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

Gather the ingredients for this sesame honey chicken: Sesame, soy, seasonings, ketchup, chicken and honey.

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)

chop the green onion into small diced pieces.

Step 1: Chop onion and green onions; set aside.

Mince the fresh garlic using a garlic press.

Step 2: Mince garlic; set aside

Whisk together the seasonings and sauce for this yummy honey sesame chicken.

Step 3: Mix together honey, soy sauce, ketchup, olive oil, cayenne pepper, red pepper flakes, onion, garlic and green onions.

Divide the honey sesame sauce into two freezer bags in equal portions.

Step 4: Divide chicken into 2 gallon size freezer bags ( be sure to label bags first.) Divide honey mixture over top of chicken.

Thaw the chicken in a shallow glass baking dish and pop into the oven when you're ready for an easy dinner.

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.

Serve this delicious honey sesame chicken over a bed of rice.

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.

5 from 1 vote
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Honey Sesame Chicken

This super easy and flavorful recipe is sure to be a family favorite!
Course Main Course
Cuisine Asian
Keyword Honey Sesame Chicken
Prep Time 7 minutes
Cook Time 6 hours
Total Time 6 hours 7 minutes
Servings 8 people

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

  1. Chop onion and green onions; set aside.
  2. Mince garlic; set aside.
  3. Mix together honey, soy sauce, ketchup, olive oil, cayenne pepper, red pepper flakes, onion, garlic and green onions.
  4. Divide chicken into 2 gallon size freezer bags ( be sure to label bags first.) Divide honey mixture over top of chicken.
  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.
  6. 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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Ruth Soukup

Ruth Soukup

Founder at Living Well Spending Less
Ruth Soukup is dedicated to helping people everywhere create a life they love by follwing their dreams and achieving their biggest goals. She is the host of the wildly popular Do It Scared podcast, as well as the founder of Living Well Spending Less® and Elite Blog Academy®. She is also the New York Times bestselling author of six books, including Do It Scared®: Finding the Courage to Face Your Fears, Overcome Obstacles, and Create a Life You Love, which was the inspiration for this book. She lives in Florida with her husband Chuck, and 2 daughters Maggie & Annie.
Ruth Soukup

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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.