Dinner tonight is our 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!)
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, which can be tricky to navigate gluten-free.
So, when the craving hits, 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 this easy recipe (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 made in a single skillet, 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 a healthier version all-around– 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!
- 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 sesame chicken 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!
Gather Your Ingredients
Another thing to love about this gluten-free sesame chicken stir fry recipe is that it starts with simple ingredients. Let’s take a look:
- Chicken. This healthy sesame chicken recipe starts with boneless skinless chicken breasts, chicken tenders or or chicken thighs, diced into 1-inch cubes. These small bite-sized pieces make it easy to cook the chicken quickly, and makes it easy to eat. Win-win!
- Cornstarch or Arrowroot. Next, you’ll need some cornstarch or arrowroot starch for coating the chicken and thickening the sesame sauce. For paleo, stick with arrowroot!
- Tamari or Coconut Aminos. For the chicken & homemade sesame sauce, you’ll need some gluten-free tamari (gluten-free soy sauce) or coconut aminos (paleo soy sauce). It’s salty and savory and delicious! Regular soy sauce is NOT gluten-free, so keep that in mind if you have Celiac or gluten intolerance.
- Oil. While we’re skipping the deep-frying, you’ll need a bit of oil to help you crisp up the chicken in the pan. I like avocado oil, but you can use another neutral oil (like canola oil), if needed.
- Maple Syrup. Some pure maple syrup or honey adds sweetness to this delicious sauce without refined sugar.
- Rice Vinegar adds the tanginess to balance the sweet and salty flavor.
- Toasted Sesame Oil. A little goes a long way, but sesame oil adds that signature sesame flavor you’re going for.
- Garlic & Fresh Ginger. These aromatics are a MUST for delicious, savory flavor.
- Red Pepper Flakes & Sesame Seeds. For a little heat and garnish.
How To Make Healthy Sesame Chicken, Step By Step
As always, you can find the full recipe, with ingredient amounts, detailed instructions, and tips in the recipe card below!
- Coat The Chicken. In a medium bowl or container, combine diced chicken with 2 Tbsp. cornstarch and 1 1/2 Tbsp. tamari. Toss with a fork to coat well.
- Cook The Chicken. In a large skillet, heat 1 Tbsp. avocado oil over medium-high heat. Working in batches, add chicken pieces to the pan (they shouldn’t be touching) and cook 3-4 minutes on the first side and 1-3 minutes on the second side to cook through. (They should be golden brown on the outside and fully opaque with no pink inside). Remove cooked chicken to a clean plate and repeat with remaining chicken until add chicken is cooked, adding more oil to the pan as needed.
- While The Chicken Cooks, Make The Sauce. In a bowl or liquid measuring cup, combine water, tamari, syrup or honey, vinegar, toasted sesame oil, garlic, ginger, and red pepper flakes (if using). Whisk to combine.
- Make The Slurry. In a small bowl, whisk together 1 Tbsp cornstarch with 1 Tbsp water to make a cornstarch slurry.
- Cook The Sauce. When the chicken is fully cooked, reduce the heat in the pan to medium-low. Add cornstarch slurry to the sesame sauce mixture and whisk to combine (it’ll now look a bit milky). Pour sauce mixture into the warm pan and whisk over medium-low heat 3-5 minutes, or until the sauce is bubbling, thickened, and more translucent. (You should start to be able to see the path of your whisk in the sauce).
- Heat Through. Return cooked chicken to pan and coat with the sauce to heat through. Sprinkle with sesame seeds and serve warm! Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge 3-4 days. Keep in mind the sauce will gel and thicken when chilled. You can thin out leftover sauce by warming it up with a little drizzle of water.
Make It A Meal (Side Dishes & Serving Ideas)
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, green beans, 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!)
- 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 white rice (like jasmine rice & basmati rice) rice best, though Instant Pot brown rice is another favorite.
- 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 The Best Healthy Sesame Chicken
TIP: WATCH THE SODIUM. If possible, I recommend using low-sodium tamari or soy sauce for this recipe to help moderate the salt content. (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.
