Sesame Ginger Chicken Bowl (Printer-Friendly)

A vibrant bowl with tender chicken, fresh veggies, and aromatic sesame-ginger sauce over jasmine rice.

# What You Need:

→ Proteins

01 - 1.1 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breast or thighs, cut into bite-sized pieces

→ Marinade & Sauce

02 - 3 tablespoons low sodium soy sauce
03 - 2 tablespoons toasted sesame oil
04 - 1 tablespoon rice vinegar
05 - 1 tablespoon honey or maple syrup
06 - 2 tablespoons fresh grated ginger
07 - 2 garlic cloves, minced
08 - 1 tablespoon sriracha or chili garlic sauce (optional)

→ Rice

09 - 1 1/4 cups jasmine or short-grain white rice, rinsed
10 - 2 cups water

→ Vegetables

11 - 1 medium carrot, julienned
12 - 1 red bell pepper, thinly sliced
13 - 3.5 ounces sugar snap peas or snow peas, halved
14 - 2 spring onions, sliced

→ Garnishes

15 - 2 tablespoons toasted sesame seeds
16 - Fresh coriander (cilantro) leaves
17 - Lime wedges

# Directions:

01 - Whisk together soy sauce, sesame oil, rice vinegar, honey, grated ginger, minced garlic, and sriracha in a bowl. Reserve half of the mixture for drizzling later. Pour remaining marinade over the chicken and let marinate for 15 minutes.
02 - Rinse the rice under cold water until clear. Combine rice and water in a saucepan and bring to a boil. Reduce heat to low, cover, and simmer for 12–15 minutes until tender. Fluff with a fork and set aside.
03 - Heat a large non-stick skillet or wok over medium-high heat. Add marinated chicken pieces, discarding the marinade, and cook for 5–7 minutes, stirring, until golden and cooked through. Remove from pan and keep warm.
04 - In the same skillet, quickly stir-fry julienned carrot, sliced red bell pepper, and halved sugar snap peas for 2–3 minutes until just tender but still crisp.
05 - Divide the cooked rice evenly among four bowls. Top with the cooked chicken and stir-fried vegetables. Drizzle with the reserved sauce.
06 - Sprinkle sliced spring onions, toasted sesame seeds, and fresh coriander leaves over the bowls. Serve with lime wedges immediately.

# Expert Suggestions:

01 -
  • Everything cooks in under half an hour, but it tastes like you spent all day in the kitchen.
  • The ginger and sesame sauce clings to every grain of rice and piece of chicken without being heavy or oily.
  • You can swap the vegetables for whatever you have wilting in the crisper drawer and it still turns out great.
  • Leftovers reheat beautifully, and sometimes I think they taste even better the next day.
02 -
  • Don't marinate the chicken longer than 30 minutes or the acid in the vinegar will start breaking down the texture.
  • Reserve half the sauce before pouring it on raw chicken, or you'll have nothing safe to drizzle at the end.
  • Rinse your rice until the water runs clear or it will turn out gummy and sticky in a bad way.
  • Keep the heat high when you stir-fry the vegetables so they stay crisp and don't steam.
03 -
  • Grate the ginger on the finest side of your grater so it dissolves into the sauce and doesn't leave fibrous bits.
  • Toast your sesame seeds in a dry pan for a minute until they smell nutty and turn golden.
  • Taste the sauce before you drizzle it and adjust the honey or sriracha to match your mood.
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