Sesame Chicken Bowls
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Super saucy, crisp-tender sesame chicken! 1000x better than takeout, made in 30min or less. Serve with rice and broccoli. SO SO GOOD.
Featured Comment
This recipe was delicious! I followed the recipe exactly with the exception of using a regular pan instead of a cast iron skillet. The sauce was perfect and the chicken was so tender. Even my picky eater loved this recipe!
why i love this recipe
- Takeout favorite. Now you can make your favorite takeout dish right at home, tasting even better and using fresher ingredients.
- Weeknight-friendly. Homemade sesame chicken comes together lightning fast, and even faster than takeout or delivery using everyday pantry staples.
- No deep fry method. No hot pot of oil required here! This is an easy stovetop recipe, yielding crisp-tender chicken bites in all the saucy goodness.
- Balance of flavors. The sesame chicken here is a perfect balance of flavors – sweet, tangy and savory. It is everything you want it to be.
- Great for picky eaters. Serve with any and all veggies such as broccoli, carrots, snap peas and bell peppers. Once they’re coated in the leftover sauce, you won’t have any leftovers (even among your pickiest of eaters).
- Flexible recipe. Sesame chicken can be served with your favorite grains – lentils, brown rice, quinoa, wild rice, fried rice, you name it. Because at the end of the day, the saucy bits from the chicken can be served on top of anything and everything.
tips and tricks for perfect sesame chicken bowls every single time
- Use reduced sodium soy sauce. Reduced sodium has less sodium and less salt without compromising flavor.
- Chicken thighs will have more flavor. Chicken breasts can certainly be substituted but chicken thighs will be much more juicier (and will cook much faster here).
- Serve with your favorite grains. White rice, brown rice, cauliflower rice, quinoa or farro are all great options.
- Meal prep as needed. Sesame chicken is a great high-protein recipe to meal prep for the week ahead, stored in airtight containers up to 4 days.
pro tip
Serve with a sprinkle of sesame seeds.
For even more sesame flavor, add the finishing touches to your sesame chicken bowls with a hearty sprinkle of toasted sesame seeds. Can’t find toasted sesame seeds? They can be DIY-ed and toasted in a hot pan for a few minutes sans oil.
what to serve with sesame chicken bowls
Sesame Chicken Bowls: Frequently Asked Questions
Can I use chicken breasts?
Yes, chicken breasts can absolutely be used here but chicken thighs have more dark meat and a higher fat content which will yield juicier, more flavorful chicken.
What other vegetables can I serve this with?
Broccoli, carrots, bell peppers, green beans and snap peas are all favorited options, tossed directly in the sauce or steamed separately for serving.
How can I store leftovers?
Leftovers can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-4 days.
Sesame Chicken Bowls
Super saucy, crisp-tender sesame chicken! 1000x better than takeout, made in 30min or less. Serve with rice and broccoli. SO SO GOOD.
Video
Ingredients
- 1 cup basmati rice
- 12 ounces broccoli florets, about 2-3 cups
- ½ cup chicken stock
- ¼ cup orange marmalade
- ¼ cup freshly squeezed orange juice
- 2 ½ tablespoons reduced sodium soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon rice wine vinegar
- 1 tablespoon freshly grated ginger
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 teaspoon Sriracha, optional
- 4 ½ tablespoons cornstarch, divided
- 1 ½ pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs, cut into bite-size pieces
- Kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper, to taste
- 3 tablespoons canola oil
- 2 teaspoons toasted sesame seeds
- 1 green onion, thinly sliced
Equipment
Instructions
- In a large saucepan of 1 1/2 cups water, cook rice according to package instructions; set aside.
- Place broccoli florets into a steamer or colander set over a pan of boiling water. Cover and steam for 5 mins, or until cooked through and vibrant green; set aside.
- In a small bowl, whisk together chicken stock, orange marmalade, orange juice, soy sauce, vinegar, ginger, garlic, Sriracha, if using, and 1 tablespoon cornstarch.
