Easy Mongolian Chicken – Simply Home Cooked

This Easy Mongolian Chicken is a simple to follow recipe that has amazing results. Crispy chicken simmered in a flavorful ginger-soy sauce with onions and garlic makes for a truly scrumptious dish.

If you like this Mongolian chicken, you should try our tasty Mongolian Beef or our Teriyaki Chicken.

Recipe Details

This Easy Mongolian Chicken recipe is the best! I love how quickly it comes together and the absolutely amazing flavors. This simple dish is a real winner when you need a quick dinner.

• TASTE: The chicken is savory and combined with caramelized onions. And the flavor of the sauce is a mix of garlic, ginger, and soy sauce for delicious umami notes.
• TEXTURE: The textures of the sauteed vegetables mixed with the juicy, crispy chicken thighs are really delicious. Everything is covered in a thick sauce.
• TIME: This recipe takes about 30 minutes.
• EASE: This dish is really easy to make. You can do some of the steps beforehand, too, to save time on a busy night.

What You’ll Need

Ingredient Notes

• Chicken- Boneless, skinless thighs are best for moist and juicy Mongolian Chicken. You can also use chicken breasts if you like.
• Onions- We use both white onion and green onion because the first will caramelize and sweeten as it cooks, and the second has a milder oniony flavor.
• Soy sauce- This adds salty, umami flavor to the dish. You can use regular or low-sodium.
• Sesame oil- This potent oil adds sesame flavor that goes well with the other ingredients. A little goes a long way.
• Cornstarch- This coats the chicken and gives it a crunchy outer layer once it cooks.
• Ginger- Use fresh, it has so much more flavor.
• Brown sugar- This will balance out the saltiness of the dish and help caramelize the onions and chicken.

Add-ins and Substitutions

• Substitute other meats- You can make this with pork, beef, or chicken breasts as well.
• Add other vegetables- Make this recipe with broccoli, water chestnuts, peppers, mushrooms, carrots, or zucchini.
• Make it gluten-free- Substitute the soy sauce for tamari sauce to make this Mongolian Chicken gluten-free.
• Substitute the cornstarch- If you haven’t got corn starch, you can use another starch, such as potato starch, arrowroot starch, or tapioca starch.

How to Make Mongolian Chicken

• Prepare the chicken. Cut the chicken thighs into strips and place them in a large bowl with the cornstarch.
• Cook the chicken. Heat the rest of the oil in a large wok over high heat. Cook the chicken in batches, being careful not to overcrowd the wok, so each piece is crispy. Transfer the cooked chicken to another bowl.

• Cook the vegetables. Slice up the onion and mince the leftover garlic, stirring it into the same wok (add oil as needed). Once it’s cooked, add back the chicken.

Pro Tip: Pre-cut the vegetables so you don’t have to reheat the wok before cooking them. This dish comes together quickly, so prep work is key.

• Make the sauce. In a small saucepan, heat 2 tablespoons of the oil and then add the garlic and ginger. Stir for about 10 seconds. Now, add the brown sugar, soy sauce, water, and sesame oil and bring to a boil. Set aside.
• Add everything together. Once the onion is cooked, add the chicken back in, then the sauce. Bring it to a simmer.

• Add the green onion. Slice the green onion and stir it into the Mongolian chicken for a few minutes. Serve.

Recipe Tips

• Cut the meat to a similar size- Keep the chicken slices to the same size so that the meat can cook at the same speed. This avoids overcooking smaller pieces and undercooking larger pieces.
• Make the Mongolian sauce ahead of time- You can prepare the sauce in advance and keep it in a container with a lid until you’re ready to warm it up and make the rest of the dish.
• Cut up the meat and veggies in advance- You can save time by prepping the vegetables and chicken, then putting everything together before dinner.
• Cook the chicken in batches- Chicken cooks fastest when it’s not touching other things, so separate the chicken into batches so each piece cooks quickly and crisply.

FAQs

Serving Suggestions

This Easy Mongolian Chicken is a versatile dish that makes a great dinner. Serve it with veggies, rice, sushi, and other Asian-inspired dishes.

