For a lighter version of the Chinese takeout favorite, sesame chicken, skip the deep frying, marinate the chicken, and whisk together a homemade sesame sauce with soy, toasted sesame oil, brown sugar, and hoisin. (210 calories or 3 WW points)

Healthy sesame chicken starts with the chicken. I opt for chicken breast meat over thighs, skip the breading and deep-frying, and instead marinate the chicken for 15 minutes in a mix of soy sauce, garlic, and ginger to tenderize it and maximize flavor.

For the sweet sesame sauce, whisk together soy sauce, brown sugar, toasted sesame oil, and hoisin, a thick Asian sauce with sweet, salty, and smoky notes resembling American-style barbecue sauce. The toasted sesame oil and hoisin provide the warmth that sesame chicken is known for, but I’ve tested the recipe with both hoisin and American barbecue sauce and couldn’t detect too much of a difference so feel free to substitute bottled barbecue sauce for the hoisin if you’d like.

While your sesame chicken is cooking, steam broccoli florets and stir them into the pan with the sesame sauce to complete the meal. Enjoy!

Print Recipe

5 from 3 votes

Healthy Sesame Chicken

A lighter version of the Chinese takeout favorite that skips the deep frying!

Prep Time20 minutes mins

Cook Time10 minutes mins

Total Time30 minutes mins

Course: Poultry

Cuisine: Asian

Keyword: asian marinade chicken, chinese marinade chicken, heatlthy sesame chicken recipe, hoisin chicken recipe

Servings: 4 servings

Calories: 210kcal

Author: Andie Mitchell

Ingredients

Marinade:

• 1 lbs boneless skinless chicken breasts cut into 1-inch pieces
• .25 c cup soy sauce
• 2 tbsp tablespoons grated fresh ginger
• 2 garlic cloves minced

Sesame Chicken:

• 2 tbsp hoisin sauce or barbecue sauce
• 1 tbsp soy sauce
• 1 tbsp light brown sugar
• 1 tbsp toasted sesame oil
• 1 tsp vegetable oil
• 2 tsp 2 teaspoons sesame seeds
• 2 scallions chopped

Instructions

• In a gallon-size plastic bag, combine the chicken, soy sauce, ginger, and garlic. Press the air from the bag, seal it, and toss a few times to coat the chicken. Refrigerate for at least 15 minutes.
• In a small bowl, whisk the hoisin sauce, soy sauce, brown sugar, and sesame oil. Set aside.
• In a large (12-inch) nonstick skillet, heat the vegetable oil over medium-high heat. Remove the chicken from the marinade, discard the remaining liquid, and add it to the skillet. Cook, turning to brown on all sides, until cooked through, about 6 minutes. Stir in the hoisin mixture and cook until the sauce has thickened, about 2 minutes. Stir in the sesame seeds and scallions. Serve

Notes

1 serving: 3 WW Freestyle points

Nutrition

Calories: 210kcal | Carbohydrates: 8g | Protein: 27g | Fat: 8g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 82mg | Sodium: 812mg | Sugar: 6g