- Season chicken with 1/2 teaspoon salt and 1/2 teaspoon pepper; sprinkle with remaining 3 1/2 tablespoons cornstarch until evenly coated.
- Heat canola oil in a large cast iron skillet over medium high heat. Working in two batches, add chicken and cook until golden brown, about 6-8 minutes. Stir in chicken stock mixture until thickened, about 2-3 minutes. Stir in sesame seeds.
- Serve chicken immediately with rice and broccoli, garnished with green onion, if desired.
Did you make this recipe?
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This was delicious! Definitely adding it into my rotation of meals and absolutely not too spicy for my family.
So good! Not orange-y flavored at all. This was quick to put together and a hit with kids and hubby, and I added the Sriracha. I accidentally added all the corn starch to the chicken instead of dividing for the sauce and sauce still thickened up well after the 3 minutes.
Delicious! I pretty mulched followed the recipe but make a couple of minor changes:
I made the chicken and sauce in advance, put it in a casserole and stuck it in the refrigerator until dinner time, then reheated it in the microwave and added the toasted sesame seeds just before serving to keep the from getting too soggy. I also cut up the broccoli in advance and cooked it just before serving, along with the rice.
As for the sauce, which is the heart of this recipe, I added two teaspoons of toasted sesame oil to kick up the flavor a bit, and I minced the ginger root and increased both it and the garlic to about 2 tablespoons. Also used the Sriracha (it did not make the sauce too hot). And I agree that the orange flavor is not overly strong. All good!
BTW, the one green onion must be a misprint! I minced one BUNCH of green onions (about 7), using just the white and light-green portions. (Yeah, I love onions!) 😉
Could I have the calorie value please
There are a lot of websites that you can use to calculate calories.
We have made this 3 times since I found the recipe. My family LOVES it. Thanks for the great share!!!
Amazing! The whole family loved it! We will definitely make this again and again. Thanks for sharing!
The food looks so delicious
I made this tonight and it was so yummy!
I was hesitant to make it because of all of reviews saying it was too orangey. I disagree completely. It tasted just like the sesame chicken I get from my local takeout spot.
I stayed true to the recipe except for 2 things. I used chicken breast instead of thighs (only because that’s all I had) and I used some sesame oil when cooking the chicken. I don’t think it made a difference.
Would make this again. 5 stars!
This was absolutely delicious!! I made it tonight and entire family loved it. I used zucchini and yellow squash because it was what I had in the fridge. I will definitely make it again.
We made this the other night using chicken breasts instead of thighs because that’s what we had. I cut the chicken into quite small pieces. The whole family loved it except all felt the orange flavor was too strong. I agree and would make again definitely but would not add the marmalade. I did add extra siracha as we like the heat.
Making takeout at home is my favorite! Sesame chicken is definitely one of my favorites this look so good!
So good! Used chicken thigh fillets to make it more kid-friendly, and my picky eater loved it! Thanks for this!
I enjoyed this recipe, but it didn’t taste like sesame chicken that I am used to. The orange flavor is very prominent. I would consider making it again, but maybe with less orange marmalade.
This was AH-MAZING. I took advice from some comments below and used sesame oil to cook chicken. I kinda cheated and used Steam Fresh microwave broccoli (cooked 4 minutes, instead of 5..for some crunch). I topped it with some dry roasted peanuts and some fresh chopped cilantro.
Next time I”m going to double recipe so there are some left overs.
So good!! No leftovers here
Insanely ridiculously fabulous. I subbed tofu for the chicken and it was incredible! Thank you so much for this recipe!!!!!
I completely agree with Lindsey’s comment. This was tasty but it’s Orange Chicken not Sesame Chicken. Sesame chicken would include sesame oil, and this has a very strong orange flavor to it with the orange marmalade and orange juice.
I agree but still very good!
I made this and all I can say is: WOW!, better than take-out for sure. The only thing I would recommend is that when you cut up the chicken thighs take a little extra care to remove the fat. I’m going to try doubling the sauce mixture and keeping half of it (without the corn starch) in the freezer for next time.
Amazing!! Family loved it. Thank you!
I did this as is very good .