Baked Sesame Orange Chicken
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Juicy sesame orange chicken is coated in a crispy black sesame crust and bathed in a sweet and tangy orange sesame sauce before being broiled to sticky perfection. With just ten minutes of prep time, you’ll be ditching that take-out menu!
Sesame and orange are an underrated flavor combination: the nuttiness of the sesame pairs with the zesty sweetness of the orange, creating a bright, refreshing, yet complex taste. Pop it under the broiler so it caramelizes, and you’ve got a winning chicken dinner that tastes like takeout!
Deep frying isn’t the sole path to achieving a crispy crust. In this recipe, the black sesame seed crust is baked to perfection, achieving a delightful crispness. Then, it’s coated with a glazy sauce and broiled until it’s sticky and finger-licking flavorful, creating a texture contrast to rival even the best take-out joints! Pair it with some rice and greens for a fully satisfying and delicious dinner that the whole family will love – it’s even kid-approved!
Ingredients notes
The flavor profile of this sesame orange chicken is citrusy, sweet, tangy, umami, and nutty! It’s a delicious harmony of tastes that balance and complement each other. Gather these ingredients:
- Chicken: Use boneless and skinless chicken thighs.
- Black sesame seeds: You can find these in some grocery stores, sometimes in the bulk sections. Otherwise, Asian grocers, or specialty food markets.Or swap them for regular white sesame seeds.
- Other ingredients: Cornstarch, spray oil, and cilantro.
- Orange sauce: Honey, orange juice and orange zest, soy sauce, sesame oil, ginger, and a garlic clove.
What to serve with orange sesame chicken
A simple and delicious way to serve this up is with some steaming basmati rice (or cauliflower rice!) with orange slices and vegetables, like roasted broccoli or some spicy long beans.
You can also mix it up and detour from classic rice, and make a pineapple fried rice or serve it over some sesame zoodles (zucchini noodles), or incorporate it into sesame chicken bowls!
Other side dishes that complement the flavors include a ramen noodle salad or Asian slaw.
Recipe FAQs
Can I use another cut of chicken?
Sure! This recipe works best with skinless, boneless chicken thighs, as they’re tender and juicy. You can also use chicken breasts or bone-in chicken thighs. Note that the cooking times vary for different cuts. You can use an instant-read meat thermometer to ensure the chicken has reached an internal temperature of 165 degrees Fahrenheit.
How do I store leftover orange sesame chicken?
Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for up to three days or in a freezer-proof container in the freezer for up to three months.
Baked Sesame Orange Chicken Recipe
Ingredients
- ¼ cup black sesame seeds (see notes)
- 2 tablespoons cornstarch
- 8 boneless skinless chicken thighs
- Spray oil
- Cilantro (to serve)
Orange Sauce
- ¼ cup honey
- Juice and zest from 1 orange
- 2 tablespoons soy sauce (gluten-free if needed)
- 2 teaspoons sesame oil
- 1 inch piece of ginger (finely minced)
- 1 clove garlic (finely minced)
Instructions
- Preheat your oven to 425 degrees Fahrenheit. In a shallow bowl, mix the sesame seeds and cornstarch.¼ cup black sesame seeds, 2 tablespoons cornstarch
- Line a baking sheet with parchment paper. Dip each piece of chicken into the cornstarch so it is well coated on all sides. Put the breaded chicken on the baking sheet and spray the top with oil. If there are any sesame seeds left in the bowl, sprinkle them on top of the chicken. Bake the chicken for 20 minutes, until it is cooked through.8 boneless skinless chicken thighs, Spray oil
- While the chicken is baking, make the sauce. Combine all the sauce ingredients in a small pan over medium-high heat. Boil for 4-5 minutes, or until the sauce thickens enough to coat the back of a spoon.¼ cup honey, Juice and zest from 1 orange, 2 tablespoons soy sauce, 2 teaspoons sesame oil, 1 inch piece of ginger, 1 clove garlic
- Remove the chicken from the oven and liberally brush the top of each piece with the sauce – any extra sauce can be used as a dip. Turn your oven to broil, and then put the chicken back into the oven for 5 minutes. Remove from the oven, sprinkle with cilantro, and dig in!Cilantro
Notes
Nutrition
We have thoroughly tested this recipe for accuracy. However, individual results may vary. See our full recipe disclosure here.
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For more inspiration, check out all of our dinner ideas!
Why can’t the information be saved? My recipes are put on my computer.
