These popular Honey Sesame Chicken Lunch Bowls have chicken breast, rice and veggies tossed in a delicious sticky sauce. Perfect for healthy meal prep lunches.
Stir fries are such a great choice for meal prep because they store and reheat well. Some of my faves include this Cashew Chicken Stir Fry, this Vegan Ginger Teriyaki Stir Fry, and today's honey sesame stir fry bowls!
This is one of the most popular recipes on the site (it was my first meal prep recipe to go viral!), and I'm pretty sure I know why.
It's delicious, versatile, easy to prep and keeps so well for meal prep!
Reasons you'll ♡ honey sesame chicken lunch bowls
- they taste great, even on day 4
- you can stash in the fridge or freezer
- you can make a ton of different swaps, and still have a delicious lunch
Recipe Video
Watch the video below to see exactly how I prepped these meal prep bowls. It’s so easy! You can find more of my recipe videos on my YouTube channel.
Don't forget to pin this post to save it for later!
The sauce
When it comes to stir fry, the sauce the most important thing (if you care about flavor, that is). This honey sesame sauce takes 5 minutes to shake up and uses simple pantry staples:
- honey- well, obviously! But if you find yourself in a pinch, you can swap maple syrup and it will be totally fine.
- reduced sodium soy sauce- I recommend seeking out the low sodium stuff. Regular may end up too salty in this recipe!
- water or chicken stock- or make your own homemade bone broth for a bigger nutrient boost
- sesame oil- toasted or regular is fine
- red pepper flakes- for a little kick; leave it out if you are serving kids
- corn starch- or swap for arrowroot powder
Looking to switch up your flavors? I have SEVEN different stir fry sauces here!
The stir fry
The stir fryTo make cooking go as easily as possible, I recommend having all your veggies and chicken chopped up ahead of time, and your sauce pre-mixed. That way, you can just work through the recipe without distraction.
Here's what we're using in this recipe
- veggies- go for 4-6 cups. I am using broccoli and snap peas, but you can use pretty much any stir fry vegetable in here.
- protein- 1 lb of boneless skinless chicken breast (which is roughly 2 large breasts), chopped into 1 inch pieces.
- carbs- I like basmati rice as it has a low glycemic index, meaning it won't digest as quickly as regular white rice and will keep you feeling full for longer.
- check out these 3 Tips for Perfect, Fluffy Rice
- check out How to Cook Brown Rice (stove top & rice cooker)
Let's talk swaps
Just like any stir fry, you can swap out the sauce, the protein, the veggies, the carbs and end up with totally different meals.
Here are some of my fave swaps
- carbs- swap for quinoa, brown rice, or cauliflower rice
- sauce- I'm obsessed with this maple ginger stir fry sauce, or go classic with this teriyaki sauce
- protein- swap the chicken breast for chicken thighs or go vegetarian with tofu
- veggies- swap for carrots, bell peppers, squash, slaw, or whatever is hiding in your fridge that needs to be used. Keep in mind cook times will change with different veggies.
Other popular meal prep Lunch recipes
- Turkey Taco Meal Prep Bowls
- Cold Sesame Noodle Meal Prep Bowls
- Caprese Chicken Salad Meal Prep Bowls
- Fruit on the Bottom Overnight Oats
- Thai Turkey Lettuce Wraps
This post was originally published in 2016. It has been republished with new photos and tips in 2019; same great recipe!
Did you make this? Tag me on social @sweetpeasandsaffron and be sure to leave a comment and rate the recipe!
Honey Sesame Chicken Lunch Bowls
Ingredients
Honey Sesame Sauce:
- ¼ cup chicken stock or water
- ¼ cup reduced sodium soy sauce
- ¼ cup honey (or maple syrup)
- 1 tablespoon sesame oil
- ½ teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 1 teaspoon cornstarch
Chicken Lunch Bowls:
- ¾ cup rice (uncooked; or roughly 2 cups cooked)
- 2 tablespoons olive oil (divided)
- 3 cups broccoli (chopped into small pieces)
- 3 cups snap peas (ends trimmed)
- 2 large chicken breasts (cut into 1 inch cubes)
- salt & pepper
- sesame seeds (garnish)
Instructions
- Shake together all honey sesame sauce ingredients and set aside.
