We’re already over halfway through August (what?!) so I have just a few more absolutely delicious, must-make summer recipes for you before we start diving head first into pumpkin season.

Starting with this incredible grilled sesame chicken made with an easy, super flavorful ginger sesame marinade that you’ll want to use for all of your meals. I’ve included instructions for how to bake or grill this chicken so yes, you can make it all year round!

We love adding this juicy sesame chicken to all types of recipes: fresh, crunchy salads (hint: coming soon), rice or noodle bowls, or serving as-is with a side of veggies and coconut rice. I mean, just look at that rich color and those beautiful grill marks! It’s seriously so delicious on its own, and the team and I fell in love when we tested it earlier this summer. This one is a MUST for your dinner plans this month.

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Everything you’ll need to make a chicken marinade

Every chicken marinade needs 3 components to give you perfectly juicy, flavorful chicken every time:

• Fat: from oil or even full fat yogurt or buttermilk
• Acid: from vinegar or citrus fruit
• Plenty of seasonings: like spices and fresh or dried herbs

This grilled sesame chicken checks all of the boxes — you’re going to LOVE the flavors. Get even more tips & marinades here!

Ingredients in this grilled sesame chicken recipe

The sweet and savory sesame chicken marinade gives the chicken such an incredible flavor and makes it tender and juicy when cooked. Here’s what you’ll need to make it:

• Chicken: you’ll be marinating and cooking one pound of boneless skinless chicken breast. Feel free to use the marinade for thighs or drumsticks, too!
• Oil: the “fat” portion of the marinade comes from sesame oil. I recommend using toasted sesame oil for an even bolder flavor.
• Vinegar: gotta have the “acid,” part, too, which makes the chicken tender. We’ll be using rice vinegar in this marinade.
• Flavor & seasonings: the marinade gets plenty of sweet and savory flavor from low sodium soy sauce, fresh garlic and ginger, brown sugar or coconut sugar, and red pepper flakes.
• Sesame add-ins: because this is a sesame chicken marinade, we’re also adding sesame seeds and tahini for a little creaminess. Use the code ‘ambitiouskitchen’ to get 10% off my favorite brand, Soom!
• To garnish: I like to garnish the grilled sesame chicken with more sesame seeds and sliced green onions.

How to make delicious grilled sesame chicken

This recipe couldn’t be easier to make. Start by whisking together all of the marinade ingredients in a bowl, adding your chicken, and then marinating it in the fridge for at least 3o minutes or up to one hour. When you’re ready to cook:

• To bake: you’ll want to bake your chicken on a parchment-lined baking sheet or in a baking dish at 400 degrees F for 20-30 minutes until the internal temp reads 165 degrees F. Get all of my tips for baking perfect chicken here!
• To grill: we love grilled sesame chicken because it’s super quick & easy. You’ll grill your chicken at 400 degrees F for about 6-8 minutes on each side. Check out this guide to grilling perfectly juicy chicken every time.

Our fav ways to use this grilled sesame chicken

Storing tips

Feel free to store the sesame chicken in the marinade before cooking, or store the fully cooked chicken:

• Before cooking: store the chicken and the marinade together in an airtight container or bag in the refrigerator one day ahead of time. Then cook as directed the next day.
• After cooking: make sure the cooked chicken has cooled completely, then store it in an airtight container in the refrigerator for 3-4 days.

More chicken recipes you’ll love

Get all of my chicken recipes here!

I hope you love this grilled sesame chicken recipe! If you make it be sure to leave a comment and a rating so I know how you liked it. Enjoy, xo!

Juicy and delicious grilled sesame chicken marinated in an easy sesame ginger chicken marinade. Serve this sesame chicken recipe with a salad, in a grain bowl, or on its own with your favorite sides! Options to grill or bake the chicken included.

Ingredients

• 1
  pound
  boneless skinless chicken breast
• 1/4
  cup
  low sodium soy sauce or coconut aminos
• 2
  cloves
  garlic, minced
• 2
  tablespoons
  brown sugar or coconut sugar
• 1
  tablespoon
  tahini
• 1
  tablespoon
  sesame oil (preferably toasted sesame oil)
• 1
  tablespoon
  rice vinegar
• 1
  tablespoon
  fresh grated ginger
• 1
  tablespoon
  sesame seeds
• ½
  teaspoon
  red pepper flakes
• To garnish:
• Sliced green onion
• Sesame seeds

Instructions

1. In a large bowl, whisk together the soy sauce, garlic, brown sugar, tahini, sesame oil, rice vinegar, ginger, sesame seeds and red pepper flakes. Add chicken, then cover and place in the fridge for roughly 30 minutes or up to 24 hours. Then bake or grill your chicken however you like. Garnish with sliced green onion and additional sesame seeds.

2. To grill: Preheat the grill to 400 degrees F. Grill chicken for about 6-8 minutes per side; chicken is done when a meat thermometer reads 165 degrees F. Time will vary depending on the size of your chicken breast. Get all of my tips for grilling chicken here!

   If you’d like to bake the chicken, follow the instructions in this guide.

Recipe Notes

Learn exactly how to grill chicken here and how to bake it here!

See the full post for delicious ways to serve this chicken.

Nutrition

Servings: 4 servings

Serving size: 1 serving (based on 4)

Calories: 237kcal

Fat: 9.7g

Saturated fat: 1.6g

Carbohydrates: 9.1g

Fiber: 0.7g

Sugar: 6g

Protein: 27.9g