Description
This Healthy Sesame Chicken recipe is a delicious, gluten-free, and paleo-friendly dish featuring crispy chicken coated in a tangy, sweet sesame sauce. Perfect for a quick and nutritious family meal that combines tender chicken with a flavorful homemade sauce.
Ingredients
Scale
Chicken and Coating
- 1 pound boneless skinless chicken breast or thighs, diced into 1 inch cubes
- 2 tablespoons cornstarch or arrowroot
- 1 1/2 tablespoons gluten free tamari or soy sauce or coconut aminos
- 1-2 tablespoons avocado oil
Sauce
- 1/2 cup water
- 3 tablespoons gluten-free tamari or soy sauce or coconut aminos
- 2 tablespoons pure maple syrup or honey
- 1 tablespoon rice vinegar
- 1/2 teaspoon toasted sesame oil
- 1 clove garlic, finely minced
- 1/2 teaspoon minced fresh ginger
- Pinch red pepper flakes (optional)
Slurry and Garnish
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch or arrowroot
- 1 tablespoon water
- 1 teaspoon sesame seeds
Instructions
- Coat The Chicken: In a medium bowl or container, combine the diced chicken with 2 tablespoons cornstarch and 1 1/2 tablespoons tamari. Toss with a fork until chicken pieces are well coated.
- Cook The Chicken: Heat 1 tablespoon avocado oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add chicken pieces in batches without crowding the pan. Cook for 3-4 minutes on the first side and 1-3 minutes on the second side until fully cooked and opaque inside. Remove cooked chicken to a clean plate and repeat with remaining chicken, adding more oil as needed.
- Make The Sauce: While cooking chicken, whisk together water, 3 tablespoons tamari, maple syrup or honey, rice vinegar, toasted sesame oil, garlic, ginger, and red pepper flakes in a bowl or liquid measuring cup.
- Make The Slurry: In a small bowl, whisk 1 tablespoon cornstarch with 1 tablespoon water until smooth to create a slurry.
- Cook The Sauce: Lower heat to medium-low. Add the slurry to the prepared sauce mixture and whisk to combine. Pour this into the warm skillet and cook for 3-5 minutes, whisking occasionally, until sauce bubbles, thickens, and becomes translucent.
- Heat Through: Return the cooked chicken to the skillet and stir to coat thoroughly with the sauce. Heat until warmed through. Sprinkle with sesame seeds and serve immediately. Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-4 days. Reheat with a little water to loosen the sauce if it thickens upon chilling.
Notes
- This recipe is naturally gluten-free and paleo-friendly, perfect for those following these diets.
- Make sure not to overcrowd the skillet when cooking chicken to achieve a nice sear and prevent steaming.
- Use arrowroot instead of cornstarch if you prefer a paleo-compliant thickener.
- The sauce may thicken when chilled; simply add a splash of water when reheating to restore the desired consistency.
- Adjust the sweetness or spiciness to your taste by varying the amount of maple syrup or red pepper flakes.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving
- Calories: 275 kcal
- Sugar: 6.1 g
- Sodium: 853.3 mg
- Fat: 10.9 g
- Saturated Fat: 1.6 g
- Unsaturated Fat: Estimated 9.0 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 13.8 g
- Fiber: 0.2 g
- Protein: 28 g
- Cholesterol: 82.7 mg
