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Mongolian Chicken

Mongolian chicken features crispy-edged, thinly sliced chicken glazed in a dark, sticky Mongolian sauce. Stir-fried garlic-ginger and charred green onion pieces cling to every bite for an easy soy-ginger chicken stir fry over steamed white rice.
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Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes
Total Time 30 minutes
Servings: 4 servings
Course: Dinner
Cuisine: Asian-American
Calories: 780
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Chicken coating
  • 1.5 lb boneless skinless chicken breasts Thinly sliced for fast, crispy browning.
  • 0.25 cup cornstarch Used to coat chicken for crisp edges.
  • salt and pepper To taste.
Mongolian sauce
  • 3 tbsp vegetable oil For searing the chicken.
  • 5 cloves garlic Minced.
  • 1 tsp fresh ginger Grated.
  • 0.5 cup soy sauce
  • 0.33 cup brown sugar
  • 0.25 cup water
  • 1 tbsp hoisin sauce
  • 1 tsp sesame oil
  • 0.5 tsp red pepper flakes
  • 1 tbsp cornstarch Mixed with 1 tablespoon water for slurry.
To finish
  • 1 tbsp water For cornstarch slurry (1 tbsp water).
  • 4 green onions Cut into 2-inch pieces.
  • sesame seeds For serving.
  • steamed rice For serving.

Equipment

  • 1 cast iron skillet
  • 1 sheet pan

Method
 

Coat the chicken
  1. Toss the thinly sliced chicken with cornstarch, salt, and pepper until every piece is coated and lightly dry on the surface. Set aside while you mix the sauce.
Mix the Mongolian sauce
  1. Whisk soy sauce, brown sugar, water, hoisin sauce, sesame oil, and red pepper flakes until the sugar dissolves and the mixture looks smooth. Keep it ready near the stove.
Sear until deeply golden
  1. Heat the vegetable oil in a large skillet or wok over high heat until shimmering, then add the chicken in an even layer. Cook for 3-4 minutes per side until deeply golden and cooked through, then remove to a plate.
Stir-fry aromatics and boil the sauce
  1. Add the minced garlic and grated ginger to the same pan and stir-fry for 30 seconds until fragrant. Pour in the sauce mixture and bring it to a boil, scraping up any browned bits.
Thicken into a sticky glaze
  1. Stir in the cornstarch slurry and cook for 1-2 minutes until thickened and glossy. Reduce heat if needed to keep the glaze from over-bubbling.
Glaze with green onions and serve
  1. Return the chicken to the pan and toss with the green onions until the glaze clings and the green onions char-tender. Serve immediately over steamed rice with sesame seeds.

Notes

For the crispiest edges, slice chicken thinly and coat thoroughly with cornstarch right before cooking so it browns instead of steaming. Refrigerate leftovers in a sealed container for up to 3 days; reheat in a skillet over medium-high until hot and glossy. Freezing is not recommended because the sauce can separate after thawing. For a lower-sugar option, replace brown sugar with a 1:1 substitute and expect a slightly less sticky glaze.