Air Fryer Sesame Chicken for Weight Loss | Easy Crispy Sesame Chicken in Air Fryer
Author: 
Recipe type: Main
Cuisine: Asian
Prep time: 
Cook time: 
Total time: 
Serves: 4-5 Servings
 
Ingredients
For chicken:
  • Chicken thighs - 500 gms, boneless & skinless
  • Cornflour / cornstarch - 2 tbsp
  • Red chilli powder - 1 tsp
  • Garlic powder - 1 tsp
  • Salt - 1 tsp
  • Black pepper - ½ tsp
  • Flavorless vegetable oil - 2 tbsp
For stir fry sauce:
  • Dark soy sauce - 1 tbsp
  • Rice vinegar - 1 tbsp
  • Brown sugar - 1 tbsp
  • Sesame oil - 1 tbsp
  • Garlic - 10 to 12 cloves, minced (about 1-2 tbsp)
  • Flavorless vegetable oil - 2 tbsp
  • Salt as needed
  • Corn flour / cornstarch - 2 tsp
  • Toasted sesame seeds - 1 tsp
  • Spring onion greens - 4 to 5 stalks, finely chopped
Instructions
  1. Wash and pat dry the chicken thighs nicely so that they are as dry as possible. Then cut each chicken thigh into small bite-sized pieces of about 1-inch length.
  2. In a large mixing bowl, add the corn flour (aka cornstarch in US), red chilli powder, garlic powder, salt and pepper. Give a good mix using a wire whisk.
  3. Now add the chicken thigh pieces to the mixing bowl and using a spatula start coating them with the starch mixture making sure each piece is nicely coated on all sides.
  4. Next add a couple of tablespoons of vegetable oil to the chicken and give it a good mix so that each piece of chicken is nicely oiled and coated with seasoned corn flour. Set it aside.
  5. Preheat your air fryer at 190 C / 375 F and set the timer to 16 minutes. Spray oil over the bottom surface of the air fryer basket.
  6. When the air fryer is preheated, take the basket out and transfer the coated chicken into it. Spread the chicken pieces in a single layer to ensure even cooking.
  7. Start air frying the chicken and at halfway through cooking time, take the basket out again. Using a spatula, give the chicken pieces a gentle stir and also give the basket a gentle shake.
  8. Return the basket to the air fryer and finish air frying them for the remaining cooking time. Your chicken is ready for stir frying in sesame chicken stir fry sauce. Transfer them to a bowl and set aside.
  9. Now we will make the stir fry sauce by mixing dark soy sauce, rice vinegar, brown sugar and sesame oil in a small mixing bowl along with ¼ cup of water. Whisk everything thoroughly to make a uniform mixture.
  10. In a frying pan, which is large enough to hold all the chicken, heat a couple of tablespoons of vegetable oil. Once hot, add the minced garlic and sauté them for 2 minutes on low flame.
  11. Then pour the prepared stir fry sauce mixture into the pan. Gently stir the sauce and let it come to a boil keeping the heat on medium.
  12. As soon as the sauce starts to simmer, add the air fried chicken cubes into the frying pan and gently stir them using a spatula. Make sure each chicken is coated with the sauce nicely.
  13. Let the chicken cook in the sauce for 2-3 minutes on low heat while you make the corn flour slurry by dissolving a couple of teaspoons of corn flour in ¼ cup of water.
  14. Now pour the corn flour slurry over the air fryer sesame chicken and give a gentle stir using the spatula. The sauce will start to thicken immediately.
  15. Check the seasoning of your air fryer sesame chicken at this stage. Add salt to taste if needed and mix well.
  16. Sprinkle a spoonful of toasted sesame seeds and finely chopped spring onion greens over the chicken. Give a final mix and switch off the flame.
  17. Your air fryer sesame chicken is ready! Transfer to a serving platter and sprinkle more toasted sesame seeds for extra flavor and enjoy!
Notes
Serving suggestion: You can savor this air fryer sesame chicken as an appetizer or pair it up with plain white rice for a balanced and fulfilling meal.
Recipe by Flavor Quotient at https://flavorquotient.com/2025/10/air-fryer-sesame-chicken/