Air Fryer Crispy Sesame Chicken

This air fryer crispy sesame chicken is one of my favorite dinners to make on a busy weeknight. The chicken comes out super crispy on the outside and tender on the inside, and the sweet sesame sauce ties everything together perfectly.

If you have ever ordered sesame chicken from a Chinese restaurant, this is pretty much the homemade version. Except it’s not deep-fried, so you can feel a little better about eating it.

The air fryer does all the heavy lifting here. You get that satisfying crunch without having to deal with a pot of hot oil, and the cleanup is so much easier.

To make this you will need some boneless chicken breasts, panko breadcrumbs, and a handful of simple ingredients for the sauce. Nothing fancy, nothing hard to find.

The sauce is a mix of honey, soy sauce, ketchup, garlic, and sesame oil. It only takes a few minutes to make on the stove while your chicken is in the air fryer. Easy as that.

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

Crispy Without Deep Frying – This sesame chicken gets super crispy in the air fryer without dunking it in a pot of oil. You get that satisfying crunch with way less grease, which means less guilt and less mess in your kitchen.

Tastes Like Takeout but Homemade – If you love ordering sesame chicken from Chinese restaurants, this recipe lets you make it at home for a fraction of the price. The sticky honey and soy sauce combo tastes just as good as what you would get from a takeout box.

The Sauce Is Ridiculously Good – The mix of honey, soy sauce, ketchup, sesame oil, and garlic creates this sweet and savory glaze that coats every piece of chicken perfectly. It is the kind of sauce you will want to drizzle on everything.

Uses Simple Ingredients – You do not need to hunt down anything exotic for this recipe. Pantry basics like cornstarch, honey, soy sauce, and ketchup do all the heavy lifting, so you can probably make this tonight with what you already have.

Ingredients

For the Chicken

• 1 1/2 lb Boneless Skinless Chicken Breasts, cut into bite-sized pieces
• 1/2 cup Cornstarch
• 2 large Eggs, beaten
• 1 cup Panko Breadcrumbs
• 1/2 teaspoon Salt
• Cooking Spray

For the Sauce

• 1/3 cup Honey
• 1/4 cup Soy Sauce
• 2 tablespoons Ketchup
• 2 cloves Garlic, minced
• 1 tablespoon Sesame Oil
• 2 tablespoons Sesame Seeds
• 2 teaspoons Cornstarch mixed with 2 tablespoons Water

How to Make

Step 1

Pat chicken pieces dry and season with salt. Coat each piece in cornstarch, dip in beaten eggs, then press into panko breadcrumbs to coat completely.

Step 2

Preheat air fryer to 400°F. Spray basket with cooking spray and arrange chicken in a single layer without touching. Spray tops with cooking spray.

Step 3

Air fry for 12-14 minutes, flipping halfway through, until chicken is golden brown and reaches 165°F internal temperature.

Step 4

While chicken cooks, make the sauce by combining honey, soy sauce, ketchup, garlic, and sesame oil in a small saucepan over medium heat. Bring to a simmer.

Step 5

Add the cornstarch mixture to the sauce and stir for 1-2 minutes until thickened. Remove from heat and stir in sesame seeds.

Step 6

Toss the crispy chicken in the sesame sauce until well coated. Serve immediately over rice with green onions if desired.

Tips

Pat the Chicken Really Dry

Before you do anything else, grab some paper towels and pat each piece of chicken until it feels completely dry on every side. Any moisture left on the surface will make the cornstarch clump up and get gummy instead of sticking evenly.

Dry chicken is the single biggest factor in getting that crispy coating to actually stick and stay crunchy after air frying. If you skip this step, you’ll end up with patches of bare chicken and a coating that slides right off when you toss it in the sauce.

Just lay the pieces out on a paper towel, press another one on top, and give them a good pat down. It only takes a minute and makes a huge difference.

Use One Hand for Wet and One for Dry

When you’re breading the chicken, use one hand to dip pieces into the egg and your other hand to press them into the cornstarch and panko. If you use the same hand for everything, your fingers will get caked in a thick layer of breading and it turns into a sticky mess fast.

This keeps the process clean and way faster. You’ll get through all the chicken without having to stop and wash your hands every few pieces.

Also, when you press the chicken into the panko, really push it in firmly so the breadcrumbs stick well. A light dip won’t cut it – you want a solid coat on every piece so it crisps up evenly in the air fryer.

Don’t Crowd the Air Fryer Basket

This is the most common mistake people make with air fryer recipes. You need to lay the chicken pieces in a single layer with a little space between each one so the hot air can circulate around every piece. If they’re piled on top of each other or touching, the sides that are blocked won’t crisp up at all.

You’ll probably need to cook this in two batches depending on the size of your air fryer. It feels like it takes longer, but each batch only needs about 12 minutes and the results are so much better than trying to cram everything in at once.

Keep the first batch warm on a wire rack in the oven set to 200°F while you cook the second batch. That way everything is still hot and crispy when it’s time to toss it in the sauce.

Related Recipes

• Air Fryer Crispy Coconut Chicken Tenders
• Air Fryer Honey Garlic Glazed Salmon Bites
• Air Fryer Honey Sriracha Chicken Wings
• Air Fryer Korean BBQ Beef Bowls
• Air Fryer Teriyaki Salmon

Frequently Asked Questions

What temperature and time should I air fry the chicken?

Air fry the coated chicken pieces at 400 degrees Fahrenheit for about 10 to 12 minutes, flipping them halfway through. This gives them that golden, crispy exterior while keeping the inside tender and fully cooked.

If your pieces are on the larger side, they may need an extra minute or two. The chicken is done when it reaches an internal temperature of 165 degrees Fahrenheit.