Healthy Sesame Chicken

5 from 4 votes
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I’m a gal that loves takeout, like LOVES takeout. However, I don’t love the calories. There is good news though….you can now have my Healthy Sesame Chicken that tastes identical to takeout, but is made with wholesome and simple ingredients.

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Things You’ll Need To Make This Healthy Sesame Chicken Recipe

This recipe is super simple to make. You may even have all the ingredients already in your pantry and fridge. Below are all the ingredients you will need to make this delicious Healthy Sesame Chicken recipe!

  • Chicken Breasts, Cubbed
  • Chicken Broth
  • Coconut Amnios
  • Green Onions
  • Honey, Maple Syrup or Sugar Free syrup for keto.
  • Sesame Seed Oil
  • Rice Vinegar
  • Xanthan Gum
  • Garlic Powder
  • Red Pepper Flakes (Optional)
  • Ketchup
  • Garlic Powder

Is Sesame Chicken Healthy?

This recipe includes healthier ingredients compared to the traditional full-fat sesame chicken. Below are a few reasons why this recipe is perfect if you are looking for a healthy alternative Sesame Chicken recipe.

  • Sauteed Vs. Fried: The traditional sesame chicken recipe includes fried chicken, which is going to be way higher in fat. However, my recipe includes sauteed naked chicken without batter. Which is not only less fat but also less calories.
  • No MSG: Most of the time, when you get any kind of takeout it is going to contain MSG which is used to boost falvors. This recipe does not contain any MSG and is flavored with simple whole ingredients.
  • Lower Sodium: Since this recipe calls for coconut aminos, it is going to be lower in sodium. Regular soy sauce can contain up to 280 mg of sodium per serving, whole coconut aminos has 90 mg.
  • Whole and Simple Ingredients: All of the ingredients are wholesome ingredients that you can find at any local grocery store. It feels good knowing excalty what is in your food.

Tips and Substitutions:

  • How to Get A Thick Sauce: To get a thick sauce, I use xanthan gum. A little goes a long way. However, if you do not have xanthan gum, you can subsitutue arrowroot flour or even tapioca flour. For these, I recommend doing 1 1/2 tablespoon dissolved in 2 tablespoons water.
  • Why Coconut Aminos? I love using coconut aminos because it tastes identical to soy sauce but its soy, gluten and wheat-free. However, if you can’t find coconut aminos you can sub regular low sodium soy sauce, or Braggs Liquid Aminos.
  • How To Make This Recipe Keto and Low Carb: To make this recipe keto friendly, simply sub sugar free monk fruit syrup or any other sugar free syrup for the honey.
  • How to Serve:

Slow Cooker Sesame Chicken Method

  1. Spread chicken into the crock of a slow cooker.

  2. In a bowl, whisk together the honey, coconut aminos, ketchup, rice vinegar, chicken broth, red pepper flakes, sesame seed oil, and garlic powder together in a bowl; pour over the chicken.

  3. Cook on low for 4 hours.

  4. Once the chicken is cooked, remove the lid and remove the chicken. Add in the xanthan gum and cook on high until thickened, about 10 minutes.

  5. Add the chicken back in the crockpot and mix until evenly coated.

  6. Serve over cauliflower or brown rice. Garnish with extra sesame seeds and green onions.

FAQS

Can this recipe be made Whole30 compliant?

This recipe can be made Whole30 compliant by subbing 5 pitted dates for the honey. Simply add all of the sauce ingredients to a blender except for the xanthan gum and red pepper flakes. Blend until smooth then follow add in saucepan and heat. When it begins to heat add the xanthan gum to thicken.

Is sesame chicken the same as orange chicken?

They are similar but do include slightly different ingredients for the sauce. For orange chicken, it will of course have orange juice and orange zest and no sesame seeds. Sesame chicken is also sweet but does not include orange flavoring.

Does this healthy sesame chicken recipe freeze well?

This recipe does freeze well. Add to a ziplock bag and remove all the air and label. Or freeze in an airtight freezer-safe container for up to 3 months.

a close up photo of chopsticks holding healthy sesame chicken with sesame seeds and green onions

Other Delicious and Healthy Chicken Recipes

Healthy Sesame Chicken

By: Ashley McCrary
5 from 4 votes
This Healthy Sesame Chicken recipe is better than takeout and can be on the table in 25 minutes. This recipe is packed with protein and made with simple and wholesome ingredients.  Gluten-free, paleo and can be tailored to keto and low carb. 
Prep Time: 5 minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes
Servings: 5 -6 servings

Ingredients  

  • 2 lbs. chicken breast diced into bite-size pieces
  • 1 tbsp sesame seed oil
  • salt and pepper
  • 2 tablespoons sesame seeds
  • sliced green onions and extra sesame seeds for garnish

Sauce

  • 1/2 cup chicken broth
  • 1/4 cup coconut aminos
  • 1 tsp sesame seed oil
  • 2 tbsp honey*
  • 1 tablespoon rice vinegar
  • 2 tablespoons ketchup
  • 3/4 teaspoon garlic powder
  • 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes optional
  • 1/2 teaspoon xanthan gum*

Instructions 

  • Heat a large skillet or dutch oven over medium-high heat. Season the chicken with salt and pepper and add the 1 tablespoon sesame seed oil and saute the chicken until browned around 10-12 minutes or until the internal temperature is 165F. 
  • While the chicken is cooking whisk together all the ingredients for the sauce except the xanthan gum in a medium saucepan. Heat over medium-high heat. As it begins to warm, add the xantham gum, whisk until the sauce is thick. 
  • Once the chicken is cooked completely, pour the sauce over the chicken and stir until evenly coated. 
  • Serve with brown rice or cauliflower rice and veggie of choice. 
  • Garnish with extra sesame seeds and green onions. 

Notes

  • For Keto, sub sugar free syrup for the honey or maple syrup
  • Sub tapioca or arrowroot flour for xanthan gum. Use 1 1/2 tablespoon flour dissolved in 2 tablespoons water. 
For the slow cooker method, see above in the blog post. 
Serve with cauliflower rice for keto/paleo and regular brown rice for gluten-free.
Store in the fridge in an airtight container for up to 4 days or freeze for up to 3 months. 
Nutirtion is calculated using honey. 

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

Tried this recipe?Mention @healthylittlepeach or tag #healthylittlepeach!

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8 Comments

  1. Monica says:

    5 stars
    This was delicious! The whole family loved it. I laughed at the part that said you can save the leftovers for later…well they ate every bit of it! Next time I may double it so we can have leftovers. It was a quick and flavorful recipe. It will be on repeat for sure.

    1. Ashley McCrary says:

      Thank you Monica. So happy to hear!

  2. John says:

    5 stars
    Thanks for the recipe. You’re my new favorite site with your delightful recipes (GF, DF, et al)! It was easy and delicious and the kids LOVED it! We served it with brown rice and broccoli. It just barely served my family of five. I will probably double it next time to make sure my little growing people have enough and there’s some for lunch the next day.

    1. Ashley McCrary says:

      So very happy to hear this. Thank you so much!

  3. Hannah says:

    5 stars
    This was delicious and simple to make. I will be making it again.

    1. Ashley McCrary says:

      Thanks, Hannah! Happy to hear it was a hit

  4. bmeister decamp says:

    5 stars
    This is a “keeper” – no left-overs here, either!
    It does taste like something you would get in a restaurant; fairly easy to put together and made with things you have on hand.

    Will definately refer back to this site frequently for inspiration!
    Thank you…

    1. Ashley McCrary says:

      So happy to hear this. Thank you