Healthy Baked or Air Fried Sesame Chicken (1 dish 3 ways)
by Baked or Air Fried Sesame Chicken is crispy, healthy, and made in a sheet pan! With no starch and flour, I show you how to make 1 dish and change it up for 2 more without spending extra time! This healthy baked sesame chicken might just be the answer to meal prep without always eating the same thing!
If you love sesame chicken, also check out my Panda Express honey sesame chicken and Chinese sesame chicken!
Baked Sesame Chicken – 3 Ways
I get this question often from my blog readers “How To Meal Prep Without Eating The Same Thing?” “Meal Prep is time consuming. How can I make it easier and faster?”
To kick-off a new season, today’s Healthy Sesame Chicken is the perfect solution to make your dream come true!
Why I Like This Dish So Much
These juicy chicken cubes are –
- Crispy and delicious (flavor must come first in my book!)
- Easy sheet pan baking (oven baked or air fry, all okay!)
- No starch, no flour (you not only get the yum but also low carb!)
- Make 1 dish, change it up 2 more times! (no more eating the same thing!)
- Plus, they are FUN to make! You can do it with your kiddos, too!
➞ Download a sample of Easy Homemade with shopping lists to help you cook smarter, eat delicious flavorful food, and with no need to meal prep!
Ingredients for Healthy Sesame Chicken (Oven Baked or Air Fried)
- Chicken breasts
- Coarse sea salt
- Coconut aminos (or tamari)
- Grated ginger roots
- Baking soda
- Toasted sesame oil
- Raw white sesame seeds
How To Make Air Fryer Or Baked Sesame Chicken
- Dice the chicken to cubes and marinate for 15 minutes.
- Drench and coat the chicken with sesame seeds
- Bake or air fryer until the chicken reaches 165F | 74C
- Serve with honey mustard sauce
Dish 1 – Crispy Sesame Chicken Bites with Honey Mustard Sauce (Keto or Whole30)
This is the main component of the meal and we called it the Base Meal inside of Easy Homemade. I pair it with a keto honey mustard sauce. It’s a great appetizer/finger food. To make the dipping sauce Whole30, use dates instead of honey.
Dish 2 – Sesame Chicken Creamy Zoodle Bowl (Keto & Whole30)
This homemade roasted sesame dressing is one of my favorite Asian-flavored dressings. Here I toss the zucchini noodles (or squash noodles) with the dressing, then add the air fryer sesame chicken, cucumbers, and Sichuan chili oil (optional). Voila! Creamy, toasty, nutty, and delicious all in one bowl!
Dish 3 – Sesame Chicken Crunch Salad (Keto & Whole30)
We are on to Dish 3, using the same base ingredient meal from our meal prep! I bought a bag of Trader Joe’s coleslaw/shredded cabbage, then added some toasted almond slices, cilantro, and my homemade Whole30 ranch yogurt dressing. My husband finished this crunch salad and absolutely loves it! P.s. This dish is great for mason jars, too. Take a look at this Mandarin Orange Chicken Salad to see how I pack salad in a jar.
Want More Chicken Meal Prep Recipes?
- Air Fryer Whole Chicken (so good, easy, and juicy!)
- Air Fried Lemon Chicken Bites (no breading, keto)
- Chinese sesame chicken (whole30, stovetop)
- Chicken and Broccoli (all-time favorite!)
- Ginger Chicken Stir-Fry with Squash
- Mongolian Chicken (so good!)
- Kung Pao Chicken (whole30)
- Black Pepper Chicken (better than Panda Express!)
- Air Fryer Honey Sriracha Chicken (keto)
- Chinese Orange Chicken (baked, whole30)
- Vietnamese Chicken Wings (crispy, air fried!)
- Browse my Paleo Main Course Recipes
Friends! This Baked/Air Fried Sesame Chicken is super delicious, healthy, and you can make it in a sheet pan! I’ve shown you how to make 1 dish and change it up for 2 more without spending extra time! That’s 3 completely different dishes and you only spend time making 1. A total win! #yay!
➞ If you want MORE meal examples, MORE variety, MORE flavor, and with a done-for-you consolidated shopping list, download a sample of Easy Homemade.
Air Fried or Baked Crispy Sesame Chicken (1 dish 3 ways!)
