Sesame Chicken

Sesame Chicken (Simplified Chinese: 芝麻鸡; Traditional Chinese: 芝麻雞; Pinyin: Zhīma jī) is a Chinese diaspora (especially American Chinese) dish of battered fried chicken pieces coated in a sweet, slightly savory sauce and finished with toasted sesame seeds. It sits on the same menu shelf as Orange Chicken and General Tso’s Chicken.

Characteristics

Crisp fried exterior softened by sticky sweet sauce; sesame aroma on top. Usually less citrus than Orange Chicken and less chili-forward than many General Tso plates.

Ingredients (overview)

Chicken thigh or breast, batter, soy, sugar, vinegar, sesame oil/seeds, garlic. Often served with broccoli in Western restaurants.

History and culture

North American Chinese restaurant repertoire; not a classical Sichuan or Cantonese banquet name dish. Cross-linked with other diaspora sweets-savory fried chicken items.

Serving and variations

Main with rice. See Orange Chicken and General Tso’s Chicken.

See also

• Orange Chicken
• General Tso’s Chicken
• Mongolian Beef
• Chow Mein
• Lo Mein
• List of dishes (A-Z)