An Americanized Asian dish that tastes even better when made at home. This Mongolian chicken recipe is easy and quick. It features crispy chicken pieces drenched in a delicious sweet and savory sauce.
If you enjoy Chinese takeout regularly, you’ll be familiar with Mongolian chicken. Along with General Tso’s and sesame chicken, It’s easily one of the most popular dishes to order and for good reason- it’s incredibly delicious!
What Is Mongolian Chicken?
Mongolian chicken is a popular dish served in Asian-style restaurants. It features crispy chicken breast tossed in cornstarch and stir-fried. It’s then tossed through sauce made with all the staple Asian ingredients, including soy sauce, sesame oil, and sweetened with honey.
This recipe is very simple to make and comes together in minutes. It’s perfect for a quick weeknight dinner or when you need to use up some leftover chicken breast.
If you like more Asian chicken recipes, you’ll enjoy Empress chicken, peanut butter chicken, and Hunan chicken.
Ingredients needed
The beauty of this dish is how simple the ingredient list is. You’ll easily find them at any grocery store or specialty Asian store. Here is what you’ll need:
- Chicken breast. Skinless and boneless, thinly sliced.
- Chicken broth. Choose a good quality stock with no added sugar or salt.
- Garlic and ginger.
- Soy sauce. Using both dark and standard soy sauce will yield the perfect balance of umami flavor.
- Honey. To sweeten the sauce.
- Sesame oil. A popular oil used in Asian recipes that gives the stir fry a delicious flavor.
- Green onion. Cut into larger pieces.
- Cornstarch. To toss the chicken and for the sauce.
- Salt and pepper. To taste.
How to make it
Making Mongolian chicken takes less than 10 minutes to make and uses very simple prep.
Step 1- Prep the chicken
Start by slicing the chicken breasts and put them in a Ziploc bag. Add salt, pepper, and cornstarch to the bag and shake well to coat the chicken pieces.
Step 2- Cook the chicken
Next, heat vegetable oil in a non-stick pan or skillet, add the sliced chicken and cook for 7-8 minutes. Flip the chicken halfway through. Once the chicken is cooked, transfer it onto a plate lined with paper towels to soak up the excess oil.
Step 3- Make the sauce
In a small bowl, whisk together soy sauce, dark soy sauce, honey, chicken broth, sesame seed oil and cornstarch. Whisk until fully combined.
Step 4- Toss everything together
Now, add the minced garlic and ginger to a heated pan and cook until fragrant. Add back the chicken, along with chopped green onions, and pour over the sauce. Toss to coat the chicken pieces with the sauce and remove the pan from the heat.
Sprinkle with sesame seeds and more green onion and serve.
What does Mongolian sauce taste like?
Mongolian sauce has a complex sweet and savory flavor. It also has notes of tanginess and richness. Mongolian sauce may also be spicy depending on the ingredients you use.
Tips to make the best recipe
- Add some veggies. Stir fry the vegetables of your choice to go with the chicken. Toss them with the Mongolian sauce you have made. You can use broccoli, carrots, mushrooms, zucchini, eggplant, bell peppers, etc.
- Use a different protein. If you don’t like chicken breast or don’t have it at home, use chicken thighs, shrimp, or beef instead.
- Make it spicy. Add finely chopped or sliced red chili to the sauce to add some heat to Mongolian chicken.
- Don’t skip the ingredients. Avoid substituting the ingredients unless otherwise stated. You want this dish to be as authentic as possible.
Storage instructions
To store: Transfer leftover Mongolian chicken into airtight containers and refrigerate for up to 4 days.
To freeze: Place the cooked and cooled chicken in an airtight container and store it in the freezer for up to 6 months.
Reheating: Either microwave the chicken for 20-30 seconds or reheat in a non-stick pan until warm.
More Asian stir fry recipes to try
Frequently asked questions
Mongolian food features a variety of different meats and lots of different spices. But as for the level of heat, it is only lightly spicy.
Szechuan chicken looks very similar to Mongolian chicken. The two dishes have a lot in common in terms of the cooking process too. However, Mongolian chicken and Szechuan chicken taste different. The sauce for Mongolian chicken is sweeter and less spicy than the Szechuan chicken sauce.
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Mongolian Chicken (10 Minute Recipe!)
Ingredients
- 1 1/2 lbs chicken breast thinly sliced
- 1/2 teaspoon salt
- 1/2 teaspoon pepper
- 1/4 cup + 2 teaspoons cornstarch divided
- 2 tablespoons oil
- 1/3 cup soy sauce
- 2 tablespoons dark soy sauce
- 1/4 cup honey
- 1/2 cup chicken broth
- 1 teaspoon sesame oil
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 1 teaspoon ginger chopped
- 1/2 cup green onions cut into 1 1/2 inch pieces
Instructions
- Add the chicken, salt, pepper, and cornstarch to a ziplock bag and shake well.
- Add the vegetable oil to a non-stick pan or skillet and place it over medium heat. Once hot, add the chicken and cook for 7-8 minutes, flipping halfway through.
- Remove the chicken from the pan and place on paper towels to soak up excess oil.
- In a small bowl, make the sauce. Whisk together the soy sauce, dark soy sauce, honey, chicken broth, sesame oil and 2 teaspoons of cornstarch. Whisk together.
- Add the garlic and ginger to the pan and cook for 30 seconds. Add the chicken, sliced green onions, then pour the sauce over. Toss everything together then remove off the heat.
Notes
Nutrition
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I just tried this recipe last night and it was FABULOUS! The only ingredient I did not have was the dark soy sauce, but it was great without it. This will be a staple in my house! Thank you so much for the recipe!