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Mongolian Chicken

Mongolian chicken is a fast soy-ginger stir fry with crispy-edged chicken pieces glazed in a dark, sticky sauce. Charred green onion and sesame cling to every bite when tossed right in the skillet over steamed white rice.
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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: 650
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Chicken breasts
  • 1.5 lb boneless skinless chicken breasts, thinly sliced
Cornstarch
  • 0.25 cup cornstarch
Salt and pepper
  • 1 salt and pepper to taste
Vegetable oil
  • 3 tbsp vegetable oil
Garlic
  • 5 clove garlic, minced
Ginger
  • 1 tsp fresh ginger, grated
Soy sauce
  • 0.5 cup soy sauce
Brown sugar
  • 0.33 cup brown sugar
Water
  • 0.25 cup water
Hoisin sauce
  • 1 tbsp hoisin sauce
Sesame oil
  • 1 tsp sesame oil
Red pepper flakes
  • 0.5 tsp red pepper flakes
Cornstarch slurry
  • 1 tsp cornstarch mixed with 1 tablespoon water
Green onions
  • 4 green onions, cut into 2-inch pieces
Sesame seeds and steamed rice
  • 1 sesame seeds and steamed rice for serving

Equipment

  • 1 cast iron skillet

Method
 

Coat and prep
  1. Toss the thinly sliced chicken with cornstarch, salt, and pepper until every piece looks coated and lightly dusty. Set aside while you make the sauce.
  2. Whisk soy sauce, brown sugar, water, hoisin sauce, sesame oil, and red pepper flakes until the sugar looks mostly dissolved and the mixture turns glossy and dark.
Sear and glaze
  1. Heat the 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.
  2. Add garlic and grated fresh ginger to the same pan and stir-fry for 30 seconds until fragrant but not browned. Keep the heat high so the aromatics cook quickly.
  3. Pour in the prepared sauce and bring it to a boil, stirring to lift any browned bits from the pan. The liquid should look darker and slightly thicker.
  4. Stir in the cornstarch slurry and cook for 1-2 minutes until the sauce turns glossy, sticky, and coats the back of a spoon.
  5. Return the chicken to the pan and add the 2-inch green onion pieces, then toss until the chicken is glazed and the onions look slightly charred at the edges.
Serve
  1. Serve the Mongolian chicken over steamed rice and spoon extra dark, sticky sauce over top. Finish with sesame seeds so they cling to the glazed surface.

Notes

For the crispiest, stickiest glaze, slice the chicken thinly and let it sit with the cornstarch-coated coating just long enough to tack on before it hits the hot pan. Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days; reheat in a skillet over medium-high until hot and lightly re-glossed. Freezing is not recommended because the chicken texture can soften after thawing. If you want a lighter option, swap in low-sodium soy sauce and reduce the added salt so the sauce still tastes balanced.