Sticky, nutty Sesame Rooster coming in for din! A wholesome spin at the Chinese language-American takeout favourite, this can be a 30-minute dinner that’s right here for you this night. You’ll love any surviving leftovers the next day too!

Stir fry recipes were a key to meal sanity round right here since Ben and I have been married greater than a decade in the past (!).
From Teriyaki Rooster Stir Fry to Candy and Bitter Rooster, the truth that stir fries are rapid and that the leftovers give us one thing rapid and filling to reheat day after today for lunch manner it’s more straightforward to devour wholesome extra regularly.
Of the other sorts of stir fries I cook dinner (of which there are many), the only “style” that by no means fails to hit the spot is the rest involving juicy items of hen covered in a thick, sticky, sweet-and-savory sauce.
We’re speaking Normal Tso Rooster, Bourbon Rooster, Wholesome Orange Rooster—the mall takeout standbys we cherished as youngsters.

Sesame hen is maximum very similar to Normal Tso hen however with a couple of key variations:
- Normal Tso’s is nice and highly spiced, while sesame hen is nice with deeply nutty umami notes from the sesame oil.
- Normal Tso hen can use breasts, thighs, or a combination, while sesame hen most often requires hen thighs.
- Each hen stir fries function inexperienced onions for chunk and sesame seeds for crunch.

How one can Make Sesame Rooster
Historically, sesame hen sauce comprises soy sauce, brown sugar, and its signature component, sesame oil.
To make this a wholesome stir fry recipe, I’ve minimize down at the sugar, changing it with a modest quantity of honey.
Maximum original sesame hen recipes don’t come with different greens, however you’ll indubitably upload any you prefer. We blended ours with Roasted Broccoli.
The Elements
- Rooster. Delicate in taste and protein-packed, hen works famously in stir fry recipes. It makes the dish filling, assists in keeping it nutritious, and turns into soft and flavorful within the sauce.
- Sesame Oil. An very important component, it provides scrumptious nuttiness and savoriness.
- Scallions. For onion taste, colour, and chunk.
- Ginger + Garlic. The vintage taste construction blocks of a stir fry dish. The usage of recent is worthwhile right here.
- Purple Pepper Flakes. Whilst this dish isn’t highly spiced, crimson pepper flakes give it a bit of warmth.
- Sesame Seeds. For nuttiness and texture.
- Recent Basil. Recent herbs are a delicious option to end this dish. Cilantro would additionally paintings effectively right here.
- Sesame Rooster Sauce. Soy sauce provides umami, honey provides sweetness, rice wine vinegar brings acidity, and cornstarch is helping make it thick.
The Instructions

- Stir the hen, salt, and pepper in combination in a bowl. Upload the cornstarch.

- Stir the sesame hen sauce components in combination.

- Stir fry the golf green onions and aromatics.

- Stir in additional sesame oil and the hen. Pour the sauce into the skillet. Let simmer.

- Stir within the sesame seeds and herbs. ENJOY!
Garage Pointers
- To Retailer. Refrigerate leftover hen fries in an hermetic container for as much as 4 days.
- To Reheat. Rewarm leftovers in a skillet at the stovetop over medium-low warmth or within the microwave.
- To Freeze. Freeze hen stir fry in an hermetic freezer-safe garage container for as much as 3 months. Let thaw in a single day within the fridge earlier than reheating.
Meal Prep Tip
As much as 1 day prematurely, minimize the hen, scallions, ginger, and garlic. Refrigerate every component in a separate hermetic garage container till you’re in a position to complete the recipe.

