Recipe Double-Fried Sesame Chicken: Recreating an Atlanta Favorite at Home
Some afternoons in a new city are about the plan, and some are about the wandering. Ours was the second kind. My husband and I spent the day craning our necks at Atlanta’s buildings, stopping every few blocks to point out another one, until we both realized at the same time how hungry we’d gotten.
We ducked into a Chinese restaurant on a quiet side street with few other places on it. That’s where this sesame chicken found us, and it’s the reason this recipe exists.
The chicken was crunchy and lightly salty, and the sautéed onions still had some crunch. The rice was cooked just right, and the toasted sesame seeds added a nutty flavor that tied the whole plate together. My husband was speechless, which says more than I could. It was warm and comforting after a long day of walking around the city, and it was so good that I wanted to bring it home and get it right.
I fried the chicken twice to get it extra crunchy. I also sliced the onion thinly instead of cutting it into big chunks like the restaurant did. The sauce was the standout for me: silky, with a texture that clung to the chicken without getting heavy.
Used in this Recipe
Recipe
- Whisk the egg with salt and white pepper, then add the chicken and toss to coat. In a separate bowl, whisk the cornstarch, flour, and cold water into a smooth, thin batter. Add the chicken and mix until every piece is lightly coated, letting the excess drip off.
- Heat the oil in a carbon steel wok on the Iwatani 35FW burner to 300°F. A portable butane burner runs cooler than a home gas range, so it may take longer to reach temperature. Adjust the flame to hold the target. Fry the chicken in small batches for 3 to 4 minutes, until cooked through and pale gold. Drain on a wire rack and let rest at least 10 minutes. This is the first fry.
- Bring the oil to 375°F. Fry the chicken again in batches for 60 to 90 seconds, until deep golden and crisp. Drain well.
- While the chicken rests, make the sauce. In a small saucepan, combine the broth, sugar, rice vinegar, soy sauce, and dark soy sauce. Simmer until the sugar dissolves, then whisk in the cornstarch slurry and cook until the sauce is glossy and lightly thickened, with a medium body that coats a spoon without turning gluey. Remove from heat and stir in the sesame oil.
- Pour out most of the oil, leaving a thin film in the wok. Over medium-high heat, cook the garlic, ginger, and thinly sliced sweet onion for 1 to 2 minutes, until the onion softens but keeps some bite. Add the sauce and bring to a simmer.
- Add the double-fried chicken and toss quickly until every piece is glossy. Add the scallions and toss once more.
- Spoon the rice into bowls, top with the chicken, onion, and sauce, and finish with sesame seeds.
Ingredients
- • 1.5 lbs boneless, skinless chicken thighs, cut into 1 1/2-inch pieces
- • 1 large egg, beaten
- • 3/4 cup cornstarch, for the batter
- • 1/4 cup all-purpose flour
- • 1 tsp salt
- • 1/4 tsp white pepper
- • 1/4 cup cold water, for the batter
- • about 2 quarts neutral oil (peanut or vegetable), for frying
- • 1/2 cup low-sodium chicken broth
- • 1/4 cup sugar
- • 2 tbsp rice vinegar
- • 3 tbsp soy sauce
- • 1 tsp dark soy sauce, for color (optional)
- • 1 tsp toasted sesame oil
- • 2 cloves garlic, minced
- • 1 tsp fresh ginger, minced
- • 1 small sweet onion, thinly sliced
- • 2 tsp cornstarch, mixed with 2 tbsp cold water into a slurry for the sauce
- • 4 cups steamed jasmine rice, for serving
- • 2 tbsp toasted white and black sesame seeds, for garnish
- • 3 scallions, cut into 2-inch pieces, for garnish