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Mongolian Chicken

Mongolian chicken with crispy-edged chicken pieces glazed in a dark, sticky soy-ginger sauce. The quick stir-fry thickens to a glossy coating with charred green onion pieces and sesame seeds 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, Main Dish
Cuisine: Asian-American
Calories: 680
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Chicken coating
  • 1.5 lb boneless skinless chicken breasts Thinly sliced for quick crisping.
  • 0.25 cup cornstarch For coating the chicken and later thickening.
  • 0.25 salt To taste.
  • 0.25 pepper To taste.
Mongolian sauce
  • 3 tbsp vegetable oil For searing the chicken.
  • 5 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 tsp cornstarch mixed with water Mixed cornstarch slurry for thickening: 1 tsp cornstarch with 1 tbsp water.
To finish
  • 4 green onions Cut into 2-inch pieces.
  • 1 sesame seeds For serving.
  • 1 steamed rice Serve over steamed white rice.

Equipment

  • 1 cast iron skillet
  • 1 Dutch oven

Method
 

Coat the chicken
  1. Toss the thinly sliced chicken with cornstarch, salt, and pepper until evenly coated; the chicken should look lightly dusted and matte.
Mix the sauce
  1. Whisk together soy sauce, brown sugar, water, hoisin sauce, sesame oil, and red pepper flakes until the sugar dissolves and the sauce looks smooth and dark.
Sear the chicken
  1. Heat vegetable oil in a large skillet or wok over high heat until shimmering; cook the chicken for 3-4 minutes per side until deeply golden and cooked through, then remove to a plate.
Stir-fry aromatics and glaze
  1. Add garlic and grated ginger to the same pan and stir-fry for 30 seconds until fragrant and slightly sizzling.
Reduce and thicken
  1. Pour in the sauce and bring it to a boil; the liquid should bubble actively and look glossy-dark as it reduces.
Create the sticky coating
  1. Stir in the cornstarch slurry and cook for 1-2 minutes until thickened and glossy; the sauce should coat the back of a spoon.
Combine with onions and serve
  1. Return the chicken to the pan with the green onions and toss until everything is glazed; charred-looking onion edges should cling to the sauce.
Plate
  1. Serve the Mongolian chicken over steamed rice and scatter with sesame seeds so the glaze clings to each bite.

Notes

For the crispiest edges, slice the chicken thinly and pat off any excess moisture before coating with cornstarch. Refrigerate leftovers in a sealed container for up to 3 days; reheat in a skillet over medium heat until hot and glossy (add a splash of water if it tightens). Freezing isn’t recommended because the sauce can lose its thickness after thawing. For a gluten-free option, swap soy sauce for tamari and keep the rest the same.