This Air Fryer Sesame Chicken Recipe gives you restaurant-quality Chinese food at a fraction of the cost and calories while still giving you a great flavor. Keep reading to discover how you can make this easy Air Fryer chicken recipe!
Why You Will Love Air Fryer Sesame Chicken
You will love this Air Fryer Sesame Chicken recipe because it gives you extra crispy chicken without dousing it in oil, as restaurants do. Plus, since this is such an easy recipe, you'll find yourself looking for excuses to make it more often!
There's something about Sesame Chicken that makes you want to sit in your sweatpants and watch your favorite show.
However, ordering Sesame Chicken from your local Chinese restaurant can set you back hundreds of calories! Don't worry, though.
In addition, this delicious dinner recipe only requires a few ingredients, so even the most novice cooks can whip this up!
Ingredients:
- Chicken Thighs
- Olive Oil Cooking Spray
- Corn Starch
- Soy Sauce
- Brown Sugar
- Orange Zest
- Hoisin Sauce
- Ground Ginger
- Minced Garlic
- Cold Water
- Corn Starch
- Toasted Sesame Seeds
- Green Onions (optional)
- Cooked White Rice (optional)
How to Cook Sesame Chicken in the Air Fryer
- Cut the chicken into cubed chunks, then toss in a large bowl with cornstarch and coat the chicken evenly.
- Preheat the Air Fryer to 390º Fahrenheit.
- Place the coated chicken pieces into the air fryer basket and use a little olive oil spray to coat the chicken.
- Air fry the chicken for 24 minutes until golden brown, tossing the chicken halfway through the cooking time. Add a spritz of oil after
tossing the chicken. - Add the sesame chicken sauce ingredients into a small saucepan and whisk over medium heat until the sauce has reached a small boil.
- Once the sugar has completely dissolved, whisk in the cornstarch and water. Allow the sauce to thicken for around 5 minutes. Continue to whisk.
- Mix in the sesame seeds.
- Remove the sauce from the heat and set aside for 5 minutes, allowing the sauce to continue thickening.
- Place the chicken into a medium size mixing bowl and cover with the sauce. Toss the chicken so that each piece is coated in sauce.
- Serve topped over rice and garnish with green onion.
NOTE: This recipe was made using a 5.8 qt Cosori air fryer. If you're using a different air fryer, you may need to adjust the cooking time accordingly.
FAQs:
Can I use chicken breasts or chicken tenders for this recipe?
Absolutely! As long as you cube the chicken tenders and boneless skinless chicken breasts, you'll still end up with a great dish.
What if all my chicken won't fit in the Air Fryer?
You can cook the chicken in small or large batches, depending on the size of your Air Fryer.
What vegetables go well with this recipe?
Air Fryer Green Beans, Air Fryer Broccoli, or steamed vegetables pair well with this easy Air Fryer recipe.
Can I use All-Purpose Flour instead of Corn Starch?
Yes! Flour is a wonderful substitute for corn starch as it has starch in it already. However, keep in mind; you will need twice as much flour as cornstarch to make homemade sesame sauce.
How can I make this recipe low carb?
Instead of corn starch, you can swap out tapioca flour to coat the chicken. You'll still get crispy chicken without the added carbs.
Why isn't my sauce sticky?
To get a sticky sauce, you need to allow the sugar to dissolve completely. In addition, you need to allow the sauce to thicken for at least 5 minutes. If your sauce still isn't sticky enough, you may need to add more cornstarch or flour mixture (if you're using flour instead).
How do I keep the chicken from sticking to the basket of the Air Fryer?
You can use a little oil to coat the bottom and sides of the Air Fryer basket or add a small piece of parchment paper to the basket. Adding parchment paper also makes cleanup a lot easier!
How to achieve the best results with this recipe?
To get the most out of this recipe, make sure you use a cooking spray so that you don’t drown the chicken in oil. Too much oil can cause the chicken to become greasy and not as crispy.
In addition, you need to cut your chicken into even bite size pieces so that they cook through and be easily coated with sesame sauce.
If you like chicken, check out more of my favorite chicken recipes below.
MORE AIR FRYER RECIPES:
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Air Fryer Sesame Chicken
Equipment
- 1 Air Fryer
Ingredients
Sauce Ingredients
- ¼ cup soy sauce
- 2 Tablespoons brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon orange zest
- 5 teaspoons Hoisin sauce
- ½ teaspoon ground ginger
- 1 teaspoon minced garlic
- 1 Tablespoon cold water
- 1 Tablespoon corn starch
- 2 teaspoons sesame seeds toasted
Chicken Ingredients
- 1 pound chicken thighs boneless skinless
- ⅓ cup corn starch
- 1 teaspoon olive oil spray
Instructions
- Cut the chicken into cubed chunks, then toss in a large bowl with cornstarch and coat the chicken evenly.
- Preheat the Air Fryer to 390º Fahrenheit.
- Add the chicken to the prepared air fryer basket.
- Air fry the chicken for 24 minutes until golden brown, tossing the chicken halfway through the cooking time. Add a spritz of oil after tossing the chicken.
- Add the sesame chicken sauce ingredients into a small saucepan and whisk over medium heat until the sauce has reached a small boil.
- Once the sugar has completely dissolved, whisk in the cornstarch and water. Allow the sauce to thicken for around 5 minutes. Continue to whisk.
- Mix in the sesame seeds.
- Remove the sauce from the heat and set aside for 5 minutes, allowing the sauce to continue thickening.
- Place the chicken into a medium size mixing bowl and cover with the sauce. Toss the chicken so that each piece is coated in sauce.
- Serve topped over rice and garnish with green onion.
Notes
Nutrition
*Nutritional information is a calculated guesstimate. Please note that this can change with different brands and modifications you may make to the recipe. For the most accurate information, use a nutritional calculator with the exact brands and measurements you're using with each recipe.
©AirFryingFoodie 2021
Soo good yum thank you