Chinese Honey Garlic Sesame Chicken Recipe
Honey garlic sesame chicken is one of those dishes that often disappears from plates first in Chinese restaurants. The chicken pieces are tender, coated in a sticky, glossy sauce with honey, garlic, and sesame. It’s a bit like Polish pan-fried honey chicken, but with a distinct Asian touch from soy sauce and sesame.
This dish combines the comforting familiarity of pan-fried chicken with a glossy, restaurant-style honey garlic sesame sauce that’s easy to make at home. The balance of sweet, salty, and aromatic flavors makes it a crowd-pleaser for both weeknight dinners and casual entertaining.
Chef's tips
Make sure the chicken is well dried before coating in starch—this helps it crisp up better and prevents the coating from becoming gummy. Don’t brown the garlic too much, as it can turn bitter and overpower the delicate sweetness of the sauce. If you like a thicker, more ‘sticky’ sauce, simmer it a bit longer before adding the chicken back in.
How to serve
Serve in a shallow bowl over a bed of steamed jasmine rice, topped with extra sesame seeds and chives. Add lightly stir-fried vegetables such as broccoli, bell peppers, or sugar snap peas on the side for color and crunch.
Ingredients
- chicken breast cut into strips or cubes - 400 g
- potato or corn starch for coating the chicken - 3 tablespoons
- oil for frying - 4 tablespoons
- garlic finely chopped - 3 cloves
- honey - 3 tablespoons
- soy sauce - 3 tablespoons
- rice vinegar can be replaced with apple cider vinegar - 1.5 tablespoons
- water - 4 tablespoons
- sesame seeds toasted in a dry pan - 2 tablespoons
- chives chopped, for sprinkling - 2 tablespoons
- pepper - 0.25 teaspoons
Preparation
- Cut the chicken into strips or cubes. Pat dry with a paper towel.
- Coat the chicken pieces in potato or corn starch so they are evenly covered with a thin layer.
- Heat 3 tablespoons of oil in a large pan over medium-high heat. Add the chicken and fry for 8–10 minutes, stirring often, until the pieces are golden and cooked through. Transfer to a plate.
- In the same pan, add 1 more tablespoon of oil if needed. Add the chopped garlic and fry for about 30 seconds, stirring, until it becomes very fragrant but not browned.
- In a small bowl, mix the honey, soy sauce, rice vinegar, water, and pepper until the honey dissolves.
- Pour the mixture into the pan with the garlic. Cook for 2–3 minutes over medium heat until the sauce starts to thicken slightly and become glossy.
- Add the fried chicken pieces to the sauce. Stir for 2–3 minutes until the chicken is evenly coated in the thick sauce.
- Add the toasted sesame seeds, stir, and remove the pan from the heat.
- Before serving, sprinkle the dish with chopped chives. Serve hot, preferably with rice and vegetables.
Storage
Kurczaka przechowuj w lodówce w szczelnym pojemniku. Podgrzewaj na patelni z 1–2 łyżkami wody, aby sos znów stał się płynny. Możesz też zamrozić porcje i rozmrażać w lodówce przez noc.
