Everyone loves to indulge in Chinese takeout, but the more popular and tasty dishes like Sesame Chicken are deep fried and can cost you a ton of calories. In my lightened-up Sesame Chicken, chunks of chicken breast are coated in corn starch and lightly pan-fried, then tossed in a thick, sweet, sticky sauce. Paired with some rice and broccoli, this fakeout takeout is a crowd-pleaser.
All about this Lightened-Up Sesame Chicken
One Sunday, I got the idea to make a lightened-up sesame chicken. Actually, it was Valentine’s Day. One of Emilio’s favorite takeout dishes is sesame chicken, and I thought it would be a nice sentiment. I figured, how hard could it be? Well, it took me three rounds to get the sauce where I wanted it, and two rounds of chicken. I just wanted this recipe to be really good. My goal was for this to turn into a go-to recipe for people to make when they wanted Sesame Chicken. I get that nothing can really replace your favorite takeout meal, but I also believe in trying to create lightened up versions of dishes you love, so that you can enjoy them more frequently while still attaining your goals.
What didn’t work, and what did
As I said, I went through three versions of sauce for this recipe, Emilio tasting each one. It’s times like this I really appreciate my critical husband! “Too acidic.” “Too much sesame oil.” Finally, we landed on the final version and (I think) it’s perfect. My first version of the chicken for this recipe was air fried. I wanted the chicken to be really crispy on the outside, like sesame chicken typically is; and I really thought this was going to be it! I air fried the chicken, and I tossed it in the sauce. Tasted it, photographed it. Let it sit out for a little, and then I went back to try some more and the chicken was so tough. It was dry and hard as a rock, and nothing that I wanted this recipe to be. I decided that even though I really wanted to achieve a crispy chicken, the air fryer wasn’t happening, and it was time to just pan sear the chicken so that it could stay juicy and tender. For the second round of chicken, I pan seared it in batches, and it turned out extremely tender and moist. The chicken is not crispy, but I feel that having a tender piece of chicken is more important here. So that’s how it went! I am excited to bring this recipe to you all.
What you’ll need to make Lightened-Up Sesame Chicken
For the chicken, you’ll need:
- chicken breast
- corn starch
- cooking spray
To make the sauce, you’ll need:
- ketchup
- reduced sodium soy sauce
- honey
- unsweetened applesauce
- sesame oil
- corn starch
- garlic
How to cook the chicken
There’s not much to this part; all you have to do is really make sure you don’t overcrowd your chicken. That’s really the key when you are searing meat. Don’t dump it all in at once. I know it’s tempting. You’ll be tempted to dump it all in so that dinner is ready quicker. But, I promise you, taking the extra ten minutes to make the chicken in two batches will result in such a better product. Make sure you use the largest frying pan you own, or a wok. Preheat the frying pan over medium to medium-high heat. Chop the chicken up into bite-sized cubes. Then toss them in the two tablespoons of cornstarch.
When you are ready to cook the chicken, add a generous amount of cooking spray to the pan, then add about half of the chicken. Make sure your chicken pieces are evenly spaced out and not crowded. Make sure no piece of chicken is touching another. Add more cooking spray to the tops of the chicken pieces.
Cook the chicken for five minutes on this side, and then flip and cook for another five minutes. Your chicken is done when the internal temperature reaches 165F.
When all the chicken is cooked, place it in a bowl to the side while you prep the sauce.
How to make the sauce
Ok, so this part is beyond easy. Add all of the sauce ingredients into a small sauce pan. Whisk them together, and bring the sauce to a boil. Once boiling, reduce it to simmer and cook for about 5 minutes, or until the mixture is thick and syrupy.
Once the sauce is thick and syrupy, add the cooked chicken in and toss it around. Cook for another five minutes or so, until the flavors combine.
Next, sprinkle the sesame seeds in and toss again.
Then, plate it up! My favorite way to serve this is the traditional way, with steamed broccoli and rice! The serving size for this recipe is 1 cup of chicken.
Lightened-Up Sesame Chicken
Equipment
- frying pan or wok
- small saucepan
Ingredients
Chicken
- 2 lbs chicken breast, cubed
- 2 tbsp corn starch
- cooking spray
Sauce
- 1/4 cup ketchup
- 1/4 cup reduced sodium soy sauce
- 3 tbsp honey
- 1/2 cup unsweetened applesauce
- 1 tsp sesame oil
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 tsp corn starch
- 2 tsp sesame seeds
Instructions
Chicken
- Chop the chicken into bite-sized pieces.
