Description
Healthy Sesame Chicken is a delicious gluten-free and paleo-friendly dish featuring tender chicken pieces coated in a tangy, sweet sesame sauce. This recipe combines a crispy chicken texture with a flavorful sauce made from tamari, maple syrup, garlic, and sesame oil, perfect for a quick and nutritious meal.
Ingredients
Scale
Chicken
- 1 pound boneless skinless chicken breast or thighs, diced into 1 inch cubes
- 2 Tablespoons cornstarch or arrowroot
- 1 1/2 Tablespoons gluten free tamari or soy sauce or coconut aminos
Cooking
- 1-2 Tablespoons avocado oil
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)
Slurry
- 1 Tablespoon cornstarch or arrowroot
- 1 Tablespoon water
Garnish
- 1 teaspoon sesame seeds
Instructions
- Coat The Chicken. In a medium bowl or container, combine the diced chicken with 2 tablespoons of cornstarch and 1 1/2 tablespoons of tamari. Toss well with a fork to coat all pieces evenly.
- Cook The Chicken. Heat 1 tablespoon of avocado oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Cook the chicken in batches, ensuring pieces don't touch. Sear for 3-4 minutes on the first side and 1-3 minutes on the second side until fully opaque with no pink inside. Transfer cooked chicken to a plate and repeat with remaining chicken, adding more oil if necessary.
- Make The Sauce. While chicken cooks, whisk together in a bowl the water, 3 tablespoons tamari, maple syrup or honey, rice vinegar, toasted sesame oil, garlic, ginger, and red pepper flakes if using.
- Make The Slurry. In a small bowl, combine 1 tablespoon cornstarch with 1 tablespoon water and whisk until smooth to create a slurry.
- Cook The Sauce. Reduce skillet heat to medium-low. Add the slurry to the sesame sauce mixture and whisk until combined. Pour this mixture into the skillet and cook, whisking continuously for 3-5 minutes, until the sauce bubbles, thickens, and turns more translucent.
- Heat Through and Serve. Return the cooked chicken to the skillet, toss to coat in the sauce, and heat through for a minute or two. Sprinkle the dish with sesame seeds and serve warm. Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3-4 days; reheat with a little water to loosen thickened sauce.
Notes
- This recipe creates crispy chicken coated with a tangy, sweet sesame sauce that is both gluten-free and paleo-friendly.
- Use arrowroot instead of cornstarch for a paleo alternative.
- Adjust red pepper flakes according to your spice preference or omit if sensitive to heat.
- For best results, cook chicken in batches to avoid steaming and achieve a crispy exterior.
- Leftover sauce thickens when chilled; thin it with water and reheat gently before serving.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving
- Calories: 275 kcal
- Sugar: 6.1 g
- Sodium: 853.3 mg
- Fat: 10.9 g
- Saturated Fat: 1.6 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 9.3 g
- Trans Fat: 0 g
- Carbohydrates: 13.8 g
- Fiber: 0.2 g
- Protein: 28 g
- Cholesterol: 82.7 mg