• Rice: Serve this dish over a bed of Wild Rice, Hibachi Fried Rice, Wild Brown Rice, or Pork Fried Rice.
• Vegetables: Enjoy this chicken with some Sauteed Garlic Asparagus, Chinese Eggplant Salad, Roasted Brussels Sprouts, or Asian Chicken Salad.
• Sushi: Pair this dish with a Shrimp Tempura Roll, Dynamite Roll, Volcano Roll, or Spicy Salmon Roll.
• Asian-inspired dishes: Serve this Mongolian chicken with Fried Spring Rolls (VIDEO), Panda Express Mushroom Chicken (copycat), Hunan Chicken, or Roast Duck.

Make This Recipe in Advance

Make ahead: You can prepare the sauce and even cook the vegetables ahead of time. When you’re ready to cook and crisp up the chicken, combine everything and serve.

Storing: To store your Mongolian Chicken, place it in an airtight container in the refrigerator, where it will keep for 3-4 days. 

Freeze: If you want to freeze it, it will last for a couple of months. Just place it in a freezer-safe container once cooled. When you are ready to serve it, allow it to defrost and then heat it in the microwave or in the wok.

More Delicious Asian-inspired Dishes!

Full Recipe Instructions

Easy Mongolian Chicken

Crispy chicken and flavorful sauce, this Easy Mongolian Chicken is the best. Simple and tasty, you’re going to love how it turns out.

Print Pin Rate

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: Asian

Diet: Gluten Free

Prep Time: 15 minutes minutes

Cook Time: 20 minutes minutes

Total Time: 35 minutes minutes

Servings: 8

Calories: 318kcal

Instructions

• Now thinly slice 2 lb of boneless skinless chicken thighs into strips. Place the sliced chicken in a large bowl and 1/3 cup cornstarch.
• Heat 1/3 cup corn oil in a large wok over high heat. Cook the chicken in batches to ensure a crispy texture on the exterior. You don’t want to overcrowd the pan.

• Once all of your chicken is cooked, transfer it to a separate bowl.

• Then slice up one large yellow onion and mince 1 garlic clove and stir it in the same wok. Add oil as needed.

• After the onion is cooked through, add the chicken back in. 

• Heat 2 Tablespoons of corn oil in a small saucepan over medium-high heat. Add 1 minced garlic cloves along with 1 tablespoon of minced ginger. Stir for about 10 seconds.
• Then add 4 tablespoons of brown sugar, 1 cup of low-sodium soy sauce, 1/4 teaspoon of sesame oil, and 1/2 cup water. Bring to a boil then set the sauce aside. 

• Then add the sauce and bring the chicken to a simmer. 

• Slice two bunches of green onion and stir it into the Mongolian chicken for a few minutes. 

Notes

Time-saving tips

• Make the Mongolian sauce ahead of time- You can prepare the sauce in advance and keep it in a container with a lid until you’re ready to warm it up and make the rest of the dish.
• Cut up the meat and veggies in advance- You can save time by prepping the vegetables and chicken, then putting everything together before dinner.
• Cook the chicken in batches- Chicken cooks fastest when it’s not touching other things, so separate the chicken into batches so each piece cooks quickly and crisply.

Serving suggestions This Mongolian chicken recipe goes really well with a starch, like Wild Brown Rice or rice noodles. You could also pair this dish with Pork Fried Rice Recipe, Fried Spring Rolls (VIDEO), or an Asian Chicken Salad.

Nutrition

Calories: 318kcal | Carbohydrates: 14g | Protein: 25g | Fat: 18g | Saturated Fat: 2g | Cholesterol: 108mg | Sodium: 1725mg | Potassium: 376mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 7g | Vitamin A: 57IU | Vitamin C: 2mg | Calcium: 26mg | Iron: 2mg

Hi, I’m Dina, so glad you stopped by! I believe life is too short for bad coffee and boring meals. With my easy to follow step-by-step recipes, you’ll be surprised at how quickly a wholesome and delicious meal can come together. I hope you find something you enjoy!