Sesame Chicken with Broccoli

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Make delicious Chinese takeout inspired Sesame Chicken with Broccoli at home in less than 30 minutes! This healthier spin on Sesame Chicken is a family favorite and has all the same flavors as the classic dish.

276 CAL 11g CARBS 9g FAT 35g PROTEIN 3
6 Comments

Instead of ordering takeout, make this healthy sesame chicken with broccoli at home. It has the same sweet and tangy sauce - and it's good for you!

The first time I ever made sesame chicken, I knew I had just discovered my favorite recipe! On its own, sesame chicken is a delicious dish. It's slightly sweet with nutty notes from the sesame oil and a little sour from the vinegar. All flavors combined, it tastes even better than takeout!

What are the best vegetables to add to sesame chicken? Well, my favorite one of all is broccoli.

I'm thrilled to share this recipe with you. I took my classic sesame chicken and added some sweet and crispy broccoli florets. Not only does this beautiful recipe look fancy on your plate, but it is really good for you- and low in calories too.

Whenever you are craving Chinese takeout, this should be your first choice, along with this amazing Healthy Kung Pao Chicken. You will love how simple it is, how quickly it all comes together, and how amazing it tastes.

Chinese sesame chicken and broccoli served with sesame sauce and sesame seeds on the side.

Key Ingredients For Sesame Chicken With Broccoli

Most of the ingredients for this chicken recipe are actually for the sauce. Here's what you'll need to make it:

  • Chicken: Use boneless, skinless chicken breasts cut into bite-sized pieces. Since you are going to fry them and make them crispy, a rotisserie chicken won't work. You could also use boneless skinless chicken thighs.
  • Spices: I used very few spices - just salt and pepper. If you want it to be spicier, add some red pepper flakes.
  • Flour: To give this recipe more fiber, I used whole wheat flour. You can use cornstarch instead or even almond flour if you need it to be gluten-free.
  • Oil: For the best combination of flavors, use both sesame oil and either olive or avocado oil. Sesame oil is essential to have all that sesame flavor.
  • Garlic: You only need about two garlic cloves for this recipe. If you really like the taste of garlic, add up to two more cloves.
  • Soy Sauce: Always use low-sodium soy sauce whenever you make Asian dishes. Coconut aminos would also work for less sodium.
  • Brown Sugar: You only need a little bit to sweeten the entire sauce. Alternatively, you can use a sugar substitute (like Swerve or Stevia) to sweeten the dish. Honey also works.
  • White Vinegar: If you don't have white vinegar, you can use rice vinegar as a substitute.
  • Chicken Broth: Either chicken stock or low-sodium vegetable broth can be used in its place.
  • Broccoli Florets: Use fresh broccoli florets so that they still have some crunch and texture. You could swap in frozen, but the broccoli will be much softer. If you use frozen, I recommend cooking it separately and adding it right before serving. You could swap in other quick-cooking vegetables like green beans, sugar snap peas, cauliflower, or snow peas.
  • Sesame Seeds: This is for the garnish and is what makes it look like classic sesame chicken.

Recipe Tips And Ideas

Follow these tips to make sure that this chicken turns out delicious every single time!

  • Use an oven-safe skillet. You'll fry the chicken pieces and then transfer them to the oven to finish roasting and cooking. It's easier if you use something like a cast-iron skillet.
  • To make the sauce thicker, add a bit more flour or some cornstarch.
  • Another way to thicken the sauce is to broil it during the last few minutes of baking the chicken in the oven.
  • If you are using frozen vegetables, cook them separately and stir them in at the last minute. Otherwise they will end up quite soggy.
  • For a spicy kick, add some red pepper flakes or Sriracha to the sesame sauce.

Side Dish Ideas

Since this is a takeout-inspired recipe, I like to serve it with my other restaurant faves. Add some fried cauliflower rice to the side. It has more fiber than white rice and a lot more nutrients too!

Egg rolls are another fun thing to serve with sesame chicken and broccoli. Also, fresh spring rolls stuffed with tofu, glass noodles, and veggies are delightful too!

Two bowls of takeout inspired sesame chicken breast with broccoli florets sprinkled with sesame seeds.

Frequently Asked Questions

Here are some questions I frequently get asked about by some readers...

Is this recipe low in carbs?

No, this recipe is not low-carb. Since I used whole wheat flour and brown sugar, it has too many carbs in it to be considered keto-friendly. If you want to make it low-carb, use almond flour instead of wheat and Stevia instead of brown sugar.

How do I store leftover sesame chicken?

Since this chicken is fried with a breading and then covered in a sauce, it won't last very long. Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator. They will stay fresh for up to 5 days.

What other vegetables can I add to it?

This is the fun part! Add as many different types of veggies as you want. Sugar snap peas and zucchini are very popular choices that go really well with this dish.

Remember, when you add more veggies, you might need to make more sauce. That way there will be enough to cover everything completely.

Is this recipe gluten-free?

No, this recipe is not gluten-free. If you want to make it gluten-free, use cornstarch or almond flour to bread the chicken. You will also need to substitute coconut aminos for soy sauce.

Healthier chicken and broccoli with sesame sauce and sesame seeds served in two bowls.

More Delicious Asian Chicken Recipes You’ll Love:

Frequently Asked Questions

Here are some questions I frequently get asked about by some readers...

