Sesame Chicken Recipe

Sesame chicken is a classic Oriental chicken dish.  It is very popular and served in many Chinese food restaurants.  It is a spicy dish but the sauce usually has a sweet element for balance. 

Fine-tune the sweetness of the sauce until you find the level you like.

You can adjust the heat level with varying amounts of chili paste or even red pepper flakes.  Don’t be afraid to toast the sesame seeds; you just need a watchful eye.  Toasting brings out the flavor of the seeds and doesn’t take long. 

It is well worth the effort for a restaurant-quality dish in the comfort of your home. 

Ingredients:  

3 lb. skinless chicken
2 garlic cloves, minced
1/2 c. plus 1 tbsp. water, divided
1/3 c. unsweetened apple juice
2 tbsp. soy sauce
1 tbsp. ketchup
2 tsp. sesame seed
1 tbsp. dark brown sugar, firmly packed
2 tbsp. sliced scallion
Dash ground red pepper
1 tsp. cornstarch
2 tsp. sesame seed

Preparation:

Spray a 5 quart saucepot with nonstick cooking spray and set over medium heat; add chicken parts and cook, turning until chicken is browned on all sides, about 4-6 minutes.

Transfer chicken to a plate and set aside.

In a small mixing bowl combine 1/2 cup water with the juice, soy sauce, scallion, ketchup, sugar, garlic and red pepper, mixing well. Pour into pot.

Cook over medium heat for 2 minutes, stirring constantly. Reduce heat to low. Put chicken back into pot.

Cover and cook for 20 to 25 minutes. Remove the chicken from the pot and keep warm, reserving liquid in pot.

Dissolve cornstarch in remaining water and add to liquid in pot. Cook until sauce is thickened (3-4 minutes).

Pour sauce evenly over chicken and sprinkle with sesame seed.