Description
Crispy Chicken coated in a tangy sweet sesame sauce = Healthy Sesame Chicken. It’ll be an instant family favorite! (Gluten Free + Paleo Friendly)
Ingredients
Scale
FOR THE CHICKEN:
- 1 lb. boneless, skinless chicken breast (or thighs), diced into 1″ cubes
- 2 Tbsp. cornstarch (or arrowroot)
- 1 1/2 Tbsp. gluten free tamari (or soy sauce or coconut aminos)
- 1–2 Tbsp. Avocado oil
FOR THE SESAME SAUCE:
- 1/2 cup water
- 3 Tbsp. gluten free tamari (or soy sauce or coconut aminos)
- 2 Tbsp. pure maple syrup or honey
- 1 Tbsp. rice vinegar
- 1/2 tsp. toasted sesame oil (or more, to taste)
- 1 clove garlic, finely minced
- 1/2 tsp. minced fresh ginger
- pinch red pepper flakes (optional)
- 1 Tbsp. cornstarch or arrowroot
- 1 Tbsp. water
- 1 tsp. sesame seeds
Instructions
START WITH 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.
- In a medium 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 IS COOKING, WHISK UP 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.
- In a small bowl, whisk together 1 Tbsp cornstarch with 1 Tbsp water to make a cornstarch slurry.
- 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).
- Return cooked chicken to pan and coat with the sauce. Sprinkle with sesame seeds and serve warm!
Notes
IF YOUR SAUCE GETS TOO THICK: you should be able to easily water it down with a splash of water and some whisking.
IF YOU’RE PALEO. Be sure to use the arrowroot instead of cornstarch, coconut aminos instead of gluten free tamari, and feel free to substitute cider vinegar in place of the rice vinegar, if needed.
- Prep Time: 10 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Category: Main Dish, Chicken
- Method: Stir Fry
- Cuisine: Asian American