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.
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! We've got the ratios down perfectly, so you know the sauce will come out exactly right every single time. Give it a shot, and you'll see exactly why this easy sesame chicken recipe has so many shares. As Mayse says in the comments "The first recipe I've ever not altered !!!! Absolutely 10/10, I even sent the link to a few people !"
Love easy stir fries for meal prep? Us too! Add this Cashew Chicken Stir Fry and Vegan Ginger Teriyaki Stir Fry to your list of recipes to check out next.
Reasons You'll ♡ Homemade 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
Easy Sesame Chicken 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!
Sesame Chicken Bowl Ingredients
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 or spice-averse people.
- corn starch- or swap for arrowroot powder
Looking to switch up your flavors? I have SEVEN different stir fry sauces here!
For the rest of the ingredients, I recommend having everything chopped and portioned, ready to go when you start cooking. It really helps things go smoothly and cook efficiently.
Here's what you need for the stir fry:
- 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. Anecia in the comments recommended using jasmine rice if you plan to eat this cold as it doesn't harden up as much!
- Check out these 3 Tips for Perfect, Fluffy Rice
- Check out How to Cook Brown Rice (stove top & rice cooker)
- For a low-carb meal, consider using Cauliflower Rice instead!
How to Make Homemade Sesame Chicken
- Combine all the honey sesame sauce ingredients in a jar, then set it aside for now. (If meal prepping, this sauce could be doubled and frozen for about 3 months!)
- Cook your rice according to package instructions, then divide the cooked rice between your four storage containers.
- Heat a large pan over medium heat and add in a bit of olive oil. Pour in your broccoli and snap peas, allowing them to cook for 5-7 minutes. Once they're bright green and tender, remove them from the skillet and divide between the storage containers.
- Add the rest of the oil to the empty pan. Once hot, toss in your chicken and season with salt, pepper, and red pepper flakes. Cook for 7-10 minutes, stirring occasionally, until cooked through.
- Give the jar of stir fry sauce a shake, then pour into the pan with the chicken. Simmer for two minutes or until it thickens to your preference.
- Portion the meat and sauce into the storage containers, then top each portion with sesame seeds.
How to Store This Easy Sesame chicken Recipe
- Fridge: Store in an airtight container in the fridge up to four days.
- Freezer: Allow food to cool completely, then transfer to a freezer-safe container. Freeze up to 3 months. For the best taste and texture, thaw overnight in the fridge before reheating.
- Reheating: Microwave each serving for 3-4 minutes at about 50% power. Stir halfway through for even heating.
Substitutions to This Recipe for Sesame Chicken
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!
Recipe for Sesame Chicken Lunch Bowls
Video
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:
Nutrition Information
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Hi, I'm Annie. With a Bachelor of Science degree, a minor in nutrition and nearly 20 year of both classical training, and self-taught experience, I've spent my career proving that home cooking can be practical, delicious and inspiring. What started in 2013 as one food blog has grown into a full-time business. Today, my husband Clayton and I run five food websites that connect with millions of home cooks every month.
When I'm not in the kitchen or behind the camera, I'm using fueling my love of travel, or chasing down new ideas that keep food fun and fresh.
kiera says
this is fantastic!! love the sauce it is so simple but delicious. i replaced the veggies with edamame and that was fun - a new recipe for our rotation for sure!! thank you!!
Kim B says
I doubled the recipe. I saved half the sauce because hubby is vegan so made half with soy curls (boiled quickly in veg broth to soften while adding flavor then draining and doing the coating for quick pan fry). The rest of the sauce I also did as written for chicken for meal prep for my daughter. This was fantastic! I will say a friend of ours makes flavored maple syrup from their farm and I used their habenero infused maple instead of honey. Also added mushrooms (daughter’s fav) to the broccoli and snap peas. I will absolutely make this again for her even without the subs I had to use the first time. Although I love edamame so I might throw those in as well. This is fantastic even as written and as she said use what you have!