Lighter Sesame Chicken

Lighter Sesame Chicken satisfies a craving for Chinese take-out, without all the calories, sugar, and gluten. Easy and satisfying!

I’ve got another Take-Out Fake-Out recipe for you today — Lighter Sesame Chicken.

Sesame Chicken is my all-time favorite Chinese dish. Fried, savory, sweet…along with all the calories that comes with eating something fried…savory…and sweet!

That is to say, while candied chicken tastes good on the tongue, it doesn’t look so good on the hips, which is why I am ecstatic about this lightened up version.

Lighter Sesame Chicken is just sweet enough, and you’ll flip over the faux-batter technique that gives each piece of chicken a delicate and satisfying crunch without the need for deep-fat frying.

Furthermore, you can make this recipe in under 30 minutes, and I bet you have most, if not all, of the ingredients already on hand.

Start by making the lightly-sweetened sesame chicken sauce.

Combine 2-1/2 Tablespoons gluten-free Tamari (or soy sauce if not GF) and 2 Tablespoons sesame seeds in a bowl.

Next add 1/4 cup honey which naturally sweetens the Sesame Chicken sauce.

Finally, add 1 minced garlic clove then stir everything up and set aside.

Next, prep the chicken. Slice 2 small chicken breasts into 2″ pieces then season with salt and pepper.

Add the chicken pieces to 1 egg white whisked with 2 Tablespoons cornstarch in a large bowl, then toss to coat.

This is the faux-batter I was talking about! It’s amazing how the egg white and cornstarch combine to mimic a tempura-like batter, minus the gluten.

Time to cook! Heat 1 Tablespoon vegetable oil in a large skillet, then add the battered chicken and cook for 3-4 minutes a side, or until the chicken is golden brown and cooked through.

Turn off the heat, remove the skillet from the burner, then add the pre-made sauce and 2 chopped green onions. Toss everything to combine.

Finally add 2 cups steamed broccoli into the skillet then toss again to combine.

Serve the Lighter Sesame Chicken over cooked brown rice for a super-satisfying, quick and easy, take-out fake-out dinner!

This dish comes with all the flavor of sesame chicken, just without the ridiculous amounts of calories and fat.

Plus, like I said, each bite is blissfully gluten free. Enjoy every last drop!

Lighter Sesame Chicken

4.8 from 6 votes

by Kristin Porter

Prep: 10

Cook: 15

Total: 25

Servings: 4

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Lighter Sesame Chicken satisfies a craving for Chinese take-out, without all the calories, sugar, and gluten. Easy and satisfying!

Equipment

Large skillet

Ingredients

1/2 cup brown rice
1/4 cup honey
2 Tablespoons sesame seeds
2 Tablespoons gluten free reduced-sodium Tamari, or soy sauce if not GF
1 clove garlic, minced
1 egg white
2 Tablespoons cornstarch
2 chicken breasts, 1lb, cut into 2" pieces
salt and pepper
1 Tablespoon vegetable oil
2 green onions, chopped
2 cups broccoli florets

Directions

Prepare rice according to package directions.
In a small saucepan, steam broccoli until crisp tender then set aside.
Combine honey, sesame seeds, Tamari, and garlic together in a small bowl then set aside.
In a separate, larger bowl, whisk together egg white and cornstarch until smooth. Season chicken pieces with salt and pepper then add to egg white mixture and toss to evenly coat.
Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat, then carefully add chicken in one layer. Cook for 3-4 minutes per side, or until cooked through. Turn off heat then remove skillet from burner. Add prepared sauce and green onions then toss to coat. Stir in broccoli then scoop mixture into bowls over cooked rice.

Nutrition

Calories: 311kcal, Carbohydrates: 44g, Protein: 18g, Fat: 8g, Saturated Fat: 1g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g, Monounsaturated Fat: 2g, Trans Fat: 0.03g, Cholesterol: 36mg, Sodium: 599mg, Potassium: 497mg, Fiber: 3g, Sugar: 19g, Vitamin A: 361IU, Vitamin C: 43mg, Calcium: 80mg, Iron: 2mg

Nutritional values are estimates only. Please read our full nutrition information disclaimer.

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