Healthy Honey Sesame Chicken

Bowl with rice, broccoli, and honey sesame chicken.

4.86 from 7 votes

Healthy Honey Sesame Chicken

Sweet, savory, and delicious, this chili honey sesame chicken is a healthier take on the honey sesame chicken from your favorite restaurant. Baked, never fried and made without flour or cornstarch, it’s guaranteed to become a new family favorite with just one bite!

Prep Time5

Cook Time15

Total Time20

Course: Dinner

Cuisine: American, Chinese

Keyword: crispy honey chicken, honey chilli chicken, honey sesame chicken

Servings: servings

Calories: 235kcal

Author: Ansley Beutler

Ingredients

1 lb chicken breast cut into 1 inch cubes
1 tablespoon olive oil
2 tablespoon honey
3 tablespoon coconut aminos or low sodium soy sauce
2 tablespoon sweet chili sauce
1 garlic clove
1 teaspoon chili powder or red pepper flakes, optional
½ teaspoon ginger
⅛ teaspoon sea salt omit if using soy sauce
1 tablespoon sesame seeds to garnish

US Customary - Metric

Instructions

Cut the chicken breasts into 1 inch cubes. Heat a skillet or wok on the stove over medium heat with the olive oil. Carefully place the chicken in the skillet, leaving some room in between each piece. Let the chicken cook until golden, about 3 - 5 minutes, then gently flip each piece over and allow it to cook on the other side for another 2 - 3 minutes until it’s about 90% cooked through (it will go back on the skillet later to cook all the way through). You want the chicken to have a little bit of crispiness around the edges but not too much or you risk drying it out. Transfer the chicken to a plate and set aside.
Stir together the honey, coconut aminos, sweet chili sauce, garlic, chili powder, ginger, and sea salt in a bowl or jar.
Carefully wipe down the skillet the chicken was cooked in with a towel. Pour the honey chili sauce back into the skillet and heat over medium heat. Stir until the mixture begins to simmer. Add the chicken pieces to the skillet and toss to coat it with the sauce. (If you’re cooking veggies too, this is a great time to put them on the stove. See notes for how I cook my broccoli).
Continue to stir the chicken in the skillet until the sauce thickens up, about 2 - 3 minutes.
Serve the chicken with some rice and veggies of your choice. Sprinkle the chicken with sesame seeds and enjoy!

Notes

Cutting the chicken : Pat the chicken with a paper towel before cutting it into cubes. This makes it easier to handle with your hands. Try to make the pieces of chicken the same size which will allow them to cook the same amount of time.

Broccoli : This is my veggie of choice to pair with the honey sesame chicken. I like to use broccoli florets. Heat them in a separate skillet on the stove over medium heat with 1 tablespoon olive oil. Stir until the broccoli becomes soft yet charred slightly. Add a sprinkle of coconut aminos or soy sauce to the pan at the end to add more flavor. Sprinkle with sea salt and add to your rice bowl.

Storing : Allow the chicken to cool down and store it in an airtight container. It will keep for up to 4 days in the fridge. When ready to enjoy, heat it up in the microwave in 20 second increments until warm.

Nutrition