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!
Sandy Stiner
Oh my gosh, this was so easy! The taste was like we got it from a restaurant. Cannot wait to make it again! Thank you Christie for helping us make tasty Asian dishes at home!!!!
Tracy Palmer Dawson
Yummy! I couldn’t find red peppers so I substituted red pepper flakes. I will try air frying the chicken as suggested next time to improve the healthfulness. Quick and easy. Thanks so much for sharing.
christieathome
Thanks so much for making my recipe, Tracy! Glad you enjoyed it!
Matt
Great taste good Dish except the directions are a little sketchy on the corn starch. It almost sounds like you are supposed to put the cornstarch slurry with the chicken. That is not the case, you are to coat chicken with corn starch. This measurement is not mentioned in the ingredients list.
christieathome
Apologies for the confusion! I've just revised the recipe instructions. I appreciate you flagging this and for making my recipe.
Bethany Hunter
I loved it!! The only problem I had was that the recipe was a little confusing with the cornstarch. First, I did it correctly by adding the cornstarch directly to the chicken, then, the next step says to make a slurry which confused me so I added water to the cornstarch coated chicken. I then realized that you meant that the slurry was for the sauce and the quarter cup was for the chicken and ended up adding more cornstarch to the slurried chicken. It ended up delicious but I bet it’s even more delicious don’t correctly.
That being said, it ended up so so so delicious! Thank you!
christieathome
Thank you so much for your comment and for making my recipe! I also appreciate you flagging this. I've revised the instructions again so they are more clearly written. Have a great day, Bethany!
Maria
We loved this recipe but could not figure out where the green onions mentioned in the first section went with the recipe. We ended up throwing them in with the aromatics, but the recipe is not clear.
christieathome
Thanks for making my recipe and for flagging that! I've corrected the recipe, the green onions are just for garnish.
Mommakat
I just found you and will follow. Your recipes are easy to follow and I love Asian cooking and your recipes include most all the ingredients i keep on hand. Thank You!
christieathome
Thank you so much for the kind words and I hope you enjoy my recipes!
Brendan
Cooked this one last night for some friends, they loved it. Definitely packs a punch!
christieathome
Thanks for making my recipe, Brendan! Glad you enjoyed it with your friends!
Deborah Hathaway
Deliciously sweet and spicy.
My first time making this but it’s definitely not a 25 min meal. I prepped the ingredients (added carrots, peppers and onions) and began frying. It took time working in small batches. I’ll be trying the air fryer next time.
peetje Peet
Loved this dish!!! Very tasteful.. simple and quick!!!
Thank you very much for sharing
christieathome
Thank you so much Peetje! I'm so glad you enjoyed it and I appreciate you taking the time to write such a kind review 🙂
Rachael
A very delicious meal! My whole family loved it and we will definitely be making it again! Thank you for this awesome recipe, Christie!
christieathome
Glad you enjoyed it with your family, thanks for making it!
Patryk
Hoisin sauce and sugar? Is this dish too much sweet?
Patryk
Hoisin sauce is generally sweet, wouldn't adding sugar make a dish bland and too sweet?
christieathome
Not in my experience with this dish and I haven't received that feedback from the many others who made this dish through my other social platforms. But if you feel it's too sweet, omit it and you can always add it later to the sauce.
Dan G.
Recipe as-is is great. Very nice flavor and the Corn Starch crisped chicken was just right. Wife didn't want it with rice so I used some Chinese egg noodles (like Lo Mein Noodles but just a little thicker). Cooked them most of the way first then rinsed under cold water and set aside. After cooking everything I added the noodles into my wok and mixed it well and cooked everything together a little longer. The sauce clung to the noodles nicely and it turned out great....And then...my wife said she would have liked some other vegetables in it... sometimes, you just can't win.
This recipe results in a very good Mongolian chicken, with what tastes like an authentic sauce and the perfect texture on the chicken.
christieathome
Thanks so much for making my recipe and for this kind review, Dan! So glad you enjoyed it! Egg noodles are a great pairing with this dish!
Melody
Hello 👋
This recipe was absolutely delicious. Thank you so very much for sharing. I was just wondering if you have the nutritional values on this?
I couldn't find them. Thanks so much very much.
christieathome
Thanks so much for making my recipe Melody! I'm so glad you enjoyed it! Sorry, unfortunately I don't have values for this recipe but I can add them later.
MamaH
I've made this recipe twice but I still can't manage to get the chicken crispy. Any tips? Thanks!
christieathome
Hi there! Thank you so much for making my recipe! Here are some tips to get that chicken crispy:
1) If there is a lot of moisture on the chicken, pat it dry with a clean paper towel. The excess moisture can attribute to a less crispy crust.
2) When coating the chicken with starch, do not overmix. If you overmix, this can create moisture in the starch. Once I pour the starch onto the chicken, I use kitchen tongs and twist it 3-4 x and this evenly distributes the starch. Alternatively, instead of pouring the starch onto the chicken, you can dredge each piece of chicken into the starch to avoid overmixing.
3) Fry the chicken for a couple minutes longer until the crust is crispier. Because it's chicken thigh, this cut is more forgiving and if you do cook it for longer, it won't dry out like breast.
Hope these tips help!
Stella
Came across this recipe a few months ago and have been making it at least once a week ever since! Super tasty, easy to make and turns out great every time. Thanks Christie, excited to try your other recipes!
christieathome
I'm so glad to hear that you enjoyed this Stella! Thanks for making my recipe and I hope you enjoy my other recipes 🙂