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Aug 18
22

Ginger Sesame Chicken

Ginger Sesame Chicken

Nutty toasted sesame seeds combine with fresh, aromatic ginger root to flavor this tasty Asian dish. The soy sauce and wine contribute to its savory profile, the maple syrup adds a subtly touch of sweetness and the Chinese Five Spice powder lends its five flavors: sour, bitter, sweet, pungent and salty. All these tastes blend beautifully to create a meal that’s easy to put together and tastes fresher and better than take out Chinese! It’s better for you too, of course. I suggest serving this Ginger Sesame Chicken over ¾ cup of brown rice (per serving) as pictured, but I listed the P+ without the rice as well in case you have alternate plans. In addition to being delicious I also thought this meal was very filling and kept me satisfied for the rest of the evening after eating it. Add a vegetable like broccoli as a side dish (or double the recipe for the sauce and incorporate it right into the meal) to make it even more filling!

To view your WW PersonalPoints for this recipe and track it in the WW app or site, click here!

Ginger Sesame Chicken

Ginger Sesame Chicken

Ginger Sesame Chicken is healthier than take out, but just as delicious!

Ingredients

  • 2 tablespoons sesame seeds
  • 1 tablespoon water
  • 1 tablespoon low sodium soy sauce
  • 1 tablespoon light maple syrup
  • 1 tablespoon dry wine, the original recipe uses sherry, but I used Riesling because it’s what I had open
  • 1 teaspoon fresh ginger root, minced
  • 1/2 teaspoon five spice powder, Asian spice blend
  • 2 tablespoons flour
  • 1/2 teaspoon salt
  • 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
  • 1 lb raw boneless skinless chicken breast, cut into bite-sized pieces
  • 2 teaspoons sesame oil
  • Optional: 3 cups cooked brown rice

Instructions

  • In a large skillet over medium-high heat, brown the sesame seeds until lightly toasted (2-3 minutes), shaking the pan frequently. Remove toasted seeds from heat and transfer to a dish. Set skillet aside for use in step 4.
  • In a small bowl, combine the water, soy sauce, maple syrup, wine, ginger and five spice and stir together.
  • Place the flour, salt and pepper in a Ziploc bag and shake to mix. Add the chicken pieces and seal. Shake until chicken pieces are thoroughly coated.
  • Add the sesame oil to the large skillet and bring to medium-high heat. When oil is hot, add the chicken pieces and cook through, flipping the chicken to brown on all sides (about 5 minutes). Pour the sauce mixture from step 2 over the chicken and stir to coat. Cook for a few more minutes until sauce is thickened and coating chicken. Add toasted sesame seeds to chicken and stir to coat (or sprinkle seeds over top of each serving). Split chicken into four servings and serve over 3/4 cup cooked rice if desired.

Notes

To view your WW PersonalPoints for this recipe and track it in the WW app or site, click here!
Nutrition Information (optional rice not included):
200 calories, 6 g carbs, 2 g sugars, 8 g fat, 2 g saturated fat, 26 g protein, 1 g fiber (from myfitnesspal.com)
MyWW SmartPoints per (1/4 of the recipe) serving: (SP calculated using the recipe builder on weightwatchers.com)
Green: 4 SmartPoints/ Blue: 3 SmartPoints/ Purple: 3 SmartPoints
Weight Watchers Points Plus (rice not included):
5 per serving (P+ calculated using the recipe builder on weightwatchers.com)
adapted from Healthy in a Year

22 comments on “Ginger Sesame Chicken”

  1. I am so making this. Wow, it looks amazing! Thanks for posting it.

  2. This looks so Good! I want some:)

  3. This was really good! I addded some steamed broccoli into the mix too and got in some veggies…made a nice addition! 🙂

    Laurel

  4. I made this last night. It was really good and definitely a great alternative to getting take out sesame chicken!

  5. YUM! Unfortunately, I thought I had sesame seeds but I didn’t. 🙁 But hey, at least without them it saved me a point! And I did have sesame oil to compensate.

  6. Thanks everyone, glad you liked it! 🙂

  7. Just made this recipe & love it!

    I added a slash of orange juice for tartness & red pepper flakes because I love spice. Also used a bit of cornstarch to help thicken up the sauce. Love this recipe & will definitely be having it again. Thanks Emily!

  8. Ooh, those sound like yummy changes. Glad you liked it!

  9. Made this tonight for dinner. My chicken didn’t turn out that brown though. Maybe because i added broccoli and bok choy in the same pan. Pretty good! I’ve never had chinese 5 spice.

  10. Made this tonight exactly as written – wow! Delicious! I liked it better than takeout sesame chicken which is always so starchy, sticky and sweet. Hubby liked it too. Thanks so much!

  11. Made this tonight, followed exactly and found it to be very bland. But I love Sesame chicken so I’m willing to try again with the addition mentioned above of the orange juice and red pepper to see how it comes out.

  12. Call me a donut, but what exactly does your (T) stand for and your (C), teaspoon or tablespoon? tks

  13. what kind of dry wine? red or white, or does it not matter?

  14. Where do you find light maple syrup? What is the difference between light and regular maple syrup? My parents make their own maple syrup, and we’re all scratching our heads. Should I substitute real maple syrup or the light “fake” stuff? Thanks so much for your help!

    • I meant the fake stuff, but feel free to use the real kind if you prefer! It will change the nutrition info.

  15. Could the dry wine be substituted for anything else? Do you think that white wine vinegar would completely change the taste?

    Looks like a great recipe! I love your website! 🙂

  16. So happy I found your site! It is good to have a place where there a plenty of recipes and can go by how many points you want. Thanks for your work!

  17. I tried this but thought the taste of Chinese five spice was so overpowering. Next time, I don’t plan on putting any in there.

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