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Mongolian Chicken

Mongolian chicken with crispy-edged chicken pieces glazed in a dark, sticky soy-ginger sauce for a glossy, caramel-brown finish. Stir-fried green onions and sesame seeds cling to every bite over steamed white rice—perfectly suited for a weeknight Asian dinner.
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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
  

Boneless skinless chicken breasts
  • 1.5 lb boneless skinless chicken breasts Thinly sliced.
Cornstarch
  • 0.25 cup cornstarch For coating and crisping the chicken.
  • 1 tsp cornstarch Mixed with water for thickening.
Salt and pepper
  • salt and pepper To taste.
Vegetable oil
  • 3 tbsp vegetable oil
Garlic
  • 5 garlic Minced.
Fresh 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
  • 1 tbsp water For the cornstarch slurry.
Hoisin sauce
  • 1 tbsp hoisin sauce
Sesame oil
  • 1 tsp sesame oil
Red pepper flakes
  • 0.5 tsp red pepper flakes
Green onions
  • 4 green onions Cut into 2-inch pieces.
Sesame seeds
  • sesame seeds For serving.
Steamed rice
  • steamed rice For serving.

Equipment

  • 1 cast iron skillet
  • 1 sheet pan

Method
 

Coat the chicken
  1. Toss the sliced chicken with cornstarch, salt, and pepper until coated and lightly dry on the surface.
Mix the Mongolian sauce
  1. Whisk soy sauce, brown sugar, water, hoisin sauce, sesame oil, and red pepper flakes until the sugar looks dissolved.
Brown and glaze
  1. Heat vegetable oil in a large skillet or wok over high heat until shimmering.
  2. Cook the chicken for 3-4 minutes per side until deeply golden and cooked through, then remove to a plate.
  3. Add garlic and ginger to the same pan and stir-fry for 30 seconds, watching for a fragrant aroma without browning.
  4. Pour in the sauce mixture and bring it to a boil, bubbling steadily and turning darker.
  5. Stir in the cornstarch slurry and cook for 1-2 minutes until thickened and glossy.
  6. Return the chicken to the pan and toss to coat, then add the green onions and toss again until bright and lightly charred at the edges.
Serve
  1. Serve the sticky Mongolian chicken over steamed rice and top with sesame seeds so they cling to the glossy sauce.

Notes

For the best crispy edges, make sure the skillet or wok is hot before adding the chicken and avoid crowding so the pieces brown instead of steam. Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3-4 days; reheat in a skillet over medium heat until warmed through and glossy. Freezing is not recommended because the sauce can lose its sticky texture after thawing. To make it lower-sodium, use reduced-sodium soy sauce and keep the rest of the sauce ratios the same for a still-thick glaze.