Skinny 15-Minute Sesame Chicken and Broccoli

Skinny 15-Minute Sesame Chicken and Broccoli – Skip takeout and make this Asian favorite at home in just minutes!! So EASY and HEALTHIER than what you’d get in a restaurant but tastes just as AWESOME!!

The chicken is tender, juicy, and the sauce coats every piece of chicken and seeps into the nooks and crannies of the crisp-tender broccoli.

Broccoli was made for soaking up sauce and I recommend not overcooking it. Mushy broccoli is just not appetizing and keep in mind that the broccoli will continue to soften as it sits in the sauce, even off the heat.

The dish has so much savory unami flavor from the soy and hoisin sauces while the chili garlic sauce adds a bit of heat and some garlic flavor. If you’ve never used chili garlic sauce and are sensitive to heat, you may want to start with one tablespoon and you can always add more later if you want to amp up the heat level.

Serve it with rice and if you’re feeling like going that route although in an effort to keep carbs down, we ate it just like this.

INGREDIENTS:

• 1 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 tablespoon sesame oil
• 1.25 pounds boneless skinless chicken breast, diced into bite-sized pieces
• 1 1/2 teaspoons cornstarch
• 1 1/2 teaspoons cold water
• 1/4 cup light brown sugar, packed
• 1/4 cup low-sodium soy sauce
• 2 tablespoons honey
• 2 tablespoons hoisin sauce
• 1 to 2 tablespoons chili garlic sauce, or to taste
• 2 teaspoons ground ginger
• 5 cups broccoli florets
• salt and pepper, optional and to taste
• sesame seeds, for garnishing

DIRECTIONS:

1. To a large skillet, add the oils, chicken, and cook over medium-high heat for about 5 minutes, or until chicken is nearly cooked through; stir and flip intermittently to ensure even cooking.
2. While chicken cooks, to a small bowl, add the cornstarch, water, and stir to dissolve; set slurry aside.
3. To a separate medium saucepan add the brown sugar, soy sauce, honey, hoisin sauce, chili garlic sauce, ginger, stir to combine, and bring to a boil over medium heat. Allow mixture to bubble gently for 1 minute.
4. After the mixture is boiling, add the cornstarch slurry, whisk to combine, and allow the sauce to boil and thicken for 2 to 3 minutes; whisking nearly constantly.
5. Push the chicken to one side of the skillet, add the broccoli to the other side, evenly pour the sauce over the chicken and broccoli, and gently stir to combine and coat evenly.
6. Cover skillet and cook for about 5 minutes, or until broccoli is as crisp-tender as desired.
7. Optionally add salt and pepper, evenly sprinkle with the sesame seeds, and serve immediately. Recipe is best fresh but will keep airtight in the fridge for up to 5 days or in the freezer for up to 3 months 

source:averiecooks.com

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