2 T. minced peeled fresh ginger

2 T. fresh lemon juice

2 T. cider vinegar

2 T. low-sodium soy sauce

2 tsp. dark sesame oil

1 tsp. grated orange rind

1 tsp. Worcestershire sauce

4 garlic cloves, minced

1 1/4 pounds skinless, boneless chicken thighs, cut into bite-sized pieces (about 16 thighs)

Cooking spray

1 tsp. salt

1/4 tsp. black pepper

2 tsp. cornstarch

2 tsp. water

2 tsp. sesame seeds, toasted (optional)

 

Combine first 9 ingredients in a large zip-top plastic bag; seal and shake well. Add chicken; seal and toss to coat. Refrigerate at least 2 hours or overnight, turning occasionally. Preheat oven to 425 degrees. Remove chicken from bag, reserving marinade. Arrange chicken in a single layer on the rack of a broiler pan coated with cooking spray (spray the catch-pan too, helps with clean up). Sprinkle chicken with salt and pepper. Bake at 425 degrees for 20 minutes, stirring once. While chicken is cooking, strain marinade through a sieve into a bowl; discard solids. Place marinade in a saucepan; bring to a boil. Cook 3 minutes; skim solids from surface. Combine cornstarch and water in a small bowl; stir with a whisk. Add cornstarch mixture to pan, stirring with a whisk; cook 1 minute. Remove from heat; pour glaze into a large bowl. Preheat broiler. Add chicken to glaze; toss well to coat. Place chicken mixture on a pan (if you want to use the same broiler pan, put down some foil under the chicken or rinse and use the catch pan part only, you don’t WANT the glaze to drop away); broil 5 minutes or until browned, stirring twice. Sprinkle with sesame seeds, if desired.

 

Yield: 12 servings (serving size: about 1 1/2 oz.)

Calories: 179

Fat: 4.4g

Fiber: 0g

 

Notes:  This was my new recipe of the week. It was very very yummy. The hubby swears it tastes just like his favorite sesame chicken at our local chinese place.

 

I made it with chicken breast tenders so I wouldn’t have to skin and debone thighs, and to bring down the fat and calories so I could have a larger portion. Since they cook faster than thighs, I halved the original cooking time, and that seemed about right. Also, this was originally an appetizer recipe. I just halved the recipe, since I didn’t need 12 servings. I think it would taste OK if you used a different kind of oil if you didn’t have sesame, but it would definitely taste different. Even that little bit of sesame oil was quite obvious in the recipe; it is strong stuff.

 

This is not a quick recipe.  With the switching of pans and such, it can be a pain if you are trying to get a meal on the table fast.  Also, clean up can be a real mess.  I am liberal with my use of cooking spray in the catch pan of the broiler pan, and I use a non-stick aluminum foil (Reynold’s Wrap Release, I think it’s called) to line the second pan when the chicken goes back in the oven.

 

I have since made this several more times, sometimes with chicken breast, sometimes with skinned, boned thighs, ever since I found a store that sells them in bags, frozen.  Either way it’s really tasty and we like it alot.