Chicken · Chinese-American
Crispy Air Fryer Sesame Chicken Bites
Crisp chicken bites tossed in a glossy sesame-soy honey glaze with garlic and ginger. A weeknight fakeaway that stays crunchy when sauced last.
These air fryer sesame chicken bites are built for that sticky-crispy takeaway texture without deep frying. A cornflour-forward coating crisps around the chicken first, then a warm sesame, soy, honey, garlic and ginger glaze clings to the outside right before serving.
Ingredients
Instructions
Air fryer:200°C / 392°F
Preheat the air fryer to 200°C for 3 minutes. If your basket is small, plan to cook the chicken in 2 batches so the pieces sit in a single layer.
Pat the chicken dry. In a bowl, toss it with salt, pepper and garlic powder. Add the beaten egg and mix until evenly coated.
Mix 45 g cornflour and 25 g flour in a shallow bowl. Lift the chicken pieces from the egg, coat well in the flour mixture, then shake off excess.
Arrange chicken in the basket in a single layer and spray the tops generously with oil. Air fry at 200°C for 12–14 minutes, turning or shaking halfway and spraying any dry floury patches. The chicken should be golden, crisp and at least 74°C/165°F internally.
While the chicken cooks, make the glaze. In a small saucepan, combine soy sauce, honey, rice vinegar, sesame oil, ginger, garlic, brown sugar and sriracha. Simmer for 2 minutes.
Stir in the cornflour slurry and simmer for 30–60 seconds, until glossy and lightly thickened. Remove from the heat and stir in half the sesame seeds.
Toss the hot crispy chicken with just enough glaze to coat. For a stickier finish, return the sauced chicken to the air fryer for 1–2 minutes at 200°C, watching closely so the honey does not scorch.
Finish with the remaining sesame seeds and sliced spring onions. Serve straight away with rice, broccoli, cucumber salad or noodles.
Tips & tricks
- Sauce the chicken after it is fully crisp; adding the glaze too early softens the coating.
- Chicken thighs stay juicier, while chicken breast gives a leaner bite. Both must reach 74°C/165°F internally.
- For extra crunch, let the coated chicken rest on a rack for 5 minutes before air frying so the coating hydrates.
- If using regular soy sauce instead of low-sodium, reduce the added salt slightly.
Air fryer cooking guides
Exact times & temperatures for the ingredients in this recipe.
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