Looking for sesame chicken that beats takeout? This flavorful honey sesame chicken is an easy, delicious make-ahead freezer dinner.
As you all probably know by now, my personal theory is that you can never have too many quick & easy freezer meals ready to go, especially ones that use budget-friendly chicken! If you haven’t started using these quick & easy cheater freezer recipes, you are definitely missing the boat. I honestly don’t know what we would do without them!
This flavor packed honey sesame chicken earned rave reviews from both my husband AND kids; in fact, my husband declared it one of his new favorites, which is saying something! To make it as part of a freezer cooking day, just split the sauce & chicken into multiple bags, then throw it right into the freezer–no cooking required! Making it ahead of time is not necessary, though, as it is equally delicious just marinated at room temperature.
You can use any type of chicken but my family much prefers the boneless, skinless chicken thighs, which are a darker, juicier meat and also tend to be cheaper than the boneless skinless breasts.
Honey Sesame Chicken
Here is what you need:
3-4 pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs 1 large onion 1 bunch green onions 6 cloves garlic 1/2 cup honey 1/2 cup soy sauce 1/2 cup ketchup 1/4 cup olive oil 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes (optional) sesame seeds (for cooking day)Step 1: Chop onion and green onions; set aside.
Step 2: Mince garlic; set aside
Step 3: Mix together honey, soy sauce, ketchup, olive oil, cayenne pepper, red pepper flakes, onion, garlic and green onions.
Step 4: Divide chicken into 2 gallon size freezer bags ( be sure to label bags first.) Divide honey mixture over top of chicken.
Step 5: Thaw if frozen; pour contents into crockpot. Cook on low for 4-6 hours or on high for 2-3 hours, or place in casserole dish and bake at 400 degrees for 30-40 minutes or until chicken is cooked.
Step 6: Serve over rice; sprinkle with sesame seeds.
Instant Pot recipe update: If frozen, defrost in fridge. Then add chicken and ½ cup of water to Instant Pot. Close the lid making sure the vent valve is on the sealing position. Press the Pressure-cooking setting and set the time for 40 minutes. Once 40 minutes is up, do a quick release. Then remove at least one cup of liquid and turn IP to sauté. This helps the sauce to thicken and coat the chicken.

Honey Sesame Chicken
Ingredients
- 3-4 pounds boneless skinless chicken thighs
- 1 large onion
- 1 bunch green onions
- 6 cloves garlic
- 1/2 cup honey
- 1/2 cup soy sauce
- 1/2 cup ketchup
- 1/4 cup olive oil
- 1 teaspoon cayenne pepper
- 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes optional
- sesame seeds for cooking day
Instructions
- Chop onion and green onions; set aside.
- Mince garlic; set aside.
- Mix together honey, soy sauce, ketchup, olive oil, cayenne pepper, red pepper flakes, onion, garlic and green onions.
- Divide chicken into 2 gallon size freezer bags ( be sure to label bags first.) Divide honey mixture over top of chicken.
- Thaw if frozen; pour contents into crockpot. Cook on low for 4-6 hours or on high for 2-3 hours, or place in casserole dish and bake at 400 degrees for 30-40 minutes or until chicken is cooked.
- Serve over rice; sprinkle with sesame seeds.
Recipe Notes
Instant Pot recipe update: If frozen, defrost in fridge. Then add chicken and ½ cup of water to Instant Pot. Close the lid making sure the vent valve is on the sealing position. Press the Pressure-cooking setting and set the time for 40 minutes. Once 40 minutes is up, do a quick release. Then remove at least one cup of liquid and turn IP to sauté. This helps the sauce to thicken and coat the chicken.
Check out these other chicken recipes:
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If you love this resource, be sure to check out our digital library of helpful tools and resources for cleaning faster, taking control of your budget, organizing your schedule, and getting food on the table easier than ever before.
excellent recipe honey sesame chicken, very healthy, did not know that with honey you can make very nutritious recipes. thank you for sharing.
I have a big event coming up, wondering if I can pre-cook this and plave it in the freezer for a day?