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Mongolian Chicken

Mongolian chicken with crispy-edged chicken pieces glazed in a dark, sticky soy-ginger sauce, finished with charred green onion and sesame. Quick Asian chicken stir fry method delivers a glossy glaze that clings to every bite 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: 620
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Chicken
  • 1.5 lb boneless skinless chicken breasts Thinly sliced.
  • 0.25 cup cornstarch For coating.
  • 0.25 salt and pepper To taste.
  • 3 tbsp vegetable oil For high-heat searing.
Sauce & aromatics
  • 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 tbsp cornstarch mixed with water Use 1 teaspoon cornstarch mixed with 1 tablespoon water.
Finish
  • 4 green onions Cut into 2-inch pieces.
  • sesame seeds For serving.
  • steamed rice For serving.

Equipment

  • 1 sheet pan

Method
 

Coat the chicken
  1. Toss sliced chicken with cornstarch, salt, and pepper until coated, then let it sit briefly as you heat the pan.
  2. Seasoning should be evenly visible as a light dry coating on the chicken pieces.
Mix the Mongolian sauce
  1. Whisk together soy sauce, brown sugar, water, hoisin sauce, sesame oil, and red pepper flakes until the sugar dissolves.
  2. Set the sauce aside so it’s ready to pour once the aromatics hit the pan.
Sear and glaze
  1. Heat vegetable oil in a large skillet or wok over high heat; cook chicken for 3-4 minutes per side until deeply golden and cooked through, then remove to a plate.
  2. Add garlic and grated ginger to the same pan; stir-fry for 30 seconds until fragrant.
  3. Pour in the sauce and bring it to a boil, scraping up any browned bits from the pan.
  4. Stir in the cornstarch slurry and cook for 1-2 minutes until thickened and glossy.
  5. Return chicken and green onions and toss to coat, letting the green onions char slightly in the sauce.
Serve
  1. Serve the Mongolian chicken over steamed rice with sesame seeds on top.

Notes

For extra sticky glaze, keep the sauce at a steady boil while the cornstarch slurry thickens (it should look glossy and dark amber). Store leftovers in the fridge up to 3 days in a covered container; reheat in a skillet over medium heat until hot and saucy. Freezing isn’t recommended because the glaze can loosen as it thaws. For a lower-sugar option, replace brown sugar with an equal amount of a brown-sugar style erythritol blend and simmer to thicken as usual.