Healthy Sesame Chicken (Gluten Free + Paleo Friendly)

Healthy Sesame Chicken – This take-out favorite gets a good-for-you makeover. You’ll love the crispy, tender chicken + mouthwatering sauce! (Gluten Free & Paleo Friendly!)

Sometimes, I REALLY miss take-out.

As a gluten free family, we don’t have a *ton* of gluten free take-out options when it comes to Asian-American food. Most options come with gluten in breading or gluten in the sauces (plus you sometimes also get “extras” like MSG…).

So, when the craving hits (and, it hits regularly), we turn to our favorite “take-out fake-out” recipes. I love that in 25-30 minutes (almost as long as it’d take me to drive somewhere, pick it up, and drive home), I can have my take-out favorites made lighter and gluten free, to boot!

This healthy sesame chicken is out latest take-out remake. I love the crispy chicken, tangy sauce, and how easily it pairs with side dishes!

Here’s why we love it (and why I think you will, too)…

HERE’S WHAT MAKES THIS HEALTHY SESAME CHICKEN RECIPE AMAZING: 

IT’S QUICK AND EASY. This recipe can easily be done start-to-finish in 25-30 minutes, depending on how quick you are with your mincing and dicing. Even with side dishes, you’ll be done in a flash!

IT’S LIGHTER THAN TAKE-OUT. Compared to take-out, my healthy sesame chicken recipe comes in lighter across the board. It’s higher in protein, lower in fat, lower in calories, lower in carbs, lower in sugar, and lower in sodium. (And you *still* get that amazing texture + flavor!)

CRISPY CHICKEN (NO DEEP-FRYING REQUIRED!). I love the crispy chicken + flavorful sauce combo that’s so classic in take-out restaurants, but don’t love the deep frying. We lighten things up by giving the chicken a quick toss in some cornstarch (or arrowroot) and gluten free tamari (or coconut aminos or soy sauce). It creates the perfect crispy coating without a heavy batter, and you cook the chicken quickly in just a little oil instead of deep frying. The end result = crispy chicken without deep-frying!

You can use boneless, skinless chicken breast, chicken tenders, or chicken thighs for this recipe. (Whatever you like best!). You’ll be dicing the chicken into bite-sized pieces.

THE SAUCE IS INCREDIBLE. I LOVE the savory-sweet sauce that makes this healthy sesame chicken so delicious. In my mind, it’s ALL about the sauce! This one uses gluten free tamari (or soy sauce or coconut aminos), pure maple syrup or honey, sesame oil, rice vinegar, and red pepper flakes. It’s a perfect salty-sweet-tangy-umami combo that keeps me coming back for more!

MAKE IT A MEAL! WHAT TO SERVE WITH HEALTHY SESAME CHICKEN:

As I said above, you can easily make our healthy sesame chicken in just 25-30 minutes, even including side dishes. I prep the sides while the chicken is cooking to speed things along. Here are some of our favorites…

• STEAMED OR STIR-FRIED GREEN VEGGIES. Snow peas, sugar snap peas, and broccoli are some of our faves for pairing with healthy sesame chicken. (Trader Joe’s carries a yummy frozen mix of green veggies that’s great too!) Or, you can try this shiitaki mushroom recipe!
• THAI CUCUMBER SALAD. We love this refreshing cool, crisp salad! So nice next to stir fry or meals like this.
• RICE. It’s so lovely to have something to soak up the extra sauce! My kids love rice, so that’s often our go-to pairing. (We love basmati best)
• OR CAULIFLOWER RICE.  For paleo or low-carb folks, you can keep things lighter with cauliflower rice. (You might even try this cauliflower fried rice!)
• FRESH FRUIT. Fresh pineapple or orange wedges are a nice, bright complement to this easy dinner. (And kid-friendly!)
• IF I’M FEELING FANCY…Sophie loves when I make a batch of egg drop soup to eat first. It takes just a few minutes to put together and makes it really feel like take-out done at home!

FAQ + TIPS FOR THIS HEALTHY SESAME CHICKEN:

TIP: WATCH THE SODIUM. If possible, I recommend using low-sodium tamari or soy sauce for this recipe to keep it from being too salty. (Coconut aminos isn’t as salty as soy sauce/tamari, so it likely won’t be a problem if you use coconut aminos) Everyone’s tastes are different, though, so if you find it’s still salty, you can thin out the sauce with more water if you like.

TIP: MAKE IT PALEO. Paleo friends! This recipe easily accommodates a paleo diet. You’ll use arrowroot in place of the cornstarch, and coconut aminos in place of the gluten free tamari.  Many paleo folks are ok with rice vinegar (since it’s been fermented and is more easily digestible), but if you don’t, you can use apple cider vinegar (or fresh lime juice for a different twist).

MY FAVORITE SHORT-CUT. Lately, I’ve been using frozen minced garlic and ginger. There are no other added ingredients, so it tastes as good as fresh (not like the jarred ones that sometimes feel a bit “off”). Plus, I never have to worry about getting to it before it goes bad. I find it at Trader Joe’s and Sprouts, but sometimes see it at Kroger or other local grocery stores in the freezer section near the veggies. Total game changer!

HOW TO PUNCH UP THE SESAME FLAVOR. Toasted sesame oil gives most of the sesame flavor here. It’s pretty strong, so a little goes a long way. I start with 1/2 tsp., but if you want more sesame flavor, you can go all the way up to 1 tsp. if you like. (Start small and add more, to taste!)

A NOTE ON THICKENING THE SAUCE. When you’re stirring the sauce, you’ll see it turn from milky/opaque to clear and more translucent as it thickens. You’ll want to stop stirring and take it off the heat once it’s gotten that translucent look and the sauce sort of “holds” the whisking marks. (You’ll be able to see the path of your whisk). If you’re using arrowroot, I find it thickens quicker and can over-thicken faster than a cornstarch sauce. For either cornstarch or arrowroot, you can thin the sauce out a bit with another splash of water and some whisking.

⭐ Don’t forget to leave a star review and comment below when you make our Healthy Sesame Chicken recipe. I can’t wait to hear how it goes!

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