Video
Ingredients
For the baked or air fried sesame chicken:
- 1.25 lb chicken breasts, dice to 1-inch cubes
- ½ tsp coarse sea salt
- 2 tbsp coconut aminos, or 1.5 tbsp tamari
- 1 tbsp grated fresh ginger root
- 1 tsp baking soda
- 1.5 tsp toasted sesame oil
- 1 cup raw white sesame seeds, see notes
- Avocado oil spray
- Toasted black sesame seeds, garnish optional
Dish 1 – Sesame Chicken Bites with Honey Mustard Sauce
- 4 tsp Dijon mustard
- 4 tsp Keto honey, see instructions for Whole30
- 4 tsp Apple cider vinegar
Dish 2 – Sesame Chicken Creamy Zoodle Bowl
- 2 whole persian cucumbers, diced. 1 cucumber per bowl
- Zucchini noodles, about 1 zucchini per bowl
- Asian “Peanut” Sauce, or Thai "Peanut" Sauce
- Sichuan chili oil, optional
Dish 3 – Sesame Chicken Crunch Salad
- Coleslaw mix, I use Trader Joe’s or Dole classic that are finely shredded
- Cilantro, chopped
- Toasted almond slices
- Whole30 ranch yogurt dressing
Equipment
- 1 large sheet pan with wire rack
- Parchment paper for the sheet pan
Instructions
- In a large bowl, marinate the diced chicken with ingredients from salt to sesame oil for 15 minutes in the fridge.
To bake
- Preheat the oven to 400°F (204°C). Line the sheet pan with parchment with a wire rack on top. Spray the rack with a thin layer of oil. In a large bowl, add the sesame seeds. Lightly drench the chicken before dipping/coating them with sesame seeds on all sides.
- Place the chicken one-by-one on the sheet with some small gap between each piece. Spray another thin layer of oil over. Bake for 15-20 minutes. The chicken should be cooked through or reach 165°F (74°C).
To air fry
- Spray the basket with a thin layer of oil. Add the chicken to the basket with some space in-between. Spray a thin layer of oil over. Air fryer at 380°F (193°C) for 5 minutes the first side and 4 minutes the flip side. The chicken should be cooked through or reach 165°F (74°C). You might need to do this in 2 batches.
Dish 1 – Sesame Chicken Bites with Honey Mustard Sauce
- Garnish the chicken with toasted black sesame seeds, if using. Serve as an appetizer with the sauce on the side. For Whole30, soak 4 dates with a few tablespoons of warm water until they soften, about 10-15 minutes. Discard the water. Blend the dates with mustard and vinegar with a few tablespoons of water, start with 2 tbsp and add more if needed. The sauce should be creamy, smooth, a little sweet, and tart.
Dish 2 – Sesame Chicken Creamy Zoodle Bowl
- Divide the zucchini noodles into individual serving bowls. Toss the noodles with Asian “Peanut” Sauce or Thai “Peanut” Sauce. Add the cucumbers and sesame chicken. Drizzle with a teaspoon of hot chili oil, if using.
Dish 3 – Sesame Chicken Crunch Salad
- In a salad bowl, add the coleslaw mix, cilantro, almond, and sesame chicken. Toss the salad with Whole30 ranch yogurt dressing before serving.
Notes
- Store the cooked sesame chicken in a glass container in the fridge for upto 4-5 days.
- You can warm up the sesame chicken in a microwave. Cover the container and microwave for 1 minute.
- I use raw sesame seeds so they are less likely to get burnt. If you can’t find them, you can also use toasted. Just watch the cook time and temperature so they don’t get burnt.
- The Sesame Chicken can be divided for 4 servings (1.25 lbs chicken) but I recommend you use it for 2 people, if you plan on using the extra for change up dishes.
- The nutritional label is estimated, using the Dish 1 info and with keto honey.
Nutrition
Holy sesame was this good! I baked mine and had it with the Bang Bang sauce on day one and made the cabbage salad on the second. Thank you so much for your tasty recipes! I’m on week 3 of my While 30 and was getting bored until I found I ❤️ Umami.
Thank you! Glad we found you, too!
This dish is as delicious!! I made the air fryer version with the honey mustard sauce. I love all of the notes as well. They are helpful. Next time I will try one of the variations.
Such a delicious recipe and I love the options for variations! I tried the air fryer method and the dish turned out perfectly!
We love sesame chicken – thank you for three delicious ways to enjoy it! My family and I all Love it!
This chicken is soooo good. I kept my dish simple by pairing it with jasmine rice and broccoli for meal prep. But it was surprisingly simple and I can’t wait to make it again! Next time I will air fry instead of baking for that extra crispiness.
That’s awesome!
I made these last night as part of my weekly cook-up. I used chicken thighs & put the black sesame seeds into the coating. These were really good plain and then I put some Sir Kinsington’s Honey Mustard on another and it was even better. Took some willpower to NOT eat them all. Your recipes have never failed me and many are on repeat. THANK YOU!
That sounds YUMMY!
The crispy coating is absolutely fantastic. It was amazing in the air fryer!
Oh! ChihYu is by far one of the purest chef’s on the circuit. No drama just pure talent. Keep going keep walking you have lots to achieve and make a far bigger name. You have it in you.
Thanks so much!