Salty, sweet, and garlicky Mongolian chicken is a very kid-friendly dish, that my kids also love. I’ll show you how to make it in less than 20 minutes, that only needs a little oil to get a crispy texture. When the sticky brown sauce coats the chicken, you can’t help but have another bowl of rice.
Mongolian chicken recipe.
This recipe is easy to prepare and doesn’t require too many ingredients. I use chicken breast, which has the advantage of being low in calories and absorbing the sauce better. You can also use boneless chicken thighs, they’ll be juicier but less flavorful. You can also try another Mongolian beef, I think you and your family will fall in love.
You can cook an extra portion of chicken, freeze it, and fry it with the scallions and brown sauce when you want to eat it the next day. You just need to heat the pan, put in some oil, fry the chicken until crispy, and then add the scallions and sweet and sour sauce.
What is Mongolian chicken?
- It is a chicken stir fry dish served at Chinese restaurants.
- The authentic Chinese Mongolian chicken recipe is simple to stir fry with thin slices of chicken breast simmered in soy, brown sugar, garlic, and ginger sauce.
- These ingredients make a slightly sticky sauce that coats the chicken.
Ingredients
This dish is so simple, it only needs the below ingredients:
- Skinless chicken breast or you may use boneless and skinless chicken thighs.
- Scallions – cut into 2-inch pieces
- Fresh ginger – minced
- Fresh garlic – minced
If you like to add more vegetables -zucchini, carrots, onion, green bell peppers, and cucumbers are good choices. The main reason is that these vegetables don’t release too much moisture, so the crispy texture of the chicken isn’t affected.
Mongolian sauce ingredients together consist of:
- Soy sauce – 2 tablespoons
- Water – 3 tablespoons
- Brown sugar – 3 tablespoons
- Cornstarch – 1 teaspoon
How To Make
- To make the chicken breast more tender, always tap the chicken breast lightly against the grain direction with the back of the knife.PRO TIP: This is the easy way to destroy the fibers and make the meat more tender.
- Cut the chicken into bite-sized chunks. Season with soy sauce, beaten egg, water, and rice wine. Mix well and marinate for 10 minutes (you can also leave it overnight). Add 2 tablespoons of cornstarch before you cook. But you should mix it well after adding it.PRO TIP: Add the cornstarch after the chicken breasts have absorbed the water and sauces. This will make them juicy and tender.
- Put 2 tablespoons of cornstarch on the plate. Dip the chicken breasts in the cornstarch on both sides and separate them one by one, don't connect them, but let them get wet for pan fry. PRO TIP: After dipping, let the cornstarch, rest for 5 minutes before frying. This will help the cornstarch stick to the meat and make it crispier and not come off during frying.
- For the sauce, whisk together brown sugar, soy sauce, cornstarch, and water in a small bowl. Set aside.
- Prepare vegetables – wash and chop scallions into 2" inch pieces, mince ginger and garlic. Set aside.
- In a large wok or skillet, heat 1 tablespoon of canola oil over medium heat. Put the chicken in it in a single layer. When you put the chicken in, dip it in the oil in the pan to crisp it up. Don't flip it, but wait for 3 to 4 minutes before flipping the other side. Fry it until it's golden brown and cooked through, about 6-8 minutes. Remove it from the pan. PRO TIP: Don't overcrowd the pan, and turn the chicken after 3-4 minutes so you get a crispy chicken breast.
- Fry the aromatics and add the sauce – In the same pan, add the remaining tablespoon of oil, the ginger, and the garlic and fry them for 10-15 seconds. Add the sauce to the pan and let it simmer for 1 minute.
- Return the chicken – Add the chicken back in and let the sauce thicken for 20-30 seconds.
- If you want the chicken breast crispy, you don't have to toss it in the Mongolian sauce for too long, about 1 minute is enough.
- Add the scallions – stir to combine and cook for the last 20-30 seconds.
More chicken comfort food recipes:
Keto Chicken Breast Fitness Meal With Korean Garlic Sauce
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Chicken Shawarma (Middle Eastern)
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One Pot Chicken And Rice
Honey Garlic Chicken
Mongolian chicken is a chicken stir fry dish served at Chinese restaurants. Chinese Mongolian chicken recipe is simple-stir fry with thin slices of chicken simmered in soy, brown sugar, garlic, and ginger sauce.
