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Mongolian Chicken

Mongolian chicken with crispy-edged chicken pieces glazed in a dark, sticky Mongolian sauce. This soy-ginger chicken stir fry turns glossy and thick in the pan, then clings to every bite with charred green onions and sesame seeds over steamed white rice.
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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
  

chicken breasts
  • 1.5 lb boneless skinless chicken breasts, thinly sliced
cornstarch
  • 0.25 cup cornstarch
  • 1 tsp cornstarch mixed with 1 tablespoon water
salt and pepper
  • Salt and pepper to taste
vegetable oil
  • 3 tbsp vegetable oil
garlic
  • 5 clove 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
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 and steamed rice
  • 1 Sesame seeds and steamed rice for serving

Equipment

  • 1 sheet pan

Method
 

Coat and prep
  1. Toss the thinly sliced chicken with cornstarch, salt, and pepper until every piece is coated and looks slightly dry on the surface.
  2. Whisk soy sauce, brown sugar, water, hoisin sauce, sesame oil, and red pepper flakes until the sugar dissolves and the mixture looks smooth.
Stir-fry and glaze
  1. Heat the vegetable oil in a large skillet or wok over high heat until shimmering, then cook the chicken 3-4 minutes per side until deeply golden and cooked through; remove to a plate.
  2. Add the minced garlic and grated ginger to the same pan and stir-fry for 30 seconds until fragrant, watching closely so they don’t burn.
  3. Pour in the sauce mixture and bring it to a boil over high heat, so steam rises and the liquid bubbles vigorously.
  4. Stir in the cornstarch slurry (cornstarch mixed with water) and cook 1-2 minutes until thickened and glossy, coating the back of a spoon.
  5. Return the chicken to the pan and add the green onions, then toss 30-60 seconds until the sauce clings and the onions look lightly charred at the edges.
Serve
  1. Serve the sticky Mongolian chicken over steamed white rice and top with sesame seeds so the glaze clings as you eat.

Notes

For extra sticky edges, make sure the chicken is spread in a single layer when it hits the hot pan, and avoid crowding so the cornstarch browns. Refrigerate leftovers in an airtight container up to 3 days; reheat in a skillet over medium heat with a splash of water to loosen the sauce. Freezing is not recommended because the cornstarch coating can lose texture. For a lower-sugar option, use a brown sugar substitute that measures cup-for-cup.