There is a print button in each recipe card. You can either print the recipe or save it to your computer as a pfd. 🙂
Hi Kristen, I see from the previous comments that this recipe has been going strong for 3 years. Well I can confirm it’s still fabulous! I’ve only just found your website and this is the first recipe I’ve tried but won’t be my last!
Although a teeny bit more labour intensive than I usually do, it was soooooo worth it! The smell alone from the sesame orange glaze.. OMG! I even went to the trouble of skinning and removing the bones from 8 chicken thighs to do this properly and I don’t regret a minute of the bother. It’s beyond yummy!
I did a few adaptions as I always do to suit my palate like adding fresh thinly sliced chilli to the glaze, and it worked because your method is so on point. Thank you so much for enticing me to try something new.
I will have to remember to buy boneless and skinless chicken thighs next time to save on the labour time and washing up ?. Btw I also made some roasted broccoli and spring onions as a side (I like to maximise my oven time ?) and it compliments very well with a salad of mixed leaves, watercress and cilantro. Will do it with cauliflower rice or normal rice for friends next time.
Can’t wait to try some more of your creations. Thank you from London! Rachel x
Love it, Rachel! Thank you for the comment!
Absolutely yum!! Make enough for leftovers because everyone in the family will want it for lunch the next day
So happy to hear that it was a hit!
Love, love this recipe. We make it whenever we have guests, and more than a few other times!
I’m so happy to hear you love the recipe!!
Absolutely delicious! A very simple sauce which caramelised beautifully & though I was a bit worried as I used breasts instead of thighs, they turned out juicy and delicious 🙂 I served them with Chinese 5-Spice roast potatoes & steamed veg – no leftovers!
Ohhh those potatoes sound like the perfect side! Yum!!
This recipe is FANTASTIC! I found it a few months ago, an I’ve made it at least once a week since… and with leftovers! Thank you thank you thank you!
I love it! That’s so great to hear!!
Well—I can hardly believe it, but I actually made this two nights in a row. I NEVER do something like that! But we loved it so much, we all just wanted to eat it again as soon as possible. So I made it again. SO GOOD! THANKS SO MUCH
That makes me seriously so happy to hear! Hooray!!!
I’m happy to hear it was such a hit!!
Hi. Can you use chicken breasts too with this recipe?
You definitely can!
Your chicken was sooo good, will surely make it again, my family will insist on it. Thank you.
I’m so happy you and your family liked the recipe!!
I keep rereading to find the notes for Whole 30 but cannot find anything other than omit honey. Is that all?
I was going to write a note about not using the zest for Whole30, but wrote it in the recipe instead and forgot to erase the note part! Without the honey, the zest is too bitter to use.
I made it just as written and it was delicious! My husband ( who always says he doesn’t like chicken) gobbled it up and couldn’t stop saying how delicious it was. This will be on repeat along with your lemongrass meatballs.
I’m so happy you liked it! It’s funny, my guy always says he doesn’t like chicken, too. But he gobbled up this recipe and then packed up the leftovers to take to work the next day lol. 🙂
Look forward to trying the recipe. Can you think of any substitutes for the corn starch ?
Any kind of starch will work … tapioca, potato, rice. If you eat wheat, flour works too. 🙂
Yum, that chicken looks so good. I love the orange asian inspired sauce. It looks delicious.
Thank you so much! It really is so good!
I cooked this last night and my family loved it! I served it with steamed broccoli and brown rice.The chicken was crispy and delicious. Super easy to make. I cooked chicken tenders and boneless skinless thighs to please everyone on a full size baking sheet. I used cornstarch and black sesame seeds. Added slivered scallions with cilantro at the end. throwing in a few orange slices as pictured made it look great.
I’m so happy you and your family liked the recipe as much as we do! Hooray!!
We made this the other night and it turned out great. Will make it again!
I’m so happy to hear you liked the recipe!
Hi Kristen! Your recipe greeted me today with all of the ingredients I had in my fridge and pantry, even black sesame seeds. I followed it to the letter — well, almost. I added a teaspoon of Chinese Black Vinegar at the end to the sauce because I felt it needed a little more acid pop. This was great! The crust was crunchy which I was I feared would not be. Served it over quinoa and whoa!
My computer is acting up. It is not me that made all of those spelling errors or if it was, can I have you delete this and I will start over?
Hah no problem! I corrected it for you so you wouldn’t have to start over. 🙂
Nice call on the black vinegar! I think I’ll do that next time I make it, too!