This Panda Express Honey Sesame Chicken is a healthy copycat recipe of a takeout favorite. Make this easy chicken dinner for your next weeknight meal. Serve it with rice or cauliflower rice.

A bowl of sesame chicken with bell peppers.

Who needs takeout when you can make this delicious honey sesame chicken right at home? Skip the fried food and questionable ingredients for an equally delicious but much healthier dish everyone will love.

Contents hide
1 Why You Need This Recipe
2 Key Ingredients
3 Recipe Steps
4 Recipe Tips & Substitutions
5 Recipe FAQs
6 Other Healthy Chicken Recipes You Might Like
7 Don’t Miss These Delicious Copycat Recipes
8 Panda Express Honey Sesame Chicken (Copycat)

Why You Need This Recipe

  • It can be really difficult to eat most takeout if you’re gluten-intolerant or Celiac. Simply use gluten-free soy sauce known as tamari in place of regular soy sauce. You can find it right next to the regular kind in most grocery stores or on Amazon (I like reduced sodium tamari).
  • Homemade Chinese food is much healthier than fast food takeout. Most fast food is full of sodium and MSG. When you make your own, you control what goes into it.
  • The original Panda Express Honey Sesame Chicken uses fried pieces of chicken. My healthier copycat version skips the frying since fried foods are not healthy.
  • This Honey Sesame Chicken is done in just 25 minutes. See all of my healthy 30-minute meals.

Key Ingredients

Ingredients for honey sesame chicken

Chicken cutlets are an essential but healthy protein for this recipe.

Soy sauce or tamari give this recipe the flavor you know & love.

Honey adds a touch of sweetness to the sauce.

Siracha adds a slightly spicy kick that works well with the sweetness of the honey.

Recipe Steps

Pictures showing how to make sesame chicken

Step One

In a nonstick skillet, heat the cooking oil over medium heat.

Step Two

Add the bell pepper and chicken then cover with a lid and cook for 5 minutes.

Please see the recipe card at the end of this post for the exact ingredients and measurements.

Step Three

Remove the lid and stir in the remaining ingredients. Cook until the chicken is cooked through and the sauce thickens.

Step Four

Serve hot, with a sprinkling of toasted sesame seeds on top.

A bowl of sesame chicken with bell peppers

Recipe Tips & Substitutions

  • Store any leftovers in a covered container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. Reheat before serving.
  • To toast sesame seeds, place them in a dry skillet over medium heat. Let them toast to a golden brown, keeping an eye on them so they don’t burn.
  • Remember to use gluten-free soy sauce if you want this recipe to be gluten-free.

Recipe FAQs

What can I serve honey sesame chicken with?

Serve this dish alongside cauliflower rice, white rice, brown rice, quinoa, ramen noodles or grilled vegetables.

Can I make prep this meal ahead of time?

Yes you can slice up all the vegetables and cut up the chicken ahead of time so when you’re ready all you have to do is cook it.

Other Healthy Chicken Recipes You Might Like

Or, check out all of my clean eating chicken recipes.

Don’t Miss These Delicious Copycat Recipes

Costco Chicken Salad (Copycat Recipe)

Erewhon Kale Salad (Copycat)

Costco Stuffed Salmon (Copycat Recipe)

Panera Chicken Noodle Soup (Copycat)

I hope you make this recipe! If you do, please leave a comment and a starred review below.

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A bowl of honey sesame chicken

Panda Express Honey Sesame Chicken (Copycat)

★★★★★

5 from 1 reviews
Print Recipe

This Panda Express Honey Sesame Chicken is a healthy copycat recipe of a takeout favorite. Make this easy chicken dinner for your next weeknight meal. Serve it with rice or cauliflower rice.

  • Total Time: 25 minutes
  • Yield: 4 1x

Ingredients

Units Scale
  • 1 tablespoon cooking oil (I used avocado oil)
  • 1 yellow bell pepper, cored and sliced
  • 1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1-inch chunks
  • 1 cup snap peas, stems removed and cut in half
  • 1/3 cup honey
  • 1/3 cup reduced sodium soy sauce (use tamari for gluten-free diets)
  • 1 tablespoon siracha
  • 1 tablespoon sesame seeds, toasted
  • Cooked white rice or sautéed cauliflower rice (optional, for serving)

Instructions

  1. In a large nonstick skillet, heat the cooking oil over medium heat.
  2. Add the bell pepper and chicken strips and stir. Cover the skillet and cook the chicken with the pepper for 5 minutes, stirring occasionally.
  3. Remove the lid and stir in the snap peas, honey, soy sauce or tamari, and siracha. Stir and let the dish cook uncovered for another 8-10 minutes, or until the chicken is cooked through and the sauce has started to thicken.
  4. Serve hot, with seeds sprinkled on top.

Notes

  1. Store any leftovers in a covered container in the refrigerator for up to 4 days. Reheat before serving.
  2. To toast sesame seeds, place them in a dry skillet over medium heat. Let them toast to a golden brown, keeping an eye on them so they don’t burn.

Keywords: copycat panda express, sesame chicken, gluten-free chicken

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