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Mongolian Chicken

Mongolian chicken is a sticky soy-ginger glaze stir-fried with deeply golden, crispy-edged chicken and charred green onion. Serve it over steamed white rice so the dark, glossy sauce clings to every bite.
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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: 680
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Chicken
  • 1.5 lb boneless skinless chicken breasts
  • 0.25 cup cornstarch
  • Salt and pepper
  • 3 tbsp vegetable oil
Sauce
  • 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
Finish
  • 1 tsp cornstarch mixed with 1 tablespoon water
  • 1 tbsp water for the cornstarch slurry
  • 4 green onions cut into 2-inch pieces
  • sesame seeds for serving
  • steamed rice for serving

Equipment

  • 1 cast iron skillet

Method
 

Coat the chicken
  1. Toss the sliced chicken with cornstarch, salt, and pepper until coated. Make sure every piece is lightly dusted so it crisps in the hot pan.
Make the sauce
  1. Whisk together soy sauce, brown sugar, water, hoisin sauce, sesame oil, and red pepper flakes until the sugar dissolves. The mixture should look like a dark brown, glossy liquid.
Stir-fry and glaze
  1. Heat vegetable oil in a large skillet or wok over high heat, then cook the chicken for 3-4 minutes per side until deeply golden and cooked through. Once browned, remove the chicken to a plate.
  2. Add garlic and fresh ginger to the same pan and stir-fry for 30 seconds. Keep it moving so it becomes fragrant without burning.
  3. Pour in the sauce and bring it to a boil. Look for bubbling that thickens slightly before adding the slurry.
  4. Stir in the cornstarch slurry and cook for 1-2 minutes until thickened and glossy. The sauce should coat the back of a spoon.
  5. Return the chicken and green onions to the pan and toss until everything is glazed. Cook just until the green onions look slightly charred and glossy.
Serve
  1. Serve the Mongolian chicken over steamed rice and top with sesame seeds. Spoon extra dark sticky sauce from the pan over the rice.

Notes

For the crispiest edges, spread the coated chicken in a single layer and avoid crowding the pan; cook in batches if needed. Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Freezing is not recommended because the cornstarch glaze can soften after thawing. If you want a lower-sugar swap, reduce brown sugar to 1/4 cup and add 1-2 tsp extra water to keep the sauce pourable.