- Add the chicken pieces to a bowl with the corn starch and toss to coat.
- Preheat a large frying pan or wok over medium to medium-high heat.
- Spray the pan generously with cooking spray, and then add half of the chicken to the pan.
- Make sure the chicken is spaced out, as to not overcrowd the pan. This is the key to getting a golden crust on the chicken.
- Cook the chicken for five minutes, and then flip each piece to cook for another five minutes.
- Check the internal temperature of the chicken to make sure it's done before removing from the pan. It should be 165F when fully cooked.
- Remove the first batch of chicken from the pan and place in a bowl to the side, then repeat with the remaining chicken.
Sauce
- Combine all of the sauce ingredients in a small sauce pan, except for the sesame seeds.
- Whisk together to ensure the corn starch is broken up and incorporated.
- Bring the mixture to a boil, then reduce to simmer.
- Simmer for approximately five minutes or until the sauce becomes thick and syrupy in texture.
- Add the cooked chicken pieces and toss to coat. Cook for another few minutes,
- Add the sesame seeds and toss.
Notes
- 5 WW points (blue and purple)
- 7 WW points (green) - calculated using Perdue brand chicken breast
Nutrition
You might also enjoy:
Carly says
This was fantastic! So easy to make. I didn’t even miss the real thing! This is definitely going to be a staple in my house going forward.
Andrea Clawson says
This was so good! My husband and was a big fan too
Tara says
Delicious and easy to make! Tastes so much like the real thing
Leslie says
The whole family loved this recipe. We made 10 servings for 6 adults and a baby and there was none left.
Kelly says
This was amazing and husband approved! Definitely will be making again!
Valerie says
Made this for lunch today, it was so good! Will be making it again.
Robin Bragin says
This dish was AMAZING! Thank you so much.
Allison says
This recipe could not have been easier and the end result was amazing! The sauce is so good and the amount you get for relatively low points / calories is wonderful! A huge hit
Norma Espinal says
I was so surprised how easy this was to make. It’s so quick and delicious. Perfect for a weeknight dinner without the extra calories from take out.
Stephanie says
Easy to make & yummy!
Marci says
First recipes of Stephanies that I have tried and it was amazing!
Karen says
Can I use sugar free ketchup?
Trisha says
We did and couldn’t taste a difference.
Rachel says
Hubby and I practically licked our plates clean tonight with this one!! Put it over cauliflower rice and broccoli – so good!
Adriane Eoga says
Outstanding! The whole family loved it.
Shari says
This was delicious! I love being able to cool for my family and eat what they eat!! Thank you!
Katie Preuss says
If I could rate this 10 stars I would! Absolutely amazing!
Sarah says
This recipe was easy to make, tasted delicious, and my kids ate it too. That’s a win in my house! I will be making this again for sure.
Candra says
10 out of 10! This recipe is amazing and I would highly recommend it. I would eat this instead of takeout any day. I served with steamed broccoli and cauliflower rice.
Amanda says
Such a good portion and such good flavors! I love ginger, but I feel like sometimes in “healthy” Chinese/Thai recipes it is all I can taste when I reheat it. It was a nice change to have an Asian-inspired dish that did not include this ingredient for once! I served it with jasmine rice and broccoli. When I reheated it I added a bit of sambal oelek to the chicken to sauce it up a bit and add some spice. So good! Love the crispiness of the chicken as well. It makes it feel more filling.
Channing says
This recipe was really delicious, and I will definitely be making it again! I may try cooking the chicken in the air fryer next time to cut down on the amount of time and attention needed to cook the pieces of chicken.
Jess says
Made this yesterday for dinner. It was beyond easy and beyond good!! Sesame chicken is my favorite Chinese takeout and this is the exact same just waaaay less calories/points!
Robin says
AMAZING !!!
Alex W says
I made this while my husband was at work. After taking his first bite he said “did you really make this?” He honestly believed it was takeout. Thanks, Steph for another great recipe!
