Sesame Chicken

At first glance, most Asian cuisine seems very gluten free friendly.  Rice, meat, fish, and veggies are great!  However, lurking in a lot of Asian cuisine is a GF person's enemy:  soy sauce.  Traditional soy sauce is a mix of fermented boiled soybeans and roasted wheat or barley - both of which contain gluten.  This makes it quite difficult to eat in Asian restaurants.  There are some that offer gluten free options, but I must say that I am not certain if they realize that soy sauce contains gluten, because I have gotten quite sick from eating supposedly gluten free Asian cuisine.


Luckily, San-J makes a gluten free soy sauce that is delicious.  I really enjoy eating Asian dishes, so I have started making them at home, where I know everything is definitely gluten free.


One of our favorites is a Sesame Chicken Recipe by Ellie Krieger that I saw in the January 2012 issue of Better Homes and Gardens, which I have adapted slightly.  The recipe below reflects my changes.  

Sesame Chicken with Broccoli

5 tablespoons reduced-sodium gluten free soy sauce

2 teaspoons toasted sesame oil

5 teaspoons honey

1 1/4 pounds skinless boneless organic chicken breasts, cut into 1-inch pieces

2 tablespoons extra light tasting olive oil

2 green onions, white parts thinly sliced and green tops reserved

3 cloves garlic, minced

1 1/2 cups low-sodium chicken broth

4 teaspoons cornstarch

1 tablespoon rice vinegar

1 teaspoon chili paste (Huey Fong Sambal Oelek Chili Paste is gluten free)

2 small heads broccoli, cut in florets, steamed until crisp-tender, 4 to 5 minutes

3 tablespoons toasted sesame seeds

Short grain brown rice for serving

1. In a medium bowl whisk together 3 tbsp. of the gluten free soy sauce, 1 tsp. sesame oil, and 2 tsp. honey. Add cut-up chicken, toss to coat, then marinate for 20 minutes. Remove chicken from marinade with a slotted spoon. Discard the marinade.

2. In a large nonstick skillet or wok heat 2 tsp. of olive oil over medium-high heat. Cook half the chicken at a time for 6 minutes until browned and cooked through, turning once or twice. Transfer to a large serving plate. Heat 2 tsp. olive oil to cook remaining chicken. Transfer to serving plate.

3. In the same skillet heat the remaining 2 tsp. olive oil oil over medium-high heat. Add the white parts of onions and garlic. Cook and stir for 1 to 2 minutes until fragrant. 

4. For sesame sauce, in a small bowl whisk together broth, remaining soy sauce, remaining honey, the cornstarch, vinegar, and chili paste until cornstarch and honey are incorporated. Add sauce to skillet. Cook and stir for 2 to 3 minutes until thickened and darkened in color. Stir in remaining 1 tsp. sesame oil.

To serve, pour sauce over chicken. Surround chicken with steamed broccoli. Sprinkle with sesame seeds and green onion tops. Serve with brown rice, if desired.