Egg: The egg helps to better bind the flour coating to the chicken, so make sure to add it in. If you are allergic to eggs, or would simply prefer to keep this recipe egg-free, you may also use acquafaba or an egg-replacer.

Salt: I used fine table salt, but you can also use fine sea salt or fine Himalayan pink salt if you prefer.

Black Pepper: I like a little bit of ground black pepper for a little kick of heat. If you’re not a fan of black pepper, you can leave it out.

Olive Oil: I like using extra virgin olive oil, but you can also use other vegetable oils if you prefer (such as sunflower oil, corn oil, avocado oil).

Gluten-Free Flour: I used gluten-free flour to keep this recipe gluten-free. I recommend using a good quality gluten-free all-purpose flour blend that is made of lighter flours/starches (such as rice flour, tapioca starch, corn starch or potato starch). I do NOT recommend using a gluten-free blend that uses heavier flours (such as garbanzo bean flour). If you are not Celiac or gluten-intolerant, feel free to use normal wheat flour instead.

Cornstarch: Adding cornstarch to the flour coating helps to make the chicken strips crisp up better once fried. If you don’t have cornstarch, you may use potato starch or tapioca starch instead.

Baking Soda: Adding a pinch of baking soda helps to produce a crispier texture when frying. If you are Celiac or gluten-intolerant, make sure to use certified gluten-free baking soda.

Chicken Fillets: I use boneless, skinless chicken breasts as they are best for this recipe.

Bell Pepper: I used yellow bell peppers as the original Panda Express honey sesame chicken recipe uses the yellow variation. Of course, feel free to use red or green bell peppers if you prefer or if that’s what you have on hand. You can either cut the bell peppers into cubes, or slice them into evenly thin strips.

Green Beans: Green beans or string beans (which are basically the same) are what the favorite Panda Express sesame chicken uses.

Vegetable Oil: You can use a neutral vegetable oil of your choice for frying the chicken (sunflower oil, corn oil, etc).

Sesame Seeds: The classic honey sesame chicken from Panda Express uses white sesame seeds, but go ahead of use a mix of black and white sesame seeds if you prefer!

Honey: Since honey is an integral part of this recipe, I would not substitute it for anything.

Hot Sauce: The hot sauce adds a kick of heat and color to the recipe. Feel free to add more or less depending on your heat tolerance. If you are Celiac or gluten-intolerant, make sure to use gluten-free hot sauce.

Apple Cider Vinegar: Adding apple cider vinegar (in addition to lemon juice) lends a tart flavor to balance out the sweetness of the honey, creating the lovely sweet-and-sour flavor we enjoy.

Lemon Juice: For best results, I recommend using freshly squeezed lemon juice.

Storing: I recommend eating this honey sesame chicken straightaway after it’s cooked, as the chicken strips will lose their crispiness after soaking in the honey sauce for too long. However, if you do have any leftovers, place the cooled sesame honey chicken in an airtight container and store for up to 3 days. Reheat the chicken in the microwave or in a skillet before eating.