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Air Fryer Sesame Chicken is a delicious, easy-to-make dish that the whole family will love. The chicken is air-fried until crispy, then coated in a flavorful sesame sauce. You can easily serve it with rice and vegetables for a complete meal!
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Check out my Air Fryer Coconut Shrimp and my Air Fryer Pineapple Cream Cheese Wontons for more delicious air fryer recipes!
This air fryer sesame chicken recipe is an easy Chinese staple to make without the use of pots and pans. The chicken crisps up in the air fryer and is tossed with a delicious homemade sauce. Perfect to serve as lunch or dinner and pairs with rice or your favorite side.
Sesame chicken is a delicious and easy-to-make dish that the whole family will love. It’s going to be a family favorite, it’s that GOOD!
Why You'll Love This Recipe
- The chicken is low in calories and fat and high in protein.
- This chicken recipe is also a healthy option.
- Let's not forget that it's easy to prepare.
- If you're tired of eating the same thing over and over again, you'll love this chicken recipe!
Ingredients You'll Need
For The Chicken
- Boneless, Skinless Chicken Thighs: You'll need about 2 pounds of chicken.
- Potato Starch: You'll need about ¼ cup.
- Olive Oil: A little olive oil goes a long way.
For The Sauce
- Brown Sugar: To help get the correct flavor, you'll need brown sugar.
- Orange Juice: You'll need the orange juice flavor for this recipe!
- Hoisin Sauce: This is my favorite ingredient to put in this recipe.
- Soy Sauce: This makes the sesame sauce delicious.
- Ground Ginger: You will just need a little ground ginger.
- Garlic Powder: Make sure you add plenty garlic powder.
- Water: A simple, yet important ingredient.
- Cornstarch: This will help to thicken the chicken recipe.
- Sliced Green Onions: A little garnish is so much fun for recipes!
- Sesame Seeds: This ingredient will help to complete the meal.
Step-By-Step-Instructions
For The Chicken
Step 1:
Preheat the air fryer to 360 degrees F.
Step 2:
While the air fryer is preheating, cut the chicken into 1-2" pieces. Place the diced chicken in a large mixing bowl. Add the potato starch and use your hands to coat the chicken evenly.
Step 3:
Coat the air fryer basket with the olive oil, then add the chicken. Cook for 20 minutes, flipping halfway through.
For The Sauce
Step 1:
While the chicken is cooking, add the brown sugar, soy sauce, orange juice, hoisin sauce, ginger and garlic powder to a small saucepan. Whisk together and bring to a slight simmer.
Step 2:
Once the sauce starts to simmer, whisk in the cornstarch and water.
Step 3:
Continue cooking until thickened, about 3-4 minutes.
Step 4:
Once the chicken is done cooking, toss in sauce. Serve the chicken over steamed rice and garnish with sliced green onions and sesame seeds. Enjoy!
NOTE: You can print the FULL recipe with all ingredients & detailed instructions below!
Expert Tips
- Using frozen chicken? Set it in the refrigerator the night before so that it has time to thaw.
- You can use minute rice for this meal if you struggle with cooking rice.
- Air fryer meals are capable of also being made on the stove or the oven.
Variations
- If you're not a fan of hoisin sauce, you can use teriyaki sauce in its place.
- You could also add some cashews or peanuts to the recipe for crunch.
- If you're looking for a spicy dish, try adding in some sriracha sauce.
- This recipe also tastes great with broccoli or asparagus added in.
- Choose a vegetable you like and make it with this meal!
- If you want a little more of a kick, add some red pepper flakes to the seasoning mixture.
- If you're not a fan of chicken thighs, you can use chicken breasts instead.
Storing & Freezing
Storing: Store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
Freezing: Place the cooked chicken and sauce in an airtight container or freezer bag. It will keep for up to 3 months.
Reheat: Sesame chicken can be reheated in the air fryer or in the oven. To reheat in the air fryer, preheat it to 400 degrees F and cook for 5-7 minutes. To reheat in the oven, preheat it to 350 degrees F and cook for 10-15 minutes.
Recipe FAQ's
There are about 190 calories in a serving of air fryer sesame chicken. This dish is low in calories and fat, making it a healthy option for those looking to eat light. It's also high in protein, making it a satisfying meal.
The ingredients in air fryer sesame chicken include chicken, soy sauce, hoisin sauce, brown sugar, orange juice, garlic, garlic powder and ground ginger.
Some sides that go well with sesame chicken include steamed broccoli, roasted snap peas, and brown rice.
Yes, you can put sesame seeds in the air fryer. To do so, preheat the air fryer to 400 degrees F and cook for 2-3 minutes. Be sure to shake the basket halfway through cooking to ensure even cooking.
A good dipping sauce is soy sauce mixed with rice vinegar and a little honey.
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Air Fryer Sesame Chicken
Ingredients
For Chicken
- 1 pound boneless skinless chicken thighs
- ¼ cup potato starch
- 1 teaspoon olive oil
For Sauce
- 2 tablespoons brown sugar
- ¼ cup soy sauce
- 2 tablespoons orange juice
- ¼ cup hoisin sauce
- 1 teaspoon ground ginger
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 tablespoon water
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
- Sliced green onions optional
- Sesame seeds optional
Instructions
For Chicken
- Preheat the air fryer to 360°F.
- While the air fryer is preheating, cut the chicken into 1-2" pieces. Place the diced chicken in a large mixing bowl. Add the potato starch and use your hands to coat the chicken evenly.
- Coat the air fryer basket with the olive oil, then add the chicken. Cook for 20 minutes, flipping halfway through.
For Sauce
- While the chicken is cooking, add the brown sugar, soy sauce, orange juice, hoisin sauce, ginger and garlic powder to a small saucepan. Whisk together and bring to a slight simmer.
- Once the sauce starts to simmer, whisk in the cornstarch and water.
- Continue cooking until thickened, about 3-4 minutes.
- Garnish with sliced green onions and sesame seeds. Enjoy!
Notes
- Different air fryer brands may cook at different rates, so be sure to keep on eye on food.
- If you’re not a fan of hoisin sauce, you can use teriyaki sauce in its place.
- If you’re looking for a spicy dish, try adding in some sriracha sauce.
- Storing: store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
- Freezing: Place the cooked chicken and sauce in an airtight container or freezer bag. It will keep for up to 3 months.
- Reheating: Sesame chicken can be reheated in the air fryer or in the oven. To reheat in the air fryer, preheat it to 400 degrees F and cook for 5-7 minutes. To reheat in the oven, preheat it to 350 degrees F and cook for 10-15 minutes.
Nutrition
All nutritional information is based on third-party calculations and should be considered estimates. Actual nutritional content will vary with brands used, measuring methods, portion sizes and more.
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