Air Fryer Sesame Chicken Recipe

Air Fryer Sesame Chicken, a crispy recipe and full of flavor! This is one of those recipes that feels like a hug on a plate. The chicken is cooked quickly in the air fryer so it’s golden and crunchy, then tossed in a sweet and savory honey-soy-sesame sauce. It’s lighter than deep frying, mess-free, and honestly, super addictive. Perfect for a weeknight dinner, and it’s ready in just 30 minutes. Makes about 4 servings.

Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes
Total Time: 30 minutes
Servings: 4

What I love about this recipe is that you can make it really quick without losing any flavor. I always use chicken thighs because they stay juicy and never dry out. And the sauce? There’s plenty of it to coat the chicken and even pour over rice or noodles. Egg fried rice is my go-to side, but plain boiled rice or even cauliflower rice works great too.

Ingredients:

For the crispy chicken:

6 large skinless chicken thigh fillets (around 750g untrimmed or 600g trimmed)
3 tablespoons cornflour (cornstarch in the US)
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/4 teaspoon pepper
1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
1/2 teaspoon paprika
3 tablespoons oil (sunflower or vegetable works best)

For the sesame sauce:

1 1/2 tablespoons sesame oil
1 teaspoon garlic powder (or 2 cloves garlic, minced)
1 1/2 tablespoons Chinese rice vinegar
3 tablespoons honey
3 tablespoons sweet chili sauce
4 tablespoons tomato ketchup
3 tablespoons light brown sugar
3 tablespoons light soy sauce
3 tablespoons dark soy sauce

Equipment:

Air fryer, medium bowl, microwave-safe bowl or small saucepan

Instructions:

First, trim any fat off your chicken thighs and cut them into bite-sized chunks. Pat them dry with a paper towel so the coating sticks better.
In a medium bowl, mix together the cornflour, salt, pepper, garlic powder, and paprika. This is your coating for the chicken.
Toss the chicken pieces in the cornflour mix until every piece is fully coated.
Drizzle the oil over the chicken and mix it well. The chicken should look sticky and well-coated.
Preheat your air fryer to 190°C / 375°F for a few minutes. Then place the chicken in a single layer in the basket. Don’t overcrowd it – if your air fryer is small, do it in two batches.
Cook for 15-18 minutes, shaking the basket at least 3 times so the chicken cooks evenly. The chicken is done when it’s golden, hot all the way through, and no pink remains. The internal temp should be about 79°C / 175°F.
While the chicken is cooking, make the sauce. In a microwave-safe bowl, mix together sesame oil, garlic, rice vinegar, honey, sweet chili sauce, ketchup, brown sugar, light soy sauce, and dark soy sauce. Microwave on high for 3 minutes, stirring every minute until hot and slightly thickened. If you prefer, you can do this in a small saucepan on medium heat, stirring occasionally until bubbly and thickened (about 3-4 minutes).
Once the chicken is done, toss it in the sauce until all pieces are coated.
Sprinkle with sesame seeds and chopped spring onions. Serve immediately over rice or noodles.

Extra tips from me:

Keep the chicken in a single layer while air frying. It makes it so much crispier!
If you like veggies, toss in some chopped peppers, snap peas, baby corn, or mushrooms for the last 2-3 minutes of cooking. Just make sure the chicken is fully cooked.
You can make the sauce ahead of time. Mix it together and store in the fridge for up to a day, then heat it before tossing with chicken.
If you love extra sauce (who doesn’t?), this recipe already has more than enough. If you just want a light coating, reduce the sauce by a third.

To serve:

Sesame seeds
Chopped spring onions (scallions)
Boiled rice, egg fried rice, or noodles

Nutrition per serving (without rice):

There you go! Crispy, sticky, sweet, and salty sesame chicken that’s perfect for busy nights. The kids will love it, and you’ll love that it’s so quick and easy to make.