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 โก 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. Itโs so easy! You can find more of my recipe videos on my YouTube channel.
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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:
- ยผ cup chicken stock or water
- ยผ cup reduced sodium soy sauce
- ยผ cup honey (or maple syrup)
- 1 tablespoon sesame oil
- ยฝ teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 1 teaspoon cornstarch
Chicken Lunch Bowls:
- ยพ 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.
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Tips:
Video
Nutrition Information
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keisha says
This was delicious
Jasmine @ Sweet Peas & Saffron says
Hi Keisha, very happy to hear you enjoyed it! Thanks for taking the time to leave a rating and review!:)
Hannah says
Hi - I'm newish to the GF journey, and I recently found out that most soy sauces contain gluten. Liquid aminos or Tamari are good alternatives. ๐
Jasmine @ Sweet Peas & Saffron says
Hey Hannah, great tip! Thanks for sharing ๐
Noah Silva says
How many servings does this recipe make?
Jasmine @ Sweet Peas & Saffron says
Hi Noah, the recipe makes 4 servings (shown in the top right corner of the recipe card). ๐
Emily says
I saw some of the comments mention that the recipe came out bland. I adjusted the sauce with about 3x as much corn starch to thicken the sauce, and added garlic powder, a teaspoon of lemon juice, ground ginger, and a few teaspoons of sriracha to the sauce. I also seasoned the veggies with a couple grinds of salt, garlic powder, and ginger while they were in the pan. Turned out soooo yummy, will definitely make it again ๐
Jasmine @ Sweet Peas & Saffron says
Hi Emily, that sounds delish! We're so glad to hear you enjoyed, thanks for reporting back!!
Haeden says
I love this recipe! I do have a question thoughโฆ I have scanned every ingredients used into my fitness pal and still come up with less calories than posted. Anyone else have this problem? I canโt figure out where they get 483 from!!
Sephi says
I love this recipe!! I use it for meal prep lunches and also for dinner sometimes
Jasmine @ Sweet Peas & Saffron says
Hi Sephi, we're so glad that this recipe has become a staple in your meal prep routine! Thank you so much for taking the time to come back and leave a rating and review!
Caroline says
We added chopped ginger and garlic to the sauce and onions to the vegetables and it was amazing!
Jasmine @ Sweet Peas & Saffron says
Hi Caroline, that sounds like a delicious addition to this recipe. Thank you so much for taking the time to come back and leave a rating and review!
Donna says
Hi Denise,
Thank you for this amazing and delicious recipe. I was wondering, how much rice, veggies, and chicken should I put in one bowl? Please let me know. Thank you.
Jasmine @ Sweet Peas & Saffron says
Hi Donna, this recipe should make 4 portions, using: 1/2 cup rice, 4 oz chicken, and 1.5 cups veggies. This is a pretty good sized portion for most people! ๐ We hope you enjoy, and thanks so much for taking the time to come back and leave a rating and review!
Patty says
I asked my husband if I needed to tweak the sauce and he said โNo!, itโs perfect just as it is!โ Which is high praise. We are going to put this recipe on repeat! Thank you!
Jasmine @ Sweet Peas & Saffron says
Hi Patty, we're so glad that you found another recipe to add into your regular rotation! Thank you so much for taking the time to come back and leave a rating and review!
Julie says
Delicious tasting sauce!! I could have drank it straight from the jar. Really pleased with recipe, now onto fruit on the bottom overnight oats!
Jasmine @ Sweet Peas & Saffron says
Hi Julie, we're so glad to hear that you enjoyed it! Thank you so much for taking the time to come back and leave a rating and review!
Shweta says
I made it last night and it was so flavorful and delicious!! A new staple in my house! Thank you for creating the most delicious recipes!
Jasmine @ Sweet Peas & Saffron says
Hi Shweta, We're so glad to hear that this is a new staple in your home! Thank you so much for taking the time to come back and leave a rating and review!
Sam Martin says
It was a great experience of making chicken bowls...I had not done anything related to cooking before. This helps me a lot to learn to cook..
