Looking for a new healthy dinner recipe? Jamie Oliver has just the thing! This 20-minute sesame butterflied chicken recipe is super simple, and the whole family will love it.
The last thing any of us desire after a long day is to spend another hour in the kitchen. Even kids on your list need healthy home-cooked meals this holiday season. Getting back to basics with wholesome ingredients and simple recipes may help mealtime seem less of a hassle. This delectable and wholesome sesame-butterflied chicken recipe is ideal for family dinners. It’s prepared in just 20 minutes, and everyone will love it.Â
As we discovered earlier, even eating pizza can be healthy, but pizza doesn’t come anywhere near this delicious and nutritional meal!
What is sesame-butterflied chicken?
A butterflied chicken is a chicken breast that has been flattened out and opened like a book. Sesame butterflied chicken is a great way to prepare chicken for those on a low-carb diet or those looking for a lower-calorie chicken recipe. While butterflying chicken breasts is easy, it’s not always easy to find them pre-flattened in the store. Butterflying your chicken breasts is a great way to save money and ensure that the chicken you buy is 100% chicken breast, with no added fillers or flavorings.
Why you should make this 20-minute sesame butterflied chicken recipe
As mentioned above, butterflied chicken breasts are a great, lower-carb option. The sesame flavor adds a nice Asian flair that’s great for a holiday dinner or any night you want to break out of the usual dinner routine! But you can also make this tasty dish for almost any occasion. It’s quick and easy and can be made to ensure you’re not stuck in the kitchen during your guests’ visit.
Full of protein from the chicken, healthy fats from the yogurt and peanut butter, veggies from the slaw, and fiber from the noodles — it’s a winning dinner solution all around. So let’s get started!
Ingredients
Here’s what you’ll need:
- 3 ½ oz. fine rice noodles
- Boiling water
- 4 scallions
- Half of a Napa cabbage
- 7 oz. sugar snap peas
- ½ to 1 fresh red chile
- 2 limes (will use the juice)
- 1 Tbsp. soy sauce
- 2 Tbsp. plain yogurt
- 1 Tbsp. peanut butter
- ¾ inch piece of ginger root
- Peanut oil
- 2 – 4 oz. boneless, skinless chicken breasts
- 2 tsp. sesame seeds
- Salt and pepper to taste
Sesame Butterflied Chicken Recipe
- Put your noodles in a bowl, and rehydrate them by pouring boiling water over them.
- Finely chop the scallions, Napa cabbage, chile, and sugar snap peas.
- Mix your soy sauce and the juice of 1 lime in a separate bowl, and drizzle it onto the slaw vegetables. Set aside.
- Mix the yogurt and peanut butter in another bowl with the other lime juice. Grate in the ginger (after peeling). Mix all the ingredients, and add salt and pepper to taste. Set aside.
- Put your grill pan on high heat with a light coating of oil.
- Using a knife, cut into your chicken breasts and open them up as if opening a book.
- On each breast, evenly layer 1 tsp. Of peanut oil, then sprinkle with sea salt and black pepper.
- Grill the butterflied chicken breasts for about 8 minutes (turning halfway through) or until they are cooked through and golden brown.
- Put the chicken on a cutting board and thinly slice it.
- Lightly toast your sesame seeds in the pan (still hot with residual heat). Set aside.
- Drain your noodles.
- To serve, divide the noodles into portions on separate plates, spoon some peanut sauce and slaw onto each plate, and finally add the chicken — topping with the toasted sesame seeds for a garnish.
This is a simple meal to make at home for your family, and it’s also healthy — including all of the major food groups! Oh, and did we mention it’s delicious? It is! So tuck in and feel good about enjoying food that’s good for you, body, and soul.
Rick Kaselj MS, is a leading kinesiologist and injury specialist as well as co-creator of the best-selling Unlock Your Hip Flexors program. Rick creates exercise programs that help people heal injuries and eliminate pain, so they can go back to living a full, active, healthy life.
