Sesame Chicken

It's been a little while since I've made a food post and while I was out shopping today I was craving some sesame chicken (rule no. 1 - never go grocery shopping hungry!) so instead of stopping by one of the many Chinese restaurants I pass on the way home I decided to take a shot at making it myself!

After bourbon chicken, sesame chicken is my go to dish at any Chinese place. I chose sesame because it seemed easier, plus I didn't have to buy a bottle of bourbon lol! After reading about ten different recipes for sesame chicken, I headed to the kitchen and went to work.

I used boneless, skinless chicken thighs for this recipe but chicken breasts will work all the same. First trim the fat off and cut the chicken into about 1 inch chunks

In a bowl mix an egg, cornstarch (or flour) and a little salt and pepper 

Add the chicken to the egg mixture and mix it so that all the pieces get coated

In another bowl mix some water, soy sauce, toasted sesame oil, brown sugar and rice wine vinegar (or white vinegar)

Then add in minced garlic (powder works too), ginger, sesame seeds and red pepper flakes (optional, I just like spicy foods)

Once the sauce is made fry the chicken with a little oil until it's browned and crispy

When the chicken is done, add the sauce to the pan and let it boil for a few minutes. It wasn't getting thick enough for me, so I ended up mixing a little water and cornstarch in a small container and adding it in but I wrote it into the recipe so you don't have to :)

Let it thicken a little then top with a few chopped green onions and sesame seeds

I served this with steamed broccoli and brown rice. It was a great success for my first time so I'm sure anyone can replicate it. And it only took about 30 minutes to cook. I hope you enjoy this recipe, it's really easy and cheaper (and healthier and less mystery-meat-er) than ordering from the Chinese spot up the road!

Sesame Chicken

Servings 2

15 minutes to prep

15 minutes to cook

2 boneless, skinless chicken thighs

1 T vegetable oil

1 T cornstarch (or 2 T flour)

1 egg

1 green onion, chopped

1/4 t sesame seeds

A dash of S&P

Sauce

4 T soy sauce

3 T rice wine vinegar (or white vinegar)

2 T water

1 T cornstarch (or 2 T flour)

2 T brown sugar

1 1/2 T toasted sesame oil

1 T sesame seeds

1 t minced garlic

1 t chopped ginger

1 t crushed red pepper flakes (optional)

Directions

1. Trim fat off chicken and cut into one inch chunks

2. Crack egg into a bowl and add cornstarch (or flour) and a little salt and pepper, stir until all clumps have dissolved then add chicken and mix to coat all pieces

3. In a separate bowl combine all sauce ingredients, making sure to dissolve all clumps

4. Heat vegetable oil in a skillet over medium heat. Once hot, remove chicken from egg mixture and add to skillet. 

5. Allow the pieces to turn a deep golden brown (about 5-7 minutes) before flipping them over, then repeat on other side 

6. Once all chicken is cooked, add sauce to skillet and allow to boil 2-3 minutes or until sauce thickens to desired consistency. 

7. Top with chopped green onions and sesame seeds and enjoy!