Move over take-out. Crispy fried pieces of chicken or pork coated in a sweet, tangy, nutty pomegranate raspberry sesame sauce for a unique take on sesame chicken that just might replace your normal take-out routine.
Sesame Chicken {or Pork!} with Pomegranate Raspberry Sauce
My friends, this version of sesame chicken is ridiculously good. And yes, it requires a lot more time in the kitchen than opening take-out boxes, but once you taste it, I feel strongly that you'll consider every minute spent cooking this dish time well spent.
There are three things that make this pomegranate and raspberry sesame chicken so delicious:
- The meat is marinated in buttermilk and soy sauce
- Pomegranate Molasses creates a sauce for sesame chicken that's sweet, tangy, and incredibly delicious
- Chicken (or pork!) is coated in a mix of flour and cornstarch, giving every bite an extra crispy exterior
Let's break them down, one by one...
Buttermilk and Soy are the Secrets to Tender, Flavorful Meat
Marinating chicken or pork in buttermilk and soy sauce creates the most incredibly moist, tender and flavorful meat.
The salt in soy sauce and acid in buttermilk work together to flavor and tenderize the meat from the inside out, and prevent liquid from escaping while it cooks.
As a little bonus, the sugars in the buttermilk caramelize while the meat cooks, creating another delicious layer of flavor.
Let the pieces of chicken or pork soak in the buttermilk soy marinade for at least 1 hour and as long as 24 hours.
If you don't have any buttermilk, check out this list of 7 ways to make a great buttermilk substitute.
How to Make a Delicious Sesame Chicken Sauce Using Pomegranate Molasses
Pomegranate Molasses is one of those ingredients that can quite literally transform your cooking in the best possible way. It's nothing more than pomegranate juice that’s been boiled with a bit of sugar and lemon juice until it’s as thick as molasses.
What makes pomegranate molasses a secret weapon in the kitchen is its ability to quickly add the kind of depth and complexity to a dish that usually comes only from browning and slowly cooking food. One of the best things about it is that, even with some added sugar, its primary characteristic is not sweet.
It's sour, tangy, acidic, and even a bit smoky, and it elevates sesame chicken sauce to a whole new level of delicious.
Pomegranate molasses can be purchased at many supermarkets or easily sought out online. It's also really easy to make from scratch and will last in the refrigerator for weeks.
A bottle of prepared Pomegranate Molasses will run you around $15. Making it yourself will cost you about ⅓ of that and is as simple as pouring some pomegranate juice into a pan and letting it reduce down into a thick, intensely flavored syrup.
Making it requires only the patience to let pomegranate juice and a bit of brown sugar reduce down to a thick, rich, syrup. After that, there's no limit to what you can do with it. Drizzle it over sautéed veggies, grilled steak, or pan seared chicken. Toss kale, fresh veggies, almonds, and pomegranate seeds in a drizzle of pomegranate syrup for a deliciously elegant salad.
How to Make Extra Crispy Sesame Chicken {or Pork}
The secret is to extra crispy fried chicken or pork is to coat the meat with a mixture of flour and cornstarch.
Flour helps to seal in moisture and creates a batter that's nice and thick. Cornstarch helps prevent gluten development, creating an extra crispy exterior. It also absorbs moisture created from frying, which also means a crispier coating.
The first time I made this recipe, I used chicken. It was so good that my husband and I started throwing out ideas for other types of protein that might be as good as chicken. "I bet this would be really good with steak." "How about pork?" "Oh yeah. You should make this with pork." "Shrimp?" "I'm sure it would be great with shrimp."
The reason this recipe suggests chicken OR pork is because I've made it with both and can tell you with absolute certainty that both are fabulous.
The reason this recipe doesn't suggest steak or shrimp is simply because I haven't tried those yet. If you come back to this recipe at some later date, and see the suggestion of using chicken OR pork OR steak OR shrimp, you'll know I tried it and loved it.
If you beat me to it and try this recipe with steak or shrimp, please let me know.
If you give this recipe a try, let me know! Scroll down to rate this recipe and leave a comment, or take a picture and tag it @alittleandalot on Instagram.
📖 Recipe
Pomegranate Raspberry Sesame Chicken {Or Pork!}
A deliciously unique take on sesame chicken: crispy fried pieces of chicken or pork coated in a sweet, tangy, nutty pomegranate raspberry sesame sauce.
