Air Fryer Honey Sesame Chicken with Crispy Sticky Glaze

You’ll love this Air Fryer Honey Sesame Chicken. Tender pieces of lean chicken breast are coated in a seasoned cornstarch crust, air fried until crisp, then tossed in a bright, homemade honey sesame sauce for a takeout-style meal without deep frying or the mess of oil.

Best Honey Sesame Chicken!

If you love takeout flavors, this is a simple way to recreate that sticky, sweet, and savory sesame chicken at home. The sauce combines soy sauce, honey, a touch of fish sauce, white vinegar, and a hint of red chili paste for balance. Air frying gives the chicken a golden, crunchy exterior similar to deep frying, but with far less oil. It’s a quick, kid-friendly dinner that comes together in about 30 minutes.

Featured Ingredients

The Chicken

• Chicken breast: The recipe uses boneless, skinless chicken breast, though boneless skinless thighs will also work and stay juicy.
• Seasonings: Salt, garlic powder, ground ginger, and sesame seeds for flavor.
• Cornstarch: Creates a crisp, light crust similar to deep-fried chicken.
• Eggs: Help the cornstarch and seasonings adhere to the chicken pieces.

The Sauce

This honey sesame sauce is bright and layered: toasted sesame oil, lots of garlic, soy sauce, honey for sweetness, a little fish sauce for umami, white vinegar for brightness, grated white onion for depth, and a spoon of Gochujang or a red chili paste for mild heat. Finish with sliced green onions and extra sesame seeds.

How to Make Honey Sesame Chicken in the Air Fryer

1. Prep the air fryer: Preheat to 400ºF (200ºC).
2. Prepare the dry mix: In a large bowl combine 3/4 cup cornstarch, 2 tablespoons garlic powder, 1.5 teaspoons salt, 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger, and 1 tablespoon white sesame seeds. Reserve 1.5 teaspoons of the cornstarch separately for thickening the sauce later.
3. Whisk the eggs: In a separate bowl whisk 2 large eggs until smooth.
4. Cut and coat the chicken: Cut 1.5 lbs boneless, skinless chicken breasts into 1–1.5 inch pieces. Toss the chicken pieces in the egg, allow excess to drip off, then coat thoroughly in the cornstarch mixture. Repeat so each piece is well coated.
5. Air fry the chicken: Lightly spray the air fryer basket with cooking spray. Arrange chicken in a single layer (a little overlap is OK). Drizzle with 2 teaspoons sesame oil. Air fry at 400ºF for 10 minutes, flip, then air fry for an additional 6 minutes or until golden and cooked through. You may need to cook in batches depending on the size of your fryer.
6. Make the sauce: In a small saucepan warm the remaining 1 tablespoon sesame oil over medium heat. Add 7 cloves minced garlic and sauté briefly until fragrant, about 2–3 minutes. Add 1/4 cup soy sauce, 1/2 cup water, 1/3 cup honey, 1 teaspoon fish sauce, 1 tablespoon white vinegar, 1 tablespoon grated white onion, and 1 tablespoon Gochujang (or red chili paste). Whisk to combine and bring to a gentle boil, then reduce to low and simmer for 5 minutes.
7. Thicken the sauce: Remove 1/4 cup of the hot sauce and whisk the reserved 1.5 teaspoons cornstarch into it to create a slurry. Return the slurry to the saucepan and whisk over low heat until the sauce thickens and becomes glossy.
8. Toss and serve: Place the air-fried chicken into a large bowl, pour the honey sesame sauce over the chicken, and gently toss to coat. Garnish with the remaining sesame seeds and 2 minced green onions. Serve over sticky rice, brown rice, or fried rice.

Serving Suggestions

This honey sesame chicken pairs beautifully with steamed white sticky rice, brown rice, or chicken fried rice. It also works as a filling for lettuce wraps or over steamed vegetables. Garnish with extra green onion and sesame seeds for color and texture.

Storage

Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Reheat in the microwave for 90 seconds or on the stovetop over medium heat for 3–5 minutes until hot. For best texture, reheat briefly in an air fryer or oven to crisp the coating back up.

Tips & Notes

• Use a larger-capacity air fryer when possible; this recipe was tested in a 7-qt air fryer and may require batches in smaller units.
• Both chicken breasts and thighs work well—thighs will be slightly more forgiving and juicier.
• If you don’t have Gochujang, substitute a garlic chili sauce or red chili paste to add a mild heat and depth.

Nutrition (approx.)

Per serving (estimate): Calories: 524 kcal • Carbohydrates: 56 g • Protein: 46 g • Fat: 13 g • Fiber: 1 g • Sugar: 26 g

Photography: Photos used in this post were provided by the original recipe photographer.