Mongolian chicken. Crispy fried chicken smothered in a sticky sweet ginger hoisin sauce. A delicious dish to make for dinner or lunch that comes together in just 30 minutes or less!
What does Mongolian chicken taste like?
This dish is like the sister dish to sweet and sour chicken but without the sour tangy flavour. Instead, the sauce is a garlic brown sugar hoisin sauce with a kick from the red chili. It is not overly spicy where you need a tall glass of milk to fan the flames but you can feel that spice at the back of your tongue. A dish to try if you love sweet spicy chicken. If you’re not a fan of spice, feel free to omit the red chili.
Easy to make!
My Mongolian chicken recipe is also incredibly easy to make and I bet you almost have most of the ingredients in your pantry! The one you may need to go out to get is Hoisin sauce, but most Western and Asian grocers carry this sweet thick sauce already. I love using Hoisin sauce on my meat dishes as it really offers such a delicious sweet thick syrupy taste.
Watch how I made it!
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.
What is Mongolian sauce made of?
Mongolian sauce is a mixture of hoisin sauce, brown sugar, soy sauce, sesame oil with a cornstarch slurry to thicken it. It is additionally flavoured with ginger, garlic and red chili (sometimes).
What is the difference between Mongolian chicken vs Szechuan chicken?
Szechuan chicken tends to be spicier and sweeter or spicy and sour using Szechuan peppercorns. Mongolian chicken is milder and sometimes doesn’t even use spices but in my version I wanted a kick but feel free to omit this if you cannot tolerate spice.
Does Mongolian chicken have nuts?
Sometimes but my version is nut-free.
Is Mongolian style chicken dairy free?
Yes. Dairy is not usually used in making this dish. My version is completely dairy-free.
Tips for making the best Mongolian Chicken
- Have all your ingredients prepared and ready to go! When cooking any meat stir fry you always want your ingredients ready to fry or you can risk the chance of overcooking your meat.
- Use chicken thighs. Chicken thigh is such a forgiving and delicious cut to cook with. You could potentially overcook this chicken and your meat will still be tender because it has more fat running through it unlike chicken breast, where this can easily be dried out.
- Use medium-high heat when cooking your chicken but do not keep it in the wok for too long, just until crispy golden brown.
- Use quality ingredients especially when it comes to your aromatics such as the green onions, garlic and red chili. This is a dish that relies on fresh and quality aromatics for that wonderful gingery, spicy, garlicky flavour.
Other recipes you may like!
SWEET AND SOUR CHICKEN
TAIWANESE POPCORN CHICKEN
KOREAN FRIED CHICKEN
MALAYSIAN CHICKEN CURRY
SOY HOISIN CHICKEN THIGHS
For this recipe
You will need the following Mongolian chicken ingredients:
- 6 chicken thighs, diced
- ¼ cup cornstarch
- 1 stalk green onion, finely chopped
- ⅓ cup cooking oil (vegetable or avocado)
Sauce:
- 2 tsp garlic minced
- 1 red chili, sliced (optional)
- 5 slices ginger with skin on
- 2 tbsp soy sauce
- 4 tbsp hoisin sauce
- 2 tbsp brown sugar
- 2 tsp sesame oil
- 1 tbsp cornstarch
- ½ cup water
Garnish (optional):
- 1 stalk green onion, finely chopped
- 1 red chili, sliced
How to make Mongolian Chicken
- In a small bowl, mix 1 tbsp cornstarch and ½ cup water until well combined. Set aside.
- In a large mixing bowl, add your diced chicken thighs followed by cornstarch. Mix until each piece is coated in cornstarch. Set aside.
- Then in a large pan or wok set over medium high heat, add cooking oil. Carefully add in your chicken and let this fry until crispy golden brown on all sides, about 6-8 minutes. Remove chicken from pan and transfer to a plate.
- In the same pan or wok set over medium heat, add ginger, garlic, and red chili. Fry for 30 seconds.
- Next add in hoisin sauce, soy sauce, brown sugar, sesame oil and cornstarch mixed with water. You may need to give the cornstarch water another stir before adding to the hot pan. Mix sauce ingredients until combined.
- Toss your fried chicken back into the pan and coat each piece with sauce. Remove and transfer to serving dish to enjoy!
- Optional: Garnish with red chili and green onions if desired.
Give it a try!
Well, I hope you give my Mongolian Chicken recipe a try! It always excites me when you guys make my recipes and I hope this is one you try.
Thanks for visiting my blog! If you enjoyed this quick Mongolian chicken, please share it with your family and friends or on social media! Take a picture if you have made my recipe and tag me on Instagram @ChristieAtHome in your feed or stories so I can share your creation in my stories with credits to you!
Made this recipe and loved it?
If you could leave a star rating for my Mongolian chicken stir fry, I would greatly appreciate it 🙂 Thanks so much!
