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Baked Sesame Chicken Breasts
with carrots / broccoli / quinoa

Active: 40 Total: 60
This simple and flavorful sesame vinaigrette adds a wow factor to baked chicken. Served with sauteed broccoli and carrots over quinoa, this is an easy weeknight dinner you can feel good about. This is a classic Cook Smarts meal that we've featured in 2013 and 2018.
Proteins
Cuisines

Ingredients

Metric
Servings:
4
Sesame-Tamari Vinaigrette:
  • Tamari - 2 Tbsp
  • Vinegar, rice - 2 Tbsp
  • Oil, toasted sesame - 2 tsp
  • Brown sugar - 1 tsp
  • Oil, cooking - 1/4 cup
Baked Sesame Chicken Breasts:
  • Broccoli - 10 oz , chopped
  • Carrots - 8 oz , sliced
  • Chicken breasts, boneless and skinless - 1 lb , halved
  • Oil, cooking - 1 Tbsp + 1 Tbsp
  • Sesame seeds, white (opt) - 2 tsp
  • Foil - for baking
  • Hot sauce (opt) - for serving
Quinoa:
  • Quinoa, uncooked - 3/4 cup
  • Stock, any type - 1 1/2 cups

Prep

  1. Make vinaigrette - Whisk together Tamari, rice vinegar, sesame oil, brown sugar, and cooking oil (portion for vinaigrette). Add some hot sauce (not on ingredient list) if you’d like a bit of spice. (Can be done up to 5 days ahead)
  2. Quinoa - (Skip if quinoa was made ahead for Monday.) Combine quinoa with stock in a saucepan. Add some salt. Bring to a boil covered. Lower heat, keep covered, and cook until liquid is absorbed, 8 to 10 minutes. (Can be done up to 5 days ahead)
  3. Broccoli / Carrots - Prep as directed and combine. (Can be done up to 5 days ahead)
  4. Chicken - Halve chicken breasts and tenderize with a fork. Pour 1/3 of vinaigrette over chicken and marinate for at least 20 minutes and up to 1 day. (Can be done 1 day ahead)

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Make

  1. Heat oven to 400F / 204C degrees.
  2. Remove chicken from marinade (discard marinade) and season with some salt and pepper.
  3. Heat a skillet over medium-high heat. Add first part of cooking oil (portion for chicken) and then chicken to heated oil (cook in batches if it won’t all fit at once). Sear on each side for ~2 minutes and then move to a baking dish. Sprinkle sesame seeds on top.
  4. Cover baking dish tightly with foil and then transfer to oven until chicken breasts are cooked through and reach 165F / 74C degrees, 6 to 8 minutes.
  5. While chicken is cooking, wipe the skillet clean and return to heat.
  6. Add second part of cooking oil (portion for chicken) and then broccoli and carrots to heated oil with some salt. Saute for 2 to 3 minutes.
  7. Add in 1/3 of the vinaigrette and cover with a lid. Steam vegetables, covered, until tender, ~3 minutes.
  8. If quinoa was made ahead, reheat in the microwave.
  9. Serve chicken and vegetables over quinoa. Drizzle remaining 1/3 of vinaigrette over top. Add some hot sauce if you’d like. Enjoy!

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