- Cook rice according to package instructions. Divide between 4 storage containers.
- Heat 1 tablespoon olive oil in a large pan. Add broccoli and snap peas. Cook for 5-7 minutes, until bright green and tender. Add to the rice in the storage containers.
- Add remaining 1 tablespoon olive oil to pan. Add the chicken to the pan. Season with salt and pepper, and red pepper flakes (if desired). Cook for 7-10 minutes, until cooked through.
- Add the sauce to the pan and simmer for 2 minutes, until thickened.
- Add the chicken to the lunch containers and drizzle with sauce. Garnish with sesame seeds if desired.
- Store in the fridge for up to 4 days. Reheat to serve.
Tips:
Video
Nutrition Information
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Erin says
Really enjoyed this recipe. Thanks for sharing!
Deena says
This is delicious. We are spending the summer building a recipe catalog for my daughter before she leaves for college. This is a keeper - not just for her but for me too! It came together quickly and easily. I had to add a bit more cornstarch to thicken the sauce. Thank you so much!
kelly says
Im from uk and I was wondering is it best to use sugar snap peas or mangetout?
Sally says
We love this! I've made it several times.
Jess says
I've made this several times now, so simple and delicious! Love it
Mayse says
The first recipe I've ever not altered !!!! Absolutely 10/10, I even sent the link to a few people !
Alyssa says
This recipe is amazing! So tasty! I added some minced garlic to the sauce and it complimented it well. Definitely going to add this to my meal prep rotation 😀
Mitchell says
I forgot to include the water when adding chicken stock concentrate to the sauce and it turned out thick and much more delicious! I've been making this recipe for over a year now, and for the first time the sauce is sticking to the chicken much more and keeping it moist and delicious! Highly recommend removing the water to the sauce or just adding stock concentrate.
Lisa says
I like the sauce very much, but feel to better infuse the chicken with its flavor that it should be marinated in the sauce. Would you recommend this and for how long?
Ana says
Hi, this might sound really silly but I’m new to meal prep and reheating.
How would you recommend reheating this meal.
Thank you
Ben | Sweet Peas & Saffron says
Hi Ana,
You can absolutely reheat these Honey Sesame Lunch Bowls. Reheat from frozen is not recommended, but from the fridge, you can reheat them in the microwave. I use 60% heat for 3 to 4 minutes. Just make sure you heat them until steaming hot. Also for food safety, I don't recommend consuming after 4 days.
I hope this helps,
Positano42 says
How long can the sauce stay in the fridge? Love to make a bigger batch for later.
Ben says
Hi there, because the sauce contains chicken broth, it is recommended to use the sauce withing 3-4 days.
Lauren says
What about making a big batch of sauce and freezing it?
Denise Bustard says
Hi Lauren! Stir fry sauce freezes well. You can mix it all up and freeze before thickening the sauce, then thaw & add to pan just before serving. Should freeze for 3 months at the very least.
Amy says
i have just finished making this, perfect tasty recipe.
Ben | Sweet Peas & Saffron says
So good to hear Amy, thanks for the update.
Staci says
New favourite meal prep! I find it difficult to make chicken based recipes for meal prep without it drying out and not tasting as nice the next day, but the sauce keeps the chicken moist and tastes just as good at the end of the week! thank you :d
Jasmine @ Sweet Peas & Saffron says
Hi Staci, really happy to hear that you enjoyed this honey sesame chicken for your meal prep lunches! Thanks so much for taking the time to leave a rating and review!
Sam says
Can you freeze these? If so do they taste the same when thawed and how long do they keep in the freezer?
Ben says
Hi Sam,
Yes, they do freeze well. The taste will be somewhat altered from fresh but still good. We regularly make this recipe and freeze them for easy meals when we don't feel like cooking. As for time in the freezer, I would recommend no longer than 3-4 months.
Thanks for your question,