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!
Equipment
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
Nutritional values are estimates only. Please read our full nutrition information disclaimer.
Made this tonight and we LOVED it! I used sesame oil to cook the chicken in. Thank you!
Yum!! This was really, really good. I added about a teaspoon of red pepper flakes, a teaspoon of sesame oil, and a dash of cayenne. Sooo good! Thanks for sharing!!
I made this tonight for dinner because I already had everything on hand, and it was fantastic! I will definitely be saving this recipe for a quick weeknight go to meal! This was done in 15 minutes flat. Thanks for another healthy and delicious recipe!
Yum, this was seriously great and so quick! Everything I have made of yours so far has been a hit, keep it up :)
Thank you for posting this. I made it this week and the whole family loved it. No leftover for me to take to work the next day. :-(
I made your Lighter Sesame Chicken for dinner tonight and my family just RAVED over it!! I was SO thrilled…I love giving them foods they really enjoy! I paired it with some ginger carrots, and it was a wonderful meal. Thank you so much for this delicious, easy recipe!
This is a definite winner… I am going to give this a shot with expectations of a great meal! Thanks for posting and sharing this!
One-pan, easy, tasty…can’t lose! This is definitely a keeper.
Just made this for dinner and the husband gave this two thumbs up! Thanks for a yummy recipe!
We just made it and had it for dinner! IT WAS AWSOME!
This cornstarch-batter is the killer. We drizzled a little more honey on top when we sat at the table because we measured not enough honey in first place, I think. Then it was a little salty. Or maybe we have to try a different soy sauce brand, we used Kikkoman classic here.
I just fixed this meal for dinner and they loved it!!! The cornstarch batter was amazing!! Thanks for making dinner easy and healthy tonight :)
Made this tonight and it was great! I added a squirt of sriracha to the sauce and didn’t have any broccoli on hand so we went without, but it is going into the regular rotation! My hubby gave it a “delicious” when he is normally an “its ok” type of guy. :)
I made this tonight and oh my goodness, it was the best thing I’ve eaten/made in a long time. The sauce is so simple yet so delicious, and tastes just like something I’d get at my favorite Chinese restaurant. Thanks for sharing the recipe!