American Chinese · Dinner

Sesame Chicken

Name: Sesame Chicken
Total time: 15 min
Yield: 4 servings
Cuisine: American Chinese
Ingredients: 1.5 lb boneless chicken breasts, cubed; 0.5 cup cornstarch; 0.5 cup all-purpose flour; 3 tbsp soy sauce; 3 tbsp honey; 2 tbsp rice vinegar; 0.25 cup chicken broth; 2 tbsp toasted sesame seeds; 3 cup vegetable oil for frying; 3 cup cooked rice; 2 each garlic cloves, minced

Sesame Chicken for about $3.50 a serving: a 15-minute dinner for 4, 780 kcal per serving, with every ingredient priced.

Per serving: $3.50
Whole dinner: $14.00
Time: 15 min
Calories: 780

High-protein
Dairy-free

Ingredients

1.5 lbboneless chicken breasts, cubed$7.00
0.5 cupcornstarch$0.27
0.5 cupall-purpose flour$0.12
3 tbspsoy sauce$0.38
3 tbsphoney$0.76
2 tbsprice vinegar$0.14
0.25 cupchicken broth$0.11
2 tbsptoasted sesame seeds$0.20
3 cupvegetable oil for frying$3.37
3 cupcooked rice$1.41
2 eachgarlic cloves, minced$0.24
Total for 4 servings$14.00

Most of the cost is boneless chicken breasts, cubed ($7.00) and vegetable oil for frying ($3.37). With oil, spices and staples already at home, the shop drops to about $7.51. Prices are estimated for the amount used, at average US grocery prices (November 2026).

Steps

In a shallow dish, combine the all-purpose flour and 7 tablespoons of the cornstarch, setting aside the remaining 1 tablespoon of cornstarch for the sauce. Toss the cubed chicken in the flour-cornstarch mixture until all pieces are thoroughly coated.
In a small bowl, whisk together the soy sauce, honey, rice vinegar, chicken broth, minced garlic cloves, and the reserved 1 tablespoon of cornstarch until smooth.
Pour the vegetable oil for frying into a deep skillet or wide saucepan and heat over medium-high heat to 350°F (180°C), or until a pinch of flour dropped in sizzles immediately.
Working in batches to avoid crowding the pan, fry the coated chicken in the hot oil for 5 to 7 minutes per batch, turning occasionally, until golden brown, crispy, and cooked to an internal temperature of 165°F (74°C) with no pink remaining. Transfer the fried chicken with a slotted spoon to a paper towel-lined plate to drain.
In a separate clean skillet over medium heat, pour in the honey-soy sauce mixture and bring to a simmer, stirring continuously, for 2 to 3 minutes until thickened and glossy.
Add the fried chicken to the skillet with the sauce and toss gently over low heat for 1 to 2 minutes until evenly coated. Remove from the heat and stir in the toasted sesame seeds.
Divide the warm cooked rice among four plates and spoon the glazed sesame chicken evenly over the top.

Ingredients

Steps

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