20 Minutes Mongolian Chicken

Mongolian chicken is Chinese inspired American dish that has crispy fried chicken smothered in sweet savory sauce.  It’s a delicious fast dinner that comes together in under 30 minutes.

Do not forget to check out other chicken stir fry recipes – 15 minutes chicken and broccoli stir fry, Thai basil chicken, Instant pot general Tso chicken.

Looking For Fast Dinner? Try This Mongolian Chicken Recipe

1. Definitely one of the easy chicken dinner recipes to make on busy weekdays!
2. Your favorite take-out dinner can be made at home easy and fast! Honestly it’s so much better than your favorite Chinese restaurant take out!
3. You’ll need simple pantry ingredients; I bet you already have most of it!
4. Crispy fried chicken in smothered in sweet savory sticky sauce. It’s soo good!
5. Chicken is packed with amazing flavors. It’s sweet, salty, sticky, gingery everything you’ll look forward in your Mongolian chicken recipe.
6. Try it once and I’m sure you’ll be hooked. You’d want to include it to your weekly menu list for rotation.
7. Mongolian chicken is made similar to how Mongolian beef is made. It’s got the same flavors, same sauce but leaner meat.
8. Mongolian chicken may not qualify for “the healthy dinner” category as chicken strips are fried first and there is sugar in the sauce. But sure does qualify for “quick & easy comfort food” that will leave you satisfied!
9. Make it your own. Customize to tweak to your preference. Feel free to add veggies like mushrooms, broccoli, bell peppers, zucchini.
10. It’s great make ahead dish. Stores well for 3-5 days refrigerated.

Ingredients You’ll Need

Here’s what you’ll need-

• 1 pound boneless chicken (breasts will do but highly recommend thighs so you don’t over cook)
• ¼ cup corn starch + 2 teaspoon extra for adding to sauce
• Salt and pepper to taste
• 3 tablespoon vegetable oil + extra if needed (to fry chicken strips)
• 1 teaspoon ginger, minced
• 1 teaspoon garlic, minced
• 2 green onion (white and green part of onion included) – measured to ½ cup
• ½ cup dark brown sugar
• ½ cup low sodium soy sauce (look for gluten free soy sauce if you are on gluten free diet)
• 1 ½ teaspoon toasted sesame oil
• ⅓ cup water

Ingredients Additions & Substitutions

Mongolian chicken recipe isn’t really spicy. It’s got balanced flavors of sweet, salty taste. It’s more of sweet savory dish than sweet spicy dish. If you like to make the dish spicy, you can customize the dish.

For kick add dried red chilies to the recipe.

Can include hoisin sauce to enhance flavors.  Note – reduce soy sauce quantity if adding hoisin sauce, else the dish will turn too salty.

Add veggies like mushrooms, broccoli, bell peppers, zucchini for extra nutrition.

You can also add splash of red hot sauce if you like.

Chicken – you’ll need boneless chicken cut into thin strips so they cook fast while stir frying. Chicken breast will do, but recommend you use boneless chicken thighs so you don’t over cook chicken and chicken does not turn hard and rubbery but remains juicy.

Corn Starch – also called as corn flour in some countries.

Green Onions – use both white and green part of the onions.

Ginger – please use fresh ginger, minced fine. Do not recommend ginger powder as substitute here.

Garlic – please use fresh garlic, minced fine. Do not recommend garlic powder as substitute here.

Soy Sauce – keeping health in mind, please use low sodium soy sauce. Look for gluten free soy sauce if you want to make gluten-free Mongolian chicken.

Dark Brown Sugar – Mongolian chicken has well-balanced sweet and savory flavors. Use dark brown sugar to make the dish rich dark colored and for taste.

Toasted Sesame Oil – any Asian stir fry dish tastes a lot more delicious and authentic with little toasted sesame oil added to it.

Cooking Oil – please use neutral oils like sunflower oil or canola oil for frying chicken strips.

How To Make Mongolian Chicken Recipe?

Chicken boneless chicken into thin strips.

Add chicken strips to a zip lock bag. Add corn starch and pinch of salt and pepper.

Close zip lock bag and coat chicken strips into corn flour making sure chicken in evenly coated.

Heat vegetable oil in a wok or large skillet.

