Honey Sesame Chicken with Broccoli

Sticky honey sesame chicken with tender broccoli florets in a savory garlic sauce. ♡

This honey sesame chicken broccoli recipe tastes like your favorite takeout order but uses half the oil and costs a fraction. Crispy chicken chunks in a sticky sesame glaze, tender broccoli, and a rain of sesame seeds that makes every bite sing. For more ideas, see our Honey Garlic Chicken Thighs.

25 minutes start to finish and it genuinely beats takeout. My whole family cheers when they see it on the stove. Let’s make it together.

Ingredients

Honey Sesame Chicken with Broccoli

• 1.5 lbs boneless chicken thighs, cut into 1 inch pieces
• 3 tbsp cornstarch, divided
• 1 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp pepper
• 3 tbsp vegetable oil
• 4 cups broccoli florets
• 1/3 cup honey
• 1/4 cup soy sauce
• 2 tbsp rice vinegar
• 1 tbsp toasted sesame oil
• 4 cloves garlic, minced
• 1 tsp fresh ginger, grated
• 2 tbsp sesame seeds, toasted
• 2 green onions, sliced

How to Make Honey Sesame Chicken with Broccoli

1. **Blanch.** Bring a pot of water to boil. Add broccoli for 2 minutes, drain, and rinse with cold water.
2. **Coat.** Toss chicken with 2 tbsp cornstarch, salt, and pepper.
3. **Fry.** Heat oil in a large skillet over medium high heat. Cook chicken in 2 batches, 4 minutes per batch, until golden. Transfer to a plate.
4. **Sauce.** In the same pan, add honey, soy sauce, rice vinegar, garlic, and ginger. Simmer 2 minutes.
5. **Thicken.** Whisk remaining 1 tbsp cornstarch with 2 tbsp water. Stir into the sauce until thickened.
6. **Combine.** Return chicken to the pan. Add broccoli, sesame oil, and toss. Top with sesame seeds and green onions. Serve over rice.

Why This Recipe Works

Coating the chicken in cornstarch before pan frying is the takeout trick that gives you that crispy, craggy texture. The starch forms a thin crust that fries up golden and then holds onto the sauce without turning to mush. Without the cornstarch, chicken stays smooth and the sauce slides off.

The sauce is the classic Chinese American five: soy sauce, honey, rice vinegar, sesame oil, and garlic. A slurry of cornstarch and water stirred in at the end thickens the sauce to a glossy, clingy coat. Toasted sesame oil is added off the heat so its flavor stays bright and nutty. Dont use regular sesame oil, it is bland.

Blanching broccoli briefly in boiling water locks in the bright green color and crisp tender texture. A cold water shock stops the cooking, so the broccoli stays vibrant even after you stir it into the hot sauce. This is exactly how restaurants keep broccoli from turning army green and mushy. For more ideas, see our Thai Basil Ground Chicken.

Tips

• Cut chicken into even 1 inch pieces. Uneven pieces cook unevenly.
• Use toasted sesame oil, not regular. Toasted has deeper, nuttier flavor.
• Store leftovers in the fridge for up to 4 days.
• Reheat in a skillet over medium heat. Microwave works but makes chicken rubbery.
• Blanch broccoli first for the best color. Or roast it while the chicken cooks for a different twist.
• Make the sauce ahead. It keeps in the fridge for 2 weeks and also works for stir fries.

Variations

• Swap chicken for shrimp, tofu, or ground chicken.
• Add bell peppers, snap peas, or carrots for more veggies.
• Top with crushed red pepper or fresh chili for heat.
• Add cashews or peanuts for extra crunch.
• Serve over lo mein noodles instead of rice.
• Use the sauce for stir fried vegetables or noodles too.

Looking for more ideas? Try our Korean Ground Beef Bowls or Beef Broccoli Stir Fry next.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

• Skipping the cornstarch coating: Cornstarch creates the crispy crust. Without it the chicken is smooth and slippery.
• Using regular sesame oil: Toasted sesame oil has 10x the flavor. Get the dark colored bottle, not the light.
• Overcrowding the pan: Cook chicken in two batches. Crowded chicken steams and never gets golden.
• Overcooking the broccoli: Blanch broccoli for only 2 minutes. Limp broccoli ruins the dish.

Honey Sesame Chicken with Broccoli

Honey sesame chicken with broccoli in a sticky savory glaze. Better than takeout and ready in 25 minutes.

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 10 minutes mins

Cook Time 15 minutes mins

Total Time 25 minutes mins

Servings: 4 servings

Course: Dinner

Cuisine: Asian

Calories: 460

Ingredients Method Notes

Ingredients

  

• 1.5 lbs boneless chicken thighs cut into 1 inch pieces
• 3 tbsp cornstarch divided
• 1 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp pepper
• 3 tbsp vegetable oil
• 4 cups broccoli florets
• 1/3 cup honey
• 1/4 cup soy sauce
• 2 tbsp rice vinegar
• 1 tbsp toasted sesame oil
• 4 cloves garlic minced
• 1 tsp fresh ginger grated
• 2 tbsp sesame seeds toasted
• 2 green onions sliced

Method

 

1. **Blanch.** Bring a pot of water to boil. Add broccoli for 2 minutes, drain, and rinse with cold water.
2. **Coat.** Toss chicken with 2 tbsp cornstarch, salt, and pepper.
3. **Fry.** Heat oil in a large skillet over medium high heat. Cook chicken in 2 batches, 4 minutes per batch, until golden. Transfer to a plate.
4. **Sauce.** In the same pan, add honey, soy sauce, rice vinegar, garlic, and ginger. Simmer 2 minutes.
5. **Thicken.** Whisk remaining 1 tbsp cornstarch with 2 tbsp water. Stir into the sauce until thickened.
6. **Combine.** Return chicken to the pan. Add broccoli, sesame oil, and toss. Top with sesame seeds and green onions. Serve over rice.

Notes

Cut chicken into even 1 inch pieces. Uneven pieces cook unevenly. Use toasted sesame oil, not regular. Toasted has deeper, nuttier flavor. Store leftovers in the fridge for up to 4 days.

Source: USDA FoodData Central for nutrition estimates.

FAQ

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