Panda Express Copycat Honey Sesame Chicken
Indulge in the sweet and savory goodness of this homemade Honey Sesame Chicken, inspired by your favorite takeout! Featuring tender chicken coated in a luscious honey-soy glaze and tossed with crunchy sesame seeds, this dish is perfect over a bed of fluffy steamed rice. Get ready to impress your taste buds with this easy, crowd-pleasing recipe!
Prep
15
min
Cook
30
min
Serves
4
people
Level
intermediate
📝 Ingredients
Serves 4🥬Fresh Produce(5)
- 2 yellow bell peppers, sliced
- 1 tbsp minced garlic (15 ml)
- 1.5 tbsp lemon juice (22.5 ml)
- salt and white pepper to taste
- 1/2 cup water (120 ml)
🥩Meat & Seafood(1)
- 1.5 lbs boneless skinless chicken thighs, trimmed & sliced (680 g)
🥛Dairy & Eggs(1)
- 2 large eggs
🫙Pantry Staples(8)
- 1/3 cup all purpose flour (41.2 g)
- 3/4 cup cornstarch (180 ml)
- 1.5 tbsp cornstarch + splash of water (22.5 ml)
- 1/2 cup + 1 tbsp honey (120 ml)@Mike’s Hot Honey for extra flavor
- splash of oil
- 3 tbsp rice vinegar (45 ml)
- drizzle of sesame oil, for finishing
- 3ish cups vegetable oil, for frying (720 ml)
🧂Spices & Seasonings(2)
- salt to taste
- 1 tsp white pepper (5 ml)
🍯Sauces & Condiments(3)
- 1.5 tbsp soy sauce (22.5 ml)
- 1/4 cup + 1 tbsp soy sauce (60 ml)@Kikkoman USA
- 1/3 cup sweet chili sauce (79.2 ml)
📦Other(3)
- 12 oz green beans, trimmed & large ones sliced in half (340 g)
- 1/4 tsp msg (1.25 ml)@KnowMSG!
- 2 tsp sesame seeds + more for topping (10 ml)more for topping
Nutrition (per serving)
Calories
663
Protein
40g
Carbs
86g
Fat
18g
👨🍳 Instructions
- 1
Marinate the chicken thighs with eggs, soy sauce, salt, and white pepper.
- 2
In a separate bowl, mix cornstarch and flour with salt and white pepper.
- 3
Coat the marinated chicken in the cornstarch mixture.
- 4
Heat vegetable oil in a wok for frying.
- 5
Fry the chicken until golden brown and cooked through.
- 6
In another pan, heat a splash of oil and sauté minced garlic.
- 7
Add honey, sweet chili sauce, soy sauce, rice vinegar, lemon juice, and water to the pan.
- 8
Mix cornstarch with a splash of water and add to the sauce to thicken.
- 9
Add the fried chicken to the sauce and mix well.
- 10
Stir in green beans and yellow bell peppers, cooking until tender.
- 11
Serve over steamed rice and garnish with sesame seeds and a drizzle of sesame oil.
💡 Pro Tips
- ✓Use a 9:1 cornstarch-to-flour ratio (3/4 cup to 1/3 cup) because cornstarch gelatinizes at 140-150°F, creating a crispy exterior before the flour browns, while flour alone browns too quickly and creates a dense crust.ingredient9:1 ratio, gelatinization at 140-150°F
- ✓Fry chicken at 325-350°F for 8-10 minutes because chicken thighs reach safe internal temp (165°F) at this temperature window while the coating sets; oil hotter than 350°F burns the exterior before the interior cooks through.timing325-350°F, 8-10 minutes, target 165°F internal
- ✓Let marinated chicken rest uncovered in the refrigerator for 30-45 minutes after coating because the egg-cornstarch mixture hydrates and forms a stronger gel layer, reducing oil absorption during frying by up to 25%.timing30-45 minutes, 25% less oil absorption
- ✓Use a 1:1 slurry ratio of cornstarch to water (not more) when thickening the honey sauce because excess cornstarch creates a gluey, opaque sauce; the 1:1 ratio thickens to 160-180 gauge (slight coat-back consistency) in 30-45 seconds.technique1:1 cornstarch-to-water slurry, 30-45 seconds to set
- ✓Add the sauce to the fried chicken within 2-3 minutes of frying while the coating is still crispy because the residual heat (around 200°F) warms the sauce without softening the crust, whereas cooled chicken absorbs sauce and becomes soggy.timing2-3 minutes after frying, 200°F residual heat
Share this recipe
Prep
15
min
Cook
30
min
Serves
4
people
Level
intermediate
Share this recipe
Panda Express Copycat Honey Sesame Chicken
Indulge in the sweet and savory goodness of this homemade Honey Sesame Chicken, inspired by your favorite takeout! Featuring tender chicken coated in a luscious honey-soy glaze and tossed with crunchy sesame seeds, this dish is perfect over a bed of fluffy steamed rice. Get ready to impress your taste buds with this easy, crowd-pleasing recipe!
