What is Mongolian Chicken?

Mongolian chicken is a popular Chinese-American dish that is served in many Chinese restaurants. Despite its name, Mongolian chicken is not a traditional Mongolian dish but rather it was created in Chinese-American restaurants.

This popular Chinese takeout dish brings together juicy pieces of chicken thighs that are coated and then pan-fried for a crispy on the outside and a tender on the inside. The chicken is then tossed in a sweet, salty, and slightly spicy sauce and then served with steamed rice or noodles. Typically, this popular Chinese dish is made with beef, but some people simply prefer chicken over beef so here we are.

Ingredients

All of these Mongolian chicken ingredients can be found at your local Asian grocery store. I’ve linked everything that I used for you below.

Mongolian Chicken

• Boneless Skinless Chicken Thighs: chicken thighs are ideal because they are harder to accidentally overcook. The chicken thighs can be sliced or cubed.
• Shaoxing Wine: Shaoxing wine lightly seasons and marinates the chicken.
• Cornstarch: the cornstarch creates a thin, crispy coating on the chicken.
• Vegetable Oil: vegetable oil or any neutral oil with a high smoke point such as canola oil, peanut oil, or avocado oil will work to fry the Mongolian chicken.
• Ginger and garlic: minced ginger and garlic are the main aromatics.
• Dried Chilis: dried chilis add a touch of heat to the stir fry.
• Green onion: green onion to finish for another aromatic layer.

Mongolian Sauce

• Soy Sauce: soy sauce is the base of the sauce. It adds a salty, savory, and umami flavor to the Mongolian chicken recipe.
• Dark Soy Sauce: dark soy sauce is a sweeter soy sauce that is thicker, less salty, and sweeter than regular soy sauce. It adds a gentle sweetness to the Mongolian sauce.
• Brown Sugar: brown sugar sweetens the sauce and balances out the salty flavors.
• Sesame Oil: toasted sesame oil adds a hint of umami nuttiness to the sauce.
• Cornstarch: cornstarch thickens the sauce for glossy, thick coverage.
• Water: water dilutes the soy sauce making it less salty and more palatable.

Substitutions and Additions

This recipe for Mongolian chicken can be easily customized based on your preferences. I have listed some suggestions for you below.

Substitutions

• Chicken: instead of chicken thighs, you can alternatively use chicken breast chicken tenders.
• Protein: instead of chicken you can easily use beef or tofu instead!
• Fresh chili peppers: instead of dried chili peppers, you can use freshly sliced chili peppers for more of a spicy kick.
• Tamari or coconut aminos: instead of soy sauce, you can use tamari or coconut aminos as an alternative.
• Hoisin sauce: instead of dark soy sauce, you can use hoisin sauce for a sweeter sauce.
• Low sodium chicken stock: for a richer more savory and comforting flavor, you can substitute the water with chicken stock instead.

Additions

• Vegetables: you can add more vegetables such as broccoli, bell peppers, carrots, snap peas mushrooms, zucchini, etc.
• Toasted sesame seeds: sprinkle some toasted sesame seeds for additional garnish.

Mongolian Chicken

This easy Mongolian chicken recipe features crispy yet tender fried chicken coated in a sweet, spicy and savory sauce. Enjoy with a bowl of rice for a quick and delicious weeknight meal!

Prep Time 5 mins|Cook Time 15 minutes| Total Time 20 mins

Main Course

 Servings: 3

INGREDIENTS

• 1 ½ tablespoon cornstarch
• ⅓ cup water
• ¼ cup soy sauce
• 2 teaspoon dark soy sauce
• ¼ cup brown sugar packed
• 2 teaspoon sesame oil

Mongolian Chicken

• 1 lb boneless skinless chicken thighs cut into 1 1/2 inch pieces
• 2 teaspoon Shaoxing wine
• ½ cup cornstarch
• ⅓ cup vegetable oil for frying
• 2 teaspoon ginger minced
• 4 cloves garlic minced
• 5 dried red chili peppers
• 3 stalks green onion cut into 2 inch slices

INSTRUCTIONs

• Mix the sauce. In a small bowl, mix the cornstarch and water until the cornstarch is fully mixed in. Then add the soy sauce, brown sugar, dark soy sauce, and sesame oil. Mix until combined. Set aside.
• Prepare the chicken. In another mixing bowl, coat the sliced chicken with Shaoxing wine. Then toss the chicken with the cornstarch until evenly coated. Shake off the excess and set aside.
• Fry the chicken. In a wok or large skillet over medium-high heat, heat the vegetable oil until hot. Working in batches, gently lower the chicken, making sure that you don’t crowd the pan. Fry until crispy and golden brown on both sides, about 6-8 minutes. Remove the chicken from the pan and place it on a paper towel-lined plate.
• Cook the sauce. In the same pan over medium-high heat, heat 1 tablespoon of vegetable oil. Then add the minced ginger, minced garlic, and dried red chili peppers. Saute for about 30 seconds until fragrant. Then add in the sauce and bring to a simmer.
• Add chicken and green onion. Then add the chicken and green onion and toss together until the chicken is evenly coated. Serve with rice and enjoy!

Nutrition:

Calories: 635kcal | Carbohydrates: 47g | Protein: 32g | Fat: 35g | Saturated Fat: 6g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 17g | Monounsaturated Fat: 9g | Trans Fat: 0.2g | Cholesterol: 144mg | Sodium: 1514mg | Potassium: 505mg | Fiber: 1g | Sugar: 20g | Vitamin A: 156IU | Vitamin C: 4mg | Calcium: 52mg | Iron: 2mg