Sesame-coated chicken is a uniquely American concoction combining chicken tenders with American-Chinese restaurant sesame chicken to create a dish that kids would eat. Sesame chicken is made by deep-frying deboned and battered chicken pieces which are then dressed with a thick, translucent, sweet sauce and topped with sesame seeds, giving sesame chicken its name. Chicken fingers were allegedly invented in New Hampshire in the 1970s as a way to use the extra strips of meat under chicken breasts. Breaded and deep fried, they became a popular food for kids, especially when served with a sweet dip.
In this recipe, crisp chicken tenders are coated with sesame seeds (instead of flour and bread crumbs) and baked until crisp (instead of deep fried). Instead of coating the chicken pieces in a sweet sauce, a honey-mayonnaise dip is served separately for dipping.
American Sesame Chicken Fingers with Honey-Mayo Dip
Equipment
- Large baking pan
- 2 Medium bowl
Ingredients
- 2 lb Chicken tenders
- 1 cup Mayonnaise
- 1 tbsp Dried onion
- 2 tsp Dijon mustard
- 1 cup Sesame seeds
- 1 cup Bread crumbs
Honey-Mayo Dip
- ½ cup Mayonnaise
- ½ cup Dijon mustard
- ⅔ cup Honey
Instructions
- Make dipping sauce by combining mayonnaise, mustard, and honey. Refrigerate until ready to use.
- Combine mayonnaise, onion flakes, and mustard in one bowl. In a second bowl, combine sesame seeds and bread crumbs.
- Preheat oven to 425°F (220°C). Dip chicken strips first in the mayonnaise mixture and the coat thoroughly with the sesame seed/bread mixture. Lay coated chicken strips onto a large baking pan.
- Bake chicken for 8 minutes, flip each, and cook 8 more minutes. Serve hot with honey-mayo dip.