📝 Ingredients
Serves 4🥬Fresh Produce(5)
- 2 yellow bell peppers, sliced
- 1 tbsp minced garlic (15 ml)
- 1.5 tbsp lemon juice (22.5 ml)
- salt and white pepper to taste
- 1/2 cup water (120 ml)
🥩Meat & Seafood(1)
- 1.5 lbs boneless skinless chicken thighs, trimmed & sliced (680 g)
🥛Dairy & Eggs(1)
- 2 large eggs
🫙Pantry Staples(8)
- 1/3 cup all purpose flour (41.2 g)
- 3/4 cup cornstarch (180 ml)
- 1.5 tbsp cornstarch + splash of water (22.5 ml)
- 1/2 cup + 1 tbsp honey (120 ml)@Mike’s Hot Honey for extra flavor
- splash of oil
- 3 tbsp rice vinegar (45 ml)
- drizzle of sesame oil, for finishing
- 3ish cups vegetable oil, for frying (720 ml)
🧂Spices & Seasonings(2)
- salt to taste
- 1 tsp white pepper (5 ml)
🍯Sauces & Condiments(3)
- 1.5 tbsp soy sauce (22.5 ml)
- 1/4 cup + 1 tbsp soy sauce (60 ml)@Kikkoman USA
- 1/3 cup sweet chili sauce (79.2 ml)
📦Other(3)
- 12 oz green beans, trimmed & large ones sliced in half (340 g)
- 1/4 tsp msg (1.25 ml)@KnowMSG!
- 2 tsp sesame seeds + more for topping (10 ml)more for topping
Nutrition (per serving)
Calories
663
Protein
40g
Carbs
86g
Fat
18g
👨🍳 Instructions
- 1
Marinate the chicken thighs with eggs, soy sauce, salt, and white pepper.
- 2
In a separate bowl, mix cornstarch and flour with salt and white pepper.
- 3
Coat the marinated chicken in the cornstarch mixture.
- 4
Heat vegetable oil in a wok for frying.
- 5
Fry the chicken until golden brown and cooked through.
- 6
In another pan, heat a splash of oil and sauté minced garlic.
- 7
Add honey, sweet chili sauce, soy sauce, rice vinegar, lemon juice, and water to the pan.
- 8
Mix cornstarch with a splash of water and add to the sauce to thicken.
- 9
Add the fried chicken to the sauce and mix well.
- 10
Stir in green beans and yellow bell peppers, cooking until tender.
- 11
Serve over steamed rice and garnish with sesame seeds and a drizzle of sesame oil.
💡 Pro Tips
- ✓Use a 9:1 cornstarch-to-flour ratio (3/4 cup to 1/3 cup) because cornstarch gelatinizes at 140-150°F, creating a crispy exterior before the flour browns, while flour alone browns too quickly and creates a dense crust.ingredient9:1 ratio, gelatinization at 140-150°F
- ✓Fry chicken at 325-350°F for 8-10 minutes because chicken thighs reach safe internal temp (165°F) at this temperature window while the coating sets; oil hotter than 350°F burns the exterior before the interior cooks through.timing325-350°F, 8-10 minutes, target 165°F internal
- ✓Let marinated chicken rest uncovered in the refrigerator for 30-45 minutes after coating because the egg-cornstarch mixture hydrates and forms a stronger gel layer, reducing oil absorption during frying by up to 25%.timing30-45 minutes, 25% less oil absorption
- ✓Use a 1:1 slurry ratio of cornstarch to water (not more) when thickening the honey sauce because excess cornstarch creates a gluey, opaque sauce; the 1:1 ratio thickens to 160-180 gauge (slight coat-back consistency) in 30-45 seconds.technique1:1 cornstarch-to-water slurry, 30-45 seconds to set
- ✓Add the sauce to the fried chicken within 2-3 minutes of frying while the coating is still crispy because the residual heat (around 200°F) warms the sauce without softening the crust, whereas cooled chicken absorbs sauce and becomes soggy.timing2-3 minutes after frying, 200°F residual heat