Baked honey sesame chicken is a favorite Chinese carry-out dish, but it's easy to make at home. Make this recipe soon, because everyone loves sticky chicken!
I think some of the messiest foods also happen to be the tastiest. There's something extra special about the dishes that have a sweet and sticky sauce.
This sticky chicken dish ranks on my top 10 favorite Chinese foods list with saucy Chinese five spice ribs, finger licking' good char siu, and Chinese BBQ pork buns (char siu bao).
They're the type of meals that many people think are too difficult to make at home. I strongly disagree... Chinese carry-out is great once in a while, but these seemingly difficult dishes are actually really simple to make at home; especially today's Chinese chicken recipe!
Sticky Baked Honey Sesame Chicken
Cuisine Asian / Chinese
This recipe is perfect for when you're in the mood for Chinese carry-out, but you'd rather save money by making it yourself.
Honey sesame chicken is marinated chicken, oven baked until tender. It's finger licking good, sticky, sweet and spicy... and all things extra nice-y.
Course:
Main dish
Preparation:
oven roasted / baked
Difficulty: Easy 🥄
Description:
Marinated bone-in chicken pieces are basted with a sticky honey glaze while cooking in the oven. It's tender, sticky chicken at its best!
Ingredient notes and substitutions
Note:
There are two different components to this Asian chicken recipe; the marinade and the honey basting sauce. Some of the ingredients mentioned below will be needed for both the marinade and the sauce. Please see the recipe card at the bottom of this post for details.
- Bone-in chicken pieces - I made the recipe using bone-in chicken thighs and legs (drumsticks), both of which are smaller in size than chicken breasts.
You're welcome to substitute any chicken pieces you'd like, but keep in mind that cooking times will be longer for larger pieces. Likewise, if you use boneless chicken, the cooking time will be shorter.
- Soy sauce - If you're concerned about the large amount of salt in soy sauce, feel free to substitute a low-sodium soy sauce. Good gluten free soy sauce substitutes include tamari and coconut aminos.
- Ginger paste - I think using ginger paste is more convenient than using fresh grated ginger. It stays fresh in the refrigerator for several months. If you can't find ginger paste, grated fresh ginger or even dry ground ginger could be used.
- Chinese five spice - Premade spice blends have become very expensive lately. I make a lot of my own spice blends, including a Chinese five spice recipe. Otherwise, using store-bought is fine.
Honey sesame chicken marinade
Occasionally, readers ask me if it's necessary to marinate chicken. My answer varies. Honestly, it depends on the recipe you're making... let me explain.
Generally speaking, marinades are designed to help tenderize meats, especially those that have connective tissue, such as beef and pork.
Because poultry doesn't have any connective tissue, a marinade isn't needed for that purpose. However, I often marinate chicken and turkey to help infuse extra flavor.
Important notes about using marinades
- How long to marinate chicken
Because the marinade for sticky chicken is only being used to add flavor, it isn't necessary to marinate for longer than an hour. In fact, unlike beef, the acidic ingredients in a marinade start to break down the proteins in poultry after a couple of hours.
Some people prefer to marinate meats overnight, and you are welcome to do so. However, keep in mind that the longer you leave chicken exposed to the acidic marinade, the more likely it is to affect the texture and consistency of the baked honey sesame chicken.
Why you should NEVER reuse meat marinades
All meat, poultry and seafood contain harmful bacteria that can make you very sick. The bacteria is cooked out, but it remains in the marinade. For this reason, always discard marinade immediately after you remove the uncooked food.
Sticky chicken glaze
The sticky honey glaze is my favorite part of the baked sesame chicken, and it couldn't be simpler to make! Just whisk a few ingredients together and you're ready to use it for basting the chicken as it bakes.
NOTE:
As mentioned in the previous section, harmful bacteria in the raw chicken can make you very sick.
As you baste the honey sesame chicken, the bacteria will transfer onto your basting brush. Every time you dip the brush back into the basting sauce, you are contaminating the sauce.
For this reason, never use a basting sauce for serving or dipping purposes!
The honey glaze makes a delicious dipping sauce, though! I recommend making an extra batch to use specifically for serving at the table.
Recipe notes for baking sticky honey sesame chicken
- Use a meat thermometer to test for doneness. This is the safest way to know for sure that the internal temperature of the baked chicken has reached a safe temperature of 165°F.
Because it continues to cook for a couple of minutes after it's removed from the oven, it's perfectly okay to remove your baked sticky chicken from the oven when the internal temperature reaches 163°F.
I like to do this, as it prevents the chicken from over cooking and becoming dry.
- Store leftovers in a covered container in the refrigerator, and use within 5 days.
The best way to reheat bone-in chicken is wrapped in foil. This helps to keep it moist. I usually place the foil packet of chicken on a baking sheet and reheat it in a 350°F oven for 20 minutes or so.
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Sticky Baked Honey Sesame Chicken
Ingredients
- 2 lbs bone-in chicken legs and thighs (See Note 1)
Marinade
- ¼ cup soy sauce
- 2 tablespoon dry sherry
- 2 tablespoon ginger paste
- 2 tablespoon brown sugar
- ½ teaspoon Chinese Five Spice
Basting Sauce
- ¼ cup soy sauce
- ¼ cup honey
- 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
- 1 tablespoon sesame oil
Garnish
- 1 tablespoon sesame seeds
- cilantro leaves chopped
Instructions
- Preheat an oven to 375°F.
- Line 13×9” baking dish or rimmed baking pan with foil, or use a baking stone. Lightly coat with cooking spray or oil.
Marinade
- In a small bowl, whisk together ¼ cup soy sauce, plus sherry, ginger paste, brown sugar and Chinese five spice. Set aside.
- Place chicken and marinade in a covered container or zip top storage bag. Marinate in the refrigerator for at least 1 hour.
Basting Sauce
- In another small bowl, whisk together remaining ¼ cup soy sauce, plus honey and both oils. Set aside.
Roasting
- Arrange chicken in baking dish or on rimmed baking sheet; Use a pastry brush to baste chicken pieces with honey basting sauce.
- Baked chicken in preheated oven for 40 minutes, basting a couple of times during roasting (every 10 minutes, optional). The chicken will become sticky and tender. Remove from oven when golden brown and fully cooked through (internal temp of 165°F).
- Serve topped with any pan juices from baking pan, sesame seeds and chopped cilantro. (See Note 2)
Notes
- If desired, use boneless chicken thighs and reduce cooking time by 10 minutes.
- To prevent risk of serious illness from bacteria in uncooked chicken, never reuse or serve leftover chicken marinade or basting sauce.
*The information shown below is an estimate provided by an online nutrition calculator. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist's advice.
Nutrition
