Air Fryer Sesame Chicken

It’s time to break out the air fryer again, except this time we’re making air fryer sesame chicken. I’m going to be upfront and honest right here in the beginning… this recipe can seem difficult. However, I’ve written it in a way to help you easily navigate the simultaneous steps and have this recipe whipped up stress-free and in no time!

It’s no question that sesame chicken is often a go-to food when ordering from your local Chinese restaurant. With the sweet and tangy flavors drenched over perfectly breaded and cooked chicken, it is definitely worth a homemade try.

Let’s start with the ingredients.

This air fryer sesame chicken calls for several ingredients, some of which you may not already have in your pantry. Be sure to go through this list and determine what you need to get ahead of time.

For the sauce you’ll need:

• Brown Sugar
• Tamari (or Organic Soy Sauce)
• Ketchup
• Hoisin Sauce
• Rice Vinegar
• Chili Paste
• Organic Cornstarch (mixed in 3 tsp of water)
• Sesame Oil
• Minced Garlic

For the chicken you’ll need:

• Skinless Chicken breast fillets (cut into bite-size pieces)
• Salt
• Black Pepper
• Tamari (or Organic Soy Sauce)
• Minced Garlic
• Ginger (I use ginger paste in a tube)
• Large Eggs (beaten)
• Unbleached Flour
• Organic Cornstarch (Amazon sells it)
• Oil (for brushing)

The Best Way to Prep for Cooking Air Fryer Sesame Chicken

I don’t want you to have to read through this recipe several times before finally cooking it to your liking, so I’m going to start you off with a few prep tips.

Tip #1: Prepare the sauce ingredients first.

Keep in mind that we’re just prepping here so it will make cooking everything much easier and smoother later. Prepare the sauce by stirring together the brown sugar, tamari sauce (soy), ketchup, Hoison sauce, rice vinegar, chili paste, and corn-starch mixture. Then, set it aside.

Tip #2: Make the marinade for the chicken next.

The marinade for the chicken consists of salt, pepper, Tamari sauce (soy), garlic, and ginger. Combine those together and set them aside.

Tip #3: Make the dredging station for the chicken third.

For the ‘dredging station,’ you’ll need two shallow bowls. In one, you’ll have the three eggs beaten. In the other, mix the flour, corn-starch, and ¼ tsp salt and pepper. Set this aside until needed.

Tip #4: Do the following simultaneously.

This tip is super important so you don’t have too much wait time between cooking everything. Mix the chicken pieces with the marinade and allow it to rest for at least 30 minutes while you prepare the rest of the recipe.

It’s Cook Time!

Pre-heat the air fryer.

Before starting the cooking process, pre-heat your air fryer for 5 minutes at 350° F.

Make the sauce.

Now it’s time to grab the sauce ingredients you prepped in the beginning. In a large skillet over medium heat, heat the sesame oil and add the minced garlic, sauté it for a few seconds or until fragrant.

Add the sauce mixture and cook for a couple of minutes until the sauce thickens. Then, turn off the heat while preparing/cooking the chicken.

Dredge the chicken.

It’s most likely been about 30 minutes at this point, so it’s time to remove the chicken from the marinade and visit the dredging station. Start by dipping the chicken pieces in the egg, shake, and dip in the flour mixture. 

Set the dipped pieces aside on a baking cooling rack being careful to keep them separated.

Cook the chicken.

Brush the basket with a little bit of oil and place the coated chicken pieces in the air fryer basket. Brush (or spray) some oil on the top.

Cook the chicken for 6-7 minutes on one side, then turn and cook for another 5 minutes or until golden brown. Repeat with the rest of the chicken.

Once you’ve cooked all of the chicken, set it aside.

Add cooked chicken to the sauce.

Finally, add the air-fried chicken to the sauce in the skillet. Toss the chicken pieces until the sauce thickens and the chicken is well coated in the sauce.

Garnish your air fryer sesame chicken with sesame seeds and fresh cilantro. Serve hot with steamed or fried rice.

NOTE: You can store the sesame chicken in an airtight container for 5 days in the refrigerator or around 3 months in the freezer.

Tips for Making the Perfect Rice (every time!)

I personally like to cook brown rice because of its nutrient value, but you may notice that it cooks much differently than white rice. Don’t worry, I’ve mastered a way to get the perfect brown rice every single time.

• Grab yourself an 8×8 baking pan
• Pour your rice in
• Heat up chicken stock (or salted water) with a small pat of butter in a pan on the stove.  Take it off the heat when it comes to boil and pour it over the rice
• Cover the rice with 2 layers of aluminum foil and bake for one hour.  Do not open the oven, do not peek, do not stir
• Take the rice out, take the foil off (very carefully) and cover it with a clean dish towel making sure to pull the ends tight so it doesn’t stick to the rice
• Let it sit for 10 minutes.
• You’re done!

Want to cook the perfect white rice on top of the stove? Try this recipe! In the meantime, don’t forget to let us know that you’ve tried this air fryer sesame chicken and how it turned out!

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