Sesame Chicken & Snow Peas in Apricot Sauce

This one-pan sesame chicken brings together toasted sesame seeds, dried apricots, and crisp snow peas in a sweet-savory sauce that glazes everything beautifully. The sauce builds right in the pan from apricot preserves, soy sauce, Dijon mustard, and fresh ginger, so there’s no separate prep involved.

Toasting the sesame seeds in the pan with the browned chicken takes just two minutes but makes a noticeable difference. Raw sesame seeds taste like nothing. Toasted, they’re nutty and aromatic, and they add crunch to every bite of the finished dish.

The snow peas go in last and cook for just five minutes. They should still be bright green and have a snap when you bite through them. Overcooked snow peas turn limp and lose their sweetness, which would throw off the whole balance of this dish.

Kitchen Tips

• Use dark sesame oil, not light. It has a toasty, concentrated flavor that the lighter version lacks
• Cut the dried apricots into small pieces so they soften during the simmer and distribute evenly
• Grate the ginger on a microplane for the finest texture. Chunks of ginger are unpleasant to bite into
• Serve over steamed rice to catch all the sauce

Variations

• Swap snow peas for sugar snap peas or broccoli florets
• Add a splash of rice vinegar at the end for extra tang
• Use shrimp instead of chicken for a quicker-cooking seafood version