Take care,
Christie
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Easy Mongolian Chicken (30-min. Recipe)
Ingredients
- 6 boneless skinless chicken thighs diced
- ¼ cup cornstarch
- 1 stalk green onion finely chopped
- ⅓ cup vegetable oil
Sauce:
- 2 tsp garlic minced
- 1 red chili pepper sliced (optional)
- 5 slices ginger with skin on
- 4 tbsp hoisin sauce
- 2 tbsp regular soy sauce
- 2 tbsp brown sugar
- 2 tsp sesame oil
- 1 tbsp cornstarch
- ½ cup water
Garnish (optional):
- 1 stalk green onion finely chopped
- 1 red chili pepper sliced
Instructions
- In a small bowl, mix 1 tbsp cornstarch and ½ cup water until well combined. Set aside.
- In a large mixing bowl, add your diced chicken thighs followed by cornstarch. Mix until each piece is coated in cornstarch. Set aside.
- Then in a large pan or wok set over medium high heat, add cooking oil. Carefully add in your chicken and let this fry until crispy golden brown on all sides, about 6-8 minutes. Remove chicken from pan and transfer to a plate. (For Air Fryer instructions, see Notes section below)
- In the same pan or wok set over medium heat, add ginger, garlic, and red chili. Fry for 30 seconds.
- Next add in hoisin sauce, soy sauce, brown sugar, sesame oil and cornstarch mixed with water. You may need to give the cornstarch water another stir before adding to the hot pan. Mix sauce ingredients until combined.
- Toss your fried chicken back into the pan and coat each piece with sauce. Remove and transfer to serving dish to enjoy!
- Optional: Garnish with red chili and green onions if desired.
NOTES
I really love the sauce you've created for this dish. Mongolian chicken is one of my very favorites!
That‘s a delicious dish. It took 45 minutes until it was served and the taste was like I know from China. First time that I cook something with the original taste. Many thanks.
Made this for my family last night and we all LOVED it!! I didn't put in the red chili bc I wasn't sure if it'd be too much spice for the kids. Served it over plain white rice. This one will def be going in our meal rotation. A MUST try!!
Thank you so much for making my recipe Jessica! I am so glad you and the family enjoyed it and it'll be part of the weekly rotation!
Hi there, just tried this and loved it! Wen down a treat with my other half and off to explore other recipes.
Thanks for sharing 👍
Take care
Thank you so much for making my recipe Kirsty! I am so glad you and your other half enjoyed it!
Well what can I say if I closed my eyes I would have said I was in China town in London. It was perfect nice balance of spice and sweetness. That crispy chicken well what can I say superb. Served ours with noddles
Thank you so much for your kind review Charlie! I am so glad to hear you enjoyed my recipe with your noodles! It brings me joy to read this! Have a lovely day! - Christie
Great tasty recipe and so easy to make. The flavours are spot on and I will definitely make this again.
How much cornstarch is it actually supposed to be? The ingredient list, cooking instructions, and video all have different amounts.
Hi Barb, I'm not sure where you see different measurements for the cornstarch as they are all the same in the video, list and recipe card. For the chicken coating it's 1/4 cup. Then you'll also need to an additional 1 tbsp to the sauce mixture. Hope this helps.
First saw it on TikTok then found this page. Clear, easy to follow instructions and a delicious, flavourful outcome. Looking forward to trying your other recipes!
Thank you so much for your kind words and I am so glad you enjoyed the recipe!
My wife is pregnant and she enjoyed this A LOT. Thank you so much! I saw your video on Tick Tock and was curious to know the brand of your WOK used for that video.
Thanks again!
Thank you so much for your kind review Eddie! I am so glad your wife enjoyed the recipe! All the best on the big day when baby comes. The wok was purchased off amazon and here's the link: https://amzn.to/35Wio5E
Have a great day!
Christie
I made is for the first time and it was really very nice.
I am going to try out more of your recipes.
Thank you.
André van der Kroon
Holland
Tried it for the first time and family enjoyed it 😋
Thank you so much for making my recipe and I am so glad you and the family enjoyed it 🙂
Hello Christie,
I found this recipe on Pinterest and it was so yummie. Directions were great and very clear so every one can make it. Preparation took a little longer, but all was ready at the same time, so there was no problem. (Vegetables and such).
Me and my husband enjoyed it verry much. I will make this dish again and again. It will be our favorite.
From the Netherlands,Thank you so very much.
Hi Ina! Thank you so much for making my recipe and for leaving such a kind review on my page! I'm so glad you and your husband enjoyed it! It's a great weeknight meal when one doesn't feel like ordering takeout. Happy to have shared this recipe with you and sending my best wishes from Canada! - Christie
Very easy, and very tasty! Will make again.
Thank you so much for making my recipe Kathy and leaving such a kind review! I'm so glad you enjoyed it!
Husband looooved this (as did I). Requested I put it in the meal rotation often!
Thank you!
Awww this is music to my ears! So happy to read this! Thanks for making my recipe Deborah!
I love this recipe! Fast and easy to make. My wife has me make it at least once a week.
Thank you for making my recipe Boyd! So happy to hear this!
Delicious and easy recipe. I added broccoli for the greens and it did not disappoint.
So happy to hear this! Thank you for making my recipe!
