This weeknight chicken dinner gets a glow up with my sweet, salty, and delicious Sesame Baked Chicken! This version was inspired by Chinese American sesame chicken and a photo on social media of Chef Matt Jennings’ sesame fried eggs, which were loaded with toasted sesame seeds. I use a bit of honey for a touch of sweetness, sesame seeds for a nutty crunch and soy sauce for the ultimate umami experience.
| Level: | Easy |
| Total: | 2 hr 50 min |
| Active: | 15 min |
| Yield: | 4 to 6 servings |
Ingredients
- 1 cup soy sauce
- 1/4 cup honey
- 2 tablespoons fresh grated ginger
- 2 tablespoons fresh lemon juice
- 4 cloves fresh grated garlic
- Zest of 1 lemon
- Crushed red pepper flakes, to taste
- One 5-pound skin-on whole chicken, cut up, breasts split
- Vegetable oil, for brushing
- 1/4 cup white sesame seeds
Instructions
- For the marinade/glaze: In a medium bowl, whisk together the soy sauce, honey, ginger, lemon juice, garlic, lemon zest and red pepper flakes. Pour half of the marinade into a resealable plastic bag. Place the chicken parts in the bag, press out as much air as possible and seal. Marinate the chicken at room temperature for 2 hours.
- Meanwhile, put the remaining marinade in a medium saucepan over medium heat and cook, stirring constantly, until it thickens slightly and coats the back of a spoon nicely, about 5 minutes. Remove the glaze from the heat and set aside.
- For the chicken: Place a baking sheet lined with nonstick aluminum foil in the bottom third of the oven and preheat to 375 degrees F and allow the pan to heat in the oven.
- Remove the chicken from the marinade and pat dry with paper towels. Place on the baking sheet and brush the chicken all over with the vegetable oil.
- Remove the preheated baking sheet from the oven and quickly place the chicken parts on the sheet, skin-side down. Bake for 25 to 28 minutes. Remove the baking sheet, flip the chicken and brush with the reserved glaze. Sprinkle the sesame seeds liberally over the top. Return to the oven and bake until the chicken is cooked through and registers 165 degrees F on a meat thermometer, about 15 minutes more.
Nutrition Facts
| Serving Size | 1 of 6 servings |
| Calories | 716 |
| Total Fat | 48 g |
| Saturated Fat | 12 g |
| Carbohydrates | 17 g |
| Dietary Fiber | 1 g |
| Sugar | 12 g |
| Protein | 53 g |
| Cholesterol | 193 mg |
| Sodium | 2517 mg |
| Serving Size | 1 of 6 servings |
| Calories | 716 |
| Total Fat | 48 g |
| Saturated Fat | 12 g |
| Carbohydrates | 17 g |
| Dietary Fiber | 1 g |
| Sugar | 12 g |
| Protein | 53 g |
| Cholesterol | 193 mg |
| Sodium | 2517 mg |
Reviews
I made this with skinless boneless thighs. I adjusted the cooking time since it was all thighs. I need to adjust the time a little more since the thighs cooked much faster. All and all it was delicious. Thank you Sunny.
Double the glaze! Absolutely wonderful!
Have made this twice so far. Absolutely wonderful. Thank you.
I agree with some of the reviews. While the flavor was good, there was not enough glaze (perhaps I poured too much of the marinade into the ziploc for the chicken). The skin was not crispy. The sesame seeds added nothing except the need to floss after the meal.
I made this recipe for dinner tonight. It was good. I needed to add a cornstarch slurry to the remaining marinade so it would thicken. Also, it wasn’t sweet enough for me so I added a tablespoon of brown sugar to the marinade.
Followed recipe, skin NOT crispy, sauce NOT thickened, until I made corn starch slurry. Great theory and flavor. Will use marinade for other recipes.
I did this with 4 bone-in, skin on chicken thighs, then added pomegranate seeds and cilantro to the top.
Absolutely delicious!!!!!
Kimberly S.M.
I loved this recipe but instead of using local honey, used a hot honey so it was sweet, salty and spicy.
I don’t like the idea of marinating chicken for two hours at room temperature..
Sounds very good, but wouldn’t a 5-pound chicken serve 8-10 people?
And why suddenly (in SoFL at least) is it impossible to find a small roasting chicken?
And why suddenly (in SoFL at least) is it impossible to find a small roasting chicken?