Sesame Oil Chicken
This post may contain affiliate links. Read our affiliate disclosure.
🧪 Developed & tested by the The Chowmi Test Kitchen for US kitchens. How we develop our recipes.
Sesame oil chicken (麻油雞, má yóu jī) is a deeply warming Taiwanese comfort dish of bone-in chicken simmered with lots of toasted ginger in fragrant black (toasted) sesame oil and rice wine. The technique is the soul of it: you slowly fry sliced old ginger in the sesame oil until the edges curl and crisp, brown the chicken in that aromatic oil, then add rice wine (and a little water) and simmer into a savory, slightly sweet, intensely fragrant broth. It's traditionally eaten in cold weather and is the classic Taiwanese postpartum 'confinement' food, prized as restorative. The richer banquet version uses mostly rice wine and little or no water; an everyday version adds water for a soupier, milder result. Serve it in bowls over rice or with noodles, spooning the gingery sesame broth on top. The keys are using toasted (dark) sesame oil, frying the ginger patiently, and not skimping on the rice wine.
Why you'll love this sesame oil chicken
- Intensely fragrant, warming, and restorative — Taiwan's favorite cold-weather comfort food.
- One pot and just a handful of ingredients: chicken, ginger, sesame oil, rice wine.
- The crisped-ginger-in-sesame-oil technique perfumes the whole dish.
- Adjust the rice-wine-to-water ratio for a rich banquet version or a lighter everyday soup.
Ingredients
Main
- 2.5 lb bone-in chicken, thighs and drumsticks, chopped into chunks
- 3 tbsp toasted (black) sesame oil, the dark, fragrant kind — not for high heat alonesubstitutes →
- 1 large knob (about 2 oz) old ginger, unpeeled, thinly sliced
- 1.5 cups rice wine (michiu or Shaoxing), more for a richer versionsubstitutes →
- 1 cup water, less for a stronger, boozier broth
To season & serve
- 1 tsp sugar, optional, to round out
- to taste salt
- 2 tbsp goji berries, optional, traditional
- cooked rice or noodles, to serve
Missing an ingredient?
AITell us what you have and what you're making — get the best US-grocery swap, with ratios.
Hard-to-find ingredients, delivered
Stock the pantry once and you can cook this anytime: rice wine. Asian groceries deliver nationwide.
Equipment
- Wok or heavy pot — To fry the ginger and simmer the chicken.(shop →)
Instructions
Crisp the ginger in sesame oil
Heat the toasted sesame oil in a wok or heavy pot over medium-low. Add the sliced ginger and fry slowly, stirring, for 4–5 minutes until the ginger is fragrant and the edges curl and crisp. Keep the heat moderate — toasted sesame oil burns and turns bitter if it gets too hot.
💡 This patient step is the whole flavor base. The ginger should shrink and curl, perfuming the oil — don't rush it on high heat.
Brown the chicken
Turn the heat to medium-high, add the chicken pieces, and brown them in the gingery oil, turning, until golden on all sides, about 5 minutes.
Add rice wine & simmer
Pour in the rice wine and water. The aroma will bloom. Bring to a boil, then cover and simmer over medium-low for 20 minutes, until the chicken is cooked through and tender.
Season
Stir in the goji berries (if using), season with a little sugar and salt to taste, and simmer uncovered 2–3 more minutes. Taste and adjust — it should be fragrant, savory, and just a touch sweet.
Serve
Ladle the chicken and plenty of the gingery sesame broth into bowls. Serve hot over rice or with noodles, or on its own as a restorative soup.
💡 For the classic richer 'confinement' version, use all rice wine and skip the water — the broth is bolder and more warming.
Tips & notes
- Use toasted (dark) sesame oil — the fragrant kind labeled 麻油 — not light/raw sesame oil. It's the defining flavor, so don't substitute regular cooking oil.
- Fry the ginger gently; toasted sesame oil scorches and turns bitter over high heat. Medium-low until the ginger curls is the rule.
- Bone-in chicken (thighs and drumsticks) gives the best flavor and keeps the meat juicy; chop it into chunks so the broth gets rich.
