Whole30 Sesame Chicken

A Whole30 version of the Chinese takeout classic: crispy, tender chicken coated in a naturally sweetened sesame sauce that’s just delicious. Made in about 25 minutes and great over cauliflower rice. Paleo, gluten-free, grain-free.

Why This Chicken Is So Good!

• This homemade version of a takeout favorite is quick and easy to make, it’s on the table in less than 30 minutes.
• This recipe is Whole30, grain-free, gluten-free and paleo.
• It’s a great healthy alternative to your regular takeout and the chicken is so amazingly crispy!

Crispy Coated Chicken Recipe

To make this recipe Whole30 compliant and grain-free, we used arrowroot powder in place of all-purpose flour to create a wonderfully crispy crust. When coating the chicken, we prefer to use a bag over a bowl as it makes it much easier to coat the chicken evenly and with less mess.

What Can You Serve With It?

To keep this chicken dish Whole30 compliant, we like to serve it with cauliflower rice to make it a full meal. You can also serve it with a side of veggies like steamed broccoli or beans. If you aren’t following Whole30, this chicken is great with cilantro and lime brown rice.

Chef’s Tips

• Use good quality chicken breast for this whole30 sesame chicken recipe, preferably free run / organic if you can.
• Cut the chicken into similar size pieces so that it cooks evenly.
• For the crispiest chicken, ensure that the chicken pieces are coated with the arrowroot.
• Don’t stir the chicken when you first add it to the skillet so that it becomes crispy and brown.

More Whole30 Chicken Recipes

• Whole30 Chicken Curry
• Healthy Chicken Pot Pie Soup
• Creamy Tomato and Artichoke Chicken
• Tom Kha Soup

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5 from 20 votes

Whole30 Sesame Chicken

Prep:10 minutes

Cook:15 minutes

Total:25 minutes

A Whole30 version of the Chinese takeout classic: crispy, tender chicken coated in a naturally sweetened sesame sauce that's just delicious. A great dinner over cauliflower rice.

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4 servings

Ingredients

For the Chicken

• ▢ 1 pound boneless skinless chicken breasts  cut into 1-inch chunks
• ▢ salt to taste
• ▢ ½ cup arrowroot starch plus more as needed to coat
• ▢ 1 large egg  whisked
• ▢ refined coconut oil or avocado oil, for frying

For the Whole30 Sesame Sauce

• ▢ 6 tablespoons coconut aminos
• ▢ 2 tablespoons water
• ▢ 1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil
• ▢ ¼ cuo dates roughly chopped
• ▢ 1 tablespoon rice vinegar see Notes
• ▢ 1 teaspoon freshly grated ginger
• ▢ 2 cloves garlic peeled and roughly chopped
• ▢ ½ tablespoon arrowroot starch
• ▢ 1 tablespoon white sesame seeds plus more for garnish

Optional Garnishes

• ▢ white sesame seeds
• ▢ green onions sliced thin on a diagonal
• ▢ cauliflower rice

Equipment

• 2 medium bowls
• zippered plastic bag optional
• blender
• Large skillet
• Tongs

Instructions 

• Add whisked egg to a medium bowl. Add ½ cup arrowroot starch to medium plastic food storage bag or separate medium bowl.
• Sprinkle chicken pieces with salt. Add chicken to bowl with egg and toss evenly in egg to coat. Transfer chicken to bag or bowl with arrowroot and toss to coat. I prefer a bag here as it makes it much easier to coat the chicken evenly. Remove chicken pieces from arrowroot, discarding excess.
• Add coconut aminos, water, sesame oil, dates, rice vinegar, ginger, garlic, and arrowroot starch to a blender. Blend on high until very smooth. Stir in sesame seeds.
• Heat a thin layer of coconut oil or avocado oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Add chicken pieces and cook without moving until golden on the bottom; flip and cook without moving until golden brown on the other side. Stir and continue cooking chicken pieces until golden brown on all sides and cooked through, about 5-7 minutes depending on size.
• Pour over sesame sauce and stir. Bring to a boil and cook until thickened, a couple minutes. Top with sesame seeds and sliced green onions; serve over steamed cauliflower rice.

Notes

Rice vinegar is Whole30 compliant; make sure you do not get seasoned rice wine vinegar as it often contains sugar (added to the vinegar).

Keep in an airtight container in the fridge up to 3 days. Chicken will not be as crispy after reheating, of course, but still tasty!

Nutrition Information

Serving: 1serving, Calories: 378kcal, Carbohydrates: 32g, Protein: 26g, Fat: 16g, Saturated Fat: 7g, Polyunsaturated Fat: 3g, Monounsaturated Fat: 4g, Trans Fat: 1g, Cholesterol: 119mg, Sodium: 705mg, Potassium: 564mg, Fiber: 3g, Sugar: 10g, Vitamin A: 124IU, Vitamin C: 2mg, Calcium: 50mg, Iron: 1mg, Net Carbs: 29g

Number of total servings shown is approximate. Actual number of servings will depend on your preferred portion sizes.

 

Nutritional values shown are general guidelines and reflect information for 1 serving using the ingredients listed, not including any optional ingredients. Actual macros may vary slightly depending on specific brands and types of ingredients used.

 

To determine the weight of one serving, prepare the recipe as instructed. Weigh the finished recipe, then divide the weight of the finished recipe (not including the weight of the container the food is in) by the desired number of servings. Result will be the weight of one serving.

© Author: Cheryl Malik