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I love ordering sesame chicken as part of a big takeout order, so I wanted to find a way to mimic the flavors of that dish in one easy home-cooked meal. This One-Pan Sesame Chicken and Rice is so good that it may just make you think twice about picking up the phone.
To make this one-pan dish, you’ll start by seasoning and searing chicken thighs, which I love using because they’re so juicy and nearly impossible to overcook. Then, you’ll build the rice base with onions, garlic, and ginger, which makes each bite fragrant and flavorful. Then comes the part that sets this chicken dish apart from the rest—the sweet, umami-packed sesame sauce, which is drizzled all over the chicken and rice before the whole pan is placed in the oven to finish baking. The chicken gets so crispy and there’s no deep-fryer needed! It’s almost as easy as grabbing takeout and I swear the flavor is just as good. The whole thing comes together in just about an hour, which makes it perfect for feeding a family on a weeknight.
Ingredients:
- Boneless, Skinless Chicken Thighs
- Kosher Salt
- Freshly Ground Black Pepper
- Avocado Oil
- Yellow Onion
- Garlic Cloves
- Fresh Ginger
- White Jasmine Rice
- Chicken Broth
- Green Onions
- Tamari or Low-Sodium Soy Sauce
- Toasted Sesame Oil
- Rice Vinegar
- Honey
- Toasted Sesame Seeds
Step-by-Step:
step one: preheat the oven
Preheat the oven to 350℉.
step two: season the chicken
Pat the chicken dry and season all over with salt and pepper.
step three: sear the chicken
In a large oven-safe skillet with a tight-fitting lid, heat the oil over medium-high heat. When hot, add the chicken in a single layer, working in batches as needed to avoid overcrowding, and cook until golden brown, 3 to 4 minutes per side. Transfer to a plate and set aside. The chicken does not need to be fully cooked through as it will continue to cook in the oven.
step four: add the onions
Reduce the heat to medium and add the onions. Cook, stirring, until the onions are softened, about 3 minutes.
step five: toast the rice and aromatics
Add the garlic, ginger, and rice, and continue to cook, stirring, toasting the rice until fragrant and lightly browned, about 2 minutes.
step six: add the broth and green onions
Stir in the broth and the white parts of the green onions and bring to a simmer, 3 to 5 minutes.
step seven: make the tamari and sesame sauce
In a small bowl, whisk together the tamari, toasted sesame oil, rice vinegar, and honey. Nestle the chicken back into the skillet, then drizzle the tamari mixture over the tops of the chicken. Cover, carefully transfer to the oven, and bake for 25 minutes. Carefully uncover the skillet and continue baking until the rice is tender and the chicken is cooked through, 10 to 12 minutes.
step eight: garnish and serve
Remove from the oven and fluff the rice with a fork. Garnish with the green parts of the onion and sesame seeds.
You can, but you may need to adjust the cook time, depending on how big each chicken breast is.
The next time you’re craving takeout, try this One-Pan Sesame Chicken and Rice dish! Comment below and let me know what you think!
looking for more easy chicken recipes? try these!
Seared Chicken Thighs with Garlic-Ginger Broth and Rice
Sheet Pan Ginger-Orange Chicken with Brussels Sprouts
One-Pan Roasted Chicken with Lemony White Beans
One-Pan Sesame Chicken and Rice
Ingredients
- 2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs, trimmed of excess fat
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 3 tablespoons avocado oil
- 3/4 cup finely diced yellow onion (from about 1 small onion)
- 3 garlic cloves, minced
- 1 teaspoon freshly grated ginger
- 1 cup white jasmine rice, rinsed well and drained
- 1½ cups chicken broth
- 6 green onions, thinly sliced on the diagonal, white and green parts separated
- 1/4 cup tamari or low-sodium soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil
- 1 tablespoon rice vinegar
- 2 tablespoons honey
- 2 tablespoons toasted sesame seeds, for garnish
Instructions
- Preheat the oven to 350℉.
- Pat the chicken dry and season all over with salt and pepper.
- In a large oven-safe skillet with a tight-fitting lid, heat the oil over medium-high heat. When hot, add the chicken in a single layer, working in batches as needed to avoid overcrowding, and cook until golden brown, 3 to 4 minutes per side. Transfer to a plate and set aside. The chicken does not need to be fully cooked through as it will continue to cook in the oven.
- Reduce the heat to medium and add the onions. Cook, stirring, until the onions are softened, about 3 minutes.
- Add the garlic, ginger, and rice, and continue to cook, stirring, toasting the rice until fragrant and lightly browned, about 2 minutes.
- Stir in the broth and the white parts of the green onions and bring to a simmer, 3 to 5 minutes.
- In a small bowl, whisk together the tamari, toasted sesame oil, rice vinegar, and honey. Nestle the chicken back into the skillet, then drizzle the tamari mixture over the tops of the chicken. Cover, carefully transfer to the oven, and bake for 25 minutes. Carefully uncover the skillet and continue baking until the rice is tender and the chicken is cooked through, 10 to 12 minutes.
- Remove from the oven and fluff the rice with a fork. Garnish with the green parts of the onion and sesame seeds.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Food Photography and Styling by Eat Love Eats.
This was delicious! I wanted leftovers so I used the exact recipe but had 3 lbs of chicken. Added sliced carrots so that I didn’t need another side. It ran a little salty for us, so maybe I’d use a tad less soy next time? (We did use low-sodium, for the record!)
Fed my family of four happily, with an easy clean up!
Easy to prep and make. Flavorful and delicious! Deff would feed a family
I love the flavors! I ended up needing to keep it in the oven an extra 20 or so minutes because the rice wasn’t cooking through. Any idea what I could’ve done wrong?
I want to make it again though! It’s so good!
Hm did you use regular white jasmine rice? Other varieties may take longer. You might also want to get an internal oven thermometer to make sure that your oven doesn’t run cool!
could i do this with breasts?
You can, but I do worry that they’ll dry out a bit.
Great recipe! I just continued the cooking on the stovetop while covered and it turned out great! Add in some steamed broccoli after the dish was finished cooking and drizzled some chili oil for a little spice. Will add to the rotation!
Wow!!! Full of flavor. The entire family loved it. I will be making this on repeat.
so glad to hear this!
This was absolutely delicious!!!! Such great flavor! Next time, I might add a couple of cups of the frozen mixed veg mix: diced carrot, corn and green bean during the final 10 minutes of cooking. Highly recommend!
If I want to add broccoli to the dish to give us a veggie would I just had more stock?
Great dish and easy to make! I served mine with a side of green peas and a chopped salad!
Hi Alex. Thank you for the recipe. Would you mind telling me the brands of ingredients you like to use. I know not all ingredients are as clean as possible and it’s hard to choose clean products (esp for our sensitive kids). I’d love to know the brand of rice you like, the tamari sauce, sauce sauce even the cleanest salt (I recently read salt guides be full of bad toxins/chemicals like lead) so it’s just difficult to know what’s safe out there to use. I appreciate it. Is there a list that you might have of good ingredients/brands you like? Or where can I look to find something like that. Thank you
Hi! I totally understand where you’re coming from — choosing clean products can feel overwhelming, and what works for one family isn’t necessarily right for another. I don’t have a one-size-fits-all list, but there are some tools I use and trust that can help you evaluate brands and ingredients so you can make the choices that feel best for your family.
One app I often recommend is EWG’s Healthy Living App, it lets you scan product barcodes and see ingredient ratings, concerns, and cleaner alternatives. It’s a great way to do your own research in a way that fits your family’s needs.