honey sesame chicken

13 Jul, 2026

From ChihYu at iheartumami.com

Ingredients

Chicken

• 1 lb. chicken breasts dice to 1-inch cubes
• 1 tbsp coconut aminos
• ¼ tsp coarse sea salt
• ½ tsp baking soda
• ¼ tsp garlic powder
• 4 tbsp tapioca starch or potato starch (for stovetop), use 6 tbsp for air fryer

Vegetables

• 1 whole yellow bell pepper diced into 1-inch cubes
• 8 oz. French petite green beans trimmed and diced into 2.5-inch sections

Sweet chili sauce

• 1 whole serrano red chili pepper or 1-2 Thai chilies
• 0.1 oz clove garlic finely minced, about 2 small cloves
• 2 tbsp lime or key lime juice
• 2-2.5 tbsp peach jam, honey, or maple syrup
• 2 tbsp fish sauce
• 1 tsp toasted sesame oil
• 2 tsp chopped cilantro or scallions, plus more for garnish

Honey sesame sauce

• 1/3 cup sweet chili sauce (the whole recipe)
• 2 tbsp honey
• 1 tbsp apple cider vinegar or white vinegar
• 2 tsp coconut aminos
• ¼ tsp coarse sea salt
• 1 tsp tapioca starch

Other

• ¼ cup + 1 tbsp avocado oil, for stovetop
• avocado oil spray, for air fryer
• Sprinkle toasted white sesame seeds

Instructions

To prep

1. Slice the chicken breasts into 1-inch cubes and in a bowl mix well with the seasonings from coconut aminos to starch. Set aside in the fridge while you prepare other items.

2. Prepare the bell pepper and green beans. Place the green beans in a microwave-safe container, add 1 tbsp water and microwave on high for 1 minute. Drain the water and set them aside to cool. In a separate bowl, stir well the sauce.

To pan fry

3. In a 12-inch saute pan, add the avocado oil and preheat over medium heat for about 3 minutes. Test the temperature with a wooden chopstick, if it shows bubbles around the chopstick when inserting it into the oil, the temperature is hot enough. You can also use a thermometer to reach 350F/177C.

4. Add the chicken piece-by-piece into the pan. Turn up the heat to medium-high. Pan-fry them in a single layer without disturbing them for about 3 minutes on the first side. Then use a chopstick or tong to cook the flip side for about 2 minutes. Transfer them out to a separate plate.

To air fry

5. Preheat the air fryer to 380F. Spray the basket with avocado oil and place the chicken piece-by-piece into the basket with some space between them. Spray with more oil on top of each piece. Air fry at 380F for 8 minutes total. The chicken should be cooked through. Repeat the process until you finish the batch.

To combine

6. Add 1 tablespoon of oil to a well-heated large saute pan, when warm saute the pepper and green beans with 2 pinches of salt over medium-high heat for 1 minute.

7. Return the chicken to the pan and pour in the honey chili sauce. Turn the heat up to high and toss to coat the sauce over for 1 minute.

8. Turn off the heat. Transfer the food to a serving plate. Garnish with sesame seeds. Serve hot with steamed rice.