Love this recipe! Served it with rice and veggies. I wish I did a better job browning the chicken first and I left out the ginger since I didn’t have it on hand. Otherwise everything was perfect.
So glad you enjoyed this! Thank you for making my recipe!
Mine didn’t come out as dark- maybe because I used light brown sugar? My family still loved it!
Thanks for making my recipe Sharon! I am so happy to hear this! It could be depending on how long you fried the chicken for, if it's longer the chicken will come out more darker. Hope this helps!
Tried this tonight. I "marinated" the chicken in soy sauce (cut back on the amount) and cornstarch. I added chili oil to the sesame oil, and broccoli and fresh red peppers, and was liberal with the ginger and garlic (we like spicy). Served with basmati rice. Great recipe that adapts well to personal taste and has depth of flavors. Thanks for sharing!
Thanks for making my recipe Elizabeth! Glad you enjoyed it.
This was delicious! My chicken was barely crispy, some pieces not at all. But it hit temp so I pulled it because I didn’t want to overcook. Where did I go wrong? More cornstarch? Higher temp?
Thanks Sarah! Glad it was delicious. Sorry to hear you had some difficulty getting it crispy. I find it really depends on each stovetop's temperature setting as they can vary from brand to brand. For future, I would definitely coat the chicken in more cornstarch until each piece is all white and then increase the temperature to a higher heat setting until you start to see the crispy golden texture. Since chicken thigh is used in this recipe (unlike chicken breast), it's a very forgiving cut of meat. So even if you overcook it just a bit, it will still remain tender and juicy. Hope this helps!
This recipe was shared with me and I’m so glad I tried it. Seriously delicious and so easy to make. I skipped the red chili (none in stock when I was at the grocery store) and chopped the ginger as I did with the garlic. Super easy, packed with flavour, will definitely be making this many times again!
Thank you so much Cori for making my recipe! This makes me so happy to read and I am really glad you enjoyed it!!
Have a lovely day! - Christie
Just made this recipe for lunch! Super fast and super delicious! 10/10 recommend!
I am so glad to hear that you enjoyed this! Thank you so much for making my recipe ☺️
Was very flavorful and so easy to prepare. Prep time was longer than stated in recipe but we’ll worth it. I had some asparagus in the frig so I quickly stir fried it before the chicken. Definitely on my rotation.
So glad you enjoyed my recipe! Thank you for making it 🙂
Do you leave the ginger in the mix and eat it with the skin?
Yes, I leave the skin on but feel free to remove it to your liking.
I just made this for my family and it was a big hit! Thanks for sharing your recipes with us! It’s the first one of yours that I’ve tried, and I can hardly wait to try more!
This is music to my ears! I am so very happy to hear that you enjoyed my recipe with your family 🙂 Thank you for taking the time to make it and I hope you enjoy my other recipes!
I didn't have chicken to cube on hand, so I swapped the chicken for a cubed venison roast. Let me tell you - it tastes incredible. I followed the recipe exactly as it is printed and it turned out amazing.
I am so happy to read that this worked out well with venison! Thank you so much for making my recipe Allison! Glad you enjoyed it 🙂
Fantastic! Thanks for sharing. My fickle Missus loves it.
I'm so happy to read this! Thank you for making my recipe and glad you both enjoyed it, Elias!
I love this dish! I love the flavour so much that I am actually going to try replacing the chicken with cauliflower for a vegetarian friend - wish me luck!
I am so happy to read this Cheryl! Thank you very much for making my recipe and good luck with the cauliflower substitution! I would love to hear how that goes. Have a great day!
This was amazing! So simple, flavorful and authentic. Can't wait to try more of your recipes!
Thank you so much for making my recipe Jessica! I am very happy to read this kind comment 🙂 Have a lovely day!
Hi, this looks delicious and I'm planning on making this in the next couple of days and I had a quick question.
Do you use a normal red chili or a Thai red chili?
Thanks
Hi there! Thank you very much! Just a normal red chili. If you'd like it spicier, you can definitely add Thai red chili. I hope you enjoy my recipe 🙂
hi Christie, just wondering if I could use chicken breast instead of thigh? would it make a big difference?
Hi Tiara! You can definitely use chicken breast. I would just suggest to monitor the cooking time and perhaps reduce it to 5-6 minutes since breast tends to dry out faster than thigh due to the lack of fat content. Hope this helps!
How many teaspoons or table spoons are 5 slices of ginger? I have minced what I thought would be 5 slices worth off of my root, going by the video. I'm going ahead with what I have, but I would appreciate knowing what you would use, in spoons. Thank you.
I would say about 1 1/2 tsp since it's minced. Since it's minced, the surface area is greater and will offer a much more powerful taste than sliced.
Made this tonight and it was a hit! For those struggling to get their chicken crispy, make sure you pat the raw chicken dry before coating in corn starch. I did jasmine rice in the Instant Pot and roasted broccoli in the oven – delicious, nutritious, and dinner done in less than 40 minutes!
Thank you so much for making my recipe Amanda! I'm so glad you enjoyed it and thanks for sharing the tip with everyone 🙂