The Secret Ingredients That Make Sesame Chicken So Addictive

Sesame chicken is one of the most beloved Chinese takeout dishes The crispy fried chicken coated in a sweet and savory sesame sauce is an irresistible combination that has made sesame chicken a menu staple across North America. But what exactly gives sesame chicken its distinctive flavor and texture? There are a few key ingredients that set sesame chicken apart and make it so craveable.

Sesame Seeds

Not surprisingly, sesame seeds are the star ingredient in sesame chicken. Sesame seeds are what give the sauce its nutty, toasted aroma and its rich texture. The tiny seeds are packed with oil, which is released when they are toasted, amplifying their flavor. In addition to providing great taste, the high oil content in sesame seeds helps the sauce cling evenly to the chicken.

Most of the time, sesame seeds are mixed with other sauce ingredients and ground into a paste for sesame chicken. This sesame seed paste forms the base of the sauce. Whole toasted sesame seeds are also called for in some recipes. They are added as a garnish to add more crunch and nuttiness.

Soy Sauce

Another important part of sesame chicken sauce is soy sauce. Adding soy sauce gives food a rich umami flavor and a nice salty taste. When mixed with sweet things like honey or sugar, the salty soy sauce flavor balances out the sweetness to make a complex, very tasty flavor.

For the best taste, use regular soy sauce instead of low-sodium soy sauce when making sesame chicken. Less salty soy sauce doesn’t have the hearty kick that makes sesame chicken sauce stand out. Make sure you only use a little soy sauce so it adds flavor without taking it over.

Rice Vinegar

Rice vinegar may seem like an unusual ingredient for Chinese-American cuisine, but it’s actually integral for creating the taste of restaurant-quality sesame chicken. Rice vinegar gives the sauce a mild tanginess and acidity that brightens all the other flavors. It cuts through the richness of the sesame oil and soy sauce and helps balance the sweetness.

Western vinegars, like white wine vinegar or cider vinegar, are rougher on the skin than rice vinegar. Its mild acidity doesn’t stand out too much; it blends in with the sauce. Choose plain rice vinegar over seasoned rice vinegar when you go shopping. Seasoned rice vinegar has extra sugar and salt added to it.

Chicken Thighs

Using the right cut of chicken is crucial for getting the tender, juicy texture sesame chicken is known for. Chicken thighs are the perfect choice. Not only are they more flavorful than breasts, but they remain extremely moist when cooked. Chicken thighs have the ideal ratio of meat to bone and skin. The bones and skin keep the meat tender and prevent it from drying out.

Chicken thighs hold up especially well when fried. They become crispy and crunchy on the outside while the interior stays succulent. Sesame chicken made with chicken breasts tends to turn out disappointingly dry and stringy in comparison. For the best results, remove the skin before frying but leave the bones in.

Cornstarch

Crispiness is one of the most satisfying things about sesame chicken, and achieving it is all thanks to cornstarch. Dusting the chicken pieces in cornstarch before frying is what creates that light, delicate crunch. The cornstarch coats each piece of chicken and transforms into a crispy shell when fried.

Cornstarch performs its magic because it contains a very high percentage of starch, which is insoluble in water. When the cornstarch-coated chicken is fried, the starch stays dry and transforms into a crispy outer layer. Flour lacks this same frying power because it contains proteins and other compounds that absorb oil.

High Heat Frying

Simply breading chicken with cornstarch alone doesn’t guarantee it will turn out crispy. The frying method is equally important. To get sesame chicken with the proper crispy exterior, it must be fried at a high temperature – between 350-375°F. This high heat causes the cornstarch coating to rapidly turn golden brown and form a crunchy crust before the chicken interior overcooks.

Frying at too low of a temperature will lead to chicken that is greasy and limp rather than crispy. The coating will absorb more oil instead of quickly setting. Don’t be tempted to crowd too many chicken pieces in the pan either. This brings down the oil temperature and steams the chicken. Fry just a few pieces at a time for maximum crispness.

Ginger and Garlic

In addition to the core ingredients mentioned already, ginger and garlic also play a subtle but vital role in sesame chicken flavor. Minced or grated fresh ginger adds a touch of zing and brightness. Garlic provides an aromatic background note. Together, they round out the complex flavor profile.

The quantity of ginger and garlic must be carefully balanced. Too much will make the sauce taste too strong and spicy. Just a teaspoon or two of each is usually plenty for a full batch of sesame chicken. Whisking the ginger and garlic into an egg white slurry before adding them to the sauce helps mellow their sharpness.

So the next time you’re devouring perfectly crispy sesame chicken with a sweet, salty, and slightly spicy sauce, you’ll know it’s the alchemy of these key ingredients that make it so delicious. The combination of sesame, soy sauce, vinegar, and cornstarch elevate simple fried chicken into the takeout treat we all know and love. Follow these tips to unlock the secret formula for homemade restaurant-quality sesame chicken.