Panda Express Honey Sesame Chicken

If you've tried any of my delicious copycat recipes, you know they're a family favorite obsession that I take quite a bit of pride in emulating. Skipping the trip to a restaurant is a big win, plus I control everything that I serve and share with my loved ones.

Mastering this lighter sweet chicken dish was a natural next step for me and for BIWL, as I already have my from-scratch honey sesame chicken recipe everyone loves. Try it too and compare the two recipes!

🥘 Ingredients

Fried Chicken

• Chicken - Boneless, skinless chicken breast, cut into bite-size 1-inch chunks. Chicken thighs are great too, they just add a bit more fat and a slightly richer flavor.
• Cooking Oil - Canola and peanut oil are most commonly used in Asian restaurants, but your preferred vegetable oil will work as long as it is neutral-flavored and has a high smoke point.
• Egg - You'll need one large beaten egg for the dredging station.
• Cornstarch - Corn starch to coat the chicken with; it helps to create a lighter, crispy breading (you'll use more in the sauce, see below).
• Flour - All-purpose flour for the base of the breading or batter.
• Seasoning - Salt & ground black pepper to taste. A bit of ground garlic powder is good too.

Honey Sesame Sauce

• Thai Sweet Chili Sauce - Part of the sweet saucy flavor that's so yummy on this chicken entree. It's one of my go-to ingredients for a quick, crowd-pleasing sweet stir-fry sauce.
• Honey - Another sweet flavor that is key to making this copycat recipe so 'taste-alike'.
• Water - To thin the sauce out and make more volume, allowing the sauce to cook down to the right consistency.
• Distilled White Vinegar - Adds a tangy flavor to cut the sweetness (or use apple cider vinegar, or rice vinegar).
• Lemon Juice - Adds a pop of citrus flavor to highlight the other ingredient flavors, and also reduces the sweetness of the overall sauce flavor.
• Low-Sodium Soy Sauce - Just a bit to add that great umami quality.
• Cornstarch - Used to thicken the sauce as it heats.
• Salt - Another way to highlight your ingredient flavors, omit if desired to reduce your salt intake.

Stir Fry Ingredients

• String Beans - Fresh green beans, washed, trimmed, and cut in half. To use frozen green beans, I prefer the thin haricot verts or whole green beans. Thaw in a mesh colander and cut in half before cooking.
• Yellow Pepper - One large yellow bell pepper, with the ribs and seeds removed, then cut into cubed squares. Any other sweet pepper will work (red bell pepper, orange bell pepper, or mini sweet peppers).
• Sesame Oil - Regular sesame seed oil (not toasted) will match the restaurant flavor best.
• Sesame Seeds - The traditional garnish to finish the meal is white sesame seeds.

🔪 How To Make Panda Express Honey Sesame Chicken Recipe At Home

This tasty honey sesame chicken recipe cooks quickly, so grab your chef's knife and cutting board, plus measuring utensils, wok, and all equipment to prep the ingredients.

1x recipe yields 6 servings, or 4 hearty servings. It's an easy recipe to double for feeding a crowd as long as you fry the chicken in batches (which I tend to do anyway).

Prep the Ingredients

Step 1: Prep everything. Chop the chicken, wash and trim the veggies, and measure all other ingredients. This is important since the cooking process will move quickly after the chicken is fried.

Make The Honey Sesame Chicken Sauce

Step 2: Combine sauce ingredients. Mix the ¼ cup (59.15 milliliters) Thai sweet chili sauce, ¼ cup (59.15 milliliters) honey, ⅓ cup (78.86 milliliters) water, 2 tablespoons distilled white vinegar, 2 tablespoons lemon juice, 2 teaspoons low-sodium soy sauce, 2 teaspoons cornstarch, and 1 pinch of salt in a saucepan.

Step 3: Cook the sauce mixture. Bring the sauce ingredients to a low boil over medium-high heat, then reduce heat to keep the sauce simmering until thickened. Remove from heat and set aside.