Did You Make This Recipe?
Tell me all about it! Leave a star rating below when you try our Healthy Sesame Chicken recipe. I can’t wait to hear how it goes!
Healthy Sesame Chicken (Gluten Free + Paleo Friendly)
Ingredients
FOR THE CHICKEN:
- 1 pound boneless skinless chicken breast (or thighs), diced into 1″ cubes
- 2 Tablespoons cornstarch or arrowroot
- 1 1/2 Tablespoons gluten free tamari or soy sauce or coconut aminos
- 1-2 Tablespoons Avocado oil
FOR THE SESAME 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 or more, to taste
- 1 clove garlic finely minced
- 1/2 teaspoon minced fresh ginger
- pinch red pepper flakes optional
- 1 Tablespoon cornstarch or arrowroot
- 1 Tablespoon water
- 1 teaspoon sesame seeds
Instructions
- Coat The Chicken. In a medium bowl or container, combine diced chicken with 2 Tbsp. cornstarch and 1 1/2 Tbsp. tamari. Toss with a fork to coat well.
- Cook The Chicken. In a large skillet, heat 1 Tbsp. avocado oil over medium-high heat. Working in batches, add chicken pieces to the pan (they shouldn’t be touching) and cook 3-4 minutes on the first side and 1-3 minutes on the second side to cook through. (They should be fully opaque and have no pink inside). Remove cooked chicken to a clean plate and repeat with remaining chicken until add chicken is cooked, adding more oil to the pan as needed.
- While The Chicken Cooks, Make The Sauce. In a bowl or liquid measuring cup, combine water, tamari, syrup or honey, vinegar, toasted sesame oil, garlic, ginger, and red pepper flakes (if using). Whisk to combine.
- Make The Slurry. In a small bowl, whisk together 1 Tbsp cornstarch with 1 Tbsp water to make a cornstarch slurry.
- Cook The Sauce. When the chicken is fully cooked, reduce the heat in the pan to medium-low. Add cornstarch slurry to the sesame sauce mixture and whisk to combine (it’ll now look a bit milky). Pour sauce mixture into the warm pan and whisk over medium-low heat 3-5 minutes, or until the sauce is bubbling, thickened, and more translucent. (You should start to be able to see the path of your whisk in the sauce).
- Heat Through. Return cooked chicken to pan and coat with the sauce to heat through. Sprinkle with sesame seeds and serve warm! Store leftovers in an airtight container in the fridge 3-4 days. Keep in mind the sauce will gel and thicken when chilled. You can thin out leftover sauce by warming it up with a little drizzle of water.
Notes
- IF YOUR SAUCE GETS TOO THICK: you should be able to easily water it down with a splash of water and some whisking.
- PALEO NOTES. For Paleo, use arrowroot and coconut aminos to stay compliant.
- TIP: WATCH THE SODIUM. If possible, I recommend using low-sodium tamari or soy sauce for this recipe to help moderate the salt content. (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.
Video
Nutrition
Nutrition facts are an estimate only and will vary based on brands and amounts used.
Find it Online:
https://www.onelovelylife.com/healthy-sesame-chicken/
This is one of my favorite recipes of all time. So sweet and tangy and each bite tastes so flavorful. All the flavor of take-out but with the healthiness of homemade!
I recently had to start cooking gluten free for my family. I came across this recipe and it is so good. The family enjoyed it!! It was a big hit!
I am both celiac and diabetic and absolutely love this recipe! Was unsure at first noticing the sweetener, but I used the maple syrup and the small amount does not affect my glucose levels at all. I left out the garlic and it was still very flavorful! It’s a keeper! Thank you!
yummy! but it took me a bit longer. but worth the wait
This dish is so yummy, thank you for sharing!
So glad it was a win for you Sarah!
This will be a definite repeat for this household. Very tasty with the bonus of being easy to make. Restaurant Sesame Chicken is so heavy, greasy, salty and sweet but this tames everything so it’s balanced and not overpowering. Thank you.
