15-Minute Healthier Sesame Chicken — 🍗🥦🎉 Skip takeout and make this Asian favorite at home in just minutes! So EASY and HEALTHIER than what you’d get in a restaurant but tastes just as AWESOME!
Table of Contents
Healthier Sesame Chicken Recipe
The next time you’re in the mood for a sesame chicken stir-fry from your local Asian restaurant, forget about the restaurant and make this skinny version yourself in 15 minutes!
This Chinese sesame chicken and broccoli is so easy, ready in a flash, and tastes every bit as good as from a restaurant. But being that you’re making it at home, you’re in charge of the ingredients and the process.
The sesame chicken is tender, juicy, and the sauce coats every piece of chicken and seeps into the nooks and crannies of the crisp-tender broccoli.
Ingredients in Healthier Sesame Chicken
To make the honey sesame chicken, you’ll need:
- Olive oil
- Sesame oil
- Boneless skinless chicken
- Broccoli florets
- Salt and pepper
And to make the homemade sesame chicken sauce, you’ll need:
- Cornstarch
- Cold water
- Light brown sugar
- Low-sodium soy sauce
- Honey
- Hoisin sauce
- Chili garlic sauce
- Ground ginger
Note: Scroll down to the recipe card section of the post for the ingredients with amounts included and for more complete directions.
How to Make Sesame Chicken
Chinese sesame chicken isn’t traditionally served with broccoli, but since this is meant to be a healthier spin on the classic dish (no deep frying here!) I figured I’d add it to the pan. You may omit the broccoli if you wish.
Here’s how the healthy sesame chicken recipe is made:
- Dice the chicken and cook it in an oiled skillet until it’s nearly cooked through.
- While the chicken cooks, stir together the sesame chicken sauce ingredients in a separate saucepan and cook until thickened.
- Push the chicken to one side of the skillet and pile the broccoli onto the other side. Pour the sesame chicken sauce over top and stir to combine.
- Pop the lid onto the skillet and let the chicken and broccoli cook until the broccoli is crisp tender.
- Garnish with sesame seeds and enjoy! You may wish to garnish with green onions and to serve this with rice, cauliflower rice, noodles, other veggies, or just as-is!
Storage
In the Refrigerator: This recipe will keep in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 5 days. It’s a great meal prep recipe.
In the Freezer: This recipe will keep airtight in the freezer for up to 3 months. Note that the broccoli will not retain its crisp-tender texture after freezing and thawing.
To Reheat: I use my microwave for quickness and ease and reheat my leftovers for about 30 seconds on high, or as needed.
Sesame Chicken FAQs
I recommend using fresh broccoli if possible. Frozen broccoli would need additional time to cook through, which may then lead to over cooked, rubbery sesame chicken.
If you don’t have any on hand, it’s okay to omit the chili garlic sauce.
These two Chinese chicken dishes are similar, but unique! General Tso’s chicken is spicier and has a tanginess to it. Sesame chicken is coated in a sweeter sauce with a distinct sesame flavor.
No! The sesame sauce is a sweeter sauce, with a very slight kick to it. The dish has so much savory unami flavor from the soy and hoisin sauces, while the chili garlic sauce adds a bit of heat and some garlic flavor.
Yes you certainly can if you prefer.
Tips for Making Honey Sesame Chicken
Broccoli was made for soaking up sauce, and I recommend not overcooking it. Mushy broccoli is just not appetizing and keep in mind that the broccoli will continue to soften as it sits in the sauce, even off the heat.
If you’ve never used chili garlic sauce and are sensitive to heat, you may want to start with one tablespoon and you can always add more later if you want to amp up the heat level.
Serve it with rice and if you’re feeling like going that route, although in an effort to keep carbs down we ate it just like this.
