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chopsticks picking up a piece of healthy sesame chicken

Healthy Sesame Chicken (Gluten Free + Paleo Friendly)

5 from 15 votes
Emily Dixon, One Lovely Life
Crispy Chicken coated in a tangy sweet sesame sauce = Healthy Sesame Chicken. It'll be an instant family favorite! (Gluten Free + Paleo Friendly) 
Prep Time: 10 minutes
Cook Time: 20 minutes
Total Time: 30 minutes
Print Pin
Servings: 4 Servings
Calories: 275kcal

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

Course: Dinner
Cuisine: American
Keyword: gluten free sesame chicken, healthy sesame chicken, paleo sesame chicken, sesame chicken, sesame chicken stir fry

Nutrition

Serving: 0.25(1/4) Recipe | Calories: 275kcal | Carbohydrates: 13.8g | Protein: 28g | Fat: 10.9g | Saturated Fat: 1.6g | Cholesterol: 82.7mg | Sodium: 853.3mg | Fiber: 0.2g | Sugar: 6.1g

Nutrition facts are an estimate only and will vary based on brands and amounts used.