Budget Bytes: Easy Sesame Chicken

I haven’t posted a recipe in a lonnnng time, but this is one you have to try. Easy sesame chicken is a cheaper, relatively healthier version of the Chinese takeout sesame chicken I love.

The blog, Budget Bytes, is fairly new to me, but I have enjoyed every recipe I’ve tried, including this one. My best friend A sent me the link to the easy sesame chicken just 6 weeks ago, and I’ve already made this dish…. 8 times, maybe 9. It’s that good.

A few pointers I’ve learned along the way:

1. Serve this with rice and an Asian inspired slaw. My favorite combination is crunchy iceberg lettuce, red cabbage, and shredded carrots. Top with sliced almonds and wonton strips. Make a salad dressing of 1 part rice vinegar, 1 part soy sauce, 1 part toasted sesame oil, 3 parts vegetable oil, 2 tablespoons brown sugar, 1 tablespoon sesame seeds and a sprinkle of kosher salt. Heavenly.

2. Use kitchen shears to cut your chicken. I use chicken breast because my kids prefer it, and I make the pieces smaller than bite size.

3. Make the sauce ahead of time. When I make this I wash and cut the chicken first thing in the morning. Then I make the sauce and put both in the fridge until dinnertime. The dish comes together in less than 20 minutes if you’ve prepped those steps. At dinnertime, I make the salad while the chicken is cooking, since the sauce is already done.

I hope you enjoy this dish as much as we do. Here’s the full recipe: Budget Bytes Easy Sesame Chicken