Flavorful chicken skewers that are great with some fries, as appetizers or inside wraps!
It is almost 10 AM and my girls are attending virtual school. They are sitting across from each other headphones on and every time one of them speaks my ears perk up. I know some of that is human instinct, but I think that I need to tame it. The girls - bless them - have been with me 24/7 since March. Now it is time for them to have their space, to say whatever they want without me filing it away to discuss for later. This entire time I have been thinking about how much of my space I have given up since the pandemic forced us indoors. Now I realize that they have given up theirs too.
It is time to pivot a little, to go back to the things I did before, finding my space so they can find theirs. It is also time for me to go back to eating and living the way we did before Banana Bread became the new bread. We are now back to planning and packing school lunches and that includes things like Sesame Ginger Chicken. I have a whole arsenal of these chicken recipes up my sleeve - the marinate and cook variety because they are kid friendly, pantry friendly and so healthy.
What goes in Sesame Ginger Chicken
The ingredients for this sesame ginger chicken are so basic it is positively wonderful. I bet I will shock you with the first three (lol)
- Boneless Chicken (breast or thigh)
- Sesame Seeds
- Ginger
- Soy Sauce
- Garlic
- Lime Juice
- Salt
- Green Chilies (for a little zing!)
- Garam Masala (optional, but if you don't have it skip it and add half a tsp of pepper instead!)
Weeknight Friendly
I love making these skewers because they are quick and easy! Simply marinate the Sesame Ginger Chicken 30 minutes to a few hours before you eat. Then you can cook them skewered or not in a grill pan or a large frying pan. A few minutes on each side and you're on your way to juicy deliciousness!
Three Ways to Enjoy your Sesame Ginger Chicken
One of the best things about chicken skewers like these are that they are enormously versatile. You can probably come up with even more fun ideas, but we usually eat them
- with a green salad
- in a wrap
- on skewers with some fries and vegetable sticks
I also love to put them on little toothpicks for the kids for school because they just look so darn cute!
Speaking of kids my kids also love these recipes!
- The Sesame Fried Chicken I loved growing up
- School Safe granola bars
- Cilantro Lime Chicken Pasta
Sesame Ginger Chicken
Equipment
- wooden skewers (optional)
- Frying Pan
Ingredients
- 2 lbs Boneless chicken
- 4-inch piece ginger (peeled)
- 2 cloves garlic
- 2 tbsp lime juice
- 1 tsp garam masala (optional, add ½ a tsp pepper if it's not available)
- 3 tbsp soy sauce
- 2 tbsp olive oil
- ½ tsp salt
- 1-3 green chilies minced
- ¼ cup sesame seeds
- 3 tbsp chopped cilantro
Instructions
- Soak the wooden skewers in water (if using)
- Chop the chicken into 1.5 inch sized pieces
- Blend together the ingredients from ginger to green chilies (if you want to avoid blending then grate your ginger, mince your garlic and stir everything together)
- Stir in the sesame seeds and cilantro
- Pour over chicken, mix well and marinate for at least 30 minutes
- Cook one test piece on a hot pan, 2-3 minutes on each side until cooked through and then adjust seasoning if needed.
- If you are happy with it then skewer chicken onto the wooden skewers
- Cook for 4 minutes on the first side, flip, then cook till done. Cook times will vary by pans, but it usually takes me 3-4 minutes on each side.
- Serve with extra lime wedges. Goes so well with a nice salad and fries or inside a wrap!
Mishal says
This is a wonderful dish for a weeknight and didn't have the need to enhance the flavor. The spice level was mild-medium but yeah the heat can be adjusted to your level. We personally would add more heat but suggest to first try this way and go from there.
Sarah Mir says
Thanks Mishal! Yes - this is not a spicy one for sure, but I am so glad you enjoyed the flavours!
Mishal says
So did my guests. Every single one! Definitely a keeper for my recipe binder:)
Mariam Ghaznavi says
Becoming a fan of your recipes. Easy to follow and all the ones I have tried have turned out amazing. Thank you for making my dinner plans easier to formulate!
Made it with salad for hubby and me and kids ate it in pasta. Both tasted great!
Maha Husain says
Love love love this recipe! Doubled the quantities and yet didn’t manage seconds for some people. I added some bell peppers to the mix and placed it on a bed of cut up lettuce and voila! this was a total crowd pleaser! Thanks so so much, Sarah. ❤️❤️
Sarah Mir says
Maha! I LOVE the idea of adding peppers! Shamelessly stealing that from you! Also I am so happy to hear you and your friends enjoyed it!
Aiysha says
Another good recipe. I did not have sesame seeds but followed the rest of the recipe to the t. It is delicious, we had it with salad. My son made wraps with tortillas and garlic sauce. This is a definite keeper.
Sarah Mir says
Thrilled to hear that Aiysha! Thank you for the review and rating!
Amina Al-Saigh says
Just tried this recipe. SO good and super quick! A keeper for weeknights. Thanks Sarah ❤️
sarahjmir@gmail.com says
Thank you so much for making it Amina!!!