This air fryer crispy sesame chicken is the closest I’ve come to replicating my favorite takeout

If I see the words 'sticky sauce' on any menu, chances are I’m ordering whatever food it comes with. Even more so when I’m eating in a Chinese restaurant where the sticky sauces are full of sweet, salty and spicy Asian flavours.

However, in all my years testing the best air fryers I’ve tried (and failed, many times) to replicate the sticky, crispy chicken from my local takeout. That was until I discovered this air fryer sesame chicken recipe while scrolling TikTok.

The sauce uses quite a lot of ingredients, in small amounts, so it can seem expensive if you don’t already have them in your pantry. It also makes a bit of a mess of your air fryer basket.

On the plus side though, once you’ve bought all the bottles and spices you can make this recipe dozens of times before they run out – which I have done. You can also put parchment paper in the basket to avoid the mess, or even add the chicken to the sauce and heat in a separate pan.

I made mine in a Ninja Foodi Max Air Fryer. When it came to adding the sauce, I removed the chicken pieces from the basket and placed them directly inside the fryer to stop the sauce falling through. If you have a similar design, this is worth bearing in mind.

Ingredients

Chicken

• 300g chicken breast or thigh pieces
• 3 tbsp flour
• 1 beaten egg
• 100g panko breadcrumbs or crushed cornflakes

Sauce

• 1 tsp sesame oil
• 2 tbsp soy sauce
• 3 tbsp honey
• 2 tbsp sweet chilli sauce
• 1 tsp rice wine (or rice vinegar)
• ½ tsp Chinese five spice
• 3 tbsp sriracha
• 1 clove garlic, minced
• 1 tsp grated fresh ginger

To serve (optional)

• Sesame seeds
• Sliced spring onions
• Chopped red chilli

Equipment

• Air fryer – I used the Ninja Foodi Max
• Cooking spray
• Three bowls for the flour, egg, and breadcrumbs

Method

This recipe is from @boredoflunch – a home cook who has sold multiple cookbooks and whose video version of this sticky air fryer chicken recipe has been watched 4.7 million times.

1. Prepare your chicken

Cut the chicken into bite-sized pieces. Coat each piece first in flour, then dip into the beaten egg, and finally into the panko breadcrumbs (or cornflakes) until fully coated.

2. Air fry until golden

Arrange the coated chicken pieces in your air fryer basket, in a single layer, and lightly spray with cooking oil.

Set your air fryer at 200 C / 400 F for 14 minutes, shaking or turning the pieces halfway so they cook evenly on all sides. I like to spray the underside of the chicken, once they’ve been turned over so one side isn’t drier than the other but you don’t need to do this.

3. Make the sticky sauce

While the chicken cooks, mix all of the sauce ingredients together – sesame oil, soy sauce, honey, sweet chilli sauce, rice wine, Chinese five spice, sriracha, garlic, and ginger – in a bowl until combined.

4. Coat and serve

Once the chicken is cooked, pour the sauce over the top while it’s still inside the air fryer basket. Give the basket a toss until every piece is coated and cook for another 2-3 minutes at 200 C / 400 F.

Serve with rice, and top with sesame seeds, spring onions, and sliced chilli for an extra hit of Asian flavours.

The best air fryers for all budgets

➡️ Read our full guide to the best air fryers
1. Best overall:
Ninja Double Stack XL
2. Best value:
Russell Hobbs Satisfry
3. Best compact:
Bosch Series 6
4. Best large:
Philips 1000 Series Dual Basket