LOW-CARB SESAME CHICKEN AND BROCCOLI SHEET PAN MEAL

This Low-Carb Sesame Chicken and Broccoli Sheet Pan Meal has all the flavors people love in take-out sesame chicken, without the carbs! And this low-carb sheet pan meal is also Keto, low-glycemic, gluten-free (with gluten-free soy sauce, dairy-free, and South Beach Diet friendly. Use the Low-Carb Recipes Index to find more recipes like this one.

Tuesday is Halloween, and then (gasp!) the next day it’s November! Most people love the holiday season, but for anyone who’s trying to follow some type of carb-conscious eating plan, I don’t think there’s any doubt that November and December are two of the hardest months of the year to watch your carbs. I do try to help, but even on this blog there are always a few more indulgent treats than usual showing up during the holidays. So when I was looking at the recipes I’d worked on lately I thought it might be good to at least start out the week with a new recipe that’s definitely a healthy option. Do you like the sound of that?

This Low-Carb Sesame Chicken and Broccoli Sheet Pan Meal has similar flavors to the take-out Sesame Chicken and Broccoli that I’m guessing most people have had at least a few times, but there is no carb-loaded coating on the chicken, and the sauce isn’t sweetened with sugar like take-out Sesame Chicken would be. And this tasty sheet pan meal couldn’t be easier to make. You could cut up the chicken and make the marinade the night before; then let it marinate while you’re at work all day (or at least 4-5 hours.) Then dinner can be on the table in less than 30 minutes! I used some foil to make the pan even easier to clean, but if you’re not a fan of cooking with foil just cook the chicken and broccoli right on the sheet pan! I didn’t try this out on any kids, but I’m guessing it’s pretty kid-friendly too.

INGREDIENTS:

• 3 large boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1 inch pieces
• 2 lb. broccoli crowns, trimmed and cut into bite-sized pieces
• 1 T peanut oil
• black sesame seeds for garnish (optional; regular sesame seeds are also fine)  

MARINADE/GLAZE INGREDIENTS

• 1/3 cup soy sauce (gluten-free if needed, I used gluten-free Tamari)
• 1 T unseasoned rice vinegar (don’t use seasoned vinegar which contains sugar)
• 1 T + 1 tsp. Asian Sesame Oil
• 1 T granulated Stevia sweetener (or other sweetener of your choice)
• 1 T agave nectar, maple syrup, or sugar-free maple syrup (or other sweetener of your choice)
• 1/2 tsp. garlic powder

DIRECTIONS:

1. Trim chicken breasts removing any fat and undesirable parts and cut the chicken into pieces about 1 inch square.
2. Mix together the soy sauce, rice vinegar, sesame oil, granulated Stevia or other sweetener, agave or other sweetener, and garlic powder to make the marinade/glaze.
3. Put chicken pieces in a Ziploc bag or plastic container with a snap-tight lid and add the marinade, reserving 1/4 cup marinade to glaze the chicken and broccoli with after it’s cooked.
4. Let chicken marinate in the fridge at least 4-5 hours, or all day while you’re at work will be fine.
5. When you’re ready to cook, drain the chicken in a colander placed in the sink.
6. Cover baking sheet with foil (or spray the heated pan later with non-stick spray if you’re not using foil.) Put the baking sheet into the oven and preheat to 425F/220C.
7. When the oven has come to temperature, put chicken pieces on the hot baking sheet, spray with non-stick spray if you didn’t use foil, and put it back into the oven, and cook 8 minutes.
8. While chicken cooks, trim the broccoli, cut into same-size florets, and put broccoli into a bowl and toss with the peanut oil.
9. After 8 minutes, remove baking sheet and tuck the broccoli pieces among the pieces of chicken on the baking sheet. Put it back into the oven and cook 12-14 minutes more, or until chicken and broccoli is done to your liking.
10. Brush the hot chicken and broccoli with the reserved glaze, and garnish with black sesame seed (or sesame seeds) if desired. Serve hot

Recipe Source:kalynskitchen.com