Saucy Vegan Sesame “Chicken”

This Vegan Sesame Chicken is saucy, sticky, and perfectly sweet. A delicious gluten-free + plant-based take on the classic Honey Sesame Chicken.

Sometimes in life, we need a little extra excitement from our food. No shade on the classic veggie-filled bowls – they are great and we all love them. But some days we just need that extra comfy, cozy meal to remind us of the simple joys in life.

Allow me to introduce your newest comfort favorite: Vegan Sesame Chicken. This plant-based play on the classic honey sesame chicken will leave you wondering if you’ll ever want to get take-out again! It’s cozy, tasty, and surprisingly easy to make.

INGREDIENTS FOR VEGAN SESAME CHICKEN

You only need 10 ingredients or less to whip up this better-than-takeout meal. Plus, it’s made from pantry-friendly ingredients, making it perfect for a fuss-free weeknight meal.

• Soy Curls are dehydrated protein “strips” made from soy – once rehydrated, they’re a perfect replacement for chicken! You may be able to find them in a health food store near you, or you can purchase them online.
• Toasted Sesame Oil: you don’t need much of this oil to pack in tons of flavor. Because the sesame seeds are toasted, the oil is much more robust and adds an extra depth of flavor.
• Vegan Chicken-Flavored Broth: what would vegan chicken be without vegan chicken-flavored broth to flavor it? It’s the perfect tasty marinade for our soy curls to soak up!
• Low-Sodium Tamari helps make our chicken deliciously savory, without being too salty.
• Maple Syrup helps to make our sauce perfectly sweet and sticky, and serves as a honey replacement.
• Unseasoned Rice Vinegar adds juuust the right amount of ‘tang’ to our vegan chicken flavor.
• Arrowroot Powder helps to thicken the sauce; if you don’t have it, you can use cornstarch instead.

HOW TO MAKE VEGAN SESAME CHICKEN

This vegan sesame chicken is so good that I’d take any necessary steps to make it. Lucky for us, this recipe only takes 20 minutes and a few simple steps to prepare!

1. Rehydrate your soy curls.
2. Sauté the soy curls, allowing them to brown.
3. Mix together the broth, tamari, maple syrup, and vinegar then whisk in the arrowroot powder or cornstarch to make your sauce.
4. Pour the sauce into the pan with your soy curls and heat until the sauce has thickened.
5. Serve warm over a bed of fluffy rice.

What I love most about this dish is how much happiness it brings for being one of the easiest meals to make. There’s nothing like the grin you’ll get when you open the fridge to see your tangy, saucy leftovers staring back at you. This is delicious over some fluffy white rice, or if you’re feeling fancy, you can steam (or stir fry) some vegetables on the side. This easy-to-make recipe is the perfect weeknight dinner or take-to-work lunch.

The saucy, sweet flavors in this dish taste even better the next day, so if you can manage to save some for later, your leftovers will stay good in the fridge for up to 5 days.

If you’re looking for more ‘better-than-takeout’ recipes, you’ll also love this Saucy Stovetop Peanut Tempeh, this Chinese Five Spice Braised Tofu, and this Easy Crispy Tofu!

Finally, if you make this recipe and decide to share it on Facebook or Instagram, don’t forget to tag me @FromMyBowl + #FromMyBowl! I love seeing your delicious recreations 🙂

Vegan Sesame “Chicken”

Print Recipe

★★★★★

5 from 19 reviews

This Vegan Sesame Chicken is saucy, sticky, and perfectly sweet. A delicious gluten-free + plant-based take on the classic Honey Sesame Chicken.

• Author: Caitlin Shoemaker
• Prep Time: 10 Minutes
• Cook Time: 10 Minutes
• Total Time: 20 minutes
• Yield: Serves 2 to 4 1x
• Category: Main
• Method: Stovetop
• Cuisine: American
• Diet: Vegan

Ingredients

Scale 1x2x3x

• 4 ounces (115 g) dried soy curls (see note for substitutions)
• 1 tablespoon + 1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil (see notes for Oil-Free)
• 5 green onions, sliced; white and green parts separated
• 2 cloves of garlic, minced
• 1/2 cup (120 ml) vegan chicken-flavored broth (or sub vegetable)
• 1/4 cup (60 ml) low-sodium tamari
• 3 tablespoons grade A maple syrup*
• 1 tablespoon unseasoned rice vinegar
• 1 tablespoon arrowroot powder or cornstarch
• 1 tablespoon sesame seeds
• Optional: vegetables and white or brown rice, for serving

Instructions

1. Prep the Soy Curls: Bring 3 cups (700 ml) of water to a boil in a pot. Add the soy curls to a large glass bowl, then carefully pour the water over the soy curls. Let soak for 7 to 10 minutes, then drain. Press the soy curls thoroughly to remove excess water. In the meantime, measure and prepare all remaining ingredients
2. Sauté: add 1 tablespoon of sesame oil to a pan over medium-high heat; once warm, add white portions of the green onions and the garlic. Cook for 60 seconds, then add the rehydrated soy curls. Cook for 5 to 7 minutes, stirring occasionally to brown the soy curls.
3. Prep the Sauce: while the soy curls sauté, mix the broth, tamari, maple syrup, and vinegar together in a small bowl. Whisk the arrowroot powder or cornstarch into the sauce; keep mixing until it is completely dissolved.
4. Combine: Pour the sauce into the pan with the soy curls, mixing everything together well to avoid any clumping of the sauce. Sauté for 3 to 5 minutes, until the sauce has thickened to your liking.
5. Serve: Divide the soy curls into serving bowls over rice and vegetables (or as desired). Serve warm; leftovers will last in the fridge for up to 5 days and are best reheated on the stovetop.

Notes

• “Chicken” Substitutes: you can replace the soy curls with either 16 ounces of super firm tofu or tempeh. Soy curls expand a lot after soaking, so you can use more of these substitutions and still have it be saucy. You can also use up to 16 ounces of another plant-based chicken alternative, such as Gardein.
• Maple syrup can be swapped with agave, coconut sugar, or brown sugar. If you are using granulated sweetener, make sure to whisk it into the wet ingredients until dissolved before adding it to the pan.
• Oil-Free: sauté the vegetables and soy curls in 3-4 tablespoons of water or vegetable broth instead of oil. I would recommend adding the teaspoon of sesame oil at the end for flavor, but you can leave it out if you wish.

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