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Crispy Sesame Chicken Rice Bowl

Name: Crispy Sesame Chicken Rice Bowl
Prep time: 21 min
Total time: 21 min
Cuisine: Chinese-American
Ingredients: boneless chicken — 680 g; cornstarch — 118 g; salt — 3 g; black pepper — 1 g; eggs — 200 g; oil — 73 g; soybean soy sauce — 79 g; rice wine vinegar — 33 g; honey — 44 g; light-brown sugar — 25 g; dark sesame oil — 14 g; garlic — 9 g; ginger — 15 g; ground toasted sesame seeds — 15 g; scallions — 300 g; white rice — 710 g

Crispy Sesame Chicken Rice Bowl reads umami 6.0, sweetness 5.4 and salinity 5.1 on Palate's 0–10 flavor X-ray — a Chinese-American main, about 21 min. Measured from the recipe itself: ingredients and technique.

The flavor X-ray — six axes, 0–10

Umami & Savory — 6.8 / 10
Sweet & Fruity — 5.4 / 10
Sour & Bright — 3.3 / 10
Bitter & Earthy — 1.1 / 10
Rich & Fat — 6.4 / 10
Aromatic & Spice — 4.8 / 10

The measured notes (of 18)

Umami 6.0 · Sweetness 5.4 · Salinity 5.1 · Richness 5.0 · Nutty 4.4 · Floral 4.1 · Allium 4.0 · Sourness 3.3 · Funk & Ferment 2.8 · Herbaceous 2.2 · Warm Spice 2.1 · Earthy 1.0 · Bitterness 0.8 · Heat 0.7

What's in it (16)

boneless chicken — 680 g
cornstarch — 118 g
salt — 3 g
black pepper — 1 g
eggs — 200 g
oil — 73 g
soybean soy sauce — 79 g
rice wine vinegar — 33 g
honey — 44 g
light-brown sugar — 25 g
dark sesame oil — 14 g
garlic — 9 g
ginger — 15 g
ground toasted sesame seeds — 15 g
scallions — 300 g
white rice — 710 g

Time & effort: about 21 min · effort: involved

Nutrition (per 100 g, engine-estimated): 218.9 kcal, 13.2 g protein, 3.5 g fat, 33.6 g carbs

Dietary: Contains meat · Contains egg — engine-derived; double-check anything allergy-critical.

How it's cooked (8 steps)

Pat the chicken thighs dry and season with the salt and pepper. In a shallow bowl, toss the chicken with 1/4 cup of the cornstarch until evenly coated.
Dip each cornstarch-coated piece in the beaten egg, then dredge again in the remaining 1/4 cup cornstarch, pressing lightly so it adheres.
Heat the oil in a large nonstick skillet over medium-high heat until shimmering. Working in two batches so the pieces aren't crowded, fry the chicken until deeply golden and crisp on all sides and the thickest piece reaches 165°F, 7-8 minutes per batch, turning occasionally. Transfer to a paper-towel-lined plate.
While the chicken fries, whisk together the soy sauce, rice vinegar, honey, brown sugar, and sesame oil in a small bowl until the sugar dissolves.
Wipe out the skillet and set over medium heat with a teaspoon of the frying oil. Add the garlic and ginger and saute until fragrant but not browned, about 1 minute.
Pour in the soy sauce mixture and bring to a simmer; cook, stirring often, until it reduces and thickens enough to coat the back of a spoon, 2-3 minutes.
Return the crispy chicken to the skillet and toss to coat evenly in the glossy sauce, about 1 minute, until every piece glistens.
Divide the rice among bowls, top with the sesame chicken, and finish with the sesame seeds and scallions.

Dishes with a similar flavor shape

Korean Fried Chicken Wings — Korean
Sticky Gochujang-Honey Chicken Thighs — Korean
Char Siu Pork Tenderloin — Chinese · Cantonese
Crispy Gochujang-Honey Chicken Thighs — Fusion
Ground Turkey Teriyaki Bowl — Japanese

Keep reading: what umami, sweetness, salinity mean in the flavor lexicon · the world's cuisines, by flavor.

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Every number above is Palate's engine-measured estimate, computed from this recipe's ingredients and techniques — not human-tasted ratings or reviews.