Start to cook the rice if using, according to package instructions. Typically it takes about 20 minutes to make rice.

Prepare the chicken by patting it dry with a paper towel and cubing into equal 1 inch size cubes.

In a bowl, add corn starch, salt, and pepper and whisk well. Heat olive oil in a skillet on medium high heat. Add the chicken to the cornstarch bowl and mix well to ensure even coating.

Add the chicken to the heated pan, brown on all the sides, about 7-8 minutes. Place chicken in a bowl and set aside.

In the same pan, add ½ teaspoon of oil if needed. Next, add chopped onion, garlic, ginger, jalapeño to the same skillet and sauté for about 3 minutes.

In a medium sized bowl, whisk together water, soy sauce, brown sugar, and cornstarch slurry.

Add the sauce to the skillet with the onion/garlic mix. Add the browned chicken back into the skillet with the onions, ginger and garlic. Keep it on medium/low heat. Bring the sauce to a simmer.

Simmer the chicken and sauce for about 4-6 minutes or until sauce has thickened, and chicken is fully cooked and reached an internal temperature of 165º. Add optional sesame seeds for garnish and serve over rice and enjoy warm!