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Mongolian Chicken

Mongolian chicken with crispy-edged chicken pieces glazed in a dark, sticky soy-ginger sauce, finished with charred green onion and sesame. This soy ginger chicken skillet delivers that glossy, amber coating over steamed white rice in a quick weeknight Asian stir fry.
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Prep Time 15 minutes
Cook Time 15 minutes
Total Time 30 minutes
Servings: 4 servings
Course: Dinner
Cuisine: Asian-American
Calories: 640
Ingredients Equipment Method Notes

Ingredients
  

Chicken coating and chicken
  • 1.5 lb boneless skinless chicken breasts Thinly sliced.
  • 0.25 cup cornstarch For coating and later thickening.
  • 0.1 Salt and pepper to taste Season the cornstarch coating.
  • 3 tbsp vegetable oil For high-heat searing.
Sauce and aromatics
  • 5 clove garlic, minced
  • 1 tsp fresh ginger, grated
  • 0.5 cup soy sauce
  • 0.33 cup brown sugar
  • 0.25 cup water
  • 1 tbsp hoisin sauce
  • 1 tsp sesame oil
  • 0.5 tsp red pepper flakes
Thickener and finishing
  • 1 tsp cornstarch mixed with 1 tablespoon water Slurry to thicken the glaze.
  • 4 green onions Cut into 2-inch pieces.
  • 1 Sesame seeds and steamed rice for serving For serving over rice.

Equipment

  • 1 cast iron skillet

Method
 

Coat the chicken
  1. Toss the sliced chicken with cornstarch, salt, and pepper until evenly coated, with no dry spots visible.
  2. Set the coated chicken aside while you mix the sauce so the pan stays hot when you start cooking.
Make the Mongolian sauce
  1. Whisk together soy sauce, brown sugar, water, hoisin sauce, sesame oil, and red pepper flakes until the sugar looks dissolved and the mixture turns smooth.
Sear and glaze
  1. Heat the vegetable oil in a large skillet or wok over high heat until shimmering, then cook the chicken for 3-4 minutes per side until deeply golden and cooked through; remove to a plate.
  2. Add the garlic and ginger to the same pan and stir-fry for 30 seconds, just until fragrant and slightly sizzling.
  3. Pour in the sauce and bring it to a boil, letting bubbles rise across the surface for 15-30 seconds.
  4. Stir in the cornstarch slurry and cook for 1-2 minutes until thickened and glossy, coating the back of a spoon.
  5. Return the chicken and green onions to the pan and toss until the glaze clings to the chicken and the green onions char slightly.
Serve
  1. Serve the sticky Mongolian chicken over steamed rice with sesame seeds, spooning any extra dark sauce from the pan over the top.

Notes

For best crispy edges, pat the chicken lightly dry after slicing (if very wet) and avoid crowding the pan—cook in batches if needed. Refrigerate leftovers in an airtight container for up to 3 days; reheat in a skillet over medium heat until hot and glossy, adding 1-2 tbsp water if it thickens. Freezing is not recommended because the cornstarch coating can soften. For a lower-sugar option, use a reduced-sugar brown sugar substitute (measure by weight if your substitute specifies) to keep the sauce thick and sticky.