This keto sesame chicken features succulent chicken pieces coated in a delicious sweet-and-savory sauce.
This easy weeknight recipe is ready in under 30 minutes. The chicken comes out juicy and flavorful!
Most stir-fry recipes are easy (this Korean beef recipe is a good example). After prepping the veggies and mixing the sauce, the cooking itself is a matter of minutes. This recipe is even easier since there's hardly any prep work. You simply mix the sauce, cook the chicken, then add the sauce and cook until it thickens.
The result is so juicy and flavorful! My teenage tester - my toughest critic - took a few tentative bites, chewed thoughtfully, and then announced, "Wow. This is ten out of ten." 😁
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Ingredients
Like most stir-fry recipes, the list of ingredients may seem daunting. But it's quick to gather, and the cooking itself happens fast. The exact measurements are listed in the recipe card below. Here's an overview of what you'll need:
For the sauce:
- Soy sauce: I use reduced-sodium sauce.
- Unsweetened ketchup: The Primal Kitchen brand is good.
- Honey: I use sugar-free honey.
- Rice vinegar: White wine vinegar works, too.
- Cornstarch: It helps thicken the sauce and doesn't add many carbs per serving. However, do feel free to use a keto alternative such as konjac flour (use the package directions for converting).
- Aromatics: Minced garlic and grated ginger. The jarred versions are fine, but for the best flavor, mince the garlic and grate the ginger yourself.
For the chicken:
- Avocado oil for cooking: I like using this versatile, neutral-flavored oil in stir-fry recipes.
- Boneless, skinless chicken breasts: I cut them into 1-inch pieces.
- Kosher salt and black pepper: I use Diamond Crystal kosher salt and freshly ground black pepper.
Topping:
- Toasted sesame oil: This is a must. It adds TONS of flavor to this dish. I usually use the 365 by Whole Foods Market brand.
- Sesame seeds: Used mostly for garnish.
- Sliced green onions: Again, used mostly for garnish, so if you don't have them on hand, it's fine to skip them.
Variations
- Use boneless skinless chicken thighs instead of chicken breast. They work well in this recipe and are in fact juicier than chicken breast.
- Use ghee or refined coconut oil instead of avocado oil.
- To add a hint of spice, mix ½ teaspoon of crushed red peppers into the sauce. Or use a full teaspoon if you like your food very spicy.
Instructions
Scroll down to the recipe card for detailed instructions. Here are the basic steps for making this recipe:
Whisk together the sauce ingredients, then set the sauce aside.
Season the chicken pieces with salt and pepper, and cook them in avocado oil until cooked through.
Give the sauce one more stir and add it to the pan. Reduce the heat and keep cooking and stirring until the sauce thickens and the chicken is well-coated.
Transfer the chicken to a serving platter. Drizzle it with sesame oil, sprinkle with sesame seeds and sliced green onions, then serve.
Expert Tip
Instead of mixing the garlic and ginger into the sauce, you can add them to the skillet when the chicken is fully cooked and saute them for 30 seconds. This will help them release their flavor and aroma into the dish.
Recipe FAQs
Yes. While nontraditional, you could cook the chicken, remove it from the pan and keep it warm, then add more oil and very briefly cook vegetable pieces such as broccoli florets. Make sure they remain tender-crisp. Add the chicken back, then proceed with adding the sauce.
Yes, but you'll still have to cook the chicken in a skillet, so oven-baking will add an extra step and more dishes to wash.
But if you'd like, you can briefly saute the chicken, then place it in a rimmed baking dish, coat it with the sauce, and bake until cooked through - start with 30 minutes at 350°F, stirring midway through baking.
Yes. As mentioned above, you can use boneless, skinless chicken thighs. They're fattier, juicier, and arguably tastier than chicken breast!
Serving Suggestions
Keto sesame chicken is great all on its own with a simple side of a vegetable such as sauteed green beans, sauteed spinach, or steamed asparagus.
It's also good when served over cauliflower rice or zucchini noodles (omit the parmesan). If you can handle shirataki, shirataki sesame noodles are another good option.
Sometimes, I line our plates with raw baby spinach leaves, ladle the chicken on top, and then the spinach gets lightly cooked by the sauce. Perfect!
Storing Leftovers
You can keep the leftovers in the fridge, in an airtight container, for up to four days. Reheat them in the microwave, covered, at 50% power. You can also freeze individual portions for up to three months.
More Keto Stir-Fry Recipes
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Recipe Card
Keto Sesame Chicken
Ingredients
For the sauce
- ¼ cup reduced-sodium soy sauce - or a gluten-free alternative
- ¼ cup unsweetened ketchup
- 1 tablespoon sugar-free honey
- 1 tablespoon rice vinegar
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
- 1 teaspoon garlic - minced
- 1 teaspoon ginger root - minced
For the chicken
- 2 tablespoons avocado oil
- 1 ½ pound boneless skinless chicken breasts - cut into 1-inch pieces
- ½ teaspoon Diamond Crystal kosher salt - or ¼ teaspoon of any other salt
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
Topping
- 1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil
- 1 tablespoon sesame seeds
- 2 tablespoons green onions - thinly sliced
Instructions
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the sauce ingredients (soy sauce, unsweetened ketchup, honey, rice vinegar, cornstarch, garlic, and ginger). Set aside.
- Cook the chicken: In a large frying pan, heat the avocado oil over medium heat. Season the chicken pieces with salt and pepper. Sauté them on all sides in the hot oil until cooked through, about 7 minutes.
- Give the sauce one more stir and add it to the pan. Reduce the heat to medium-low. Keep cooking and stirring until the sauce thickens and the chicken is well coated, about 2 more minutes.
- Transfer the chicken to a serving platter (lined with cauliflower rice if you wish). Drizzle it with sesame oil and sprinkle it with sesame seeds and sliced green onions. Serve immediately.
Video
Notes
- As an alternative to mixing the garlic and ginger into the sauce, you can add them to the skillet when the chicken is fully cooked and saute them for 30 seconds. This will help them release their flavor and aroma into the dish.
- The cornstarch helps thicken the sauce and doesn't add many carbs per serving. However, feel free to use a keto alternative such as konjac flour (use the package directions for converting).
- You can use boneless skinless chicken thighs instead of chicken breast. They work well in this recipe and are, in fact, juicier than chicken breast.
- You can keep the leftovers in the fridge, in an airtight container, for up to four days. Reheat them in the microwave, covered, at 50% power. You can also freeze individual portions for up to three months.
Nutrition per Serving
Disclaimers
Cup measurements refer to the standard American cup, which is 240 milliliters. Most of my recipes are low-carb (or keto) and gluten-free, but some are not. Please verify that a recipe fits your needs before using it. Recommended and linked products are not guaranteed to be gluten-free. Nutrition info is approximate, and the carb count excludes non-nutritive sweeteners. Nutrition info may contain errors, so please verify it independently. Recipes may contain errors, so please use your common sense when following them. Please read these Terms of Use carefully before using any of my recipes.
Vered DeLeeuw, LL.M., CNC, has been following a low-carb real-food diet and blogging about it since 2011. She's a Certified Nutrition Coach (NASM-CNC), has taken courses at the Harvard School of Public Health, and has earned a Nutrition and Healthy Living Certificate from Cornell University. Her work has appeared in several major media outlets, including Healthline, HuffPost, Today, Women's Health, Shape, and Country Living. 
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