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5.0 from 6 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 mins
Cook Time
5 mins
Total Time
25 mins
Servings: 4
Calories: 603 kcal
Course: Lunch
Cuisine: Asian

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
  • â…“ 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

    Cup of Yum
  1. 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.
  2. 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.
  3. 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.
  4. Add the baked chicken to the sauce and stir, toss, and combine well to coat evenly.
  5. Garnish with sesame seeds, and optionally garnish with green onions, and serve immediately.
  6. 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 Information

Serving 1serving Calories 603kcal (30%) Carbohydrates 70g (23%) Protein 25g (50%) Fat 27g (42%) Saturated Fat 6g (30%) Polyunsaturated Fat 6g Monounsaturated Fat 12g Trans Fat 0.1g Cholesterol 87mg (29%) Sodium 1039mg (43%) Potassium 399mg (11%) Fiber 1g (4%) Sugar 65g (130%) Vitamin A 250IU (5%) Vitamin C 4mg (4%) Calcium 74mg (7%) Iron 2mg (11%)

Nutrition Facts

Serving: 4Serving

Amount Per Serving

Calories 603

% Daily Value*

Serving 1serving
Calories 603kcal 30%
Carbohydrates 70g 23%
Protein 25g 50%
Fat 27g 42%
Saturated Fat 6g 30%
Polyunsaturated Fat 6g 35%
Monounsaturated Fat 12g 60%
Trans Fat 0.1g 5%
Cholesterol 87mg 29%
Sodium 1039mg 43%
Potassium 399mg 8%
Fiber 1g 4%
Sugar 65g 130%
Vitamin A 250IU 5%
Vitamin C 4mg 4%
Calcium 74mg 7%
Iron 2mg 11%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.