Sesame Wok-Fried Chicken with Chilis
This is a “chicken dinner winner”! It’s chicken boneless skinless thighs, lightly breaded, fried until crispy and golden brown. Made with delicious and perfectly balanced sweet and sour sauce. You can easily freeze these chicken bites and have them for next week’s lunch or dinner.
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For the marinade
- Its skinless boneless chicken thighs cut into bite-sized pieces.
- Egg whites make the breading light which makes it crispier.
- The soy sauce gives any dish an umami flavor.
- Chinese Shaoxing wine gives the dish a fruity nice flavor. If you want it alcohol-free, add apple juice.
- Sesame oil gives your dish a nutty flavor.
- Marinate the chicken for at least 30 minutes to an hour.
for the sauce
- Combine cornstarch and chicken broth, stir until the cornstarch dissolved. This process of combining liquid and cornstarch is called slurry, it is used to thicken the sauce or gravy.
- To the slurry, add the soy sauce, balsamic vinegar, brown sugar, and honey, stir to combine.
- When the sauce sits too long it tends to separate, make sure to stir it again when ready to add to the pan.
for the rest of the ingredients
- These dried chilis are mild, gives a nice flavor and texture to your dish.
- I toasted the sesame seeds first before sprinkling them at the end of cooking
- Grated ginger and garlic.
- Sliced green onions. It’s a nice garnish for the dish.
- I added a teaspoon of the sesame oil at the end of cooking, this gives a dish a nice nutty flavor.
how to fry the crispy chicken
You can have the crispy chicken by itself. After marinating the chicken, I seasoned the flour with a little bit of salt and pepper. Dredge each piece of chicken, then shook off the excess flour. Placed them onto a small baking sheet pan. I heated the oil (350ºF), make sure your oil is hot enough. If you do not have a thermometer to check if the oil is hot enough, use a wooden spoon technique. Dip the bottom part of the wooden spoon into the oil, if you see bubbles on the tip of the spoon, the oil is ready. Fry them in batches, do not overcrowd the pan. You can freeze these chicken bites and have them for later during the week. Heat them in a 400ºF oven for 5 minutes or so. You can have a sweet and sour dipping sauce, or sweet chili sauce if you like.
watch how to make it
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Sesame Wok-Fried Chicken with Chilis
Equipment
- Wok or wide pan
- Small baking sheet pan
- Wooden spoon
- Mixing bowls
- Tongs
- knife
- cutting board
Ingredients
- 1 pound boneless skinless chicken thighs
- 4 cloves of garlic, minced
- 1 inch size ginger, minced
- 10 dried chilis
- 3 stalks green onions, sliced
- 1 tablespoon raw sesame seeds
- vegetable oil for frying, plus 2 tablespoons for sauteeing
FOR THE MARINADE
- 2 egg whites
- 2 tablespoons Shaoxing wine
- 2 tablespoons light soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon sesame oil, plus 1 teaspoon, for drizzling at the end of cooking
FOR THE SAUCE
- 1/4 cup chicken broth
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
- 2 tablespoons light soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon balsamic vinegar
- 1 tablespoon brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon honey
FOR THE BREADING
- 1 cup all-purpose flour
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon ground pepper
Instructions
- In a bowl, combine chicken, egg whites, Shaoxing wine, soy sauce, sesame oil. Toss to coat, marinate for at least 30 minutes.
- In the meantime, toast the sesame seeds. Heat the pan and directly add the sesame seeds, stirring constantly until golden brown. Once browned, remove from the pan, it'll continue to cook, do not leave it in the pan for too long. Set aside.
- Make the sauce. In a measuring cup or small bowl, combine chicken broth and cornstarch. Stirring constantly until the cornstarch dissolved. Add soy sauce, balsamic vinegar, brown sugar, and honey, stir to combine. Set aside.
- In a baking dish or on a plate, add the flour, season with salt and pepper. Dredge each piece of chicken, shake off excess flour. Place the dredged chicken onto a platter or sheet pan.
- Heat a wok or wide pan with oil. Add the chicken, cook them in batches. Cook the chicken for 2-3 minutes on each side or until golden brown. Remove from the pan, place them on a paper towel to drain excess oil. Set aside.
- Drain the oil and wipe the pan. Heat the pan with 2 tablespoons of oil. Add the chilis saute until they start to blister. Add garlic and ginger, saute until aromatic. Add the chicken to the pan, season with salt and pepper.
- Add green onions and sauce, constantly stirring until the sauce thickened. Sprinkle the toasted sesame seeds and drizzle with a teaspoon of sesame oil. Serve with steamed rice.
Notes
- Lower the heat a little bit when it’s time to add the chilis. They tend to burn easily, only saute until they start to blister.
- When you dredge the chicken into the flour, make sure to shake off the excess flour this makes a lighter breading for your chicken bites.
- When toasting the sesame seeds, be careful not to burn them. It only takes a few seconds to make them toasty.
- You can also use chicken breast if you prefer.
- If you want to make this dish alcohol-free, use 1/4 cup of apple juice instead of Shaoxing wine.
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ABOUT JEN
Welcome to my virtual home. I’m a mom of two wonderful girls and a Community Education Culinary Instructor. I love to prepare and cook home-cooked meals. Cooking and planning your meals might sound like another chore added to your already long list of things to do. Believe me, I’ve been there. However, cooking and prepping meals will save you money, time, and you know what goes into your food. Definitely worth the effort. Read more…