What to Serve with Sesame Rooster
Advisable Equipment to Make this Recipe
The Best possible Forged Iron Skillet
This skillet is well worth the funding. It’s going to final a life-time, cleans up simply, and switch seamlessly from stovetop to oven to tabletop.
What are the foods that your circle of relatives comes again to over and over again?
I am hoping this sesame hen recipe joins that illustrious checklist!
Incessantly Requested Questions
Sure, you’ll make this recipe soy-free through swapping the soy sauce for coconut aminos. Coconut aminos are generally much less salty, so upload extra to style. This change may also make the recipe gluten loose.
Wrap leftover sesame hen in a lettuce leaf for a scrumptious spin on my reader-favorite Asian Lettuce Wraps. Or upload it to fried rice for a short-cut tackle Rooster Fried Rice.
For those who experience making stir fry recipes at house, I extremely suggest grabbing a bottle of rice wine vinegar. I haven’t attempted a change for it myself, however I believe apple cider vinegar would paintings perfect. Then again, there shall be a slight taste distinction between the 2. Additionally, apple cider vinegar is more potent, so use much less.
FOR THE CHICKEN:
- 1 1/2 kilos boneless, skinless hen thighs or breasts minimize into bite-sized items (thighs shall be extra soft)
- 1/4 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/4 teaspoon flooring black pepper
- 3 tablespoons cornstarch
FOR THE STIR FRY:
- 2 tablespoons sesame oil divided
- 1 tablespoon canola oil or grapeseed oil or every other impartial cooking oil
- 1 bunch scallions about five or six, minimize diagonally into 2-inch items
- 2 tablespoons minced recent ginger
- 1/4 to at least one/2 teaspoon crimson pepper flakes
- 2 tablespoons minced garlic about 6 cloves
- 2 tablespoons sesame seeds
- 1/2 cup chopped recent basil or cilantro
- Cooked Fast Pot Brown Rice quinoa, or Cauliflower Fried Rice, for serving
FOR THE SAUCE:
- 1/4 cup low-sodium soy sauce
- 3 tablespoons water
- 2 tablespoons honey
- 1 tablespoon rice wine vinegar
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
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Position the hen in a bowl and sprinkle with the salt and pepper. With a big spoon, stir to coat. Sprinkle the cornstarch excessive, then stir yet again, making sure the items are frivolously covered.
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Stir in combination the sauce: in a liquid measuring cup with a spout, stir in combination the soy sauce, honey, water, vinegar, and cornstarch. Stay close to the range. Make certain your ginger and garlic are minced and in a position to move and that you’ve all the components and measuring spoons you’re going to want just about the range (stir fries transfer rapid).
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Warmth a heavy-duty 12-inch skillet (well-seasoned forged iron or nonstick each paintings effectively) or a wok over prime warmth, till it is vitally sizzling, 2 to 4 mins. Upload 1 tablespoon of the sesame oil and the canola oil and swirl to coat the pan. Let the oil warmth for roughly 15 seconds, then upload the golf green onions, ginger, and crimson pepper flakes. Prepare dinner, stirring continuously for 1 minute. Stir within the garlic and cook dinner 30 seconds.
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Upload the rest tablespoon of sesame oil and the hen, and cook dinner, stirring periodically, 4 to five mins. Give the sauce a handy guide a rough stir, then pour into the skillet. Simmer till the sauce thickens and the hen chefs via, 2 to 4 mins.
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Take away from the warmth and stir within the sesame seeds and basil or cilantro. Style and alter for seasoning as desired. Serve heat with rice.
- TO STORE: Refrigerate hen in an hermetic garage container for as much as 4 days.
- TO REHEAT: Rewarm leftovers in a skillet at the stovetop over medium-low warmth or within the microwave.
- TO FREEZE: Freeze hen in an hermetic freezer-safe garage container for as much as 3 months. Let thaw in a single day within the fridge earlier than reheating.
Serving: 1(of four), with out riceEnergy: 402kcalCarbohydrates: 20gProtein: 36gFats: 20gSaturated Fats: 3gPolyunsaturated Fats: 6gMonounsaturated Fats: 8gTrans Fats: 0.04gLdl cholesterol: 162mgPotassium: 557mgFiber: 1gSugar: 9gNutrition A: 297IUNutrition C: 3mgCalcium: 79mgIron: 3mg
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