Denise Bustard says
Hi Sam, I'm glad to hear you enjoyed the recipe. Thanks so much for reporting back!
Suzanne says
The concept is great, but the outcome was was just ok. The sauce didn't thicken properly and required more cornstarch. It was also a bit bland, so I ended up adding garlic and ginger to add some flavor. Not awful, but definitely nothing special. Will probably follow the same "meal prepping" formula but use a different sauce recipe in the future
Denise Bustard says
Thanks for the feedback, Suzanne!
Retta says
Hi - the recipe sounds really good, however my son is allergic to chicken. Do you have any ideas about protein substitutes and how I would prepare those?
Denise Bustard says
Hi Retta! You can swap the chicken for tofu for sure, and maybe pork tenderloin? I do wonder if the sauce would work with ground meat as well like turkey or beef? Definitely worth a try! If not, this one is 100% good with ground meat: https://sweetpeasandsaffron.com/korean-turkey-meal-prep/
Ethan says
I think you meant to write LOW glycemic index for the basmati rice. Otherwise, that sentence doesn't make sense. in the Hereโs what weโre using in this recipe section.
Denise Bustard says
You are quite right! Thanks for catching that ๐
Rayanna says
So delicious! My husband is not really big on leftovers, so prepping healthy meals is a challenge on limited time. We tend to get home a bit late most days. I cannot thank you enough for this recipe. This weekend will be the third time I am making the sesame chicken, I make it with asparagus, red pepper and basmati rice. I also prep the spring roll bowls meal prep recipe as well. We ate both of those recipes last week every other night, and he INSISTED I make both of them this week as well. I can assure you, this is not a man who likes to eat leftovers or the same thing again very often. This has been so delicious and convenient for us, I am so grateful that I found your site. I plan to try many more of your recipes, they all look really good.
Denise Bustard says
Hi Rayanna! So happy to hear you and your husband enjoy the recipe! Thanks so much for coming back to leave such a kind review ๐
Paula says
Oh my gosh!!!!! I cannot rate this recipe high enough. I am currently at home with my 3 kids and since quarantine and lockdown began they have been eating me out of house and home. My 2 boys are 13 and 14 and they are always nibbling and grazing all day on whatever is convenient. I made these and stacked the fridge with 2 portions for each of us and they loved it. They would have licked the containers clean if I had let them. I will be trying lots more of your recipes and hopefully this will become a trend they will carry on when school is back.
Thank you again for sharing your talents!
Denise Bustard says
Hi Paula! Wow, so so SO happy to hear you've enjoyed the recipe so much. I have 2 boys as well and they are still in the picky eater phase...I'm sure we'll be in the 'eat me out of house and home' phase soon though! THanks for taking the time to come back and leave a review.
Paige B says
This has been a go-to recipe since I found it a few years back on Instagram. We love it! I use carrots and broccoli and chicken thighs. We leave the sesame oil out for a different taste about half the tine, Delicious!
Denise Bustard says
Hi Paige! I'm so happy to hear you've enjoyed this recipe. Glad to hear it's good without the sesame as well ๐
Alison says
took way longer to get sauce to thicken than recipe describes. but this is not a deal-breaker. I had to add a little more corn starch to compensate also. other than that, I used asparagus instead of snap peas. and the results were delicious. thank you!!
Denise Bustard says
Hi Alison, thanks for your feedback! Glad you enjoyed!
Karyn says
I agree. The sauce was way to thin. The recipe should have more corn starch.
The chicken was bland. I suggest marinating it in soy before cooking.
And fresh ginger might add a little more flavour to the whole dish.
Denise Bustard says
Sorry you didn't enjoy. In the future, if you find the sauce doesn't thicken, usually giving it an extra minute or two simmering does the trick.
Ember says
It's so easy to make. You can also squeeze a bit of lemon over the chicken.
Denise Bustard says
Great tip! Thanks for sharing, Ember ๐
Nhแปฅy hoa nghแป tรขy says
These are lunch goals!!! Iโd happily eat these every day โ so many great flavors!