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Honey sesame chicken copycat recipe from panda express
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5 from 8 votes

Panda express honey sesame chicken recipe

Healthy and easy Panda Express honey sesame chicken breast copycat recipe made in an air fryer or stovetop, plus homemade honey sesame sauce!
Prep Time20 minutes
Cook Time15 minutes
Total Time35 minutes
Course: Main Course
Cuisine: American Chinese
Keyword: honey sesame chicken panda express, panda express honey sesame chicken
Servings: 4 servings
Author: ChihYu Smith

Ingredients

For the chicken:

  • 1 lb. chicken breasts dice to 1-inch cubes
  • 1 tbsp coconut aminos
  • ¼ tsp coarse sea salt
  • ½ tsp baking soda
  • ¼ tsp garlic powder
  • 4 tbsp tapioca starch or potato starch (for stovetop), use 6 tbsp for air fryer

For the vegetables:

  • 1 whole yellow bell pepper diced into 1-inch cubes
  • 8 oz. French petite green beans trimmed and diced into 2.5-inch sections

For the honey sesame sauce:

Other:

  • ¼ cup + 1 tbsp avocado oil For stovetop
  • Avocado oil spray For air fryer
  • Sprinkle toasted white sesame seeds
US - Metric

Instructions

To prep:

  • Slice the chicken breasts into 1-inch cubes and in a bowl mix well with the seasonings from coconut aminos to starch. Set aside in the fridge while you prepare other items.
  • Prepare the bell pepper and green beans. Place the green beans in a microwave-safe container, add 1 tbsp water and microwave on high for 1 minute. Drain the water and set them aside to cool. In a separate bowl, stir well the sauce.

To pan fry:

  • In a 12-inch saute pan, add the avocado oil and preheat over medium heat for about 3 minutes. Test the temperature with a wooden chopstick, if it shows bubbles around the chopstick when inserting it into the oil, the temperature is hot enough. You can also use a thermometer to reach 350F/177C.
  • Add the chicken piece-by-piece into the pan. Turn up the heat to medium-high. Pan-fry them in a single layer without disturbing them for about 3 minutes on the first side. Then use a chopstick or tong to cook the flip side for about 2 minutes. Transfer them out to a separate plate.

To air-fry:

  • Preheat the air fryer to 380F. Spray the basket with avocado oil and place the chicken piece-by-piece into the basket with some space between them. Spray with more oil on top of each piece. Air fry at 380F for 8 minutes total. The chicken should be cooked through. Repeat the process until you finish the batch.

To combine:

  • Add 1 tablespoon of oil to a well-heated large saute pan, when warm saute the pepper and green beans with 2 pinches of salt over medium-high heat for 1 minute.
  • Return the chicken to the pan and pour in the honey chili sauce. Turn the heat up to high and toss to coat the sauce over for 1 minute.
  • Turn off the heat. Transfer the food to a serving plate. Garnish with sesame seeds. Serve hot with steamed rice.

Video

Notes

  • To make-ahead, I highly recommend you prepare the sweet chili sauce in advance if you are making the sauce from scratch as I do. You can also use any store-bought Thai or Vietnamese sweet chili sauce if preferred.
  • To make ahead: You can slice and season the chicken in advance BUT NOT add the starch. Only add the starch when you are ready to cook.
  • Please note the recipe instructions - if you use an air fryer you’ll need more starch to coat the chicken so that it will crisp and puff up evenly. The upside is that you’ll use less oil and no oil splatter.
  • If you prefer more sauce, you can easily double the sauce quantity. Please taste and adjust. It should be sweet, sour, and savory and with a strong vinegary aroma.

Nutrition

Serving: 1serving | Calories: 335kcal | Carbohydrates: 21g | Protein: 25g | Fat: 17g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 10g | Trans Fat: 0.01g | Cholesterol: 73mg | Sodium: 671mg | Potassium: 552mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 10g | Vitamin A: 426IU | Vitamin C: 9mg | Calcium: 28mg | Iron: 1mg