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Air Fryer Sesame Chicken: The Ultimate Guide to Crispy, Flavor-Packed Perfection

Air Fryer Sesame Chicken: The Ultimate Guide to Crispy, Flavor-Packed Perfection
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This Air Fryer Sesame Chicken is a quick and tasty dinner made with crispy chicken pieces tossed in a sticky, sweet, and savory sesame-soy sauce. It’s lighter than takeout, easy to prepare, and ready in under 30 minutes—perfect for busy weeknights.

Ingredients

Scale

Crispy Chicken

  • 6 large skinless chicken thigh fillets (about 750 g / 1.65 lb untrimmed, or 600 g / 1.3 lb trimmed)

  • 3 tbsp cornflour (cornstarch in the USA)

  • ¼ tsp salt

  • ¼ tsp black pepper

  • ½ tsp garlic powder

  • ½ tsp paprika

  • 3 tbsp oil

Sesame Sauce

  • 1½ tbsp sesame oil

  • 1 tsp garlic powder (or 2 fresh garlic cloves, minced)

  • 1½ tbsp Chinese rice vinegar

  • 3 tbsp honey

  • 3 tbsp sweet chilli sauce

  • 4 tbsp tomato ketchup

  • 3 tbsp light brown sugar

  • 3 tbsp light soy sauce

  • 3 tbsp dark soy sauce

To Serve

  • Sesame seeds

  • Chopped spring onions (scallions)

  • Boiled rice or egg fried rice

Instructions

  • Prepare the chicken
    Trim excess fat from the chicken thighs and cut them into bite-sized pieces. Set aside.

  • Coat the chicken
    In a medium bowl, mix the cornflour, salt, pepper, garlic powder, and paprika.
    Add the chicken and toss until all pieces are fully coated.

  • Add oil
    Drizzle the oil over the chicken and mix well. The chicken should look sticky and well covered.

  • Air fry
    Place the chicken in the air fryer basket. Cook at 190°C / 375°F for 15–18 minutes, shaking the basket at least 3 times so the pieces don’t stick together.
    (Cook in batches if your air fryer is small.)

  • Make the sauce
    While the chicken cooks, add all sauce ingredients to a microwave-safe bowl.
    Microwave on high for 3 minutes, stirring every minute, until hot and slightly thickened.
    (You can also heat it gently in a saucepan on the stove.)

  • Combine
    Remove the chicken from the air fryer and toss it in the warm sesame sauce until evenly coated.

  • Serve
    Sprinkle with sesame seeds and chopped spring onions. Serve hot with boiled or egg fried rice.

Notes

  • Shake the air fryer basket often to keep the chicken crispy and evenly cooked.

  • Chicken thighs stay juicier than chicken breast, but you can substitute if you prefer.

  • For extra heat, add a pinch of chilli flakes or a dash of sriracha to the sauce.

  • Don’t overcrowd the air fryer—this helps the chicken crisp up properly.

Find it online: https://biteseason.com/air-fryer-sesame-chicken-the-ultimate-guide-to-crispy-flavor-packed-perfection/