Healthy Sesame Chicken
This healthy sesame chicken is a great weeknight meal for your family. Serve it over moist rice (or cauliflower rice) and you’ll be simply satisfied in no time.
So you’ll never believe this. But after I shared that creamy vegan pasta recipe and told you how much my husband detests broccoli, I decided to serve broccoli for dinner. I needed a little variation in our side dish and figured I could smother my husband’s roasted broccoli with cheese.
Anyway, I roasted it in our toaster oven, drizzled it with good olive oil, and sprinkled salt on top. AND YOU’LL NEVER BELIEVE IT, he actually liked it!! Anyway, I need to work on more ways to get broccoli into our nightly meals and this healthy sesame chicken might just be next…
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Healthy Sesame Chicken
So, besides the broccoli, the whole dinner recipe is actually healthy. Many sesame chicken recipes fry the chicken and, in my experience, it’s usually dark meat. This recipe calls for boneless, skinless chicken breasts and it’s all baked in the oven. Talk about saving on the fat and calories!
After quickly marinating the chicken, just bake it! Meanwhile you can steam the broccoli and whip up the sauce. Served with wild rice in the rice cooker, the whole meal comes together pretty quickly and without stinking up the house with frying scents.
Sesame Seeds & Sesame Oil
I think sesame seeds are a very underrated seed or seasoning in the cabinet. I think I first bought them to make homemade everything bagel seasoning. Then I obviously had leftovers. I started seeing them garnishing roasted veggie dishes, so I tried it at home.
The flavor was subtle, hardly noticeable, but the contrast of color was beautiful! I even topped my roasted bell pepper toasts with them. You can just see how the seeds pull it all together!
In college, my best friend introduced me to the idea of homemade Chinese food. The recipes she taught me were all very simple, but oh so delicious with a few easy-to-get ingredients. Besides hoisin sauce, I remember being introduced to sesame oil. I’ve kept it in my cupboard ever since.
My husband’s Low FODMAP diet allows for sesame oil, which we didn’t realize for a few months. We started adding it to veggie dishes and occasionally over rice. It gave our meals that distinctly Chinese flavor without any work on my part!
The oil has a wonderful toasted sesame flavor. It really is a great addition to your oil and vinegar selection! It’s also great in dishes like Hokkien noodles.
What to Serve with Sesame Chicken?
Sesame chicken is the star of the meal, but there are some delicious options to serve alongside. White rice is the obvious option. To kick things up try this General Tso’s Cauliflower – there’s also a recipe for sriracha rice!
Looking for more homemade Asian recipes, try this chicken and shrimp stir-fry!
More Chicken Recipes
Looking for more chicken recipes? Who isn’t? These chicken parm without breading are so, so good!
If you have shredded chicken, try Thai pizza, this chicken salad appetizer in endive leaves, or even this leftover turkey chili with white beans (turkey and chicken are easily switched).
Check out all these dinner ideas as well! And if you love Chinese flavors, try this 5 spice tea latte!
Broccoli Recipes
If you love broccoli (or just have a fair bit on your hands), you’ll also want to try this vegan broccoli potato soup, this roasted grape and broccoli salad, our go to prosciutto broccoli appetizer, and this creamy vegan pasta.
Healthy Sesame Chicken {GF}
Ingredients
- 1 pound boneless skinless chicken breasts about 2, cut into ½-inch cubes
- 5 tablespoons low-sodium soy sauce gluten free if needed
- 1 teaspoon fine sea salt
- ¼ cup all-purpose flour
- 4 cups broccoli florets
- 2 cups unsalted chicken stock
- ⅓ cup honey
- 3 tablespoons toasted sesame oil
- 2 tablespoons rice vinegar
- 2 garlic cloves grated
- 1 teaspoon grated fresh ginger
- 1 teaspoon chili garlic sauce
- ¼ cup cornstarch
- Additional fine sea salt to taste
- Sesame seeds for garnish
- Fresh cilantro for garnish
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 400℉. Spray a baking sheet with non-stick cooking spray.
- Place the chicken in a large bowl. Add 3 tablespoons soy sauce, ½ teaspoon salt, and the flour. Toss well and let sit for 5 minutes.
- Spread the chicken out in a single layer on the baking sheet. Bake for 15 minutes. Carefully flip each piece and bake for 5 more minutes, or until the chicken is baked through and no longer pink in the middle.
- While the chicken bakes, fill a large saucepan ¾ full with water. Bring to a boil. Cook the broccoli for 2 to 3 minutes, until bright green. Drain.
- Add the chicken stock, honey, sesame oil, vinegar, garlic, ginger, chili sauce, cornstarch, and the remaining 2 tablespoons soy sauce and ½ teaspoon of salt to a large, deep skillet. Whisk well. Turn the heat to medium-high. Continue to whisk as the sauce begins to bubble and thicken, about 5 minutes.
- Stir the chicken and broccoli into the sauce and cook for 1 more minute. Season with additional salt if desired.
- Transfer to a serving platter and garnish with sesame seeds and cilantro.
What a delicious weeknight meal! This chicken looks so perfect paired with the broccoli. I love how easily it comes together.
Oh my gosh, I cannot stop staring at the photos and I am going to make this dinner tonight. I am obsessed with sesame seeds and I love them on everything. Can’t wait to eat this.
I love making my favorite Chinese take-out classics at home so I can control the ingredients. This recipe is a keeper – easy and delish! Thanks!
This looks so good and I have all the ingredients at home. Looking forward to trying it out tonight!
This sesame chicken was so delicious! This is definitely a family favorite now.