Panda Express Honey Sesame Chicken Recipe

Panda express honey sesame chicken has won many of our hearts by featuring crisp chicken tossed in honey sauce and colorful stir-fried veggies. But unfortunately, they have discontinued this dish from their menu. 

Many of us are craving this delicious dish and trying to make it at home, getting no option. But it’s not so easy to match the panda express taste. Especially their honey sauce. Their honey sauce is the secret of their unique taste. They use various spices, sauces, and lots more to make it so flavorsome.

Hence, I thought of sharing the panda express honey chicken recipe with each little detail. So you can make and enjoy this dish by sitting at home. Scroll down to learn the full recipe.

Ingredients You Will Need

• 1 pound of chicken breast,

Marinade ingredients

• 2 tablespoons of sodium soy sauce,
• 2 egg white,
• 2 tablespoons of sesame oil,
• 1 tablespoon of cornstarch,
• ¼ teaspoon of white pepper,
• Salt as needed,

Honey Sesame Sauce

• ¼ of cup honey, 
• 5 tablespoons soy sauce,  
• 3 tablespoons of brown sugar, 
• 1 tablespoon of ketchup,  
• 1 tablespoon of oyster sauce, 
• 1 tablespoon Shaoxing wine or cooking sherry,
• 1 ½ teaspoon of sambal oelek,
• 1 teaspoon sesame oil,
• ⅛ teaspoon salt,
• ⅛ teaspoon white pepper,
• 1 ½ tablespoon cornstarch,  
• 2 tablespoons water,  

Batter

• ¼ cup flour, 
• ½ cup cornstarch,  
• ¼ teaspoon baking soda,
• 1 teaspoon salt,
• ½ teaspoon white pepper,
• 1 egg,
• 1 tablespoon olive oil,
•  ½ cup water, 

Stir Fry

•  2 tablespoons oil,  
• 1 tablespoon minced garlic, 
•  ½ cup of strips of yellow bell pepper,
•  ½ cup green string beans,  
•  2 tablespoons sesame seeds,
•  2 tablespoons green onion, 

Steps To Make Panda Express Honey Sesame Chicken

Step one: Marinade The Chicken

Rinse and pat dry the chicken thigh; cut them into bite-size pieces and keep them aside. In a large mixing bowl, whisk all the marinade ingredients leaving cornstarch. Then, add the chicken pieces and gently mix them with the marinade. Finally, add cornstarch and give it a final mix. Cover and leave them aside at a regular temperature for up to 30 minutes.

Step Two: Make The Honey Sesame Sauce

In another mixing bowl, pour all the sauce ingredients and whisk it until everything is well mixed and turns into a smooth sauce. Keep this sauce aside also for later use. 

Step Three: Make Batter

In another large mixing bowl, take flour, cornstarch, white pepper, baking soda, and salt, and give it a good mix. Next, add one large egg, half a cup of water, and one tablespoon of olive oil, and make a smooth liquid batter. If the batter seems thicker, add two tablespoons of more water. And if it seems too liquid, add one and a half tablespoons of cornstarch extra.

Step Four: Coat The Chicken Pieces

Now, take out the marinated chicken, and put it into the batter we just made. Use a rubber spatula or hand to mix the chicken pieces with the batter gently. Ensure the chicken pieces are well coated with the batter. 

Step Five: Fry The Chicken Pieces

Put a deep skillet on the stove and set the heat on high flame. Fill more than half of it with oil and let it be smokey heat. Then, place the coated chicken pieces in the oil, keeping enough space to prevent the chicken pieces from sticking to each other. Reduce the heat to medium-low and flip and fry for a few minutes. Take out the chicken pieces and keep them on a kitchen towel to absorb excess oil.  

Step Six: Fry The Veggies

In a saucepan, pour two tablespoons of olive oil and wait until it becomes smokey hot. Then add minced garlic, yellow bell pepper strips, and green string beans. Stir fry these veggies for a few minutes. Frying time depends on how tender you want your veggies to be. 

Step Seven: Cook The Sauce

Heat a saucepan on the stove, and add the panda express honey sesame chicken sauce. Wait until it comes to a boil. Meantime mix 1 ½ tablespoon of cornstarch with two tablespoons of water until the cornstarch dissolves. Once the sauce is simmering, add the cornstarch mixture and stir continuously.

Step Eight: Mix Everything

Once the sauce has reached your desired thickness, instantly add the fried chicken and give it a good mix.

Then add the stir-fried veggies and give it another good mix. Finally, spread some toasted sesame, and it’s done. If you want, you can spread some spring onion for garnishing also. 

Step Nine: Serve

Hot or cold; you can serve this honey sesame chicken as you wish. And you have several options to serve it with. Serve this chicken with steamed rice, fried rice, and paratha. Healthy pairings like steamed broccoli, bok choy, and roasted asparagus are also there. Chinese options like soba noodles or egg-fried rice. 

Storing Process

Once the glazed chicken comes to room temperature, transfer them into an airtight box. Then put it into the refrigerator and store it for up to three days.

For more days, transfer the chicken into a ziplock bag or fridge-safer box and store it in the fridge for up to three months. 

Before you serve, thaw overnight in the refrigerator. The next day, reheat, serve, and enjoy!

Tips and Tricks

• Instead of chicken thighs, you can use chicken breast, pork, beef strips, or ground meat.
• Add one teaspoon of sambal oelek or chili flakes if you want a spicy sauce.
• To get the tangy flavor, use lemon juice or rice vinegar.  
• You can use more veggies like green bell pepper, red bell pepper, zucchini, or whatever you love.

Conclusion

Sweet and spicy honey sesame chicken is simple to prepare and delicious, just like Panda Express Firecracker Chicken! Honey gives the dish an irresistible sweetness, while the sesame seeds add some nuttiness to balance its flavor. But you can change the flavor a little and make it taste as you prefer by following the instruction provided above. By having a panda express honey sesame chicken recipe on hand, now you can easily make and enjoy it without depending on panda express. So try it at home and let me know how it tastes!