Healthy Sesame Chicken (Better Than Takeout!)
If you love takeout as much as I do, then you’re going to fall hard for this healthy sesame chicken recipe! It has all the sweet, savory flavor of your favorite Chinese restaurant dish, but it’s made with simple, wholesome ingredients you can feel good about. No heavy batter, no MSG, and no mystery oil. Just juicy chicken coated in a thick, glossy sesame sauce that hits every craving.
Ingredients
Chicken
- 2 lbs chicken breast cut into 1 1/2 - inch pieces
- salt and pepper
- 1 tbsp olive oil
- Garnish with 2 green onions chopped and sesame seeds
- Serve over the top of Basmati rice or cauliflower rice
Sauce
- ¾ cup low-sodium chicken broth
- ⅓ cup coconut aminos or low-sodium soy sauce if not gluten-free
- 3 tbsp water
- 2 ½ tbsp ketchup
- 2 tsps sesame oil
- 2 tbsps honey or sweetener of choice: allulose, coconut sugar, monk fruit
- 2 tbsps rice vinegar
- 1 tsp freshly grated ginger or ¼ tsp ground ginger
- 3 cloves garlic minced (or 1 tsp garlic powder)
- 2 tbsp cornstarch or arrowroot dissolved in 2 tbsp cold water
Instructions
- Pat the chicken dry. Season the chicken generously with salt and pepper. Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Cook chicken in a single layer, 2–3 minutes per side, until golden and cooked through. Remove from pan and set aside while making the sauce.
- While the chicken is cooking, in a small bowl, whisk together all the ingredients for the sauce.
- Pour the sauce into a small saucepan over medium heat. Stir until warm. Slowly whisk in the cornstarch/arrowroot slurry and simmer 2–3 minutes until thickened.
- Pour the sauce over the cooked chicken. Toss to coat evenly. Serve over basmati rice and garnish with sliced green onions and sesame seeds.
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 Tablespoons 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.