Sesame Chicken Recipe for a Crispy Takeout Favorite
The Woks of Life shares a recipe for homemade sesame chicken, promising more meat and a balanced sauce. The key technique is double-frying for a crispy coating.
Sesame chicken is a staple of American Chinese takeout menus. The Woks of Life recipe promises a homemade version with more chicken and a perfectly balanced sauce.
According to the source, the dish is easy to make at home if you do not mind deep-frying. The recipe yields more chicken than typical restaurant versions, which the site says are often heavy on batter. Their sauce aims for a fresh taste without artificial coloring.
Choosing the Right Chicken Cut
The best choice for sesame chicken is boneless, skinless chicken thighs. The dark meat has a higher fat content, which translates to more flavor than chicken breast. For this reason, chicken thighs are more widely used in Chinese restaurants, the source states. However, chicken breast can be used if preferred or if it is all you have on hand.
The Double-Fry Technique for Crispiness
This recipe keeps the chicken crispy even after sitting out. A few key steps achieve this. First, cornstarch and baking soda are added to the batter to create a light, crispy texture. Second, the chicken is fried twice.
Double frying with a rest in between is an important technique. The first fry cooks the chicken and batter through. Letting the chicken rest for five to ten minutes allows the juices to settle. The second, shorter fry crisps the coating without releasing as much moisture. The result is chicken that is crispy outside and moist inside.
Recipe Instructions and Ingredients
The process begins by marinating one pound of chicken pieces for thirty minutes. The marinade includes water, Shaoxing wine, salt, sesame oil, optional MSG, white pepper, garlic powder, and onion powder. After marinating, cornstarch, flour, more water, neutral oil, and baking soda are added to coat the chicken.
The sauce combines hot chicken stock or water with sugar, oyster sauce, soy sauce, wine, sesame oil, rice vinegar, and white pepper. A cornstarch slurry thickens it later.
For frying, heat three inches of oil to 335°F (170°C). Fry the chicken in batches for five to six minutes until light golden brown. After a rest, fry all the chicken a second time for two to three minutes until crispy. Finally, toss the fried chicken in the simmered sauce and garnish with toasted sesame seeds.
The site notes this recipe is almost identical to the version in their cookbook, The Woks of Life: Recipes to Know & Love from a Chinese American Family, with only minor tweaks. For those averse to deep-frying, they suggest trying a baked version.
