Sticky Sesame Chicken

PinSaveJUMP to RECIPE

This post may contain affiliate links.

Sticky Sesame Chicken – 🧡🥢 Better-than-takeout sticky chicken at home in 20 minutes! This is a FAST and extremely EASY recipe for breaded chicken that’s coated in the best homemade sticky sweet sauce which is made to be sopped up with rice on the side! A great no-fuss weekday dinner recipe that the whole family will LOVE!

Plate of sesame chicken over rice with chopsticks, garnished with sesame seeds and green onions on a light tabletop.

Sticky Sesame Chicken Recipe

The next time you’re craving takeout, make this instead in just 20 minutes!

This recipe is so fast and easy, and uses frozen popcorn chicken to save time. While the chicken bakes, you make a sticky sweet-and-savory sauce with soy sauce, honey, sweet chili sauce, rice vinegar, and sesame oil.

A plate of sesame chicken served over white rice, garnished with green onions and sesame seeds, with chopsticks on the side.

Pouring the sticky sauce over freshly baked chicken gives this quick Asian-inspired dinner recipe its better-than-takeout vibes!

It reminds me of a cross between Panda Express’ Honey Sesame Chicken and Trader Joe’s Orange Chicken, minus the the orange flavor.

But the saucy nature of the dish, the breaded chicken that’s a mix of white and dark meat, the sweetness of the sauce (which is perfect over rice!), this is a guaranteed picky-eater approved dish!

A dish of sesame chicken over white rice, garnished with scallions and sesame seeds, served on a white plate with chopsticks on the side.

If you’re wondering if you can make this recipe without using a convenience product like frozen popcorn chicken, you sure can. In fact, my recipe for Better-Than-Takeout Sticky Chicken creates a lightly breaded sticky chicken dish using bite-sized pieces of diced boneless skinless chicken breasts.

Read the FAQs below if you’re a “must do it from scratch” person for how to do just that!

Flat lay of various ingredients including sauces, flour, sesame seeds, eggs, and cooked chicken on a white surface.

Ingredients in Sticky Sesame Chicken

You’ll need the following easy-to-find fridge and pantry ingredients including the following:

  • Frozen popcorn chicken (thaw and bake for about 15-20 minutes, or according to package directions)
  • Olive oil or vegetable oil
  • Garlic
  • Honey
  • Soy sauce (I always use lite or low sodium soy sauce)
  • Ketchup
  • Light brown sugar
  • Rice vinegar
  • Cornstarch
  • Toasted sesame oil – toasted has a richer flavor than if it’s not toasted. I get mine at Trader Joe’s where they only sell toasted sesame oil. Don’t skip this ingredient because it adds a ton of authenticity and depth of flavor to the overall dish.
  • Sweet chili sauce – this is not really ‘spicy’ in the small amount used and it adds sweetness more than heat. Use the rest of the jar and make my viral Sweet Chili Chicken and Roasted Vegetables sheet pan dinner!
  • Sesame seeds, green onions – optional for garnishing

Note: Scroll down to the recipe card section of the post for the ingredients with amounts included and for more complete directions.

A plate of sesame chicken topped with scallions served over white rice, garnished with sesame seeds.

Where Can I Buy Sweet Chili Sauce?

If you have a Trader Joe’s in your area, their Sweet Chili Sauce is a slam dunk winner. Or order it on Amazon if that’s easier for you. It’s sweet, with a bit of heat from the chilis but it’s not overly spicy. There is plenty of garlic in it, too.

Otherwise check out this Thai Kitchen Sweet Chili Sauce. It’s similar to the TJ’s sauce, but the bottle is only about half the size and since I am a sauce girl all the way, I would need two bottles of this brand for this recipe versus one bottle of TJ’s.

How To Make Sticky Sesame Chicken

This is a very easy number to whip up. It feels very Sandra Lee and “semi homemade”. If you know who she is, then I hope you are smiling at the memory!

  1. Bake the chicken according to package directions, about 15-20 minutes.
  2. When the chicken is in the last 5 minutes of baking, to a large skillet add the olive oil, garlic, and cook for about 1 minute, or until fragrant.
  1. Add the honey, soy sauce, ketchup, brown sugar, vinegar, cornstarch, sesame oil, whisk to combine, and heat over medium heat for a couple minutes, whisking very frequently.
  2. Add the baked chicken to the sauce and toss well to combine.
  3. Optionally garnish with sesame seeds, green onions, and serve immediately! For a spicier flavor, add some red pepper flakes.
A plate of sesame chicken served over white rice, garnished with green onions and sesame seeds, with chopsticks on the side.

