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.