Panda Express Honey Sesame Chicken (2024)

Published: Nov 23, 2022 · Modified: Apr 1, 2024 by Brooke Fajcz · As an Amazon Influencer, we earn from qualifying purchases.

Have you been meaning to try Panda Express honey sesame chicken but haven't gotten around to it yet? You'll love each bite of our copycat recipe. It's succulent crispy fried chicken coated in an irresistibly sweet and sticky honey sesame sauce.

If you love Chinese stir fries, you'll want to try our Panda Express orange chicken and our Panda Express sweet fire chicken. Don't miss our collection of 9 Panda Express stir fry recipes, too!

Why This Recipe Works

• The chicken is marinated and chilled for 30 to 45 minutes for a tender, moist result.
• The batter for the chicken is the consistency of pancake batter to help it coat the meat well. The dry ingredients are mixed first then the wet. A little bit of water is added to get it just right then the marinated chicken is added.
• The chicken is deep fried in batches in a large wok when the oil reaches 350°F, so the chicken pieces get crispy and golden brown.
• The honey sesame sauce has the right balance of sweet, spice, and tangy flavors.

Ingredients

All the ingredients for this copycat Panda Express recipe are easy to find with the exception of the Shoaxing wine, which can be ordered online. (See link in recipe card below.) Let's talk about some of the key ingredients.

• Meat: We used boneless, skinless chicken breast for all white meat, but you could use thighs if you prefer dark meat.
• Vegetables: Yellow bell pepper and green string beans were used, but feel free to substitute with other sweet bell peppers or yellow beans.
• Sweetener: We used raw honey and light brown sugar, but substitute the honey with agave nectar and the sugar with your sweetener of choice.
• Vinegar: We used rice vinegar to keep the Asian flavor.
• Wine: We used cooking sherry, but if you can find it, Shoaxing wine would be better.

See recipe card for full information on ingredients and quantities.

Variations

• Need more vegetables? Increase the veggies from 3 cups to 6 by adding 1 ½ cups each of red bell pepper and zucchini.
• Need this gluten free? Use tamari, arrowroot, and your favorite gluten free flour.
• Want this vegan? Replace the meat with tofu cubes, cauliflower florets, or Shiitake mushrooms. Use agave nectar and omit the eggs.
• Want this more keto friendly? Omit the cornstarch and use ½ teaspoon of xanthan gum as a thickener. Use monkfruit or maple syrup as a sweetener.

How to Make

Gather all the ingredients for our copycat honey sesame chicken.

1. Gather the ingredients for the marinade, then whisk all the ingredients together, except the cornstarch, then pour it over the meat. Mix well with your hand for a minute, then sprinkle on the cornstarch and continue mixing for another minute. Cover and chill for a minimum of 30 minutes.
2. Gather the ingredients for the honey sesame sauce, then whisk all the ingredients together, except the cornstarch and water, which will be used later to make a slurry.

3. Gather all the ingredients for the batter, then mix the dry ingredients first then the wet. Add the water a little at a time until it's the consistency of pancake batter.

4. Next, add the marinated meat to the batter and mix to coat.

5. To deep fry the meat, heat up 1 ½ cup of high smoke oil in a large wok over medium high heat. When the oil reaches 350 F, add the chicken pieces one at a time, roughly 10 to 12 pieces or ½ cup, and cook for 5 minutes.

6. Make sure you flip the chicken over and move the pieces around with chopsticks so the chicken doesn't get too dark. Carefully remove the meat from the wok and drain on a paper towel lined plate. Repeat until all the chicken is cooked. Pour out the oil into a bowl, then wipe out the wok.

If you like your chicken extra crispy, use the double fry method. First fry, 2 minutes, then cool in the fridge for 20 minutes. This will pull out extra moisture. During the second fry, cook for 3 to 5 minutes. This will give you the iconic crunch that many people love from Chinese takeout chicken.

7. Next, gather all the ingredients for the stir fry. In a wok over medium high heat, heat 2 tablespoons of the reserved oil, then stir fry the garlic until fragrant.

Quickly add the green string beans and the yellow bell pepper to the wok and stir fry for 2 minutes, then place the veggies to a bowl. If you want your green beans softer, blanch them for 2 minutes in boiling water and shock them in an ice bath before stir frying.

8. Make the cornstarch slurry, making sure it's smooth, and place it near the wok. Pour in the sauce and let it cook for a minute while stirring, then pour in the slurry. Continue stirring until the sauce has thickened, which will be under a minute.

9. Remove the wok from the heat and add the deep fried chicken. Gently stir to coat each piece in the honey sesame sauce.

Over medium high heat, add the vegetable/garlic mixture back into the wok along with the meat. Cook for a minute or two to heat everything through.

Remove from the heat and sprinkle on the sesame seeds. Stir to mix them in well with the other ingredients.

10. Serve hot with steamed rice, fried rice, chow mein, super greens, or noodles.

Recipe FAQs

Serve

Honey sesame chicken tastes best when served with steamed rice (either white or brown). You can also serve it with Asian noodles.

Want Chineses takeout sides? Try our Panda Express copycat recipes for chow mein, fried rice, and super greens (made with broccoli, kale and cabbage).

Looking for other Panda Express stir fries? Try our copycat recipes for honey sesame chicken, orange chicken, black pepper chicken, mushroom chicken, and string bean chicken.

Store

• Make Ahead: You can prep everything ahead of time, but it's best to make this right before you want to eat. Deep fried chicken tastes best the same day.
• Leftovers: Allow to cool, then place in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days.
• Freeze: Place in a freezer friendly container and freeze for up to 1 month. Thaw in fridge overnight.
• Reheat: In a wok over medium high heat, heat 2 tablespoons of high smoke point oil, add the leftovers and stir for 3 minutes or until heated through.

Expert Tips

• If you want your chicken to puff up when fried, add a bit of baking soda to your batter.
• If you want your chicken extra crispy, double fry it. First fry, 2 minutes then cool in fridge 20 min. Second fry, 3 to 5 minutes.
• Want the sauce spicier? Use 2 or 3 teaspoons of sambal oelek, then sprinkle on red pepper flakes for another garnish.
• Want to blanch the green beans? Submerge in boiling water for 2 minutes, then in an ice water bath before stir frying.
• No thermometer for the wok? To test if the oil is hot enough, insert wooden chopsticks and see tiny bubbles around them.

Other Panda Express Recipes You'll Love

If you liked this recipe and found it helpful, give it some love by sharing!

Follow us on Pinterest, Instagram, YouTube, Twitter, and Facebook for more crave-worthy recipes!

The pleasure of a 5-star review would be greatly appreciated!

Recipe