Storage and Reheating Instructions

In the Refrigerator: This recipe will keep in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days. Note the leftovers won’t have the same freshly made texture but that’s just the nature of breaded chicken – breaded anything actually. But the flavor is still good!

In the Freezer: This recipe will keep airtight in the freezer for up to 3 months. However, I wouldn’t make this recipe with the intention of freezing it. Since you’re starting with frozen popcorn chicken – kind of defeats the purpose of cooking it!

To Reheat: I use my microwave for quickness and ease and reheat my leftovers for about 30 seconds on high, or as needed. But you can use your stove or oven, whatever is best suited for you.

A plate of sesame chicken served over white rice, garnished with green onions and sesame seeds, with chopsticks and condiments nearby.

Recipe FAQs

can i make and use my own breaded chicken rather than store bought?

If you don’t want to use frozen popcorn chicken that you bake according to package directions, or it’s not a product available in your area, and you prefer to DIY – that’s great! My recipe for Better-Than-Takeout Sticky Chicken creates a lightly breaded chicken dish using diced chicken breasts. Follow the coating, dredging, and cooking directions in that recipe. You can use either boneless skinless chicken breasts or dark meat from boneless skinless chicken thighs.

And then you can either make that sauce (so just follow and use that recipe) OR you can make the sauce that I’m featuring in this recipe today. The difference is the sauce in this recipe is a little sweeter and makes less quantity of sauce, overall. But all-in-all, they’re very similar.

is this recipe spicy?

As written, no the sesame sticky chicken is not spicy. There are 2 tablespoons sweet chili sauce, which isn’t very spicy. Chili garlic sauce IS spicy though! Make sure you grab the right one. However, even at 2 tbsp of chili garlic sauce, it still wouldn’t be a very spicy dish. If you want it spicy, add a pinch of cayenne pepper to your sauce, slowly and to taste.

is rice vinegar the same as rice wine vinegar?

In my world, yes they are the same. Rice vinegar is milder though than other vinegars (white, apple cider, balsamic) and lends the perfect acidic touch to this otherwise pretty sweet sauce. This is another product that I always buy at Trader Joe’s because it’s inexpensive and works great. If you don’t have rice vinegar, perhaps 1 tbsp of apple cider vinegar will do the trick.

do i have to add cornstarch?

Yes you do because corn starch helps to thicken the sauce quickly. Without it, your sticky sauce won’t get the proper viscous and thick nature. Sauces always appear thinner when they’re still a hot skillet. When taken off the heat, they will thicken quickly so even though your sticky sauce may not seem overly thick after a few minutes of simmering, chances are it’s fine.

can i make this is advance?

This is a quick and easy chicken dinner recipe that’s really best served hot and fresh. While the leftovers will keep for up to 5 days, the texture does change and there’s no way around it. Anything that’s breaded is prone to that – especially when it’s all sauced up! So make this and then plan to serve it immediately.

can i double, triple, or halve the recipe?

Yes. You can easily scale my sesame chicken recipe up or down, as desired.

what to serve with sesame chicken

I suggest serving this craveworthy breaded popcorn sesame chicken with rice to soak up all that sticky sesame chicken sauce! 

Pin This Recipe

Enjoy AverieCooks.com Without Ads! 🆕
Go Ad Free

5 from 2 votes

Sticky Sesame Chicken

🧡🥢 Better-than-takeout sticky chicken at home in 20 minutes! This is a FAST and extremely EASY recipe for breaded chicken that's coated in the best homemade sticky sweet sauce which is made to be sopped up with rice on the side! A great no-fuss weekday dinner recipe that the whole family will LOVE!
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes
Total Time: 25 minutes
Servings: 4
Save this recipe to your email
Enter your email and we’ll send it to you!
Please enable JavaScript in your browser to complete this form.

