Skip take-out and make this healthy spicy ginger sesame chicken stir-fry at home! Loaded with vegetables like broccoli and peppers, tender pieces of chicken in flavorful and spicy ginger and sesame sauce. I serve it over Jasmine rice with cilantro and green onions scattered over top.
Dishes like this one are my husbands absolute favorite.
If he had his way we would have chicken, rice, broccoli and repeat. Which means I make dishes like this a lot. Trust me, I’m not complaining, I always feel good after I eat a light meal like this (extra broccoli for me please!!).
After the holidays I have a hard time getting in the mood to cook anything. So I turn to and find comfort in stir-fry recipes.
A stir-fry is a great way to eat lighter and better. Instead of deep frying the chicken, I cook it up in a wok with veggies and toss in a quick and easy ginger sesame sauce. This spicy ginger version stems from this healthy sesame chicken recipe that I posted a few years ago. This time I swapped in some spicy chili paste and ginger to bump up the flavor and give it some kick!
To make This Spicy Ginger Sesame Chicken You Will Need:
CHICKEN:
- egg whites
- thin-cut, skinless chicken breasts
- cornstarch
- white pepper
- kosher salt
SAUCE:
- honey
- low-sodium tamari (or low-sodium soy sauce if preferred)
- minced fresh garlic
- grated ginger
- chili paste (like sambal oelek)
- toasted sesame oil
- sesame seeds
STIR-FRY:
- extra light olive oil
- broccoli florets (about 1 head)
- yellow onion
- red bell pepper
- cornstarch slurry (1 tablespoon cornstarch + 1 tablespoon cool water)
SERVING:
- 3 cups cooked jasmine rice
- sliced green onions
- chopped fresh cilantro
Once you prep everything, this recipe does move pretty quickly. So it’s a good idea to dice, chop, measure and mix everything before you begin.
First, separate 2 egg whites from their yolks and whisk until frothy. Then toss in 1-1/2 pounds diced thin cut chicken, 1/4 cup cornstarch, 1/4 teaspoon white pepper and a pinch of salt. Toss to combine and set off to the side.
Make the stir-fry sauce:
In a bowl, measure and add 1/2 cup honey, 1/3 cup low-sodium tamari (or low-sodium soy sauce if preferred), 1 heaping tablespoon minced garlic (about 4), 1 heaping tablespoon grated ginger, 1 teaspoon up to 1 tablespoon chili paste (like sambal oelek), 1 teaspoon or more to taste of toasted sesame oil. Stir until the honey is dissolved and set aside.
Heat a wok or large frying pan on high heat. Add a tablespoon of oil and once hot add in the 2 cups of broccoli florets. Stir to coat in the oil, and cook until browned and caramelized, about 5 minutes. Transfer to a clean platter.
Then add another teaspoon to tablespoon of oil to the pan along with 1 chopped pepper and onion. Toss to coat, season with a pinch of kosher salt and cook until they are tender but still quite firm. Transfer to the platter with the broccoli.
Add half of the chicken to the wok (adding more oil if needed) in an even layer. Cook until golden and then flip and continue to cook. Transfer to a clean plate and cook the remaining chicken.
Now add all the chicken to the wok and pour in the sauce.
When the sauce is boiling, pour in the cornstarch slurry (1 tablespoon cornstarch + 1 tablespoon cold water) and stir.
Once the sauce is thick and glossy, add the vegetables back in.
Lastly toss the chicken and vegetables together with 3 tablespoons of sesame seeds .
Serve this spicy ginger sesame chicken stir-fry over rice and sprinkle with more sesame seeds, some sliced green onions and chopped fresh cilantro.
I really love the cilantro with the ginger and sesame. I even drizzle a little sriracha on mine! SO good. The whole dish is pretty fantastic. This ginger sesame chicken stir-fry smells amazing, tastes delicious and leftovers reheat beautifully and taste just as good!
Who needs take out? Not you 😉
Enjoy! And if you give this Ginger Sesame Chicken Stir-Fry recipe a try, let me know! Snap a photo and tag me on twitter or instagram!
Spicy Ginger Sesame Chicken Stir-Fry
Ingredients
FOR THE SAUCE:
- 1/2 cup honey
- 1/3 cup low sodium tamari, or low sodium soy sauce if preferred
- 1 tablespoon minced fresh garlic, about 4 cloves
- 1 heaping tablespoon ginger paste
- 1 teaspoon chili paste, more or less to taste (like sambal oelek)
- 1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil, or more to taste
- 2 tablespoons sesame seeds, plus more for garnish
FOR THE CHICKEN:
- 2 egg whites
- 1½ pounds skinless chicken breast halves
- 1/4 cup cornstarch
- 1/4 teaspoon white pepper
- pinch kosher salt
FOR THE STIR-FRY:
- 1/4 cup oil, for frying (like avocado or extra light olive oil)
- 2 cups small broccoli florets, about 1 head
- 1 medium yellow onion, chopped
- 1 large red bell pepper, seeded and chopped
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch , plus 1 tablespoon cool water for cornstarch slurry
TO SERVE:
- 3 cups cooked jasmine rice
- sliced green onions
- chopped fresh cilantro
Instructions
- Combine the ingredients for the sauce and set aside.
