HONEY SESAME CHICKEN AND BROCCOLI

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 Honey Sesame Chicken and Broccoli is takeout made healthier and cheaper! Lightly breaded chicken and steamed broccoli coated in a sticky and sweet honey sesame sauce.

Sesame chicken is one of those classic take-out dishes we love - but man is it rough if you're trying to keep it healthy. This recipe is healthy and perfect for meal prep because it reheats awesome. The best part is it takes virtually no time to whip up - definitely less time than it will take for your uber eats driver to get there.

INGREDIENTS

  • Low sodium soy sauce or coconut aminos
  • Water
  • Sesame oil
  • Honey
  • Rice vinegar
  • Fresh ginger 
  • Garlic
  • Sesame seeds
  • Cornstarch or Arrowroot Flour
  • All-purpose flour
  • Salt and pepper
  • Boneless skinless chicken breast
  • Olive oil
  • Broccoli florets 
  • Green onions 
See the recipe card for quantities.

SUBSTITUTIONS

  • Coconut Aminos - if you're avoiding soy, coconut aminos is a great substitution (and my personal preferance). It's more sweet ad less salty, so you may need to use more salt.
  • Arrowroot Flour - A great grain free thickener if you are gluten-free.
  • Gluten free flours - the flour is used to create a light breading on the chicken, so feel free to substitute a gluten or grain free blend.
  • Frozen Broccoli - If you already have a big bag of frozen broccoli in the fridge, feel free to use it here. I'd recommend going with the floretts over the brocolli pieces and you'll probably need at least 20 ounces to get the right quantity.

INSTRUCTIONS

STEP 1: STEAM THE BROCCOLI -  Fill a large pot with 2-3 inches of water and then add the broccoli along with 1 teaspoon of salt (use a folding steamer if you have one, but it’s not necessary).

Bring to a simmer and place the lid on the pot. Reduce the heat as low as you can and cook for 6 minutes or until the broccoli is tender-crisp. Drain the broccoli in a colander and rinse with cold water.

STEP 2: PREPARE THE SAUCE -  In a small bowl stir together the soy sauce (or coconut aminos), water, oil, honey, rice vinegar, ginger, minced garlic, cornstarch, and sesame seeds. Set the sauce aside to use later.
STEP 3: PREPARE THE CHICKEN -  Place the chicken pieces in a large plastic zipper bag. In a small bowl, whisk together the cornstarch, flour, ½ teaspoons of salt, and ¼ teaspoon of pepper.

Sprinkle the cornstarch mixture onto the chicken. Seal the bag and then toss to evenly coat all of the pieces.
STEP 4: COOK THE CHICKEN -  Heat the olive oil in a large skillet and over medium heat. Once the oil is hot (it should be shimmering and thin, but not smoking), place the chicken pieces in a single layer across the bottom of the skillet.

Allow the chicken to cook without touching them for 2-3 minutes or until golden. Flip the chicken to cook all the remaining sides of each piece until they are all golden all around and the chicken is fully cooked (no pink in the center).
STEP 5: COOK THE SAUCE - Once the chicken is cooked through and golden brown on all sides, pour the prepared sauce over top with the oven on medium-low heat.

Toss the chicken to coat in the sauce and bring the sauce to a simmer. Stir the chicken in the sauce until it has thickened, then remove the pan from the heat.

STEP 6: TOSS CHICKEN AND BROCCOLI TOGETHER -  If you have room in your skillet, add the broccoli to the chicken mixture in the skillet and gently fold to evenly incorporate.

HINT: If you don’t have enough room, do this in a separate bowl or pot. Sprinkle with chopped green onions and serve warm.

STORAGE

This recipe keeps well in the refrigerator for up to 5 days in an airtight container.

These ingredients don't stand up well to freezing.

TOP TIP

Don't overcook the broccoli! If the broccoli gets too soft, you'll end up with a watery mess. For frozen broccoli, microwave it just shy of what the instructions recommend and drain it before adding it to the recipe. If you're using fresh broccoli set a timer to make sure it doesn't steam too long.

INGREDIENTS

The Sauce

  • ¼ cup low sodium soy sauce*
  • 2 Tablespoons water
  • 1 ½ Tablespoons sesame oil
  • 3 Tablespoons honey
  • 1 Tablespoon rice vinegar
  • 1 teaspoon fresh ginger (finely grated)
  • 2 cloves garlic (minced)
  • 1 tablespoon sesame seeds
  • 2 teaspoons cornstarch*

Chicken and Broccoli

  • 2 Tablespoons cornstarch or arrowroot flour
  • 2 Tablespoons all-purpose flour
  • salt and pepper
  • 1- 1 ½ pounds boneless skinless chicken breast (cut into 1-2-inch pieces)
  • 2 Tablespoons olive oil
  • 6 cups broccoli florets (about 2 crowns)
  • 2 whole green onions (diced)

INSTRUCTIONS

  1. STEAM THE BROCCOLI: Fill a large pot with 2-3 inches of water and then add the broccoli along with 1 teaspoon of salt (use a steamer basket if you have one, but it’s not necessary). Cover and bring to a simmer. Reduce the heat as low as you can and cook for 6 minutes or until the broccoli is tender-crisp. Drain the broccoli in a colander and rinse with cold water.
  2. PREPARE THE SAUCE: In a small bowl stir together the coconut aminos, water, oil, honey, rice vinegar, ginger, minced garlic, cornstarch, and sesame seeds. Set the sauce aside.
  3. PREPARE THE CHICKEN: Place the chicken pieces in a large plastic zipper bag. In a small bowl, whisk together the cornstarch, flour, ½ teaspoons of salt and ¼ teaspoon of pepper. Sprinkle the cornstarch mixture onto the chicken. Seal the bag and then toss to evenly coat all of the pieces.
  4. COOK THE CHICKEN: Heat the oil in a large skillet and over medium heat. Once the oil is hot (should be shimmering and thin, but not smoking), place the chicken pieces in a single layer across the bottom of the skillet. Allow the chicken to cook without touching them for 2-3 minutes or until golden. Flip the chicken to cook all the remaining sides of each piece until they are all golden all around and the chicken is fully cooked (no pink in the center).
  5. COOK THE SAUCE: Once the chicken is cooked through and golden brown on all sides, pour the prepared sauce over top with the oven on medium-low heat. Toss the chicken to coat in the sauce and bring the sauce to a simmer. Stir the chicken in the sauce until it has thickened, then remove the pan from the heat.
  6. TOSS CHICKEN AND BROCCOLI TOGETHER: If you have room in your skillet, add the broccoli to the chicken mixture in the skillet and gently fold to evenly incorporate. If you don’t have enough room, do this in a separate bowl or pot. Sprinkle with chopped green onions and serve warm.

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