Crispy fried chicken tossed in a sticky, sweet, savory sauce. This quick and easy Mongolian chicken is better-than-takeout and made with simple ingredients in 25 minutes or less! A great main that'll easily become a family favorite!
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What is Mongolian Chicken made of?
Mongolian chicken is chicken coated in cornstarch and then fried in oil. Then once fried it is then mixed in with a delicious gingery, spicy, garlicky and sweet hoisin-based sauce. The red chili, ginger, and garlic give it a wonderful aroma and taste.
Popular Takeout Dish
You'll find this popular Chinese-American takeout dish at many Chinese restaurants. This chicken dish is a favorite among many for its simple ingredients and big complex flavors!
It serves best white rice or brown rice with any vegetables and I share other pairing suggestions below!
The best part about my recipe is you can make with minimal ingredients without deep frying (we are shallow frying or you can air fry!) and in one pan!
I love enjoying this dish with egg rolls, crab rangoons, and egg drop soup, and fried rice. It truly hits the spot like no other!
Ingredients & Substitutions
Please scroll down to below recipe card for exact measurements.
- Boneless skinless chicken thighs: or substitute with boneless skinless chicken breasts for a leaner alternative but please reduce the cooking time by 1-2 minutes.
- Cornstarch: or substitute with potato starch
- Green onion & red chili: optional garnish
- Neutral oil: like avocado oil, sunflower oil, grapeseed oil, peanut oil, vegetable oil or canola oil with a high smoke point. Avoid olive oil that has a low smoke point.
Sauce
- Garlic
- Red chili: any long red chili will work for this recipe. For a mild level of spice, de-seed the chili.
- Fresh ginger
- Regular soy sauce: or substitute with low sodium soy sauce or light soy sauce.
- Hoisin sauce
- Brown sugar: dark brown sugar or light brown sugar will both work
- Sesame oil
- Cornstarch: or substitute with potato starch
- Cold water: or substitute with unsalted chicken stock for extra flavor!
Variations
- For a gluten-free version: substitute soy sauce with tamari sauce, coconut aminos or a gluten-free soy sauce. Make sure the hoisin is also gluten-free or substitute with one that is.
- For a vegetarian version: substitute the chicken with diced extra-firm tofu.
Note: Most Asian grocery stores will carry most of the Asian specific ingredients or check Amazon.
Expert Tips
- Fresh ingredients are important when it comes to the aromatics. This is a dish that relies on this for that wonderful gingery, spicy, garlicky flavor.
- Prepare your ingredients in advance as the cooking process is fast!
- Do not pat dry the chicken! You need some moisture on the chicken so the starch can adhere to it.
- Evenly dice the chicken so they evenly fry.
- Use a heavy bottomed pan if possible as this maintains the oil temperature.
- Make sure oil is hot enough before frying, around 325-350 degrees F. To check if oil is hot, use a digital instant read thermometer or insert a wooden chopstick into the oil and look for bubbles. If you see bubbles, the oil is hot.
- Fry in small batches and do not overcrowd the pan because this reduces the oil temperature leading to less crispy chicken or possibly undercooked chicken.
- Spread chicken apart after tossing into pan. This allows for each piece to develop a crust.
- Avoid stir frying the chicken. This prevents it from getting crispy.
- Drain the fried chicken on a wire rack or paper-towel lined plate to remove excess oil which leads to soggy chicken.
Instructions
Below are step-by-step instructions on how to make Mongolian chicken:
In a small bowl, mix 1 tablespoon cornstarch and ½ cup water until well combined. Set aside.
Dice each chicken thigh into 1.5-inch pieces. Do not pat chicken thighs dry, some moisture is needed for the next step.
In a large mixing bowl, add diced chicken followed by cornstarch. Toss until each piece is coated in cornstarch. Set aside. If the starch is falling off, feel free to add more cornstarch.
Heat vegetable oil in a large pan on medium-high heat. Fry chicken in small batches until golden brown on both sides, about 5-7 minutes. Remove and transfer chicken to a wire rack or a paper-towel lined plates to remove excess oil. Discard any excess oil in the pan, leaving 2 teaspoon in it. (To air fry the chicken, see the below FAQ section for instructions).
On medium heat, fry ginger, garlic, and red chili for 10 seconds.
Next add hoisin sauce, soy sauce, brown sugar, sesame oil and mix well before adding cornstarch slurry. (You may need to give the cornstarch water another stir before adding to the hot pan). Mix sauce ingredients until combined. Simmer to thicken.
Toss in fried chicken into the sauce.