Make The Dredging Station

Step 4: Prep two dishes for dredging the chicken. To coat the 1½ pounds (680.39 grams) chicken breast, combine the 1 large (50 grams) egg and 1 tablespoon of cooking oil in a dish and whisk.

Then add ½ cup (64 grams) cornstarch, ¼ cup (31.25 grams) all-purpose flour, ¼ teaspoon salt, and ⅛ teaspoon ground black pepper in a separate dish.

Fry The Chicken Pieces

Step 5: Heat the cooking oil. Before breading the chicken, heat the ½ cup (118.29 milliliters) oil to 375°F (190°C) in a wok, deep skillet, or Dutch oven. Make sure that the oil is deep enough to submerge the chicken pieces, approximately 1½-2 inches deep in your dish or more if needed.

Step 6: Start breading the pieces of chicken. Dredge the chicken in the egg first, then coat it with the flour mixture, and carefully place it in the hot oil.

Step 7: Cook the chicken. Fry the chicken for 3-4 minutes until the batter is golden brown on the outside, and no longer pink or raw in appearance. Check the doneness by cutting a large piece of fried chicken in half or using a digital meat thermometer.

Step 8: Set the cooked chicken on a rack. Use a slotted spoon (or use a wire spider strainer, or a skimmer ladle) to remove the cooked chicken to a wire rack. Allow excess oil to drip from the chicken before transferring to the rack.

Finish the Stir-Fry

Step 9: Drain excess oil. Remove any scraps and excess oil from your pan, leaving about 2 tablespoons for stir-frying the vegetables.

Step 10: Add veggies and finish. Return the wok to medium-high heat and add the 1 pound (453.59 grams) halved string beans, 1 large (186 grams) chopped yellow bell pepper, and 2 teaspoons sesame seed oil.

Cook for 30 seconds for tender-crisp veggies, return the chicken to your stir-fry, and add the honey sesame sauce. Toss quickly and coat thoroughly, then remove from heat to serve.

🥗🥘🍲 Best Served With

Garnish with white sesame seeds, sliced green onion adds a pop of color and is complementary, adding depth of flavor. The savory dish tastes excellent when served with steamed white rice, creamy coconut rice, Panda Express fried rice, or Panda Express chow mein noodles.

💭 Angela's Pro Tips & Recipe Notes

• One-Pan Method. To make your dish all in the same pan, fry the chicken, stir-fry the veggies, and set both aside. Then clean the pan out quickly and heat the sauce. Add the cooked chicken, green beans, and peppers back to the cooked sauce when done and coat to serve.
• A Healthier Option. To reduce the extra calories and carbohydrates, skip the breading and cook everything else as directed. Alternatively, the breaded chicken pieces can be oven-fried or air-fried in a single layer, spritzed with some oil to ensure crispness.
• Slow Cooker Version (without batter). Combine sauce in a small bowl or the inside of your slow cooker. Season cubed chicken and stir with sauce to coat thoroughly. Cook on low heat for 3 hours. Add veggies and cook 30 minutes to an hour more.
• The Quickest Version. A real cheat is to buy the breaded popcorn chicken and a bottle of Panda Express Honey Sesame Sauce. You can heat the already breaded and fried cooked chicken however you like (oven, toaster oven, air fryer, and even the microwave), then toss in the sauce. Veggies optional.

🥡 Storing & Reheating

Store leftovers within two hours of cooking, allowing them to cool completely. Place in an airtight container and keep refrigerated for up to 3-4 days.

Freezing

Leftover honey sesame chicken can be stored in a shallow airtight freezer storage container or freezer bag for up to 3 months. Thaw in the refrigerator overnight before reheating.

Reheating

For a quick reheat, place individual portions into a microwave-safe dish, cover with a damp paper towel, and heat on high for 1 minute. Stir and heat in 1-minute or 30-second increments until heated to your satisfaction.

Alternatively, place larger leftover portions into a baking dish and reheat in your oven at 350°F (175°C/Gas Mark 4) for 15-20 minutes or until hot.

📖 Recipe Card