Judy Boomer says
This sounds delicious!! I’m definitely going to try it. I was wondering if it would be better for you if you used sugar free Heinz ketshup? I tried it and I can’t tell much difference. Just a suggestion! Thank you for the recipe!
Judy Boomer
Cassie Murphy says
Definitely one of my new staples! I was craving Chinese food and remembered Steph posted this so I gave it a try, it was spot on and satisfied my craving!
Allison says
This was delicious! Every recipe I make from Steph is always amazing
Nancy says
This was a great recipe. The whole family loved it. Thanks for posting such awesome recipes
Kim Clem says
This recipe was delicious!!! It is going on our list of favorites!!! My husband and I both said this is better than a restaurant version. Thank you for yet another recipe from you that we absolutely love!!!
Leigh says
We don’t have a non-stick frying pan, so the chicken REALLY stuck to the bottom of the pan, but it had a great flavor!
Whitney says
Made this tonight and it was a HIT! So tasty!
Danielle says
Absolutely delicious!!
Antonella says
Had this for dinner tonight and it was a hit! We truly enjoyed it! Looking forward to making it again! Thank you for helping make dinners a little easier, and healthy cooking delicious!
Dena says
This sesame chicken was delicious and easy to make. This will be in the dinner rotation for sure.
Tanya says
This was delicious. My husband said it was his favorite so far. The only thing I can say is I felt like I could taste the ketchup a little too much in the sauce so I added a couple squirts of Sriracha and a shake of soy sauce. I served it over brown rice with stephs roasted green beans. my chicken was super moist and tender. Thank you for another great recipe! I really appreciate all of the hard work you put into your website/blog.
Alicia DeGroot says
Sooo good! It was a family favorite! My husband even approved and he’s pretty picky when it comes to like Asian inspired cuisine!
Angela says
Delicous – adding this to the rotation in our house!
Alison Talbert says
Delicious! My whole family loved it!!
Nicole Heimbigner says
I love Chinese food and have not had it since I started my health journey. This was easy to make and tasted great!
Alicia says
This was good but I wasn’t a huge fan of the texture the applesauce gave the sauce. I may have not cooked it correctly but I usually like sesame chicken with a sticky smooth sauce but the applesauce made it kinda gritty(?) In any case, it did still taste good!
Melissa says
This was amazing! Even my youngest (picky eater) loved it!!! Will definitely be making this one again soon….
Shell says
My husband and I went crazy over this one. I was hesitant at first making the sauce with ketchup and applesauce, but to my surprise it came out fantastic. So delicious and we enjoyed it way more than the deep fried version we get from restaurants.
Madelyn says
YUM and easy too.
Adriane says
What a great alternative to take out and a huge hit with my family.
Lori says
Made this for meal prep this week and it was SO good! Really loved it. The chicken had a great sweet flavor, the sauce was nice and thick, and the chicken itself was moist (I credit the 2 batches method). Another winner!
Meghan says
My husband is a big fan of sesame chicken so I wasn’t sure how this would go over with him when I first made it. But he said it was better than carry out and wants me to make it again soon! Love every recipe of Steph’s I’ve ever made.
Nancy says
Yum!! Will definitely make again.
Jeanine says
soooo good! Made it twice. So tasty!
Chelsea says
This was so amazing! I’m adding this to our weekly recipes!
Emily says
Absolutely delicious and easy! Great week night meal!
Susanne says
So easy to make and delicious! Perfect weeknight meal
Sarah says
Easy, simple ingredients, and delicious.
Cori R says
Served this tonight with some air fried broccoli. My fiancee said “I dont know what this is, but its VERY good!” Thats a win in my book. THEN it was suggested I make it some time for his dad.. so double win. So easy to prep once all ingredients were together. This will be on our rotation for sure. Thanks for making things simple! Appreciate you and the work you put into these recipes.
Cyndi says
This was delicious! The only change I made was cutting down on the soy sauce, not a huge fan.
Thanks for a great recipe!
Jessica says
So delicious!!! Made the chicken once and I just made the sauce and put on my salmon! Super easy and soooo good! I can’t wait to use the sauce I have left in my fridge for something else! 😋
Katie F says
Absolutely loved this recipe! Sesame chicken is my favorite thing to order when we do Chinese take out and this truly nailed it without me feeling guilty for eating it! Will definitely make it again.
