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Mongolian Chicken

Mongolian chicken with crispy-edged chicken pieces glazed in a dark, sticky Mongolian sauce. Charred green onion and sesame cling to every bite over steamed white rice for an easy weeknight Asian dinner.
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Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes
Total Time 30 minutes
Servings: 4 servings
Course: Main Dish
Cuisine: Asian-American
Calories: 690
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Chicken coating
  • 1.5 lb boneless skinless chicken breasts Thinly sliced.
  • 0.25 cup cornstarch For coating to crisp.
  • 0.25 salt and pepper To taste.
Sauce
  • 3 tbsp vegetable oil For searing.
  • 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
  • 0.33 cornstarch slurry 1 tsp cornstarch mixed with 1 tbsp water.
Finish and serve
  • 4 green onions Cut into 2-inch pieces.
  • 0.25 sesame seeds For serving.
  • 4 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 evenly coated, with no dry spots left on the surface.
Make the Mongolian sauce
  1. Whisk together soy sauce, brown sugar, water, hoisin sauce, sesame oil, and red pepper flakes until the sugar dissolves and the mixture looks uniform and glossy.
Sear the chicken
  1. Heat vegetable oil in a large skillet or wok over high heat until shimmering, then add chicken in a single layer.
  2. Cook the chicken for 3-4 minutes per side until deeply golden and cooked through, flipping once for crisp edges, then remove to a plate.
Stir-fry aromatics and glaze
  1. Add garlic and ginger to the same pan and stir-fry for 30 seconds until fragrant and lightly sizzling.
  2. Pour in the sauce and bring to a boil, watching for bubbling that thickens the color to dark amber.
  3. Stir in the cornstarch slurry and cook for 1-2 minutes until the sauce is thickened and glossy, with a slow, syrupy drip off the spatula.
  4. Return the chicken and green onions to the pan and toss to coat, until green onion pieces look charred at the edges and cling to the sauce.
Serve
  1. Serve the sticky Mongolian chicken over steamed white rice with sesame seeds scattered on top for a final nutty finish.

Notes

Pro tip: Slice chicken thinly so it sears quickly and stays juicy under the glossy glaze—if the pan starts steaming, cook in batches. Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator up to 3 days; reheat in a skillet over medium heat until hot and saucy. Freezing is not recommended because the cornstarch coating can soften. For a gluten-free option, use tamari in place of soy sauce (check labels on hoisin too).