Add chicken strips coated in corn flour to hot oil. Do not crowd the pan. Fry few chicken strips at a time and do multiple batches to fry chicken. Fry chicken strips on medium heat.

Pro-Tip: Overcrowding pan with chicken will result in chicken not getting browned evenly.

Flip chicken and brown it on both sides.

Do not cook for more than 2 to 3 minutes on each side or until browned.

Remove browned chicken from pan onto a plate with kitchen towel to absorb excess oil from fried chicken.

Repeat above steps for rest of the chicken.

To same pan add minced ginger, garlic and ½ of green onion (reserve rest of green onion to be added to the dish in the last step).

If pan it too dry add 2 to 3 teaspoon of oil before adding ginger and garlic.

Saute for 30 seconds.

Add toasted sesame oil, low sodium soy sauce and dark brown sugar to the pan.

Give it a quick stir.

Quickly mix 2 teaspoon of corn starch in ⅓ cup water.

Pour it to the sauce and stir immediately.

With constant stirring cook for 30 seconds.

Sauce will begin to thicken.

Add fried chicken strips and remaining green onion.

Toss well.

Jo’s Tip: If the sauce turns too dry, you can add a splash(about 1 to 2 tablespoon) water or chicken stock to adjust the consistency of the sauce.

Stir everything together.

Remove pan from heat.

Serve it immediately hot over steamed rice.

Frequently Asked Questions on Mongolian Chicken

What Is Mongolian Chicken?

The original dish was Mongolian beef where flank steak is cut into slices and stir fried with scallions in dark brown sauce that consists soy sauce, dark brown sugar and chili peppers. It’s one of the most popular take out dish in Asian-American restaurants.

Mongolian chicken is very similar to the Mongolian beef. Boneless chicken strips are deep fried and tossed in dark brown sauce along with scallions.

The sauce usually comprises of ginger, garlic, dark brown sugar, soy sauce and or hoisin sauce and dried red peppers.

Is Mongolian Chicken Spicy?

No. It’s not spicy at all! Mongolian chicken has sweet savory taste (salty-sweet).

It’s very flavorful dish with loads of savory flavors to it.

You can make it spicy or add a bit of kick to the dish by adding dried red peppers (dried red chilies) to the sauce.

What Does Mongolian Chicken Taste Like?

It tastes just like those from your favorite restaurants. Sweet and Savory!  Crispy chicken strips in dark brown savory sauce over steamed rice is just the BEST!

If you have tasted Mongolian beef this is very much similar to that except that crispy fried chicken will be there in place of flank beef strips.

Is Mongolian Chicken Gluten Free?

No, soy sauce used in this recipe has gluten. If you do want to make it gluten free use gluten free soy sauce.

What Vegetables Can I Add To Mongolian Chicken?

Vegetables like mushrooms, broccoli, bell peppers, zucchini goes well with Mongolian chicken recipe.

What To Serve With Mongolian Chicken?

Mongolian chicken is best served with steamed rice or Thai crispy noodles.

Can I Store Mongolian Chicken?

Yes, it’s great make ahead dish. You can store leftovers in air tight containers refrigerated for 3 to 5 days.

Tips To Make Best Mongolian Chicken Recipe

• Like any stir fry recipe, Mongolian chicken recipe needs to be done fast. It’s crucial to keep all ingredients prepped, measured and ready near the stove.
• Chicken breast will work, but I highly recommend you to use boneless chicken thighs as thighs will remain moist even if you do tend to over cook your chicken.
• Cutting boneless chicken into strips will help cook chicken fast. Cook chicken on medium heat, high heat will brown and dry the chicken fast.
• Do not leave chicken in the pan for long. Remove it from heat as soon as it turns brown.
• The secret to any stir fry recipe is hot wok (or skillet) and keep moving everything. Do not leave the ingredients sit in the pan. Keep continuously stirring, moving everything. 

MORE ASIAN DISHES YOU’LL ENJOY-

Cashew Chicken

Shrimp Stir Fry With Snow Peas

15 Minutes Chicken And Broccoli Stir Fry

Teriyaki Sheet Pan Chicken

General Tso’s Tofu

Stir Fry Cantonese Chicken And Mushrooms

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