Description
Sesame chicken with green beans and rice delivers a crispy, savory symphony of Asian-inspired flavors. Tender chicken pieces glazed in a sweet-tangy sauce create a perfect harmony with fragrant rice, promising a delightful meal you’ll crave again and again.
Ingredients
Scale
Protein:
- 1 lb (454 grams) boneless, skinless chicken thighs or breasts, cut into 1-inch pieces
Vegetables:
- 2 cups fresh green beans, trimmed
- 2 green onions, sliced
Sauce and Seasonings:
- ¼ cup soy sauce
- 2 tablespoons honey or brown sugar
- 2 tablespoons rice vinegar
- 2 tablespoons water
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 1 tablespoon sesame oil
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch mixed with 2 tablespoons water (slurry)
- 1 tablespoon sesame seeds
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 teaspoon grated fresh ginger (optional)
- ½ teaspoon salt
- ½ teaspoon black pepper
Serving:
- 2 cups cooked white or brown rice
Instructions
- Prepare a bed of fluffy rice according to package directions, allowing it to rest and stay warm while preparing the remaining components.
- Craft a marinade by thoroughly coating chicken pieces with soy sauce, cornstarch, salt, and pepper. Allow the proteins to absorb flavors for approximately 10 minutes.
- Whisk together a vibrant sauce combining soy sauce, honey, rice vinegar, water, sesame oil, minced garlic, and grated ginger until smoothly integrated.
- Heat oil in a spacious skillet over medium-high temperature. Carefully introduce marinated chicken, searing until achieving a golden exterior and ensuring complete internal cooking. Transfer chicken to a holding plate.
- Utilize the same skillet to sauté green beans, maintaining their crisp texture while developing slight tenderness through quick, high-heat cooking.
- Reunite the golden chicken with the green beans in the skillet, cascading the prepared sauce over the ingredients. Gently stir to distribute flavors evenly.
- Create a cornstarch slurry and incorporate into the skillet, allowing the sauce to transform into a glossy, clinging coating that embraces the chicken and vegetables.
- Elegantly plate the aromatic sesame chicken and green beans atop the prepared rice. Embellish with a sprinkle of sesame seeds and delicate green onion slivers for a final flourish.
Notes
- Customize protein by swapping chicken with tofu, shrimp, or beef for varied dietary preferences.
- Reduce sodium by using low-sodium soy sauce and controlling added salt in the marinade.
- Enhance sauce complexity by adding a splash of chili oil or sriracha for subtle heat and depth of flavor.
- Boost vegetable nutrition by incorporating additional colorful vegetables like bell peppers or broccoli alongside green beans.
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 20 minutes
- Category: Dinner
- Method: Sautéing
- Cuisine: Chinese
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 4
- Calories: 450
- Sugar: 3 g
- Sodium: 800 mg
- Fat: 25 g
- Saturated Fat: 10 g
- Unsaturated Fat: 12 g
- Trans Fat: 1 g
- Carbohydrates: 35 g
- Fiber: 2 g
- Protein: 24 g
- Cholesterol: 80 mg