sesame chicken

Sesame Chicken (Baked, Not Fried!)

This sesame chicken recipe is as crispy as the takeout version, but it's oven-fried instead of deep-fried and our homemade sesame chicken sauce is tastier!

Prep Time25 mins

Cook Time15 mins

Total Time40 mins

Course: Chicken and Poultry

Cuisine: Chinese

 

Servings: 4 servings

 

Calories: 420kcal

 

Author: Bill

Ingredients

For the chicken:

• 1 pound boneless chicken thighs (450g, cut into chunks)
• 1 tablespoon cornstarch
• 1 teaspoon sesame paste
• ¼ teaspoon salt
• 1 teaspoon Shaoxing wine
• 1/4 cup all purpose flour (32g)
• 2 tablespoons toasted sesame seeds
• 1/8 teaspoon fresh ground white pepper

For the sauce:

• 2 teaspoons canola oil
• 1 clove garlic (minced)
• 1 tablespoon Shaoxing wine
• 3/4 cup chicken stock (180 ml)
• 1/2 teaspoon rice wine vinegar
• 3 tablespoons sugar
• 1 tablespoon soy sauce
• 1 teaspoon dark soy sauce
• 2 teaspoons sesame oil
• 2 tablespoons cornstarch (mixed into a slurry with 2 tablespoons water)
• 1 scallion (sliced into 1/2 inch pieces)

Instructions

• Mix the chicken with the cornstarch, sesame paste, salt, and Shaoxing wine and set aside for 20 minutes. Then mix the flour, sesame seeds, and white pepper in a separate bowl. Preheat the oven to 475 degrees.
• Use your hands to mix the chicken and marinade until there is no standing liquid. Dredge the chicken pieces in the dry mixture, and place them on a sheet pan lined with parchment paper or nonstick foil. Bake at 475 degrees for 8 minutes on the top rack. Flip the chicken pieces and broil on low for 3 minutes until golden brown. Remove from oven.
• Heat your wok to medium heat and add oil and garlic. Stir for 5 seconds, and then add the Shaoxing wine. After another 5 seconds, immediately add the chicken stock, rice wine vinegar, sugar, soy sauces, and sesame oil until everything’s at a simmer.
• Gradually add the cornstarch slurry to the sauce while stirring constantly. Let simmer for 20 seconds. The sauce should be thick enough to coat a spoon. Add the chicken and scallions and toss until coated with sauce. Garnish with toasted sesame seeds and serve.

Taiwanese sesame chicken soup

Taiwanese Sesame Oil Chicken Soup (台湾麻油鸡汤)

This Taiwanese Sesame Oil Chicken Soup is like a miracle worker. All of the ingredients in this soup have “warming” properties that can supposedly improve blood circulation, warm up those icy hands and toes, and help ward away the chill during the long winter ahead.

Prep Time5 mins

Cook Time40 mins

Total Time45 mins

Course: Soups and Stocks

Cuisine: Chinese

 

Servings: 8

 

Calories: 273kcal

 

Author: Judy

Ingredients

• 3 lbs chicken legs (1.35 kg)
• 3 tablespoons black sesame oil (45 ml)
• 3 ounces ginger (85g, with skin on, cut into thick slices; if you don’t have a kitchen scale, just look for a piece of ginger that’s about 3 inches in length)
• 1 bottle Taiwanese rice wine (750 ml, aka Michiu)
• 20 grams rock sugar (or 5 teaspoons granulated sugar)
• 4 cups water
• Salt (to taste)
• 2 scallions (julienned)

Instructions

• Rinse your chicken and pat dry with a paper towel.
• Heat your wok or thick-bottomed pot over high heat until it starts to smoke slightly. Turn down the heat to medium, and wait a couple of seconds. Then add the black sesame oil, along with the sliced ginger. Cook for 2 minutes.
• Turn up the heat to high, and sear the chicken legs (in batches if needed) until browned on all sides. Once the chicken legs are nicely browned, turn the heat back down to medium and add in rice wine, rock sugar, and water.
• Cover and simmer over medium heat for 30 mins. The soup should be bubbling, but not boiling. The idea here is to cook the chicken and intensify the soup’s flavor without cooking off the liquid.
• The soup is ready once the chicken legs are tender. Season with salt to taste and garnish with scallions when serving.