Sesame Ginger Rice Bowl (Printable Version)

Tender chicken and crisp vegetables with aromatic sesame-ginger sauce over jasmine rice.

# What You Need:

→ Proteins

01 - 1.1 lb boneless, skinless chicken breast or thighs, cut into bite-sized pieces

→ Marinade & Sauce

02 - 3 tbsp low sodium soy sauce
03 - 2 tbsp toasted sesame oil
04 - 1 tbsp rice vinegar
05 - 1 tbsp honey or maple syrup
06 - 2 tbsp fresh ginger, grated
07 - 2 garlic cloves, minced
08 - 1 tbsp sriracha or chili garlic sauce (optional)

→ Rice

09 - 1 1/4 cups jasmine or short-grain white rice, rinsed
10 - 2 cups water

→ Vegetables

11 - 1 medium carrot, julienned
12 - 1 red bell pepper, thinly sliced
13 - 3.5 oz sugar snap peas or snow peas, halved
14 - 2 spring onions, sliced

→ Garnishes

15 - 2 tbsp toasted sesame seeds
16 - Fresh coriander (cilantro) leaves
17 - Lime wedges

# How to Make It:

01 - In a bowl, whisk together soy sauce, sesame oil, rice vinegar, honey, grated ginger, minced garlic, and sriracha if using. Reserve half the sauce for drizzling and coat the chicken pieces with the remaining half. Marinate the chicken for 15 minutes.
02 - Rinse rice under cold water until clear. Combine rinsed rice and water in a saucepan, bring to a boil, then reduce heat, cover, and simmer for 12 to 15 minutes until tender. Fluff rice with a fork and set aside.
03 - Heat a large non-stick skillet or wok over medium-high heat. Add marinated chicken, discard excess marinade, and cook while stirring for 5 to 7 minutes until golden brown and cooked through. Remove from heat and keep warm.
04 - In the same pan, briefly stir-fry julienned carrot, sliced red bell pepper, and halved sugar snap peas for 2 to 3 minutes until tender-crisp.
05 - Divide cooked rice evenly among four bowls. Top each with cooked chicken and vegetable stir-fry. Drizzle reserved sauce over the top.
06 - Finish with sliced spring onions, toasted sesame seeds, fresh coriander leaves, and lime wedges. Serve immediately.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • Everything cooks fast but tastes like you spent hours balancing flavors.
  • The sesame-ginger sauce does all the work and makes even plain rice feel special.
  • You can swap the chicken for tofu or just pile on extra vegetables and it still satisfies completely.
02 -
  • Don't cook the chicken in the marinade liquid or it steams instead of searing, you want that golden crust.
  • If your vegetables go soggy, your pan wasn't hot enough, crank the heat and work fast.
  • Leftover sauce keeps in the fridge for a week and turns any boring protein into something worth eating.
03 -
  • Toast your sesame seeds in a dry pan for 2 minutes, they smell incredible and taste twice as good.
  • Grate ginger on a microplane so it disappears into the sauce instead of clumping.
  • If you want extra sauce, just double the marinade recipe and keep the extra in the fridge, you'll use it all week.
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