Sherri says
Delicious and easy. My family really enjoyed this meal. Thank you for sharing this family friendly recipe.
Elizabeth M says
Delicious! This tastes just like restaurant sesame chicken! My whole family enjoyed it. I increased the serving size and the recipe was so easy to follow. Plenty for leftovers!
Dana says
Ok so I just made this for a picky family of 5! They liked it a lot! I felt it needed a little extra kick. I can’t put my finger on it. A spice? My sister mentioned spicy pepper flakes? I’m just not sure. Any suggestions????
Christina says
So so good. Simple to make, I made it yesterday before running out to my kid’s activities. My husband loved it! I just ate the partial serving my husbamd graciously left me, for lunch and it’s just as good warmed up.
I paired it with some broccoli, perfectly filling.
Justine says
The sauce was good, but not quite what I was expecting? I felt like it was missing something but can’t put my finger on it.
Diane says
Just finished eating this for dinner. Made it exactly as is, but cut to 2 servings. My husband is very picky and he LOVED this recipe. I did, too! It will be going in our regular rotation.
Lorie O'Brien says
This recipe is delicious!
Aileen says
This was so good! Another great recipe for the rotation!
Amy says
So delicious! This is in regular rotation in our house! Thanks!
Trisha says
This is one of my husband’s favorite meals! It’s a great weeknight meal. I served with white rice and steamed broccoli and tasted just like the real thing!
restaurantthatdeliversnearme.website says
Thanks.
Carrie says
I really enjoyed this easy to prepare recipe. I think the next up made it a little too sweet for us. I added a little more soy sauce and unsweetened rice vinegar to balance it out. Over all great recipe.
Carrie says
I really enjoyed this easy to prepare recipe. I think it was a little too sweet for us. I added a little more soy sauce and unsweetened rice vinegar to balance it out. Over all great recipe.
Clarissa says
SUCH a delicious recipe! I cannot believe how good it was and very filling! Definitely adding this to our recipe rotation
Stefanie Ferraro says
A delicious crowd pleaser! Will definitely be making this again!
Denise says
Delicious! So easy to make. My 6 year old even loved it:)
Mary Murphy says
So good and easy!
Julie Paretti says
So yummy! Definitely satisfied the Chinese food craving. Served with Natural Heaven’s brown rice (0 points) and broccoli. Another amazing recipe, Steph!
Nancy Fiore says
Has anyone tried this using chicken thigh meat?
Pam M. says
This was so good. Made it today. Thank you
Shannon says
So good! Definitely going in my regular rotation!
Katie M says
We love this recipe at our house, super east week night meal! I use one less pot and add the sauce directly to the chicken and let it bubble all together at the end, works great too and one less pot to wash!!
Maria says
Made this and it was delicious!!!
Amy says
This was a great recipe! I love Chinese food, but hate when you get a bad bite of chicken…this fulfills the Chinese food fix and you know what each bite is going to be. Great recipe!
Barbara Hickman says
This is delicious! This is a repeat favorite. My husband asks for this often. Great flavored sauce, lots of flavor, not sure why some don’t think so. Chicken cooked according to instructions is super tender. Served with brown rice and fresh broccoli. I felt like a gourmet cook and so simple!
Jayne Kaiser says
Your recipes never disappoint. Sesame Chicken is also my husband’s favorite but we hardly ever get it anymore because of the high sodium/fat/sugar content. This hit all the right notes and is so much lighter tasting. I served it with a healthy fried rice and roasted broccoli. Perfect dinner!
Holly says
Made this last night. Delicious!
Sabrina says
So easy and delicious like all of Steph’s recipes!
zoraida says
Have you ever tried cooking the chicken in the air fryer instead?
Steph says
I have not, but it would probably be fine!
Aly says
This recipe was so tasty and all the ingredients were already in my pantry. That’s a double win in my book!
Kristi says
This was a great healthy “fake out” meal! The whole family loved it!
Patty says
So yummy! Another awesome dish!
Donna Showalter says
This was so good! Tender chicken and my husband loved it. We will be making this again. Best ever
Jaclyn says
Wow!! So good – I was skeptical with the applesauce but it was delicious!!
Patti says
Love this recipe! So yummy! I just bought the ingredients to make it again tonight…wondering if I can airfry the chicken instead of pan frying it…