Looking for a quick and delicious dinner that the whole family will love? This Honey Sesame Chicken Stir-Fry offers a healthier twist on a classic Chinese favorite, making it a fantastic choice for busy weeknights.
Healthy Sesame Chicken Stir Fry
Ready in just 30 minutes, this dish is packed with vibrant vegetables and tender chicken, all tossed in a sweet and savory honey sesame sauce. Plus, it's non-spicy, so it’s perfect for everyone at the table!
Love skillet stir fry recipes? Try my Mongolian Beef, Kung Pao Chicken and Teriyaki Chicken Broccoli next.
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Ingredients
- Ground chicken - You can easily replace the ground chicken with ground turkey, ground beef, or even ground pork or veal.
- Tapioca/Cornstarch - Serves as a gluten-free thickener for the sauce.
- Toasted sesame oil - Be sure to look for “toasted” on the label, as regular sesame oil lacks flavor.
- Olive oil - You can also use avocado, vegetable, canola, or any light cooking oil.
- Soy sauce - Opt for low-sodium or light soy sauce; avoid dark soy sauce as its flavor can be too strong. Coconut aminos (this one may taste sweeter than soy sauce) or tamari are also good alternatives.
- Honey - Essential! For a sweeter sauce, feel free to add more honey. You can also use maple syrup, but it won't give you enough sweetness like honey.
- Rice vinegar - This adds a tangy kick to the sauce. You can also use white or red wine vinegar, white distilled vinegar, or apple cider vinegar.
- Sesame seeds - Sesame seeds are essential for sesame chicken! You can easily toast sesame seeds in a non-stick pan over medium heat. Stay attentive and stir them constantly, as they can go from perfectly toasted to burnt in no time!
- Vegetables - Traditional sesame chicken typically uses carrots broccoli, but this time I added lots of sweet bell peppers and green beans. So good!
📋 You can find the full ingredient list in the Recipe Card below the article.
How To Make This Sesame Chicken Stir Fry
- Make the Slurry: Mix water and tapioca together in a bowl to create a slurry. In another bowl, combine the sauce ingredients and then add the slurry. Stir through.
- Cook the Chicken: Heat half of the olive oil over medium-high heat in a skillet or wok. Add the ground chicken and cook until just lightly browned. Season with salt and pepper, then set aside.
- Sauté the Vegetables: In the same pan, add the remaining olive oil and the vegetables. Season with salt and black pepper, and sauté for about 7 minutes.
- Combine Ingredients: Return the cooked chicken to the pan and stir everything together. Add the sauce and cashews, mixing well. Cook for another 2 minutes, or until the sauce is glossy and evenly coats the stir-fry.
- Finish: Sprinkle sesame seeds and fresh greens on top before serving.
PRO TIP FOR USING DIFFERENT VEG: Start by cooking the thicker or denser vegetables first (like green beans, broccoli, and carrots). Once those are tender, add in the more delicate veggies (such as peppers, onions, and zucchini).
Best Veggies for Stir Fry
I absolutely love a good stir fry! One of the best things about it is that you can use any veggies you have on hand, making it perfect for clearing out your fridge’s produce drawer.
In this recipe, I’m using fresh green beans and red/orange bell peppers, but here are some other great options:
- Broccoli
- Onions (white part scallions or shallot)
- Cauliflower
- Sliced carrots
- Zucchini
- Asparagus
- Cabbage
- Spinach or kale
Tips
- Mis-en place. It’s much easier to prepare all the ingredients ahead of time. Once you start cooking, things move quickly, and you don’t want to be overwhelmed by trying to do everything at once.
- The secret is to cook everything over high heat to get a nice sear on the meat and vegetables.
- If you love having lots of sauce, I suggest doubling the sauce ingredients! Leftover sauce can be used for reheating the day after.
- At the end, I like to add a small drizzle of toasted sesame oil—about 1 teaspoon is plenty. Be sure to use toasted sesame oil for the best flavor.
- This dish is fantastic served over rice to soak up the extra sauce, but lately, we’ve been enjoying it with rice, udon or soba noodles as well. Both options are delicious!
- Don’t overcrowd the pan. Use a large 12" skillet or wok. If your pan is too small, cook in batches. If you crowd the pan, the food will steam and become soggy. If you’re doubling the recipe or have a smaller pan, make it in two batches.
