Sesame Roasted Chicken Thighs

Sesame Roasted Chicken Thighs is a meaty cousin of Sesame Cauliflower! Crispy on the outside and Juicy on the inside these grilled sesame chicken thighs are super-duper-delicious.

I've tried Sesame Chicken (Like a Chinese Restaurant) and Ginger Sesame Chicken Meatballs but it is nothing compared to this sesame roasted chicken thighs.

I like cooking with Chicken Thighs more than Chicken Breast. Although it's dark meat but its way more juicier than chicken breasts.

Serve this with Garlic Parmesan Smashed Potatoes or Brown Sugar Glazed Baby Carrots

Flavorful and Healthy dinner - Hit with the family!

Roasted Sesame Chicken Thighs are the perfect and a easy dinner idea. These roasted chicken thighs goes well with almost any veggies or sides.

I am rooting for some healthy sides like Blueberry Broccoli Spinach Salad or Broccoli Mac and Cheese but you can choose your pick. I suggest checking out these Mexican Side Dishes and these 50 Tasty Ham Side Dishes as well.

Jump to:

• Flavorful and Healthy dinner - Hit with the family!
• Ingredients
• How to Make Sesame Roasted Chicken Thighs
• How to roast chicken in a cast iron skillet?
• Easy Variations
• Substitutions
• More Recipes with Sesame Seeds
• Sesame Roasted Chicken Thighs

Ingredients

This recipe for grilled sesame chicken thighs uses very few but fresh ingredients.

• bone-in & skin-on chicken thighs
• sesame oil or toasted sesame oil
• lime juice and lime zest
• onion powder
• garlic powder
• chopped parsley or chopped cilantro or thyme or any herbs you like
• white sesame seeds
• hot sauce (see my homemade hot sauce recipe)
• tahini (see my homemade tahini recipe)
• salt
• freshly ground black pepper

See the recipe card for quantities.

How to Make Sesame Roasted Chicken Thighs

• STEP 1: Make the marinade. Combine Sesame Oil, Lime Juice, Lime zest, Onion Powder, Garlic Powder, Chopped Parsley, White Sesame Seeds, Tahini, Hot sauce, salt, and Freshly ground black pepper in a bowl. Mix well and set aside.

• STEP 2: Transfer the chicken thighs and the marinade to a ziplock bag. Seal the bag. Shake well. Refrigerate for 30-minutes or an hour.
• STEP 3: Transfer chicken thighs to a non-stick grill pan or on a gas grill. Brush the grill pan with some sesame oil. Place the chicken thighs skin side on the top. Grill on medium-high heat for 4-5 minutes. Use kitchen tongs to flip them. Cook the other side until you get those gorgeous grill marks or the chicken thighs reaches an internal temperature of 170 degrees F. This post is some-what inspired from Food Network. Check out their recipe and see how to do it on a charcoal grill or a gas grill.

And, that's it. Serve with salads or mashed potatoes or a whatever you like.

Find this boring:

Try some other chicken thigh recipe:

• Apricot Chicken Thighs
• Greek Lemon Chicken Thighs
• Blackened Chicken Thigh
• Chicken Thighs in Mushroom Garlic Sauce
• Chicken Thighs in Garlic Parm Sauce

How to roast chicken in a cast iron skillet?

I love my cast-iron skillet. It costed me just $30 and it's been my favorite utensil in the kitchen.

To roast chicken thighs in a cast-iron skillet,

• first preheat oven to 500 degrees F (260 degrees C)
• Rub chicken with the marinade. Place it on the cast-iron skillet.
• Transfer skillet to the hot preheated oven. Immediately reduce the heat to 450 degrees F (230 degrees C).
• Bake for 22-24 minutes. cooking time largely depends on the size of the chicken. The rule says it takes 11-12 minutes per pound. Therefore if you are using 2 lbs chicken it should take you 22-24 minutes.
• Check the internal temperature of chicken using a meat thermometer. You'll be sure that your chicken is thoroughly cooked (not overcooked) when it reaches an internal temperature of 170 degrees F.

Easy Variations

• brown sugar - Although you must avoid it if you are making a low carb chicken recipe. But, definitely add in one teaspoon or one tablespoon depending on your liking for better taste and flavor.
• rice vinegar or apple cider vinegar - I like lime juice for acidity. But, in case you don't have lime then you can use rice vinegar or apple cider vinegar or red wine vinegar.
• soy sauce - dark or light soy sauce will add a tangy element to this roasted chicken dish.
• orange juice and orange zest - add some citrusy tang and zesty freshness in your one-pot chicken thighs recipe with some fresh orange juice and orange zest.
• harissa paste - although harissa is very spicy, but if you love it spicy you won't mind adding in some harissa paste as well.
• panko - although some people might argue that panko is not low carb and is high in sugar. But, if your goal is good taste with crispy chicken skin on the outside, feel free to rub your chicken thighs with some panko breadcrumbs.

Substitutions

• ketchup - do you or your family find the hot sauce too hot to handle? Try switching it with ketchup. Here's my homemade keto ketchup (without refined sugar) recipe.
• dijon mustard - mustard can be a good addition in this recipe. But, if you are adding mustard for that sharp taste, I would suggest you to reduce the amount of hot sauce.

More Recipes with Sesame Seeds

• Miso Sesame Udon Noodles
• Crispy Honey Sesame Shrimp
• Instant Pot Sesame Noodles
• Crispy Honey Garlic Tofu Topped With Toasted Sesame Seeds