If you are craving weekday Chinese takeout but want a healthier option, you need to give this restaurant-quality sesame ginger recipe a try! The sweet, savory, slightly tangy sticky sauce smothering tender and juicy chicken is the perfect quick dinner for the whole family.

Why We love This Sesame Ginger Chicken

There is so much flavor to this sesame ginger chicken recipe, it is a crowd-pleaser for a reason.

The warm sweetness of the sesame oil, bright and sharp bite of the freshly grated ginger and rich the umami flavor of the soy sauce all wrapped around the tender and juicy chicken make for a perfectly balanced meal.

It is quick and easy to make and perfect for a weeknight dinner.

Here’s a trick I like to do – I place the chicken in the marinade in the morning before I am off to work. That way when I am ready to start dinner, It will only take 15 minutes to cook it up and all that amazing flavor will already be developed and ready to go.

This dish is totally freezer-friendly and perfect for meal prepping.

Ingredients For Sesame Ginger Chicken

Chicken thighs are my favorite cut of chicken to use for this recipe. It is tender and juicy. You can also use chicken breast.

Coconut Aminos is a great soy free alternative to soy sauce. It still has that umami flavor with a touch of sweetness.

Ginger is a great staple in Asian cooking. I love the bite it adds to this dish, the flavor profiles pop off with the freshly minced and powdered ginger.

Honey is the main sweetener in this recipe. It lends a nice little touch of floral notes as well without being overwhelming.

Rice vinegar is important to this dish because it has less acidity than white distilled vinegar and it has a hint of sweetness to hit as well.

Sesame oil is a key component to this sesame ginger chicken. You don’t need a ton, just 2 tablespoons for the dressing. It is a strong flavor and aroma and a little goes a long way!

How to Make This Easy Sesame Ginger Chicken

First, we are going to mix together the sesame ginger marinade.

This sauce is one of my favorites. It is so versatile, I am using it for both marinating the chicken and the finishing stir fry sauce in this recipe.

In a bowl or jar, mix together the ingredients for the sesame ginger marinade.
Cut the chicken in the cubes and pour half of the marinade in.
Combine well. Cover and let it sit for at least an hour to soak up all the flavors.
Before cooking, add in 2 tbsp of starch.
Work the starch in the chicken to make sure all the chicken pieces are coated.

Now let’s start cooking!

In a pan, heat up 2 tbsp of neutral oil. Once shimmering, add in minced garlic and chopped green onion. Quickly sautte for 30 seconds.
Add in the marinated chicken cubes.
Let it sear for 1 – 2 minutes on all sides to get the crispy brown exterior.
Once the chicken is cooked through (internal temp 165F), pour in the rest of the sesame ginger sauce.
Stir in the starch mixture. Continue to stir as the sauce thickens.
Turn off the heat and garnish with sesame seeds and green onion.

Spice it Up to Make your Palate Dance

Sriracha is a great way to up the heat factor in this dish. If you like spice like I do, a tablespoon or two or Sriracha in your marinade can really amp up the flavor.

Adding vegetables like crunchy snap peas, carrots, water chestnuts or bell peppers is a fun and easy way to incorporate more texture and color to your dish.

If you’re a vegan or vegetarian, try other proteins like salmon, tofu or shrimp! You can totally customize this meal to your preferences and taste. You never have to think inside the box!

How to Serve This Sesame Ginger Chicken

Spoon this Sesame Ginger Chicken over a bed of fluffy white rice or quinoa. I have a really fun spin on fried rice that uses quinoa instead. You can find my Fried Rice With Quinoa recipe here.

Use lettuce wraps to add a fun crunch to your chicken as well! I love this option if I am looking to keep my meal gluten free and add some extra veggies on my plate.

Serving this sesame chicken over noodles is also a great way to stretch your meal and make it more filling. You can use gluten free or grain free noodles as well if you need a GF alternative.

Using a big bowl of salad as a base for your sesame ginger chicken is also a great idea! I love packing as much protein and greens as I can in a dish to get maximum satisfaction.

How to Store Your Sesame Ginger Chicken Leftovers

You can store this Sesame Ginger Chicken in an airtight container in the fridge for 3-4 days or in a zip lock bag in the fridge for about the same time.

When you are ready to reheat, simply portion out as much as you’d like and reheat in your favorite method. I also love freezing this meal in zip lock bags for when I am ready to thaw out and use on a busy weeknight where I have very little time to cook. I just serve it up over a quick bed of rice and some veggies and boom, there ya have it. A simple and delicious no fuss meal.

If you like this Sesame Ginger Chicken dish, check out my Soy Free Sesame Chicken recipe and my Peanut Tofu Stir Fry. Both recipes are so easy and satisfying!

I’M LOOKING FORWARD TO SEEING YOUR CREATIONS! YOU CAN USE “TRIED IT” ON PINTEREST OR SHARE ON INSTAGRAM BY TAGGING #SHUANGYSEATS

Get the recipe:Sesame Ginger Chicken {20 Minutes}

The sweet, savory, slightly tangy sticky sauce smothering tender and juicy chicken is the perfect quick dinner for the whole family.
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Ingredients

  • 1 1/4 lb chicken thighs
  • 1 clove garlic, minced
  • 1 stalk green onion, chopped small
  • 2 tbsp starch, divided

Sesame Ginger Dressing

  • 1/4 cup coconut aminos
  • 1.5 tbsp rice vinegar
  • 2 tbsp sesame oil
  • 2 tbsp honey
  • 1 clove garlic, minced
  • 1 tbsp ginger, freshly grated
  • 1 tbsp sesame seeds
  • 1 stalk green onion, chopped small

Instructions 

Making marinade

  • Peel the skin of ginger, grate it with cheese grate or lemon zester.
  • Mince the garlic. and thinly slice the green onion. Save some of the green part of the green onion for garnishing at the end.
  • In a jar, mix all the ingredients togehter.

Marinate and Cook

  • Cut the chicken thighs into cubes or strips. Place in a bowl and mix in half of the marinade, combine well. Cover and let it marinate for at least 30 minutes.
  • When the chicken is done marinating. Save 1 tsp of the starch aside then mix in the rest of the starch in the chicken. Combine well to make sure the chicken are fully coated.
  • In a non-stick pan, heat up 2 – 3 tbsp of neutral cooking oil for 30 – 45 seconds. Once the oil is shimmering, add in garlic and green onion and quickly sautte for 30 seconds or until frgrant (the garlic browns and starts to burn fast so make sure you are watching clasely during this process)
  • Add in the chicken, spread across in the pan. Let each side sear for 1 – 2 minutes or until brown and get a crispy layer on them.
  • Mix the rest of the starch with 2 tbsp of filterer water. Whisk until no clump is left.
  • Once the chicken are cooked through (internal temperate 165F), add in the rest of the marinate.
  • Then swirl in the starch mixture. Stir to combine well. The sauce should become thick and sticky quickly. Turn off the heat and continue to gently stir to make sure the chicken cubes are coated in the sauce.
  • Garnish with additional sesame seeds and the green part of the onion.

The Nutrition Facts above are specific to the ingredients I chose to use for this recipe, which may vary.

Author: Shuang Shuang Liang