Ingredients
- 2 cups (454 grams) buttermilk
- ½ cup (32 grams) soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon kosher salt
- 1 tablespoon packed dark brown sugar
- 5 tablespoons toasted sesame oil, divided
- 2 tablespoons orange zest, divided
- 2 pounds boneless skinless chicken thighs, cut into 1-inch pieces (Or - pork tenderloin)
- 2 tablespoons (16 grams) + 1 ½ cups (180 grams) corn starch, divided
- ½ cup (61 grams) fresh raspberries
- ¼ cup (2 ounces) orange juice
- ¼ cup (2 ounces) seasoned rice vinegar
- 1 cup (8 ounces) Pomegranate Molasses (*see note below)
- 3 large eggs
- salt and pepper
- 1 cup (120 grams) all-purpose flour
- Vegetable oil for frying (enough to fill a large saucepan with 2-3 inches of oil)
- 2 teaspoons minced garlic (2-3 cloves)
- 2 tablespoons fresh ginger, grated or minced
- 1 ½ teaspoon crushed red pepper
- ½ cup (71 grams) toasted sesame seeds (toast in a dry skillet over medium heat until golden and fragrant)
- ½ cup (87 grams) pomegranate seeds
- ¼ cup (14 grams) fresh chives, minced
Serve with:
- Cooked Jasmine Rice
- Sautéed Asparagus
Instructions
Marinate the chicken {or pork}:
- Add buttermilk, soy sauce, 1 tablespoon salt, brown sugar, 1 tablespoon (15ml) toasted sesame oil, and 1 tablespoon orange zest. Whisk to combine.
- Lay the chicken or pork out in an even layer in a rectangle baking dish. Pour the marinade over the meat and stir the pieces around a bit to coat. Cover and refrigerate for at least 1 hour, and up to 24 hours.
Make the Pomegranate Raspberry Sesame Sauce:
- Add 2 tablespoons (15g) cornstarch, raspberries, orange juice, rice vinegar, 1 tablespoon (15ml) toasted sesame oil, and 1 tablespoon orange zest to a bowl.
- Stir to mix, mashing up the raspberries a bit with the back of the spoon as you stir. Stir in the pomegranate molasses and set aside while you prepare the chicken.
Cook the Chicken or Pork:
- Crack the eggs into a shallow dish or pie plate and add 1 teaspoon salt, ½ teaspoon ground black pepper, and 2 tablespoons (30ml) sesame oil.
- In a separate shallow dish or pie plate, add the remaining 1 & ½ cups (180g) cornstarch, flour, and ½ teaspoon salt. Stir to mix.
- Remove the meat from the refrigerator. Add several pieces of meat to the bowl with the eggs. Toss the pieces around to coat in the egg mixture, then place them one at a time in the flour and cornstarch mixture. Press the meat into the cornstarch and flour to form a thick coating. Set breaded meat on a separate plate. Repeat until all the pieces of meat have been breaded.
- Pour enough vegetable oil into a large heavy bottom saucepan so that it comes about 2-3 inches up the sides of the pan. Set it over high heat. Using a deep fry thermometer to monitor the temperature, heat the oil to 350 degrees F (176 degrees C) .
- Using metal tongs, place 8-10 pieces of meat in the hot oil. Let cook for about 3 minutes, then turn them over in the oil and let them cook for another 2-3 minutes until they are a rich golden brown on all sides. Place the cooked meat on a paper towel lined plate and repeat with the remaining pieces of meat. *Try to keep the oil temperature as close to 350 degrees F (176 C) as possible while frying.
- Place the cooked meat on a serving plate and cover with aluminum foil while you finish the sauce.
Finish the Pomegranate Raspberry Sesame Sauce:
- Heat the remaining tablespoon (15ml) of sesame oil in a large saucepan over medium heat until shimmering. Add garlic, ginger, and crushed red pepper and cook for 30 - 60 seconds, just until the garlic and ginger are beginning to brown.
- Add the Pomegranate Raspberry Sesame Sauce and cook, stirring constantly, until the sauce thickens and boils. Remove from the heat and stir in ¼ cup (35g) toasted sesame seeds and the cooked chicken or pork. Stir to coat the meat in the sauce.
- Scoop the chicken or pork onto a serving platter and top with the remaining ¼ cup (35g) sesame seeds, pomegranate seeds, and chives.
- Serve with cooked Jasmine Rice and Sautéed Asparagus.
Notes
Because it’s become increasingly popular over the past few years, you can sometimes find bottles of Pomegranate Molasses in supermarkets. And, of course, like everything else in the world, you can order it on Amazon.
A bottle of Pomegranate Molasses will run you around $15. Making it yourself will cost you about ⅓ of that and is as simple as pouring some pomegranate juice into a pan and letting it reduce down into a thick, intensely flavored syrup. Here’s how to make it..
No buttermilk? No problem. DIY Buttermilk: How to make your own
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Nutrition Information:
Yield:
6Serving Size:
1Amount Per Serving: Calories: 782Total Fat: 35gSaturated Fat: 7gTrans Fat: 0gUnsaturated Fat: 26gCholesterol: 281mgSodium: 2752mgCarbohydrates: 73gFiber: 4gSugar: 47gProtein: 49g
Kate says
Many thanks for sharing your amazing chicken recipe. The combination sounds delicious. I will try it very soon indeed.