You'll love this restaurant-quality gluten-free sesame chicken recipe made with battered crispy bits of juicy chicken coated with a sweet and sticky sesame sauce.
1 1/2lbsskinless boneless chicken thighscut into chunks
Toppings:
2tbsptoasted sesame seeds
2green onionssliced
Instructions
Combine the sauce ingredients in a bowl or large measuring cup. Mix well and set aside.
Combine the cornstarch, salt, and pepper in a bowl. Whisk and set aside.
Heat half the oil in a large non-stick skillet pan over medium-high heat. Once the oil is hot, coat about half of the chicken pieces with the cornstarch mixture, dipping them individually into the cornstarch mixture, then add each piece of chicken in a single layer in the pan. Do not overcrowd the pan. Cook the chicken in two batches.
Allow the chicken to cook in the hot oil for 2-3 minutes on each side until lightly brown all over and the chicken is cooked through. Add more oil as needed. Once the chicken is cooked, remove the chicken from the pan and place each piece on a wire rack or paper towel to drain.
Heat the remaining oil and cook the additional chicken until cooked through on each side. Remove the chicken from the pan and place each piece on the wire rack.
Wipe the pan clean with a paper towel, then add the sauce mixture and cook it over medium-high heat for two minutes until it bubbles and begins to thicken.
Turn the heat to medium and add the cooked chicken pieces. Gently stir the chicken pieces to coat them in the sauce. Cook for another 3-4 minutes, stirring frequently. The sauce will continue to thicken and become sticky as it cooks.
Turn off the heat and serve the sesame chicken over rice or vegetables. Top with sesame seeds and green onions.
Notes
All nutrition information is approximate.Tamari: This recipe calls for low-sodium tamari. If using regular tamari, reduce the soy sauce to 1 tbsp. You can also use coconut aminos if you're avoiding soy.Ginger: Fresh ginger is always best, but you can substitute 1 tsp of ground ginger instead of 2 tsp fresh ginger. I don't always have fresh ginger readily available, so I sometimes use frozen ginger cubes from Dorot.Oil: You may need to add more oil to the pan if it becomes dry. Use a high-heat-approved oil, like avocado oil. I discuss the importance of using the right oil in this article.Cornstarch: I don't recommend substituting gluten-free flour for cornstarch. Cornstarch allows you to get a crispy crust on the chicken while sealing in the juices. While cornstarch works best, you could substitute potato starch. Cornstarch is typically gluten free; check labels carefully.