Sesame Chicken Bowls
by Chungah
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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
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.
Equipment
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I made this tonight it was SO SO GOOD! I don’t think I changed anything. It looked just like the picture it was delicious! I served it with broccoli and white rice — thank you it’s a keeper!
THIS. IS. DELICIOUS! We used chicken breasts instead of chicken thighs and swapped broccoli for some frozen edamame. Turned out great!
Made this over the weekend for dinner, it is so good! Sauteed the chicken thighs in sesame oil, great flavor.
Was out of orange marmalade, substituted fig jam, little sweet. Looking forward to making this again with the marmalade, once I go shopping. We were out of brocolli so roasted various veggies and onions. This is a definite keeper! Hubs went back for seconds and polished off the leftovers next day for lunch.
Thank you, great flavors. Love your recipes, always a hit.
Made this recipe tonight and it was AMAZING!! My husband and kids LOVED it!! Our oldest son’s friend stayed for dinner and he loved it too. I doubled the recipe and there are NO leftovers . Going to triple it next time. Note: I ran short of cornstarch, so I made sure to add it to my sauce first, then to my meat: combined with a little flour. Turned out great. I’m so glad I’m signed for emails and received this terrific recipe that will remain in our family for a long time to come. Thank you, thank you!!
This was def a make again recipe! I used breast tenderloins, as that is what the store had. I added a bit of crushed red pepper to the sauce, and probably another tablespoon of the marmalade. I biased cut some carrots and par-cooked in the microwave, and added with the broccoli. So good!
Hi! This was tasty- but I do think that you should consider renaming it. It should be called Orange Chicken instead of sesame. Sesame chicken would include sesame oil, and this had an awful lot of orange in it 🙂 just a thought!
I find boneless, skinless chicken breasts so much more available. Have you ever tried using them with this recipe? Maybe the browning time is only 3-4 minutes for breasts versus 6-8 for thighs…