Crispy Baked Honey Sesame Chicken
This honey sesame chicken is crispy, flavorful, and just downright incredible. It's baked to perfection (so, no frying necessary) and then smothered in a tangy, sweet, thick honey sauce. It's the most flavorful, healthier spin on the beloved takeout dish!
Servings: 5 Servings
Ingredients
For the Chicken Marinade
- 1 egg white
- 3 tablespoons arrowroot starch
- 1 tablespoon coconut aminos
- 1 teaspoon apple cider vinegar
- 1 teaspoon salt
- 1½ pounds chicken thighs, cut into 1-inch pieces
For the Flour Coating
- ½ cup arrowroot starch
- ½ cup white rice flour
- 1 teaspoon salt
- Spray oil
For the Sauce
- 1 tablespoon corn starch or arrowroot starch
- 1 tablespoon water
- 2 tablespoons sesame oil
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- ½ cup honey
- ¼ cup ketchup
- ¼ cup tamari soy sauce, or soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon rice vinegar
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 425°F and line a rimmed baking sheet with parchment paper. Lightly spray the parchment with avocado oil spray, or brush with oil.
- In a large bowl, whisk together the egg white, arrowroot starch (for the marinade), coconut aminos, apple cider vinegar, and 1 teaspoon of salt. Add the chicken to the marinade and toss to coat.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the arrowroot starch (for the flour coating), white rice flour, and 1 teaspoon of salt.
- Remove the chicken from the marinade, then dredge in the flour mixture. Shake off any excess flour, and place the chicken on the prepared baking sheet in an even layer (do not overlap your chicken). Lightly spray the chicken with avocado oil spray, or brush with oil.
- Bake the chicken for 15 minutes, flip the chicken, then bake for an additional 15 minutes, until browned and crisp.
- While the chicken is baking, in a small bowl, use a fork to combine the corn starch and water to make a slurry. In a small pot over medium heat, whisk together the sesame oil, garlic, honey, ketchup, tamari, and rice vinegar. Slowly pour in the cornstarch slurry while whisking. Bring the sauce to a simmer and simmer for 5 minutes, until the sauce just starts to thicken.
- Toss the chicken with the sauce, garnish with white sesame seeds, serve, and enjoy!
Notes
- Use half white rice flour + half arrowroot starch – this is the key to crispy chicken. Don’t go all arrowroot or all rice flour - use half and half!
- Use chicken thighs – while the chicken breast has its place, this recipe is all about chicken thighs! Trust us on this one.
- Spritz the chicken with oil – give the chicken a good spray of avocado oil before baking or air frying it. While you can use a brush to spread the oil on the coated chicken pieces, the spray is MUCH easier and creates a more even coating.
- Flip the chicken halfway through – you’ll bake the chicken for 15 minutes, then flip it, and bake it for another 15 minutes. This is key in helping the chicken to get nice and crispy on all sides.
- Don’t overlap the chicken – when laying the chicken on the sheet pan to bake, be sure that none of the pieces are overlapping. In fact, if you need to use more than one sheet pan in order to not overlap, do that.
Nutrition
Calories: 521kcal | Carbohydrates: 45g | Protein: 23g | Fat: 28g | Saturated Fat: 7g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 7g | Monounsaturated Fat: 12g | Trans Fat: 0.1g | Cholesterol: 133mg | Sodium: 1214mg | Potassium: 343mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 30g | Vitamin A: 168IU | Vitamin C: 1mg | Calcium: 21mg | Iron: 1mg