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Mongolian Chicken

Mongolian chicken is a sticky soy-ginger glaze that coats crispy-edged, golden chicken pieces. Cook it in a hot skillet until the sauce turns dark, glossy, and clingy over steamed white rice with charred green onion and sesame seeds.
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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: 720
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Chicken and coating
  • 1.5 lb boneless skinless chicken breasts Thinly slice so the pieces cook quickly and brown deeply.
  • 0.25 cup cornstarch Use for coating to create crispy edges.
  • Salt and pepper Season the chicken for balanced flavor.
Stir-fry and sauce
  • 3 tbsp vegetable oil High-heat frying for golden color.
  • 5 clove garlic Minced.
  • 1 tsp fresh ginger Grated.
  • 0.5 cup soy sauce For the dark, salty backbone of the glaze.
  • 0.33 cup brown sugar Adds caramel notes and stickiness.
  • 0.25 cup water Helps dissolve sugar and thin the glaze.
  • 1 tbsp hoisin sauce Adds depth and a subtle sweetness.
  • 1 tsp sesame oil For warm toasted aroma at the end of mixing.
  • 0.5 tsp red pepper flakes A gentle heat in the sauce.
  • 2 tsp cornstarch mixed with water This is the slurry to thicken the glaze.
Toppings and serving
  • 4 green onions Cut into 2-inch pieces to char in the final toss.
  • Sesame seeds For serving.
  • steamed rice Serve hot.

Equipment

  • 1 Cast iron skillet
  • 1 sheet pan

Method
 

Coat the chicken
  1. Toss the thinly sliced chicken with cornstarch, salt, and pepper until every piece looks evenly coated and lightly dry.
  2. Set the coated chicken aside while you mix the sauce so the coating has time to cling.
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 turns uniform.
Sear and glaze
  1. Heat the 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; remove to a plate.
  2. Add the garlic and grated ginger to the same pan and stir-fry for 30 seconds until fragrant, scraping up any browned bits.
  3. Pour in the sauce mixture and bring it to a boil so it looks glossy and gently bubbling across the surface.
  4. Stir in the cornstarch slurry and cook for 1-2 minutes until the sauce thickens and becomes shiny and clingy.
  5. Return the chicken to the pan with the green onions and toss until the sauce coats the chicken and the onions look lightly charred and glossy.
Serve
  1. Serve the sticky Mongolian chicken over steamed rice with sesame seeds on top so every bite is glazed.

Notes

For extra crisp edges, make sure the chicken is thinly sliced and evenly coated, then sear in a hot pan without crowding. Store leftovers in the refrigerator up to 3 days in a sealed container; reheat in a skillet over medium heat until hot and saucy. Freezing is not recommended because the glaze can loosen. If you want a lower-sugar option, reduce the brown sugar by about 1-3 tbsp and add a little extra water to keep the sauce glossy.