Vegan Sesame Chicken

Crispy Vegan Sesame Chicken comes together in under 30 minutes. Tender chick’n pieces are battered, fried, and coated in a sweet, sticky sesame sauce. It’s quick, easy, and irresistibly delicious.

5 from 6 votes

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Bonnie - Serene Trail

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: Chinese

Prep Time: 15

Cook Time: 15

Total Time: 30

Servings:

Calories: 424kcal

Ingredients

Sesame Sauce

1/4 cup soy sauce, low sodium, (60ml)
3 tablespoons agave syrup
3 tablespoons ketchup
3 tablespoons brown sugar
1 tablespoon rice vinegar
1/2 tablespoon sesame oil
1/2 tablespoon cornstarch + 3 tablespoons warm water, mixed
1 teaspoon ginger, grated
1 teaspoon garlic, minced

Vegan Chicken

3/4 cup all-purpose flour, (90g)
1/4 cup cornstarch, (30g)
1/4 teaspoon salt
1/8 teaspoon pepper
3/4 cup seltzer water, (180ml)
10 ounces frozen vegan chicken strips, or super firm tofu cubes, (283g)
oil for frying, (olive, canola, avocado, etc.)
sesame seeds and green onions for garnish

Instructions

Heat 1-2 inches of oil in a small pot. Use a cooking thermometer to make sure the oil is around 350°F (180°C). It should sizzle when you sprinkle some batter droplets into it.
Whisk the sesame sauce ingredients in a small bowl. Dissolve the cornstarch in the water before adding it to the mix. Set this aside to give it some time for the flavors to come together.
Mix the batter ingredients (flour, cornstarch, salt, pepper, and seltzer water) in a medium-sized mixing bowl with a whisk or fork. It should be a similar consistency to thick pancake batter.
Break the frozen vegan chicken strips into bite-sized pieces about an inch long. Heat them in the microwave for 15 seconds if they're too hard to tear, although it's best to keep them as cold as possible until cooking them.
Arrange a frying station so that you can easily dip the chicken pieces into the batter before placing them in the hot oil. Prepare a cooling rack with paper towels beneath it nearby.
Cook them in batches by dipping 5-10 pieces in the batter, shaking the excess off, and then carefully placing them in the oil. Let the chicken cook for about 1 minute on each side. They will be a very light golden color.
Remove the chicken pieces with a skimmer or metal slotted spoon and place them on the cooling rack.
Heat the sauce in a small pan on medium-low for 3-4 mins or until it has thickened. Next, gently toss the chicken into the sauce. Garnish them with sesame seeds and sliced green onions.

Video

Notes

You can skip the frying steps by simply heating the vegan chicken pieces according to the package instructions and tossing them in the heated sauce.
The oil should be 1-2 inches deep. You can use less oil while still achieving this depth by using a smaller, narrower pot.
The consistency of the batter should be similar to thick pancake batter.
Keep the chicken mostly frozen until cooking it so it doesn't fall apart in the batter.
Tearing the chicken with your hands, as opposed to cutting it, creates more jagged edges for the batter to cling to.
Place the fried vegan chicken directly on a cooling rack with paper towels below it. This helps to keep the chicken crispy.
If using super-firm tofu, press the excess liquid before slicing it into cubes.

Nutrition

The nutritional information provided is an estimate from third-party calculations.

Did you make this recipe?I'd love to hear what you think! Drop a comment below or share it on Instagram and tag me @serene.trail.