- More rice wine and less water makes the bold, traditional version eaten for warmth and recovery; more water makes a lighter everyday soup.
- A handful of goji berries adds gentle sweetness and is traditional; some cooks also add a splash at the end for color.
Recipe wording too vague?
AIPaste any fuzzy step (少许, 火候正好, 焯水) and get exact amounts, temps and times.
Sesame Oil Chicken
- Prep
- 10 min
- Cook
- 30 min
- Total
- 40 min
- Serves
- 4
- Level
- Beginner
Ingredients
- 2.5 lb bone-in chicken, thighs and drumsticks, chopped into chunks
- 3 tbsp toasted (black) sesame oil, the dark, fragrant kind — not for high heat alone
- 1 large knob (about 2 oz) old ginger, unpeeled, thinly sliced
- 1.5 cups rice wine (michiu or Shaoxing), more for a richer version
- 1 cup water, less for a stronger, boozier broth
- 1 tsp sugar, optional, to round out
- to taste salt
- 2 tbsp goji berries, optional, traditional
- cooked rice or noodles, to serve
Instructions
- Heat the toasted sesame oil in a wok or heavy pot over medium-low. Add the sliced ginger and fry slowly, stirring, for 4–5 minutes until the ginger is fragrant and the edges curl and crisp. Keep the heat moderate — toasted sesame oil burns and turns bitter if it gets too hot.
- Turn the heat to medium-high, add the chicken pieces, and brown them in the gingery oil, turning, until golden on all sides, about 5 minutes.
- Pour in the rice wine and water. The aroma will bloom. Bring to a boil, then cover and simmer over medium-low for 20 minutes, until the chicken is cooked through and tender.
- Stir in the goji berries (if using), season with a little sugar and salt to taste, and simmer uncovered 2–3 more minutes. Taste and adjust — it should be fragrant, savory, and just a touch sweet.
- Ladle the chicken and plenty of the gingery sesame broth into bowls. Serve hot over rice or with noodles, or on its own as a restorative soup.
Nutrition (est., per serving): 480 cal · 34 g protein · 6 g carbs · 32 g fat
Sesame Oil Chicken FAQ
What is sesame oil chicken?
Sesame oil chicken (麻油雞, ma you ji) is a Taiwanese comfort dish of bone-in chicken simmered with crisped ginger in fragrant toasted sesame oil and rice wine. It's warming, intensely aromatic, and slightly sweet-savory, traditionally eaten in cold weather and as restorative postpartum food. It's served as a soupy braise over rice or with noodles.
What kind of sesame oil should I use?
Use toasted (dark) sesame oil — the deep-brown, fragrant kind labeled 麻油 or 'toasted sesame oil' — which gives the dish its signature aroma. Don't use light/raw sesame oil or regular cooking oil. Because toasted sesame oil burns easily, fry the ginger over medium-low heat so the oil stays fragrant rather than bitter.
Is sesame oil chicken alcoholic?
It's made with a lot of rice wine, but most of the alcohol cooks off during simmering, leaving the fragrance and depth. The traditional 'confinement' version uses mostly or all rice wine for a bolder, warming result; if you'd rather minimize alcohol, use more water and less wine, and simmer a few minutes longer to cook it off.
Why is the ginger fried first?
Slowly frying sliced old ginger in toasted sesame oil until it curls and crisps is the flavor foundation of the dish — it infuses the oil with a deep, warming gingery aroma that carries through the whole braise. Skipping or rushing this step (or using high heat, which burns the oil) gives a flatter, less fragrant result.
What do you serve with sesame oil chicken?
It's usually served over steamed rice or with thin noodles (sesame oil chicken noodles are popular), spooning the fragrant broth on top. A simple stir-fried green vegetable on the side balances the richness. In its boozier soup form, it's also eaten on its own as a warming, restorative bowl in cold weather.
You might also like
Get our free Chinese Kitchen Starter Guide
The 12 pantry staples, the 5 techniques, and a week of beginner-friendly dinners — plus a new decoded recipe each week.