I know that we’ve all got our favorite takeout places that come in handy on those nights when we just don’t feel like doing any cooking or dish washing. Whether it be that tiny Thai restaurant on the corner that sells your favorite spring rolls or an Indian spot that makes the best samosas, it’s always nice to know that you’ve got options when it comes to dinner that night.
For me, on days when cooking is just not an option, I reach for a Chinese takeout menu and often order a serving of sweet, crispy sesame chicken. I love the combination of flavors from salty, to sweet, to maybe even a little bit of spice, and that extra crunch provided by the sesame seeds is the perfect final touch.
But alas, as Brooklyn continues to change and evolve, so too must many of its longstanding establishments, and as a result, my go-to Chinese takeout restaurant has recently shuttered its doors.
To remedy this, and to also satisfy my craving for deep fried pieces of chicken smothered in tangy sauce (because honestly, who doesn’t love that??), I decided that it was time for me to learn how to make it myself.Β It takes a little bit of effort, but it’s definitely well worth it in the end (especially because you know exactly what’s going into it) and it truly tastes way better than anything you can buy in a store.
Serve over a bed of rice and with some sauteed veggies, and you’ll probably never wanna order this out again, but if you do, definitely no judgement here π
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Sesame Seed Chicken
Recipe adapted from Browneyedbaker.com
Ingredients
Marinade
- 1 cup of chicken broth
- Β½ cup water
- Β½ cup soy sauce
- ΒΌ cup honey
- ΒΌ cup rice wine vinegar
- 3 tablespoons light brown sugar
- 2 tablespoons cornstarch
- 1 tablespoon sesame oil
- 1Β½ pounds boneless chicken, cut into 1-inch chunks
Sauce
- 1 tablespoon sesame oil
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 tablespoon grated fresh ginger
- 1 teaspoon chili paste, optional
Coating
- 3 egg whites
- 1Β½ cups cornstarch
- Β½ cup all-purpose flour
- Β½ teaspoon baking soda
Preparation
- Combine the 1 cup of chicken broth, Β½ cup water, Β½ cup soy sauce, ΒΌ cup honey, ΒΌ cup rice wine vinegar, 3 tablespoons light brown sugar, 2 tablespoons cornstarch, 1 tablespoon sesame oil.
- Take 6 tablespoons of the marinade and chicken and add to a resealable plastic bag, allowing to marinate in the refrigerator for at least one hour.
- In a large sauce pan, add the 1 tablespoon of remaining sesame oil and saute the minced cloves of garlic, the 1 tablespoon of grated ginger, and the 1 teaspoon of chili paste until fragrant.
- Add 2 cups of the marinade and whisk until the mixture starts to thicken and turn a darker brown. Once done, remove from the heat and cover.
- In a bowl, whisk the 3 eggs whites until foamy. In a separate bowl combine the 1Β½ cups cornstarch, Β½ cup all-purpose flour, Β½ teaspoon baking soda, and remaining marinade.
- Remove the chicken from the marinade and pat dry before tossing into the eggs whites. Remove and coat chicken in corn starch and flour mixture, setting aside on a plate.
- Add oil to deep pot and heat until about 350Β°F. Carefully add chicken and fry until golden brown.
- Reheat the sauce and toss the fried chicken pieces until fully coated. Remove from pan and coat with a generous sprinkling of sesame seeds.
I’ll be bringing these over to Fiesta Friday #62, so see you there!!
18 Comments
The Chunky Chef
atThat looks so tasty!! π
Justine @ Born and Bred in Brooklyn
atThank you! It was. I definitely don’t know if I’ll be able to order it at a restaurant again haha π
apuginthekitchen
atI love sesame chicken and also orange chicken it’s my favorite takeout. This looks amazing, I have to try making it myself. Added this to my short list along with Angie’s orange chicken. YUM
Justine @ Born and Bred in Brooklyn
atWonderful! Thanks so much, Suzanne. Please let me know if you give this a try soon π
spiceinthecity
atYum, this chicken looks so gooood!!!
Justine @ Born and Bred in Brooklyn
atThank you! π
Julie is Hostess At Heart
atThis sounds delicious! I love sesame chicken when we go out but I try making these dishes at home so they are lower in sodium and no preservatives. I’ll be saving this recipe!
Justine @ Born and Bred in Brooklyn
atThank you!! I don’t think I did such a great job lowering the sodium, but I definitely know that low sodium soy sauce and low sodium chicken broth could do the trick. Please let me know if you give this a try π
Julie is Hostess At Heart
atI will Justine. π
lapetitepaniere
atIt looks really tasty π
Justine @ Born and Bred in Brooklyn
atThank you! It was π
Jess
atSesame chicken is one of my favorite takeout dishes- yours looks just as good (if not better) than the restaurants. Thank you for sharing with us π
Justine @ Born and Bred in Brooklyn
atThank you so much! I loved the way it turned out and will definitely have a hard time ordering it for takeout again haha π
Justine @ Born and Bred in Brooklyn
atThank you! If you’re hungry, give this a try haha π
annie
atYep…this looks like all sorts of amazing xD
Justine @ Born and Bred in Brooklyn
atHa! Thanks so much!! π
skd
atLooks scrumptious βΊ
Justine @ Born and Bred in Brooklyn
atThank you!! π