I make this sesame chicken rice bowl at least twice a month, and it’s usually because someone in my house asked for it by name. The chicken mince cooks up fast, the sauce turns sticky and glossy in the pan, and the whole thing comes together in about 35 minutes. It’s the kind of dinner that feels like takeout without the wait or the receipt. It sits right alongside my honey garlic chicken bowl as one of the recipes my kids request most.
The first time I made this, I was trying to use up a pound of chicken mince before it went bad and had exactly one onion, some soy sauce, and half a jar of honey to work with. My youngest walked into the kitchen while the sauce was caramelizing and asked what smelled so good. That’s usually my sign a recipe is a keeper. Now it’s in regular rotation, and I always keep sushi rice and sesame oil stocked just for this. The green beans and edamame add some crunch and color, so it doesn’t feel like just rice and meat in a bowl. Once you get the sauce ratio down, you’ll find yourself making it from memory too.
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Ingredients for This Chicken Rice Bowl
Here’s what I use, plus a few swaps that work if your pantry looks a little different than mine.
Chicken
- 2 cups sushi rice
- 2 tsp sesame oil
- 1 onion, finely diced
- 800g chicken mince
- 1 spring onion, finely chopped
- 2 Tbsp sesame seeds (plus extra to serve)
Sauce
- ½ cup low-salt soy sauce (125ml)
- 70g honey
- 2 tsp sesame oil
- 1 Tbsp rice wine vinegar
- 3 cloves garlic, crushed
- 3 Tbsp tomato sauce or ketchup
To Serve
- 250g green beans, chopped
- 2 cups edamame beans, thawed
- 1 Tbsp soy sauce
- 1 tsp honey
- Japanese mayo or sriracha mayo
My go-to brand for soy sauce is a low-salt one, since the honey and ketchup already bring plenty of flavor and I don’t want the bowl tasting like straight salt. If you don’t have chicken mince, ground turkey works the same way here. This same swap works great in my teriyaki-style chicken and rice too, if you want to switch up the sauce next time. No sushi rice on hand? Jasmine rice is a fine stand-in, it just won’t be quite as sticky.
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Step-by-Step Instructions
In my experience, the sauce is what makes or breaks this bowl, so don’t rush whisking it together before it hits the pan.
- Cook the rice in a rice cooker or pot according to package instructions.
- Heat the sesame oil in a large frying pan over medium heat. Add the onion and cook for 2 minutes, until it starts to soften and smell sweet.
- Add the chicken mince and cook, breaking it up with a spoon as it browns.
- While the chicken is cooking, pour boiling water over the green beans to blanch them.
- In a jug, whisk together the sauce ingredients. Pour the sauce over the browned chicken mince, then stir through the spring onion and sesame seeds. Cook for 5 to 10 minutes until the sauce thickens and turns glossy and sticky. Keep stirring once the sauce goes in. It caramelizes fast, and the honey can catch on the bottom of the pan if you walk away.
- Divide the cooked rice between bowls or meal prep containers. Top each one with the chicken mince.
- Drain the green beans, then add them to a frying pan on medium heat. Add the edamame beans and cook for a few minutes with a splash of water.
- Stir through the soy sauce and honey until the beans are coated, then add them to the bowls with the chicken and rice.
- To serve, sprinkle with extra sesame seeds and a drizzle of Japanese mayo.
Sesame Chicken Rice Bowls
Ingredients
Equipment
Method
- Cook the rice in a rice cooker or pot according to package instructions.
- Heat the sesame oil in a large frying pan over medium heat. Add the onion and cook for 2 minutes.
- Add the chicken mince and cook, breaking it up with a spoon as it browns.
- While the chicken is cooking, pour boiling water over the green beans to blanch them.
- In a jug, whisk together the sauce ingredients. Pour the sauce over the browned chicken mince, then stir through the spring onion and sesame seeds. Cook for 5 to 10 minutes until caramelized and sticky.Keep stirring once the sauce goes in. It caramelizes fast, and the honey can catch on the bottom of the pan if you walk away.
- Divide the cooked rice between bowls or meal prep containers. Top each one with the chicken mince.
- Drain the green beans, then add them to a frying pan on medium heat. Add the edamame beans and cook for a few minutes with a splash of water.
- Stir through the soy sauce and honey until the beans are coated. Add the beans to the bowls with the chicken and rice.
- To serve, sprinkle with extra sesame seeds and a drizzle of Japanese mayo.
Nutrition
Notes
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What to Serve With This Sesame Chicken Bowl
This bowl is pretty complete on its own, but a few sides round it out nicely, especially if you’re feeding a crowd.
- Quick cucumber salad: Thin cucumber slices with rice vinegar and a pinch of sugar cut through the richness of the sauce.
- Miso soup: A light, savory starter that doesn’t compete with the sweet and salty flavors in the bowl.
- Steamed dumplings: My family loves adding a few dumplings on the side for a more filling meal.
- Pickled ginger: A small spoonful on the side adds a sharp, palate-cleansing bite between mouthfuls.
Storage & Serving Tips
This keeps well for up to 4 days in an airtight container in the fridge, which makes it one of my regular meal-prep dinners. I usually portion it into containers right after cooking so lunch is ready to grab all week.
To reheat, a quick minute or two in the microwave brings the chicken and rice back to life. If the rice seems dry, a splash of water before reheating helps.
This recipe is easy to switch up too. Swap the chicken mince for ground turkey or crumbled tofu, use cauliflower rice for a lower-carb version, or wrap the filling in a tortilla for a totally different meal using the same components.
My Favorite Sauces for This Bowl
A sweet, savory bowl like this holds up well against sauces that bring some heat, creaminess, or acidity to balance things out, and if I’m craving something spicier, this is close to the flavor profile in my cajun-spiced chicken and rice too. Here are a few I actually keep in rotation for this bowl.
- Spicy Sriracha Mayo: I mix mayo and sriracha with a splash of water until it’s loose enough to drizzle. It cuts through the sweetness of the glaze every time.
- Peanut Sauce: Peanut butter, soy sauce, and rice vinegar whisked together give the bowl a nuttier, more savory edge when I’m in the mood for it.
- Creamy Wasabi Sauce: When I want more heat than sriracha gives me, this is the one I reach for. A little goes a long way.
- Gyoza Dipping Sauce: I always have the ingredients for this on hand for dumplings, so it’s an easy one to spoon over the bowl too.
- Maple Tahini Dressing: This is my pick when I want something a little different. The nutty sweetness plays off the sesame really well.
Conclusion
This sesame chicken rice bowl has become one of those dinners I don’t need to think twice about anymore. The sauce comes together while everything else is cooking, cleanup is minimal, and there’s always enough left for lunch the next day. If you’re craving something with a little more kick next time, my street corn chicken bowl brings smoky, charred corn into the mix, and for a smokier take on the same weeknight formula, try the bbq version with a tangy glaze instead of the sesame one. If you’re looking for a weeknight dinner that tastes like it took more effort than it did, give this one a try.