Ingredients  

  • 24 ounces popcorn chicken*, (1 ½ pounds frozen chicken that's been previously cooked and you bake it according to package directions. See Notes for alternatives)
  • 1 tablespoon olive oil
  • 2 to 3 cloves garlic, finely minced
  • ¾ cup honey
  • cup reduced-sodium soy sauce
  • 3 tablespoons ketchup
  • 2 tablespoons brown sugar
  • 2 tablespoons rice vinegar
  • 2 tablespoons sweet chili sauce, plus more to taste if desired
  • 1 tablespoon cornstarch
  • 1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil
  • 2 tablespoons sesame seeds, for garnishing
  • 2 tablespoons green onions, sliced thin; optional for garnishing

Instructions 

  • Bake the chicken on a sheet pan according to package direction, generally about 15 to 20 minutes. In the last 10 minutes while the chicken is baking, make the sauce.
  • To a large skillet (make sure it's big enough to hold the chicken that you will add later on), add the olive oil, garlic, and saute over medium-high heat for about 1 minute, or until fragrant; stir continuoulsy.
  • Turn the heat to medium or medium-low, and add the honey, soy sauce, ketchup, brown sugar, rice vinegar (sometimes called rice wine vinegar), sweet chili sauce, cornstarch, sesame oil, and whisk to combine. Allow the mixture to barely come to a simmer and simmer for about 2 to 3 minutes. Taste the sauce and make sure the flavor is what you want, adjust if necessary to taste. Flavor Tips – The sweet chili sauce doesn't really add heat/spiciness and actually adds sweetness, but of course, add it to taste. I usually add closer to 1/4 cup of it since we like things saucie and sweeter. The cornstarch is used to thicken the sauce, you cannot omit it. Toasted sesame oil is preferred to non-toasted but it's also an ingredient that's not optional because it adds authentic flavor to the dish which is why it's called sesame chicken. I also add about 2 heaping tablespoons rather than 1 because I love the flavor, but add to taste. If you feel the dish lacks salt, of course add it, to taste.
  • Add the baked chicken to the sauce and stir, toss, and combine well to coat evenly.
  • Garnish with sesame seeds, and optionally garnish with green onions, and serve immediately.
  • Storage – This dish is best hot and fresh but leftovers will keep airtight in the fridge for up to 5 days, noting anything breaded never has quite the same texture after it's been refrigerated and microwaved briefly to reheat it. I don't recommend freezing leftovers (since you started with frozen popcorn chicken – there's no point in my opinion to freezing it), but you technically can freeze it, for up to 3 months.

Notes

Chicken – I use 24 ounces (1 1/2 pounds) of frozen breaded popcorn chicken that’s readily available at any US grocery store in the freezer case. Bake it on a sheet pan according to the package directions. 
If you want to go a more scratch route, I suggest using the battering/dredging/cooking process I use in my recipe for Better-Than-Takeout Sticky Chicken which creates a lightly breaded chicken. I use boneless skinless breasts but you can use boneless skinless thighs (dark meat) if you desire. And then you can either make that sauce (so just follow and use that recipe) OR you can make the sauce that I’m featuring in this recipe.
The difference in the sauces is that one is little sweeter and makes less quantity of sauce, but all-in-all, they’re very similar.

Nutrition

Serving: 1serving, Calories: 603kcal, Carbohydrates: 70g, Protein: 25g, Fat: 27g, Saturated Fat: 6g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 6g, Monounsaturated Fat: 12g, Trans Fat: 0.1g, Cholesterol: 87mg, Sodium: 1039mg, Potassium: 399mg, Fiber: 1g, Sugar: 65g, Vitamin A: 250IU, Vitamin C: 4mg, Calcium: 74mg, Iron: 2mg

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

More Skillet Asian Chicken Recipes:

Better-Than-Takeout Sticky Chicken — Stop calling for takeout or going to the mall food court and make this AMAZING sticky chicken at home in 15 minutes!! So EASY with the perfect balance of sweet and spicy with plenty of sticky sauce!! 

Better-Than-Takeout Sticky Chicken - Stop calling for takeout or going to the mall food court and make this AMAZING sticky chicken at home in 15 minutes!! So EASY with the perfect balance of sweet and spicy with plenty of sticky sauce!! 

15-Minute Skillet Sesame Chicken with Broccoli – Healthier sesame chicken that isn’t breaded or fried! You won’t miss the fat or calories in this fast and easy version that’s loaded with Asian-inspired flavors! You can happily skip takeout now!

15-Minute Skillet Sesame Chicken with Broccoli - HEALTHIER sesame chicken that isn't breaded or fried!! You won't miss the fat or calories in this FAST and EASY version that's loaded with Asian-inspired flavors! You can happily skip takeout now!!