Recipe Video
Pin This Recipe
Enjoy AverieCooks.com Without Ads! 🆕
Go Ad Free
Skinny 15-Minute Sesame Chicken and Broccoli
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1 tablespoon sesame oil
- 1.25 pounds boneless skinless chicken breast, diced into bite-sized pieces
- 1 ½ teaspoons cornstarch
- 1 ½ teaspoons cold water
- ¼ cup light brown sugar, packed
- ¼ cup low-sodium soy sauce
- 2 tablespoons honey
- 2 tablespoons hoisin sauce
- 1 to 2 tablespoons chili garlic sauce, or to taste
- 2 teaspoons ground ginger
- 5 cups broccoli florets
- salt and pepper, optional and to taste
- sesame seeds, for garnishing
Instructions
- To a large skillet, add the oils, chicken, and cook over medium-high heat for about 5 minutes, or until chicken is nearly cooked through; stir and flip intermittently to ensure even cooking.
- While chicken cooks, to a small bowl, add the cornstarch, water, and stir to dissolve; set slurry aside.
- To a separate medium saucepan, add the brown sugar, soy sauce, honey, hoisin sauce, chili garlic sauce, ginger, stir to combine, and bring to a boil over medium heat. Allow mixture to bubble gently for 1 minute.
- After the mixture is boiling, add the cornstarch slurry, whisk to combine, and allow the sauce to boil and thicken for 2 to 3 minutes; whisking nearly constantly.
- Push the chicken to one side of the skillet, add the broccoli to the other side, evenly pour the sauce over the chicken and broccoli, and gently stir to combine and coat evenly.
- Cover skillet and cook for about 5 minutes, or until broccoli is as crisp-tender as desired.
- Optionally add salt and pepper, evenly sprinkle with the sesame seeds, and serve immediately.
Video
Notes
- Recipe is best fresh but will keep airtight in the fridge for up to 5 days or in the freezer for up to 3 months.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
©averiecooks.com. Content and photographs are copyright protected. Sharing of this recipe is both encouraged and appreciated. Copying and/or pasting full recipes to any social media is strictly prohibited.
More Asian Chicken Recipes:
Favorite CHICKEN RECIPES
Kung Pao Chicken Recipe — An easy, BETTER-THAN-TAKEOUT recipe with juicy chicken and such a flavorful sauce!! Don’t call for takeout when you can make this HEALTHIER version at home in 20 minutes!
15-Minute Spicy Korean Skillet Chicken – Fast, EASY, perfectly SPICY chicken that’s so tender and juicy!! Who needs takeout or a restaurant when you can make this AWESOME chicken at home in 15 minutes!!
15-Minute Orange Chili Chicken and Broccoli – The orange chili sauce is spicy, tangy, and sweet all in one!! The PERFECT sauce to jazz up chicken and broccoli! A FAST and EASY dinner with great Asian FLAVOR!!
15-Minute Chicken, Vegetable, and Ramen Noodle Stir Fry – Don’t call for takeout when you can make this EASY Asian stir fry in minutes!! HEALTHIER and faster than takeout and great for busy weeknights!
Better-Than-Takeout Cashew Chicken – Juicy chicken, crisp-tender vegetables, and crunchy cashews coated with the best garlicky soy sauce! Skip takeout and make your own restaurant-quality meal that’s easy, ready in 20 minutes, and healthier!
Easy Better-Than-Takeout Chicken Fried Rice – One-skillet, ready in 20 minutes, and you’ll never want takeout again after tasting how good homemade is! Way more flavor, not greasy, and loads of juicy chicken!
P.F. Chang’s Chicken Lettuce Wraps – You can skip the restaurant version and make your own in 20 minutes and I promise you this homemade version tastes better!
Chicken Egg Roll Bowls — These egg roll bowls are easy, ready in 15 minutes, full of flavor, have lots of texture, and are healthier than actual egg rolls.
Slow Cooker Orange Chicken — The easiest orange chicken ever because your slow cooker does all the work!! Super juicy, tender, and coated with a sweet-yet-tangy orange glaze that’s irresistible!!