No, this recipe is not low-carb. Since I used whole wheat flour and brown sugar, it has too many carbs in it to be considered keto-friendly. If you want to make it low-carb, use almond flour instead of wheat and Stevia instead of brown sugar.

Since this chicken is fried with a breading and then covered in a sauce, it won't last very long. Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator. They will stay fresh for up to 4 days.

This is the fun part! Add as many different types of veggies as you want. Sugar snap peas and zucchini are very popular choices that go really well with this dish.

Remember, when you add more veggies, you might need to make more sauce. That way there will be enough to cover everything completely.

No, this recipe is not gluten-free. If you want to make it gluten-free, use cornstarch or almond flour to bread the chicken. You will also need to substitute coconut aminos for soy sauce.

 

Takeout inspired sesame chicken breast with broccoli in a light brown sesame sauce with sesame seeds on top.
The Recipe
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Sesame Chicken with Broccoli

276 CAL 11g CARBS 9g FAT 35g PROTEIN 3
PREP TIME: 10 Min
COOK TIME: 25 Min
TOTAL TIME: 35 Min
6 Comments
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Ingredients

US METRICS
  • 1.33 lbs boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into pieces
  • 1/4 tsp. salt
  • 1/4 tsp. pepper
  • 1 tbsp. whole wheat flour
  • 1 tbsp. sesame oil
  • 1/2 tbsp. olive oil
  • 2 garlic cloves, minced
  • 1 tbsp. low-sodium soy sauce
  • 1 tbsp. brown sugar
  • 1 tbsp. white vinegar
  • 1/2 cup low sodium chicken broth
  • 3 cups broccoli florets
  • 1 tbsp. sesame seeds

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Instructions

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1

Preheat the oven to 400 degrees. In a small bowl, whisk the chicken broth, brown sugar, sesame oil, garlic, soy sauce, and white vinegar together. Set aside.

Sesame sauce being stirred in a small bowl.
2

In another bowl, toss the chicken with salt, pepper, and flour.

Chicken breast being tossed with salt, pepper, and flour.
3

In a large pan (make sure it’s oven safe) heat the olive oil over medium heat. Once hot, add the chicken in one layer. Cook for three minutes on one side until nicely browned and then flip and cook for another three minutes on the other side.

Chicken breast chunks being browned in a pan.
4

Turn off the heat and pour the sauce mixture over the chicken, stirring to combine. Place the entire pan in the oven and cook for 20 minutes.

Sesame chicken cooking in the oven in a sesame soy sauce.
5

Meanwhile, prepare the veggies until just tender crisp. The easiest way to do this is by quickly placing in boiling water for 2-4 minutes until bright in color and just tender. You can also microwave for 4-5 minutes until just tender. Make sure to not overcook your vegetables.

Broccoli being boiled until bright green and tender crisp.
6

During the last two minutes of cooking, stir in the vegetables. Top with sesame seeds.

Sesame chicken and broccoli cooking in a pan in the oven.
Nutritional Facts
Serving Size: 1.25 cups
Amount Per Serving
Calories 276
Calories from Fat 72
% Daily Value *
Total Fat 9g
12%
Saturated Fat 1g
5%
Monounsaturated Fat 0g
0%
Polyunsaturated Fat 0g
0%
Cholesterol 74mg
24%
Sodium 367mg
16%
Total Carbohydrate 11g
4%
Dietary Fiber 2g
9%
Sugars 4g
Protein 35g

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet. Your daily values may be higher or lower depending on your calorie needs.

The Nutritional Values provided are estimates only and may vary based on the preparation method.

Notes

**If you have any trouble with the sauce thickening, you can add a touch more flour or add cornstarch to thicken it up. You can also broil it during the last minutes of cooking to brown the chicken more if needed.
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About the author Meet Kristen McCaffrey
Hi, I’m the cookbook author, recipe developer, and food enthusiast behind Slender Kitchen. I am obsessed with making healthy food that is easy to prepare and absolutely delicious. Meal planning is my secret weapon and I hope I can make meal time easier for you with our tried and tested recipes and foolproof meal plans. Learn More
6 Comments
On Sesame Chicken with Broccoli
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Jeanne Cafferata
July 1, 2020 - 18:15
Mine came out a bit dry. I usually use chicken thighs but this time I got some breasts on sale. Is that why it came out Dry? Or maybe I over cooked the chicken? The flavor was really good and I wished I had doubled the sauce.
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August 20, 2020 - 11:52
My best guess is that it was a bit overcooked. Depending on the size of the chicken pieces, it can cook a bit more quickly.
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Renee Hood
July 9, 2018 - 15:38
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5
Delicious! Fast and easy! We ate it with brown rice and sesame green beans.
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Sheryl Attolini
January 10, 2018 - 18:57
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5
This was really good. Make again, but make sure and use low salt products. Very easy to make.
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Sharla Utz
January 24, 2016 - 16:43
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4
Good flavor and easy to make, except that it is SO easy to overcook the broccoli. I avoid that by adding almost/barely done broccoli at the point where I've just thickened the sauce with a bit of flour, and I fold it in. By the time it's mixed in, it's done. It'll be a regular.
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February 13, 2017 - 16:02
Sorry about any confusion this caused. Normally stock and broth are the same thing. I will update the instructions. Hope you enjoy it!
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