When you taste these chicken pieces coated in a sticky, super simple Asian sauce and toasted sesame seeds, you’ll be so impressed with yourself for getting something so flavoursome on the table in just 15 minutes!
Mr. Scrummy and I got all excited by a purchase we made a couple of weeks ago. Not a car or brand new sofa or anything like that, but a second-hand freezer we snapped up from Gumtree for only £30. It was a bit battered here and there, but after a quick wipe down it was (almost) as good as new. Most importantly, it ended our 4 months of frustration with having the tiniest freezer compartment known to man in our rented apartment. Many a day included a spell of me huffing and puffing while kneeling in front of said fridge-freezer while unsuccessfully trying to squish things in.
For the last week or so, then, it’s been frozen meals central around here (and ice cream central, but I blame Mr. Scrummy for that one). Not the preservative-laden pre-prepared variety, you’ll be relieved to know. Just loads of leftover portions of food that I immediately started smugly tucking into our new freezer drawers – just because I could!
But the day finally came when there were no more frozen-meals-for-two left and I had to start getting off my *** again and get cooking some meals. That day was yesterday, but I decided to ease myself out of my lazy ways by cooking something that wouldn’t take very long but would still taste really good.
After a quick leaf through my ‘to make’ list, I decided on a version of a recipe I found on the Weight Watcher’s website, of all places. Now just to be clear, I am not a ‘weight watcher’ (with no disrespect to any of you who are, of course) but I guess it’s still good to know that this recipe is a pretty healthy, light one. Even if you account for the fact that the Weight Watcher’s recipe is supposedly good for four, but Mr. Scrummy and I ate the whole lot to ourselves. AND, ahem, tripled the amount of sauce …
I definitely could have got away with making a little less of the sauce, but I figure that it’s best to have some extra for those who want it. You can always leave some in the pan, but you don’t want to feel like you don’t have enough now, do you? 😉
Mr. Scrummy raved about how flavourful this was … and it really is. There are only four ingredients in the sauce (maple syrup, rice wine vinegar, soy sauce and ginger) but they are all pretty punchy flavours which meld together beautifully to make a sort of sweet and sour, glaze-y sauce that clings to the chicken and makes it all sticky and delicious.
Spoon a good portion of the chicken and sauce over a bowl of rice, sprinkle nutty toasted sesame seeds and chopped spring onions generously over, grab some chop sticks and sit down and enjoy … only 15 minutes after you started cooking.
What’s your favourite 15-minute meal?
15-minute sticky sesame chicken
Ingredients (UK/Australia? Click below for grams/ml)
- 2 tablespoons raw sesame seeds
- 3 tablespoons water mixed with 1 tablespoon cornstarch
- 3 tablespoons soy sauce
- 3 tablespoons maple syrup
- 3 tablespoons rice wine I used Japanese mirin, but Chinese rice wine is OK, too
- about 2-inch piece fresh ginger grated or finely chopped
- 1/2 teaspoon Chinese 5-spice
- 2 tablespoons plain flour
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
- 1 pound boneless skinless chicken breast chopped into bite-sized pieces
- about 3 spring onions chopped
- oil for cooking
- rice to serve
Instructions
- Heat a large skillet/frying pan on a medium heat, then toast the sesame seeds until a light golden colour (about 2 to 3 minutes). Transfer to a bowl.
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the water & cornstarch, soy sauce, maple syrup, rice wine, ginger & 5-spice. Set aside.
- Put the flour, salt and pepper onto a plate and roll the chicken in it until all of the chicken is lightly coated.
- Heat a good drizzle of oil in the pan on a medium-high heat, then brown the chicken for about 5 minutes until golden on all sides.
- Add the sauce to the pan and let it bubble and thicken for a minute or two. Serve the chicken over rice, then sprinkle generously with the toasted sesame seeds and chopped spring onions.
Notes
Nutrition
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Trevor Leighton says
I work for a Thai company and my record for a three day stay in Bangkok consisted of 6 Pad Kaprow Moo Kai Dow, lunch and dinner in different restaurants! I haven’t tasted anything better than this recipe! I’d only up the garlic and chilli and recommend 2 fried eggs runny yolk. OMG amazing. Thanks Helen!
Helen says
Hello Trevor, and thank you so much for the feedback. You are making me blush hahaha. So glad you enjoyed it. Try this 15-minute Thai basil pork stir fry too. It’ll knock your socks off!
Chris Glenn says
Worth a couple of extra minutes!
Smooth Move – Velveting
http://www.saveur.com/article/Kitchen/Smooth-Move-Velveting-Technique
By Andy Baraghani 07-27-2011
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Also I make a very similar dish, but because it calls for whole chicken pieces takes a lot longer, thanks for this wonderful/quick recipe. Also different with the recipe I make, (which came from my fathers care-giver 20 years ago), is that it calls for 2/3’s cup maple syrup, 3 tablespoons Dijon mustard & 2 tablespoons cider vinegar. (and no sesame seed!) Sometime when you’re in the mood to experiment, I suggest try adding about a tsp. or so of dijon mustard(?) and maybe also 1 or t teaspoons of Chinese Sesame Paste. (just some IDEAS for Variations) I have not tried this yet, but because of the similarities I know it has to be really tasty and with the added bonus of really QUICK!
Chris
Helen says
Interesting idea to add mustard – I never would have thought of that! I bet the sesame paste goes wonderfully, too – I’ll definitely have to look out for some next time I go to my local Asian supermarket!
Shashi at RunninSrilankan says
Helen – y’all scored a freezer a £30?? Now that’s one heck of a deal indeed!
And the sauce coating this chicken sounds so lip-smacking flavorful – just like Mr Scrummy said!
Helen says
Hi, Shashi! Haha … lol! We sure are enjoying that freezer. It’s already crammed full with yummy bread and frozen meals for lazy evenings. Love it!
Bintu @ Recipes From A Pantry says
I am a huge fan of sesame seed so I am all over this chicken.
Helen says
Glad you like it, Bintu! 🙂
Dannii @ Hungry Healthy Happy says
Now this is my kind of meal. I love sesame seeds.
My favourite 15 minute meal is avocado pasta. Yum!
Helen says
Ooh, I will have to try out that avocado pasta … I remember you posted the recipe recently!
Allie | Baking a Moment says
Oh my gosh I would be so excited to score an extra freezer! Ours is a joke. And what a steal! This meal looks fantastic Helen, I think my hubby especially would love it. Pinning for him 😉
Helen says
Really? I didn’t think small freezers would ever be a problem in the states! Really happy this might please your hubby, Allie!
Pamela @ Brooklyn Farm Girl says
I love sesame chicken and I am really glad that you shared this really quick and easy way to make it! Can’t wait to try it out for myself!
Helen says
Thanks, Pamela! Really hope you do give this a go some time soon! 🙂
Joanne says
Takeout at home AND it takes only 15 minutes to make?! You know I”m into this!
Helen says
I bet this would work with tofu too, Joanne 😉