Chinese Sweet and Sour Chicken — This sweet and sour chicken recipe takes just 15 minutes to make and tastes way better than takeout. Perfect for a weeknight dinner!

easy sweet and sour chicken on a white plate with white rice

Better-Than-Takeout Cashew Chicken – Juicy chicken, crisp-tender vegetables, and crunchy cashews coated with the best garlicky soy sauce!! Skip takeout and make your own restaurant-quality meal that’s easy, ready in 20 minutes, and healthier!!

Cashew Chicken stir fry in serving bowl

Chicken and Green Bean Stir Fry — 🧡💚 Juicy pieces of chicken and crisp-tender green beans are coated in a sweet and savory stir fry sauce! It’s a simple yet flavorful stir fry that’s made with pantry staples you have on hand already! Best of all, it’s a QUICK and EASY one skillet recipe that’s ready in less than 30 minutes so it’s great for busy weeknights!

A plate of chicken stir fry with green beans and sesame seeds over white rice, accompanied by chopsticks and a striped napkin.

Healthier Orange Chicken – Stop calling for takeout or going to the mall food court and make this HEALTHIER orange chicken at home in less than 10 minutes!! EASY, authentic, and so INCREDIBLE that you’ll never miss the fat and calories!!

Healthier Orange Chicken - Stop calling for takeout or going to the mall food court and make this HEALTHIER orange chicken at home in less than 10 minutes!! EASY, authentic, and so INCREDIBLE that you'll never miss the fat and calories!!

Easy Better-Than-Takeout Chicken Fried Rice – One-skillet, ready in 20 minutes, and you’ll never want takeout again after tasting how good homemade is! Way more flavor, not greasy, and loads of juicy chicken!

Easy Better-Than-Takeout Chicken Fried Rice - One-skillet, ready in 20 minutes, and you'll never want takeout again after tasting how good homemade is!! Way more flavor, not greasy, and loads of juicy chicken!!

Chicken Stir-Fry with Noodles — Skip takeout and make this EASY stir fry that’s ready in 15 minutes! Loaded with juicy chicken, crisp-tender veggies, comforting noodles, and Asian-inspired flavors! Perfect for busy weeknights!!

Chicken Stir Fry with Noodles - Skip takeout and make this EASY stir fry that's ready in 15 minutes!! Loaded with juicy chicken, crisp-tender veggies, comforting noodles, and Asian-inspired flavors! Perfect for busy weeknights!!

Kung Pao Chicken – An easy BETTER-THAN-TAKEOUT recipe with juicy chicken and such a flavorful sauce!! Don’t call for takeout when you can make this HEALTHIER version at home in 20 minutes! So AUTHENTIC tasting!!

Kung Pao Chicken - An easy BETTER-THAN-TAKEOUT recipe with juicy chicken and such a flavorful sauce!! Don't call for takeout when you can make this HEALTHIER version at home in 20 minutes! So AUTHENTIC tasting!!

Chicken Chow Mein  Chewy chow mein noodles, crisp-tender veggies, and juicy chicken are stir-fried in a sesame-soy sauce! It’s a SIMPLE and FAST recipe that anyone can make.

Chicken Chow Mein — Chewy chow mein noodles, crisp-tender veggies, and juicy chicken are stir-fried in a sesame-soy sauce! It’s a SIMPLE and FAST recipe that anyone can make. It's cheaper than ordering take out, your family will be impressed, and you'll love how EASY it is to prepare!
5 from 2 votes (1 rating without comment)

Leave a Comment

Please note: I have only made the recipe as written, and cannot give advice or predict what will happen if you change something. If you have a question regarding changing, altering, or making substitutions to the recipe, please check out the FAQ page for more info.

Recipe Rating




The maximum upload file size: 5 MB. You can upload: image, video. Links to YouTube, Facebook, Twitter and other services inserted in the comment text will be automatically embedded. Drop file here

Comments

  1. Hi Averie. I made this chicken recipe and there were NO Leftovers!! The smell of the toasted sesame oil was Amazing!! My family stated I am expanding their palates. I said I will Thank โ€œAverie Cooksโ€ for all the Awesome Recipes!!

    Thank You Averie!!

    P. S. Any Steak Recipes?

  2. 5 stars
    I made this and my husband said it was delicious and better than the restaurants here, coming from him that was high praise

    1. Thanks for the 5 star review and I am so glad to hear this was a big hit and got the ‘better than a restaurant’ vote from your husband!