Remove off heat. Transfer to serving dish. Optional: Garnish with red chili and green onions if desired. Enjoy!
Storage
- Leftovers will last up to 4 days stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator. To reheat: microwave for 2-3 minutes until hot or reheat in a pan on medium heat.
- Freezer friendly? This can be stored in a freezer friendly bag and frozen up to 3 months or until you see freezer burn. To reheat, defrost it and reheat in the microwave or on the stovetop in a pan.
Pairing Suggestions
Mongolian chicken serves well with:
- starters like egg rolls, crab rangoons, egg drop soup, hot and sour soup
- white or brown rice, cauliflower rice, fried rice, chow mein, lo mein, plain noodles, soup noodles
- cooked vegetables like bok choy, spicy garlic bok choy, choy sum, gai lan, garlic green beans or stir fried snow pea leaves.
- protein dishes like Mongolian Beef, Honey Walnut Shrimp, Bang Bang Shrimp, Soy Garlic Tofu, Chinese Braised Tofu and more!
FAQ
This can be made in advance and stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days. When ready to enjoy, reheat it in the microwave or in a pan on the stovetop on medium heat.
Yes, you can substitute the chicken with shrimp, beef, pork, or extra-firm tofu.
Yes! Feel free to add bell peppers, broccoli, cauliflower, carrots, snap peas or snow peas to make it a well rounded dish.
Yes, to air fry the chicken follow these instructions:
Spray air fryer basket with sufficient oil. Place coated chicken into the basket in a single layer, giving each piece enough room. Do not overlap. You may need to air fry in two batches. Lightly spray the chicken with oil. Air fry at 400 F for 10-14 minutes until desired crispiness. No need to flip over.
Despite the name, this Mongolian chicken does not originate from Mongolia. In fact, this is a Chinese dish. The reason for the name is based on the stir frying technique in Mongolian barbecue created in Taiwan in the 1950s,
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📖 Recipe
Quick & Easy Mongolian Chicken
Ingredients
- 1 lb skinless boneless chicken thighs
- ¼ cup cornstarch or as needed (or sub with potato starch)
- ⅓ cup vegetable oil or any neutral oil
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 1 red chili pepper sliced (optional)
- 5 slices ginger
- 4 tablespoon hoisin sauce
- 2 tablespoon regular soy sauce
- 2 tablespoon brown sugar
- 2 teaspoon sesame oil
Cornstarch Slurry:
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch or sub with potato starch)
- ½ cup water
Optional Garnishes:
- 1 green onion finely chopped
- 1 red chili pepper sliced
Instructions
- In a small bowl, mix 1 tablespoon cornstarch and ½ cup water until well combined. This is your cornstarch slurry. Set aside.
- Dice chicken thighs into 1.5-inch pieces, about 4-6 pieces per thigh. Avoid patting the chicken dry as moisture is needed for the next step.
- In a large mixing bowl, add diced chicken thighs, followed by ¼ cup cornstarch. Give it a few tosses with tongs until each piece is coated in cornstarch. Set aside. If the starch is falling off, feel free to add more cornstarch.
- Then in a large pan or wok on medium-high heat, heat vegetable oil. Fry chicken in small batches until golden brown on both sides, about 6-8 minutes. Remove chicken from pan and transfer to a wire rack or a plate lined with paper towels to remove excess oil. (To Air Fry the chicken, please see Notes below for instructions).
- On medium heat, add ginger, garlic, and red chili. Fry for 10 seconds.
- Next add hoisin sauce, soy sauce, brown sugar, sesame oil and mix well before adding cornstarch slurry. (You may need to give the cornstarch water another stir before adding to the hot pan). Mix sauce ingredients until combined. Simmer to thicken.
- Toss in fried chicken and mix everything together. Remove off heat. Transfer to serving dish. Optional: Garnish with red chili and green onions if desired. Enjoy!
Bob
Loved it., But being into heat I added a quarter cup of chili garlic sauce.
Christie Lai
So happy to read this! Glad you enjoyed it with the extra heat!
Sabrina
This dish turned out great!!
Christie Lai
Thrilled to read this, Sabrina! Thank you so much for making my recipe and for sharing your 5-star review!
Lynn
First time varying from my usual Asian dishes. Loved this. My husband said it was great and there were no leftovers. Definitely will make it again.
Christie Lai
Thank you so much for the positive feedback and for making my recipe! Glad you and your husband loved it so much!
Jules
Can you use chicken tenderloins instead of chicken thighs?
Christie Lai
Yes, that will work well too!