This is a lighter alternative to traditional sesame chicken found at Chinese restaurants where the chicken is breaded and deep fried. In this recipe that I stole from foodnetwork.com who stole it from Sandra Lee Semi-Homemade Cooking, the chicken is marinated then baked in the oven with a sesame sauce.
Did you know? History tells us that sesame seed is the first recorded seasoning, dating back to 3000 B.C. Assyria. It grows widely in India and throughout the Orient. These tiny, flat seeds come in shades of brown, red and black, but those most commonly found are a pale grayish-ivory. Sesame seed has a nutty, slightly sweet flavor that is versatile enough for use in baked goods such as breads, cakes and cookies, salads and other savory dishes.¹ (see more trivia in the Trivia tab)
Toast 1 ½ tbsp sesame seeds in a dry skillet over medium heat
for a few minutes until they start to brown, then set aside
In a large resealable plastic bag add 1 ¼ lbs chopped chicken and toasted sesame seeds
combine ⅓ cup teriyaki sauce and 1 ½ tbsp dry sherry, add mixture to bag
Seal bag, toss to combine ingredients. Refrigerate for at least 30 minutes, or up to 1 day.
Preheat oven to 400 F.Line a cookie sheet with foil. Using tongs, transfer chicken to cookie sheet. Discard marinade. Bake until chicken is golden brown, about 15 minutes.
Mix 1 ½ tbsp barbecue sauce, 1 ½ tbsp honey and 1 ½ tbsp sesame oil in a small bowl. Brush chicken with half of sauce mixture and bake for 5 more minutes. Using clean tongs, turn chicken over, brush other side with sauce mixture and bake for 5 more minutes.
Serve hot or at room temperature. I serve this with fried rice.
Sesame Chicken
A lighter baked alternative to breaded and deep fried sesame chicken. Marinated chicken bakes in the oven with a light sesame honey sauce. It will tempt you away from take-out!
Ingredients
- ⅓ cup teriyaki sauce
- 1 ½ tbsp dry sherry
- 1 ½ tbsp toasted sesame seeds
- 1 ¼ lbs chicken drumettes (about 12)
- 1 ½ tbsp barbecue sauce
- 1 ½ tbsp honey
- ¼ tsp sesame oil
Instructions
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In a large resealable plastic bag, combine teriyaki sauce, sherry and sesame seeds. Add chicken drumettes, turning to coat. Seal bag and refrigerate for at least 30 minutes, or up to 1 day.
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Preheat oven to 400 F.
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Line a cookie sheet with foil. Using tongs, transfer drumettes to cookie sheet. Discard marinade. Bake until drumettes are golden brown, about 15 minutes.
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Mix barbecue sauce, honey and sesame oil in a small bowl. Brush drumettes with half of sauce mixture and bake for 5 more minutes. Using clean tongs, turn drumettes over, brush other side with sauce mixture and bake for 5 more minutes. Serve hot or at room temperature.
Recipe Notes
I use cut up chicken breasts instead of the chicken drumettes. It looks more like take-out when the chicken is cut up.