll need:
- 2 chicken breasts
- 3 Tbsp roasted sesame seeds
- 3 cups cooked white rice
Marinade
- 1 tsp sesame oil
- 1/4 tsp soy sauce
- 1/4 tsp sugar
- 1 Tbsp red cooking wine
Batter
- 1/2 cup flour
- 1 tsp baking powder
- 3 Tbsp cornstarch
- 1 egg, slightly beaten
- 1/4 cup water
- 1 Tbsp vegetable oil
Sauce
- 6 Tbsp sugar
- 9 Tbsp honey
- 3 Tbsp ketchup
- 3 tablespoons white vinegar
- Dash of Tabasco sauce
First, make the marinade. Mix all the ingredients together in a small bowl, and then pour the mixture into a resealable bag (or, just pour them right into the bag and shake it up like I did, if you don’t feel like dirtying another dish).
Cut the chicken into pieces 1 to 1 and 1/2 inches in size, and then drop the chicken into the marinade. Let sit in the refrigerator for at least 30-40 minutes, or overnight.
In the meantime, make the batter for frying. Mix all the batter ingredients in a medium bowl until well-combined. Also, pour 1-2 inches worth of vegetable into your wok and put it on the stove over high heat. Using a thermometer, make sure that the oil reaches 350 degrees, but don’t let it get any hotter than that.
When the chicken has finished marinating, dip each piece of chicken in the batter. Before frying however, make the sauce. Mix all the ingredients together in a sauce pan over medium heat until the mixture is hot. Remove it from the heat and let it thicken slightly.
Fry the chicken in the hot oil 5-6 minutes or until golden brown. Remove to a paper towel to drain. When all the chicken has been fried, pour the sauce over the chicken and then sprinkle on the sesame seeds.
Serve over the rice.













