Sesame chicken is a very common and easy to make dish that can be found in Chinese restaurants. The regular sesame chicken dish you get from the restaurants has all purpose flour, sugar, corn starch, soy sauce and vegetable oil, which makes it not keto-friendly.
Making your own Keto Sesame Chicken dish at home instead of getting take out is a great way to enjoy your favorite meals in a healthy way. To make this Asian chicken recipe low carb, healthy and keto-friendly, we need to adjust the ingredients a little bit.
You can use guar gum powder (or xanthan gum) to replace corn starch, which is used to thicken the sauce. For the soy sauce, which usually contains gluten, you can use coconut aminos instead.
To make it taste sweet, you can use a keto-sweetener, such as liquid stevia.
I used Sukrin Gold, which is made of erythritol. It’s an alternative to natural brown sugar. You can also use Lankto golden sweetener, which is a brown sugar substitute made of monk fruit. It has the texture, aroma, sweetness, and flavor of brown sugar without calories. Some people also find that monk fruit is easier on the digestive system than erythritol.
The secret of this keto sesame chicken recipe is in the coating, the sauce, and how you fry the chicken.
For the meat to be crispy, you should use a large pan. If you have a small pan, you can divide the chicken into two parts and fry them twice. Otherwise, if you put too much chicken in at the same time, the meat will release too much water and it will become steamed instead of fried.
You can serve this sesame chicken with steamed green beans. Green beans are okay in moderation for keto. If you don’t want beans, you can try steamed broccoli or cauliflower or even cauliflower rice!
How to Make Low Carb Sesame Chicken
Cut the chicken thighs to make bite-sized nuggets. You can also use boneless skinless chicken breast for this recipe.
To make the coating, crack the egg in a bowl and beat well with the guar gum powder until incorporated.
Carefully drop the chicken pieces onto the mixture and mix thoroughly up till the pieces are coated fully.
Heat the olive oil in a large pan. Sear the chicken until both sides are golden in color. When flipping, make sure not to remove the breading.
In a separate bowl, combine coconut aminos, sesame oil, sweetener, guar gum powder, white vinegar (or rice vinegar), freshly grated ginger, minced clove garlic for the sauce.
Once the chicken is done, stir it together with the sesame sauce. Sear for an additional 5 minutes. Bring to a boil. Transfer to a plate once the sauce thickens. Garnish with some toasted sesame seeds and chopped green onions on top.
Serve with some broccoli or green beans if preferred. Enjoy this delicious meal and don’t forget to try my other rice dishes and chicken dishes for keto diet.
Related:
- Low Carb Beef Crack Slaw
- Ginger Pork and Cabbage Dumplings
- Easy Zucchini Pork Ramen Soup
- Low Carb Mongolian Beef
- Keto General Tso Chicken
- Low Carb Egg Roll in a Bowl
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Keto Sesame Chicken
Ingredients
Chicken & Coating
- 1 lbs chicken thighs boneless skinless
- 1 egg
- 1/2 tsp Guar Gum Powder
- 2 tbsp olive oil for frying
Sesame Chicken Sauce
- 2 tbsp coconut aminos
- 1 tbsp sesame oil
- 2 tbsp Sukrin Gold
- 1/4 tsp Guar Gum Powder
- 1 tbsp White Vinegar
- 1 tsp ginger freshly grated
- 1 clove garlic minced
- salt and pepper to taste
- 2 tbsp sesame seeds toasted, for garnishing
- 1 tbsp green onion chopped for garnishing, optional
Instructions
- Chop the boneless skinless chicken thighs into bite-sized pieces.
- To prepare the coating, you need to combine egg and guar gum powder in a bowl and beat well until you obtain a homogeneous foam.
- Add chicken pieces into the egg mixture and coat them well.
- In a hot large pan, add olive oil in and gently place the chicken in. Fry the chicken until it’s golden on both sides. Be gentle when flipping so the breading does not come off.
- To make the sesame sauce good, mix all the sesame chicken sauce ingredients in a bowl. Stir well.
- Once the chicken is cooked through, pour the sesame sauce into the pan and cook for another 5 minutes. When the sauce boils and becomes thickened, remove everything into the plate. Sprinkle some sesame seeds and chopped green onions (optional)
- Serve with green beans or broccoli. Bon Appetit!
Nutrition/Macros
FAQ
Is sesame chicken high in carbs?
Yes, traditional sesame chicken is high in carbs due to the sugar and cornstarch used in its sauce and the batter for frying the chicken. A 100-gram serving of Chinese sesame chicken contains around 27 grams of carbohydrates. (*)
What is sesame chicken sauce made of?
Sesame chicken sauce is typically made of soy sauce, brown sugar or honey, garlic, ginger, vinegar, and sesame oil, thickened with cornstarch. This is why I replaced the sugar with a keto sweetener and cornstarch with guar gum to make it keto-approved.
Is sesame chicken just orange chicken?
No, sesame chicken and orange chicken are distinct dishes. While both are sweet and tangy, sesame chicken is garnished with sesame seeds and has a more robust sesame flavor, whereas orange chicken has a citrusy flavor derived from orange juice or zest. I already made a keto orange chicken recipe you can try to see the difference.
How to reheat leftover sesame chicken
To reheat leftover sesame chicken, preheat your oven to 375°F (190°C). Place the sesame chicken on a baking sheet lined with aluminum foil or parchment paper. Heat in the oven for 10-15 minutes or until the chicken is heated through and the sauce becomes slightly bubbly. I wouldn’t use the microwave as it can make the chicken soggy. For a crisper finish, you can also use a toaster oven or an air fryer.
Are toasted sesame seeds keto-friendly?
Yes, toasted sesame seeds are keto-friendly in moderation, as they are low in carbs and high in healthy fats. 1 table spoon of sesame seeds contains approximately 1 gram of net carbs. (*)