- In a medium bowl, whisk egg whites until frothy. Add chicken, cornstarch, salt and white pepper and toss to coat.
- Heat a wok or large frying pan over high heat and add a tablespoon of oil. Once the oil is hot, add in the broccoli. Toss the broccoli to coat in the oil, then cook until caramelized, about 5 to 6 minutes. Transfer the broccoli to a clean platter.
- Add another teaspoon to tablespoon of oil to the wok. When it's hot, add in both the onions and red peppers and a pinch of kosher salt. Toss and cook until the edges are caramelized and the vegetables are softened but still firm. Transfer the bell peppers and onions to the platter with the broccoli.
- Reduce heat to medium-high and place have of the chicken into the hot wok (adding more oil if needed) and cook 6 to 7 minutes before turning and continuing to cook until chicken is no longer pink. Transfer to a clean plate and repeat with the second batch.
- Once the second batch of chicken is cooked, add the first batch back into the wok along with the sauce. Bring to a boil and pour in the cornstarch slurry. Reduce heat to medium and cook until the sauce thickens. Add vegetables back in with the sesame seeds.
- Serve ginger sesame chicken over cooked rice and sprinkle with sliced green onions, chopped cilantro and extra sesame seeds if desired.
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THANK YOU in advance for your support!
The recipes calls for 2 egg whites twice. Is it correct to assume the recipe only uses 2 egg whites? Thank you. Love your recipes and cookbook.
YES! Sorry about that! I’ve corrected the recipe so there is no future confusion. Thanks for kindly pointing that out, Sharyn! <3
I wonder if this recipe would work if you preroast the vegetables instead of frying… Not to the point that they’re over roasted, but just a touch… Might be worth a try!
You could totally do that E! In fact, I usually roast my veggies on the side. But for this recipe, I wanted it to remain easy with little pans/dishes to wash. 🙂
Looks totally delish! The direction to add the cornstarch to the chicken is missing.
Thanks Sally! I’ve fixed it. 🙂
The flavor in this stir-fry is amazing!!! The perfect amount of heat. A new favorite!!
I’m so glad to hear it, Julie! Thank you for leaving such a wonderful review! 🙂
I love stir fry, if I could make it every single day, I probably would. Thanks for adding a new one to the rotation!
Same here, Abby! We eat stir-fry once a week at the least! I hope you enjoy the recipe!! <3
Another wonderful recipe. I’ve made many of your stir fry recipes, in fact, all of them! They never disappoint, are always tasty with just the right amount of heat. Perfection!!!
I’m so happy to hear it! <3
Absolutely delicious! Beats a takeaway easily!! 🙂
Thank you, Gary!
Hi, is there a substitute that could work instead of chili paste? I have everything but that. Thanks so much!!
Hi Sharon! I would try a few dashes of Sriracha or a few pinches of dried red pepper flakes, it won’t be exact but should work. Enjoy!
This is hands down the best stir fry I have ever prepared or ate! My daughter-in-law, Xiran from China helped me prepare it and she said it was authentic and very delicious. Thank you for a wonderful meal!
I’m so glad to hear it, Laura! Thank you so much for taking the time to make this recipe AND leave a review. I really appreciate it!
How many does this serve?
Actually nevermind. Of course I found it immediately after commenting
No problem! Happens to the best of us!
What is the nutritional content of this recipe?
Hi Barb! I just updated the recipe card. Thanks for reaching out!
WTF. This is not simple just by ingredients alone b
Well it is from scratch so…
This was amazing! I prepared the chicken breasts in my instapot, chopped and added to the mixture. Delicious.
Made the Spicy Ginger Chicken Stir Fry, it was amazing! Used the instapot to make a couple of large chicken breasts, roughly chopped it up and added with the veggies. A new family favorite. Thanks!
Hey!
I just wanted to say that this is an outstanding recipe! I made it last night and it was fantastic and the whole family loved it. I dont often stir-fry due to a few bad experiences but this time I felt good about the approachable ingredients and method – I made a few subs, as based on what I had eg: baby corn and green beans instead of red pepper and fresh chilli instead of chilli paste..
I’m not a gourmet cook but this was easy to follow, the step by step images and detail were helpful and made me feel confident to try it out.
It’s a keeper in our menu plan and a great one to batch cook.
Tip: you can lessen the honey a little if you like and its still just as good! Next time, I will mix through and serve with pad thai rice noodle for a change!
Thank you for your sharing this recipe on line!
I’m so happy to hear it, Mary! Thank you for not only taking the time to make this recipe but for your excellent review!