Sesame Chicken Recipe

"Sesame Chicken Recipe" lands at 44.5g of protein for 513 calories a serving, which makes it an easy way to hit a protein target on Ozempic, Wegovy, Mounjaro or Zepbound without overeating. It leans pungent, so save it for a day your stomach is settled rather than right after an injection.

Ingredients

• 1 0.5 pounds boneless skinless chicken breast (cut into small 1/2-inch cubes)
• 0.5 teaspoon kosher salt
• 0.5 teaspoon black pepper
• 0.25 teaspoon ginger powder
• 1 teaspoon arrowroot ( or cornstarch)
• 1 0.5 tablespoons toasted sesame oil
• 1 tablespoons avocado oil (divided)
• 0.5 teaspoon red pepper flakes
• 1 0.5 tablespoons minced garlic (about 4 cloves)
• 3 cups cooked white rice
• 2 scallions (sliced)
• 1/3 cup reduced sodium soy sauce (or gluten-free tamari)
• 3 tablespoons monk fruit sweetener (coconut sugar (honey or sweetener of choice))
• 2 teaspoons tomato paste
• 2 0.5 tablespoons seasoned rice vinegar
• 0.5 tablespoon toasted sesame oil
• 1 tablespoon sesame seeds (plus more for garnish)
• 1 teaspoon grated ginger
• 1 tablespoon arrowroot ( or cornstarch)
• 0.25 cup filtered water

Method

1. 1Toss the cubed chicken with the salt, pepper, ginger powder, arrowroot and 1 tablespoon sesame oil until evenly coated.
2. 2Heat a large skillet over medium-high for about 3 minutes, then add half the avocado oil and let it heat for a minute.
3. 3Lay half the chicken in an even layer and cook 5, 6 minutes, flipping halfway, until golden; work in batches so it crisps rather than steams. Remove and repeat with the rest.
4. 4Whisk the sauce together, soy sauce, sweetener, tomato paste, rice vinegar, sesame oil, sesame seeds and ginger, and set aside.
5. 5Stir the arrowroot and water together into a slurry; set aside.
6. 6Add 1/2 tablespoon sesame oil to the pan with the red pepper flakes and garlic and cook 30 seconds, stirring, until fragrant.
7. 7Pour in half the sauce and cook 1 minute, scraping the bottom of the pan.
8. 8Return the chicken, toss, add the rest of the sauce, then drizzle in the slurry and cook another 2 minutes, stirring, until glossy.
9. 9Serve over rice, garnished with sesame seeds and scallions.

Tips for GLP-1 appetites

• Not the gentlest option on a rough stomach day, better suited to when appetite and digestion feel normal.
• Go lighter on the strong aromatics (garlic, onion, spice rub) if smells are a trigger right now.
• At 44.5g of protein a serving, this alone gets you a meaningful chunk of the way to a daily 80, 120g protein target.