Craving Chinese takeout but trying to stick to a low-carb or keto diet? This keto sesame chicken recipe is the perfect solution! It's quick, easy, and packed with flavor, offering a healthier homemade alternative to traditional sesame chicken. In under 20 minutes, you can have this dish ready on the table, satisfying your cravings without the guilt.
Why Choose Keto Sesame Chicken?
Traditional Chinese takeout often contains hidden carbs and sugars, making it unsuitable for keto or low-carb diets. Many sauces are thickened with flour and loaded with sweeteners. This keto sesame chicken recipe addresses these issues by using low-carb alternatives and focusing on real food ingredients.
Key Ingredients and Substitutions
This section explains how to choose the best ingredients for this keto chicken recipe, what each one does in the recipe, and substitution options.
- Chicken: Boneless, skinless chicken breast is a staple in many low-carb diets due to its high protein and low-calorie content. You can also use boneless, skinless chicken thighs or chicken tenders for a richer flavor. Cut the chicken into bite-size chunks for easy cooking and serving.
- Soy Sauce: Since this recipe doesn't have any additional salt, regular soy sauce is used instead of light.
- Ketchup: To minimize carbs, opt for no-sugar-added ketchup. While ketchup naturally contains sugar from tomatoes, the no-sugar-added version avoids adding extra sugar, contributing only 4 total carbs to the entire dish.
- Brown Sugar Sweetener: A keto-friendly brown sugar sweetener, such as Swerve, is used for a touch of sweetness. These sweeteners are typically made from erythritol and have zero net carbs.
- Sesame Oil: A little sesame oil goes a long way, adding a distinct and irreplaceable flavor to the dish. There really is no alternative to replace the taste in keto sesame chicken.
- Arrowroot Powder To make the sauce thick, arrowroot powder is added, a paleo-friendly thickener instead of xanthan gum. Arrowroot powder is not inherently low carb, but it is minimally processed and you really don’t need much to thicken things up.
Step-by-Step Instructions
Here’s how to make this low carb chicken recipe step by step.
- Prepare the Chicken: Place the chicken into a large mixing bowl, and season with salt and pepper to taste.Sprinkle with the arrowroot powder, and toss to combine.Beat together the egg in a small bowl.Transfer the chicken pieces to the egg mixture and toss to coat. Set aside.
- Make the Sauce: In a small mixing bowl, combine the soy sauce, ketchup, minced garlic, brown sugar, onion powder, sesame oil and red pepper flakes. Stir to combine ingredients and set aside.
- Cook the Chicken: Heat olive oil in a large skillet over medium high heat until hot. Remove the chicken pieces from the egg mixture using a slotted spoon, allowing the excess batter to drip off.Place the chicken in the skillet and cook over medium-high heat for 7 minutes, stirring often, until chicken is browned and cooked thru. Transfer the cooked chicken from the skillet to a bowl and set aside.
- Combine and Thicken: Pour the sesame sauce into the hot skillet and whisk, making sure to scrape up any browned bits of chicken cooked onto the bottom of the skillet. Bring to a boil and simmer for 3 minutes, or until the sauce has reduced and thickened.Return the chicken to the skillet and toss to coat with the sauce.
Serving Suggestions
This keto sesame chicken recipe makes 4 nice servings and is best served with steamed cauliflower rice and green onions or zucchini noodles. For dinner, I recommend serving this chicken over a low-carb base like steamed cauliflower rice, zucchini noodles, kelp noodles, or shirataki noodles. Green onions add a bit of freshness and good color to your overall brown-looking recipe. Sesame seeds add a nutty flavor and a little crunch.
Read also: Easy Low-Carb Cheese Crackers
Can Chicken Be Keto-Friendly?
It is a common misconception that any chicken is keto-friendly because it is meat. But there are many chicken recipes that would not be keto and that is because of a breading or a sauce with sugar and carbs. This recipe is specifically designed to be keto-friendly by avoiding those high-carb ingredients.
Make It a Freezer Meal
To make this keto sesame chicken a freezer meal, simply place the chopped raw chicken in a freezer safe zip top bag along with the combined sauce ingredients. Store flat in the freezer for up to 4 months. When you are ready to cook, remove from the freezer the night before and let thaw in the refrigerator.
Recipe
Ingredients:
- 1 lb. Boneless skinless chicken thighs cut into bite-sized pieces
- 1 Tbsp. Arrowroot powder
- 1 Large egg
- 1 tsp. Sesame oil
- 1 Tbsp. Olive oil
- Salt and pepper to taste
For the sauce:
- 3 Tbsp. Soy sauce
- 1 Tbsp. Rice vinegar
- 2 Tbsp. Swerve brown sugar substitute
- 1 tsp. Sesame oil
- 1 tsp. Ginger paste
- 2 tsp. Minced garlic
- ¼ tsp. Red pepper flakes
Instructions:
- Place the chicken into a large mixing bowl, and season with salt and pepper to taste.
- Sprinkle with the arrowroot powder, and toss to combine.
- Beat together the egg in a small bowl.
- Heat 1 tsp. Sesame oil and 1 Tbsp. Olive oil in a large skillet over medium high heat until hot. Remove the chicken pieces from the egg mixture using a slotted spoon, allowing the excess batter to drip off.
- Place the chicken in the skillet and cook over medium-high heat for 7 minutes, stirring often, until chicken is browned and cooked thru. Transfer the cooked chicken from the skillet to a bowl and set aside.
- Pour the sesame sauce into the hot skillet and whisk, making sure to scrape up any browned bits of chicken cooked onto the bottom of the skillet. Bring to a boil and simmer for 3 minutes, or until the sauce has reduced and thickened.Return the chicken to the skillet and toss to coat with the sauce.
Nutritional Information
Nutrition is provided as a courtesy only. Nutritional information for the recipe is provided as a courtesy and is approximate only. We cannot guarantee the accuracy of the nutritional information given for any recipe on this site. Erythritol carbs are not included in carb counts as it has been shown not to impact blood sugar. Net carbs are the total carbs minus fiber. This keto sesame chicken recipe is only 259 calories and 3 carbs per serving!
Read also: Keto Calorie Counting: A Detailed Guide
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