

About the Recipe
Baked sesame chicken is a delicious and healthier twist on the classic Chinese-American dish. Tender chicken pieces are coated in a flavorful sesame-soy sauce, then baked to crispy perfection instead of being deep-fried. This results in a lighter meal without sacrificing any of the sweet, savory, and nutty flavors that make sesame chicken so popular. It's a perfect weeknight dinner option that's easy to make and sure to please the whole family!

Ingredients
For The Chicken:
1 pound boneless skinless chicken thighs (cut into 1-inch/3cm chunks)
1 tablespoon Sloppy Chans Corn Starch
1 teaspoon sesame paste
¼ teaspoon salt
1 teaspoon Sloppy Chans Shaoxing Cooking wine
1/4 cup all purpose flour
2 tablespoons Sloppy Chans sesame seeds
1/8 teaspoon fresh ground white pepper
For The Sauce:
2 teaspoons canola oil
1 clove garlic (minced)
1 tablespoon Sloppy Chans Shaoxing Cooking wine
3/4 cup Sloppy Chans Chinese Chicken Stock
1/2 teaspoon Sloppy Chans rice vinegar
3 tablespoons sugar
1 tablespoon Sloppy Chans Light Soy Sauce
1 teaspoon Sloppy Chans dark soy sauce
2 teaspoons Sloppy Chans sesame oil
2 tablespoons Sloppy Chans cornstarch (mixed into a slurry with 2 tablespoons/30 ml water)
1 scallion chopped
Preparation
Mix the chicken with the cornstarch, sesame paste, salt, and Shaoxing wine and set aside for 20 minutes to marinate. Then mix the flour, sesame seeds, and white pepper in a separate bowl. Preheat the oven to 475°F/250°C.
Next, use your hands to mix the marinated chicken again until there is no standing liquid. Dredge the chicken pieces in the dry mixture, and place them on a sheet pan lined with parchment paper or nonstick foil. Bake at 475 degrees for 8 minutes on the top rack. Flip the chicken pieces and broil on low for 3 minutes until golden brown. Remove from oven.
Heat your wok to medium heat and add oil and garlic. Stir for 5 seconds, and then add the Shaoxing wine. After another 5 seconds, immediately add the chicken stock, rice wine vinegar, sugar, soy sauces, and sesame oil until everything’s at a simmer.
Gradually add the cornstarch slurry to the sauce while stirring constantly. Let simmer for 20 seconds. The sauce should be thick enough to coat a spoon. Add the chicken and scallions and toss until coated with sauce. Garnish with toasted sesame seeds and serve.