- Cut evenly. Make sure all the pieces are about the same size. This helps everything cook evenly.
What to Serve With Ground Chicken Stir Fry
- Flatbread (like this Naan, or similar)
- A simple green salad: Korean or Asian cucumber salad
- White/brown rice or cauliflower rice or noodles
- Pickled veggies: like this pickled daikon or these pickled radishes and onions
Stir Fry Variations
- Switch up the protein. Try using thinly sliced or cubed pork or beef as a delicious alternative to chicken.
- Go seafood. For a tasty twist, incorporate shrimp or cubes of salmon into the stir fry for a delightful seafood version.
- Heat level. This recipe isn’t spicy, but it has a little zing from the garlic and ginger. If you want more heat, just add extra ginger and stir in some crushed red pepper flakes.
- Make it vegetarian or vegan. Substitute the chicken with cubes of tofu and use maple syrup instead of honey.
Storing Leftovers
- To Store. Sesame stir-fry will keep in the fridge for 3-4 days. This stir-fry can be frozen but the sauce will thin out after thawing.
- To Reheat. For the best results, reheat in a small saucepan over low heat. You can also use the microwave, heating in 30-second increments.
More Chinese Take-Out Recipes
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Recipe Card
Honey Sesame Chicken Stir Fry
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INGREDIENTS
Stir Fry
- 2 tablespoon toasted cashews
- 1 tablespoon olive oil, or similar
- 11 ounce ground chicken
- 2 cups green beans, cut into smaller pieces, fresh or frozen
- 1 ½ cup bell pepper, cubed
- salt and black pepper , to taste
- scallions or fresh greens , for garnish
- sesame seeds , for garnish
Str Fry Sauce
- 2 ½ tablespoon honey, or more if needed
- 3 tablespoon low sodium soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon rice vinegar
- 2 ½ teaspoon toasted sesame oil
- 1 tablespoon toasted sesame seeds
- 2 teaspoon garlic, minced
- 1 inch fresh ginger, grated or chopped
- ¼ cup spring water
- 1 tablespoon tapioca or cornstarch
INSTRUCTIONS
- Make the Slurry: In a bowl, mix water and tapioca together to create a slurry. In another bowl, combine the sauce ingredients and then add the slurry.1 tablespoon tapioca or cornstarch, ¼ cup spring water
- Cook the Chicken: In a skillet or wok, heat half of the olive oil over medium-high heat. Add the ground chicken and cook for 1-2 minutes until browned. Season with salt and pepper, then set aside.1 tablespoon olive oil, 11 ounce ground chicken, salt and black pepper
- Sauté the Vegetables: In the same pan, add the remaining olive oil and the vegetables. Season with salt and pepper, and sauté for about 7 minutes.1 ½ cup bell pepper, salt and black pepper, 2 cups green beans
- Combine Ingredients: Return the cooked chicken to the pan and stir everything together. Add the sauce and cashews, mixing well. Cook for another 2 minutes, or until the sauce is glossy and evenly coats the stir-fry.2 tablespoon toasted cashews, 2 ½ tablespoon honey, 3 tablespoon low sodium soy sauce, 1 tablespoon rice vinegar, 2 ½ teaspoon toasted sesame oil, 1 tablespoon toasted sesame seeds, 2 teaspoon garlic, 1 inch fresh ginger
- Finish: Sprinkle sesame seeds and fresh greens on top before serving.scallions or fresh greens, sesame seeds
NOTES
- To Store. Sesame stir-fry will keep in the fridge for 3-4 days. This stir-fry can be frozen but the sauce will thin out after thawing.
- To Reheat. For the best results, reheat in a small saucepan over low heat. You can also use the microwave, heating in 30-second increments.
ADD YOUR OWN PRIVATE NOTES
NUTRITION
Note: Nutrition information is estimated and varies based on the products used.
Full Nutrition Disclaimer can be found here.
Sesame Chicken Stir Fry: Frequently Asked Questions
1. Have everything prepped before you start.
2. Cook on high heat for a quick sear.
3. Don’t crowd the pan, or the food will steam instead of fry.
Stir-fry becomes soggy if the pan is too crowded or the heat isn’t high enough. Both cause the food to steam instead of fry.
Cornstarch or tapioca mixed with water (called a slurry) is perfect to thicken any stir-fry sauce.
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Julia
easy and quick 30-minute ground chicken stir fry is one of our favorite dinners!