Ingredients
Marinade Chicken:
- 0.67 lb /300g boneless skinless chicken breasts, cut into 1” chunks
- 1 tablespoon beaten egg
- 1 tablespoon soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon rice wine, Shaoxing wine or dry sherry
- 1 tablespoon water
- 6 tablespoons cornstarch, divide
Mongolian Sauce:
- 2 tablespoons soy sauce
- 3 tablespoons water
- 3 tablespoons brown sugar
- 1 teaspoon cornstarch
Stir Fry:
- 1 tablespoon cooking oil
- 2 teaspoons fresh ginger, minced
- 1 tablespoon garlic, minced
- 4 stalks scallions
Instructions
MARINADE CHICKEN:
- To make the chicken breast more tender, always tap the chicken breast lightly against the grain direction with the back of the knife. (Note 1).
- Cut the chicken into bite-sized chunks. Season with soy sauce, beaten egg, water, and rice wine in a bowl. Mix well and marinate for 10 minutes (you can also leave it overnight). (Note 2).
- Add 2 tablespoons of cornstarch to the chicken and mix well.
- Put 4 tablespoons of cornstarch on the plate. Dip the chicken breasts in the cornstarch on both sides and separate them one by one, don't connect them, but let them get wet for pan fry. (Note 3).
MIX MONGOLIAN SAUCE:
- For the sauce, whisk together brown sugar, soy sauce, cornstarch, and water in a small bowl. Set aside.
- Prepare vegetables – wash and chop scallions into 2" inch pieces, mince ginger and garlic. Set aside.
PAN FRY CHICKEN :
- In a large wok or skillet, heat 1 tablespoon of canola oil over medium heat. Put the chicken in it in a single layer. When you put the chicken in, dip it in the oil in the pan to crisp it up. Don't flip it, but wait for 3 to 4 minutes before flipping the other side. Fry it until it's golden brown and cooked through, about 6-8 minutes. Remove it from the pan. (Note 4).
STIR FRY MONGOLIAN CHICKEN:
- Fry the aromatics and add the sauce – In the same pan, add the remaining tablespoon of oil, the ginger, and the garlic and fry them for 10-15 seconds. Add the sauce to the pan and let it simmer for 1 minute.
- Return the chicken – Add the chicken back in and let the sauce thicken for 20-30 seconds. The cornstarch we used on the chicken should thicken the sauce. If you find that it doesn't thicken enough, add 1 tablespoon of cornstarch to 1 tablespoon of cold water and stir to dissolve the cornstarch and add it to the pan.
- If you want the chicken breast crispy, you don't have to toss it in the Mongolian sauce for too long, about 1 minute is enough.
- Add the scallions – stir to combine and cook for the last 20-30 seconds
- Serve – immediately with a side dish of rice.
Video
Tips & Notes:
- Tap the chicken breast lightly against the grain direction, this is the easy way to destroy the fibers and make the meat more tender.
- Add the cornstarch after the chicken breasts have absorbed the water and sauces. This will make them juicy and tender.
- After dipping, let the cornstarch, rest for 5 minutes before frying. This will help the cornstarch stick to the meat and make it crispier and not come off during frying.
- Don’t overcrowd the pan, and turn the chicken after 3-4 minutes so you get a crispy chicken breast.
Nutrition Information:
Serving: 300g Calories: 248kcal (12%) Carbohydrates: 21g (7%) Protein: 23g (46%) Fat: 8g (12%) Saturated Fat: 1g (6%) Cholesterol: 79mg (26%) Sodium: 1130mg (49%) Potassium: 471mg (13%) Fiber: 1g (4%) Sugar: 12g (13%) Vitamin A: 215IU (4%) Vitamin C: 5mg (6%) Calcium: 38mg (4%) Iron: 1mg (6%)
DID YOU MAKE THIS RECIPE?I love hearing how it turned out! Leave me a comment and make sure to leave a rating below.
Made this tonight! I literally used 10x the recipe for meal planning! Absolutely amazing! Thank you for sharing!
You are welcome. It’s glad to know that you like it.
You didn’t mention the AMOUNT of WATER in the MARINADE.
Thanks for reminding me, I forgot to mention it. Please see the recipe where I added it. Enjoy~