I’m so glad you loved it Denise!
Delicious! I able currently on medication for my gut health and am being careful of what I consume. I stumbled upon your website by where luck today and decided to give it ago. We made it tonight and it was a hit! My boyfriend loves food and freaks out when he hears gluten free, carbless, vegan, paleo, etc. He equates it with “rabbit food”. He also the chef in the house. So, I withheld ingredient information until the end- I used the amino, arrowroot and coconut oil. The dish was phenomenal, he ate practically the entire pan lol. Thanks for making me a good cook!
Carla – THIS REVIEW IS AMAZING! I’m so glad they were a win for you!
This is going to become a staple in my household! I’ve always loved sesame chicken but after marrying my husband it’s been harder and harder to eat the things I used to since he’s celiac, so next time I’m going to try to fry them up in almond flour and add a little more honey & then I think I’ll really be in heaven! Thank you so much ~
Bri – I’m so glad! That’s fantastic to hear. Thank you so much for taking the time to leave a review! It’s so helpful!
My family loved this recipe! It was so easy to make and we felt great after eating it. I will for sure make this again!!
I’m SO glad you loved it Leah! It’s one of our all-time favorite dinners. THANK YOU so much for taking the time to leave a review–it’s so helpful! Have a great day 🙂
I made it for my husband and I tonight and it was delicious! He said he’d like for it to be added “into the rotation” haha. I love how the chicken was nice and crispy and adding the red pepper flakes added the right amount of heat that we like.
Is there any reason Avocado Oil is your preference? I’m going to grab some for next time and other recipes but I’m just curious.
What a great compliment! I’m so glad this’ll be a regular at your house!
And great question about the avocado oil! I use avocado oil here because it’s generally considered a healthy choice, has a neutral flavor (olive oil kind of conflicts with the other flavors), and it can tolerate high heat levels. You can use any other neutral-tasting oil that works for your dietary needs. 🙂
Thank you so much for taking the time to leave a review! I appreciate it so much!
This was delicious! I reduced the amount of water because I thought it would be too much, but it ended up being too thick once it cooked down, so the water amount from the recipe is right. I also used arrowroot powder instead of corn starch and worked out great!
I’m so glad to hear that Jess! Thank you for sharing and taking the time to leave a review! 🙂
I actually need to know why there are two 1/2 tsp of ginger and one of them is optional. I’m about to make this tonight and I am confused.
Coco- I’m so sorry for the confusion. It looks like I wrote it twice–thanks for catching my mistake! You have the option to leave it out if ginger isn’t your jam, but I love it here.
Is there a way to do this without frying?
You can skip the arrowroot/cornstarch on the outside of the chicken and saute it in less oil (your sauce will likely be slightly thinner). If you are trying to avoid oil completely, you may be able to bake the chicken or “saute” it in a little water or broth (this post has some directions about how to do this). Just know that your chicken won’t have the same crispiness and the sauce will likely be a bit thinner.
Loved it – paired it with brown rice and broccoli. Just the right amount of sweet & sticky 🙂
So glad it was a hit Rachel! Thank you so much for taking the time to leave a review. I appreciate it so much!
I have made this recipe twice for my family and they love it! Now, that’s coming from a 13 and 17 year old. Easy and delicious! Must try
Wooooow! It’s always THE BEST feeling when it’s a win with kids!
Really tasty, we didn’t have cornstarch, but flour works just as well. I made this dish for my parents and they really liked it. Brings back memories of when my family lived in Asia. Thanks for the delicious recipe : )
Oh good! I’m so glad you enjoyed it! 🙂 Thanks so much for leaving a review. It’s so helpful!
I’m considering making this for meal prep this week. Do you think it will divide and reheat well?
Dori – You’ll lose the crispness upon re-heating, but the taste holds up for us!
Was great! A big hit. I didn’t have sesame seeds so I made it orange chicken by squeezing two orange slices on top of the final mix. Was delicious.
Yessss…that’s fantastic! So glad you liked it! Thanks so much for taking the time to leave a review!