Spicy Sesame Zoodles
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These 30-minute sesame zoodles are a delicious weeknight meal that’s always a hit! Juicy chicken and tender zucchini noodles are smothered in an irresistible creamy sesame sauce. It’s a light yet super-satisfying meal everyone loves, and it’s all made in one pan!
Who needs salad when you can make these super easy sesame zoodles? They show up in my meal plan most weeks because they’re quick, satisfying, and feel a little exciting without being heavy.
The spicy sesame sauce is the real star here — it’s so good I honestly dream about it. The whole dish is filling without weighing you down, and it’s easy to tweak with different proteins or toppings so it works for everyone at the table.
Ingredients notes
These sesame zoodles are made with simple ingredients, and apart from maybe the tahini, you’re likely to have most of them in your kitchen.
- Boneless chicken breasts: boneless chicken breasts can easily be swapped for chicken thighs here.
- Zucchini: firm medium-sized zucchinis work best for zoodle making. The firmer outer part is the ideal texture for noodles, so try to avoid the really large summer zucchinis which tend to have more watery flesh in the centre.
- Tahini: tahini (or tahina) is a popular Middle-Eastern condiment made entirely from ground up sesame seeds. This buttery-smooth paste has a nutty flavor that we use as the base of the creamy sauce. It’s easy to find alongside nut butters at most well-stocked grocery stores, or look for it a your local Middle-Eastern market.
Other ingredients you need are sesame oil, soy sauce, rice vinegar, honey (or maple syrup), garlic chili sauce, fresh ginger, and sesame seeds (for serving).
Sesame zoodle variations to try
This recipe for sesame zoodles is pretty versatile so feel free to use ingredients you love or things you already have on hand. Here are some ideas to make this meal your own:
- Spiralize other veggies like carrots, butternut squash, or daikon for a mix of colors and flavors.
- Add in other veggies like broccoli florets or sliced red bell pepper.
- Make it extra-spicy with a dash of sriracha or more garlic chili oil, or omit the chili garlic oil completely for a kid-friendly version.
What to serve with sesame zoodles
Enjoy these sesame zoodles on their own or serve them with some fresh spring rolls or some chili lime shrimp. If you’re looking for a more filling meal, these sesame zoodles taste delicious over coconut rice!
Recipe FAQs
Can I make this meal ahead of time?
This is one of those meals that’s best eaten right away because the zoodles become soggy pretty quickly. If you want to get a head start, make the sesame sauce ahead of time. It will thicken in the fridge, but it’s easily thinned out with a splash of warm water.
Can I use almond or peanut butter instead?
Yes! You can easily swap the tahini for an equal amount of another nut or seed butter, like almond butter or peanut butter.
Can I use regular noodles instead?
For sure! Swap zucchini noodles for spaghetti, soba noodles, or your favorite rice noodles.
Spicy Sesame Zoodles Recipe
Ingredients
- 4 medium boneless chicken breasts (cut into bite-sized pieces)
- 4 medium zucchinis (sliced into noodles with a julienne peeler)
- 2 tablespoons sesame oil (divided)
- Sesame seeds (to serve)
Instructions
- Mix all the sesame sauce ingredients together. Place the chicken breasts in a bowl and pour ½ cup of the sauce over the top. Mix the chicken and then set it aside to marinate while you cut the zucchini noodles.4 medium boneless chicken breasts, ¼ cup soy sauce, ¼ cup tahini, ¼ cup sesame oil, 1 tablespoon rice vinegar, 1 tablespoon honey, 1 tablespoon garlic chili sauce, 1 tablespoon grated fresh ginger
- Heat 1 tablespoon of the sesame oil in a large pan over medium-high heat. Add the chicken and all the marinade to the pan. Cook, occasionally scraping the brown bits off the bottom of the pan, until the chicken is cooked through, about 10 minutes. Remove the chicken from the pan.
- Add the remaining tablespoon of sesame oil and the zucchini noodles to the pan. Let them cook for 2-3 minutes, until they begin to soften.4 medium zucchinis
- Add the reserved sauce and the chicken into the pan and toss to coat. Let the sauce cook for 1 minute to thicken it. Serve with some sesame seeds sprinkled over the top.
Nutrition
We have thoroughly tested this recipe for accuracy. However, individual results may vary. See our full recipe disclosure here.
Yummy. I added some spiralized carrot and thickened the sauce a little with cornstarch. Maybe my zucchini were small and my chicken meaty but I halved the amount of chicken and still had way more chicken than I needed.
Spiralizing is a bit of a workout but I felt good about the starch source for dinner!
So happy to hear that you enjoyed the recipe!
There seems to be a teaspoon of sesame oil left over or did I miss something?
I’m a bit disappointed—mine looks nothing like the picture. My chicken did not brown, just simmered, and the zoodles added so much liquid to the pan while cooking that it diluted the sauce too much. Maybe I should have cooked the zoodles separately?
Did you cook the chicken with some of the sauce before adding the zucchini noodles? The chicken should brown during this step as the marinade reduces very quickly. Cooking the zucchini noodles separately would be another good way to approach this recipe. 🙂
I’m so happy they were a hit!!
For those who are intolerant to gluten, you may want to point out that most soy sauce brands are not gluten free and they’ll need to use a gluten free one.
You are absolutely right! That’s normally something I mention in the recipe but this one looks like it was missing that. I’ve made note of that now. Thank you for pointing that out!