Sesame Chicken Breasts

This is oven-fried chicken in disguise. Boneless chicken breasts go through a buttermilk dip, then a coat of toasted sesame seeds, thyme, and bread crumbs, and bake to a crisp golden brown without ever seeing a fryer. It’s the kind of weeknight chicken that delivers fried-style texture with significantly less fat and mess.

Toasting the sesame seeds in the oven while it preheats is the technique to focus on. Raw sesame seeds taste flat. Toasted seeds taste deeply nutty and aromatic, and they’re what gives this crust its signature flavor. Fifteen minutes in the preheating oven, stirring occasionally, takes them from pale beige to fragrant gold.

The buttermilk soak does what buttermilk always does for chicken: tenderizes through gentle acidity and helps the crumb coating stick. Press the crumbs in firmly with your fingers when you coat each piece. A loose crumb crust falls off during baking.

Generously oil the pan rather than the chicken. The hot oil under the chicken does the work of frying from below, crisping the bottom crust into a properly crunchy shell. Skimping on oil leaves you with a soft bottom and a dry top.

Pro Tips

• Pat the chicken dry before the buttermilk dip. Wet chicken dilutes the buttermilk and the coating won’t stick as well.
• Don’t crowd the roasting pan. Spread the pieces out so air circulates around them; crowded chicken steams instead of crisps.
• Pull at 165°F (74°C) internal temperature. Overbaked chicken breast turns chalky in a hurry.
• Toasted sesame seeds keep well in a sealed jar. Toast extra for next time.

Variations

• Swap thyme for fresh chopped rosemary or tarragon for a different herb profile.
• Add a teaspoon of lemon zest to the bread crumb mixture for citrus brightness.
• Use panko instead of fine bread crumbs for an even crispier crust.