This BEST Mongolian Chicken recipe is ready to serve in 15 minutes and rivals your favorite takeout or restaurant for freshness and flavor! Tender chicken is drenched in a sweet and savory sauce with crisp green onions and served over steamed rice or egg noodles. It’s quick, easy and thoroughly delicious!
What is Mongolian Chicken?
Mongolian Chicken is a variation of Mongolian Beef. Of Chinese-American origin, both of these dishes are two of the most popular Chinese dishes in the United States and can be found in practically every Chinese restaurant. It’s one of my favorite dishes to order when we go for takeout and it’s also a family favorite when I make it at home.
The sauce for Mongolian chicken is made with soy sauce, water, brown sugar, toasted sesame oil, hoisin sauce, pepper, garlic, ginger, and thickened with cornstarch. Typically the only vegetable added to Mongolian chicken is green onion but feel free to improvise and add any other veggies of your choice. Some other tasty additions can include broccoli, mushrooms, bean sprouts, red bell peppers, carrots and zucchini.
I’m using chicken breast for this but you can also use boneless thigh meat. For a vegetarian Mongolian chicken you can use tofu following our recipe for Baked Tofu.
Serve Mongolian chicken with steamed rice or egg noodles or chow mein. For a low carb alternative you can serve it with cauliflower rice or spiralized zucchini noodles.
Mongolian Chicken definitely isn’t a low-sugar meal, but it’s an indulgence we really enjoy from time to time. And if you’d like to reduce the caloric intake you can substitute all or part of the brown sugar with our favorite brown sugar alternative, Sukrin Gold.
If you’re a fan of this popular Chinese dish then you’ll have to give this Mongolian chicken recipe a try – we’re confident you’re going to love it as much or more than your favorite takeout!
Mongolian Chicken Recipe
Let’s get started!
Cooking Chinese food over high heat is a quick process so have all you ingredients prepped and measured in advance. Cut up the chicken and chop the green onions, keeping the white parts separate (they take longer to cook). Mince the garlic and ginger.
Combine the sauce ingredients in a bowl.
Sprinkle the chicken with the cornstarch and toss to coat.
Heat the wok (or regular skillet if you don’t have a wok) over high heat.
Once the wok is good and hot pour in the oil. I use avocado oil because it’s a healthy oil with a high smoke point.
Add the chicken and fry until cooked through. It will only take about a minute.
Add the garlic and ginger and fry for another 30 seconds. Pour in the sauce.
Stir in the white parts of the green onions.
Cook for a minute or so until the sauce is thickened.
Add the remaining green onions and stir to coat and to just heat through. You don’t want to cook the soft green onions for long because you want them to remain a little crispy. Remove from the heat and serve immediately.
Your Mongolian Chicken is ready!
Serve with steamed rice, egg noodles, or chow mein.
Enjoy!
Want to bulk up this dish with more healthy veggies? Simply add some steamed broccoli and/or fry some bell peppers along with the chicken. You can also toss in some bean sprouts at the very end.
For more delicious Chinese takeout recipes, be sure to try our:
- Mongolian Beef
- Orange Chicken
- Kung Pao Chicken
- Beef and Broccoli
- General Tso’s Chicken
- Sweet and Sour Chicken
- Orange Beef
- Sesame Chicken
Mongolian Chicken
Ingredients
- 1 lb chicken breast or thighs , cut into thin strips (*Vegetarian/Vegan: use diced tofu tossed in oil and baked in oven until crispy)
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch , for coating
- 2 tablespoons high heat cooking oil (I use and recommend avocado oil as a healthy oil with a high smoke point)
- 1 tablespoon fresh garlic , minced
- 2 teaspoons fresh ginger , minced
- 2 bunches green onions , cut into 2 inch pieces, white parts kept separate
- For the Sauce:
- 3 tablespoons hoisin sauce
- OR Best Homemade Hoisin Sauce
- 1 teaspoon sesame oil
- ¼ teaspoon black pepper
- ½ cup tamari (can substitute light soy sauce)
- ½ cup water
- 2 teaspoons cornstarch
- ½ cup brown sugar
- or brown sugar alternative
Instructions
- Combine the sauce ingredients in a bowl, stirring until the cornstarch and brown sugar are dissolved, and set aside.
- Sprinkle the cut up chicken with the cornstarch and toss to coat.Heat a wok or heavy frying pan over high heat. Once hot, add the oil. Add the chicken and fry until cooked through, about one minute. Add the garlic and ginger and fry for another 30 seconds. Add the sauce and white parts of the green onions and simmer until thickened, about a minute. Add the remaining green onions, stir to coat and remove from heat (the green onions should remain a little crispy).
- Serve immediately with steamed rice, egg noodles or chow mein.
Notes
Nutrition
First published on The Daring Gourmet February 22, 2015
T. Memos says
Very good but a little too salty..
Any suggestions?
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
Hi, you can either use lite soy sauce (less sodium) or just cut back on the amount of soy sauce used.
nick mead says
Made the black bean sauce and hoisin sauce from your recipes, then the Mongolian chicken. All are absolutely terrific. Well done you! At last I’ve found a real chef who makes dishes the way they are meant to be, who doesn’t ‘twist (yuck)’ the life out of everything as the so called ‘celebrity cooks’do. Thankyou. 5 stars awarded
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
Thanks, Nick, I’m positively thrilled you enjoyed each of these recipes as much as we do and greaty appreciate the feedback – thank YOU!
Anisa says
Hi, thanks so much for this recipe. I had never tried hoisin sauce despite seeing it in the supermarket, made the stir fry really tasty. I added some more veg in the stir fry and it was delicious
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
Fantastic, Anisa, I’m glad to hear it – thank you!
PolySammo says
I made it with 2x as much meat and 1/2 as much sugar. Lots of garlic and ginger. My sweetie and roomies loved it. Next time he gets to cook it. Mongolian beef is his favorite Chinese food, but he is trying to eat healthier. It never occurred to him that it would be so easy to make. Thank you for the recipe
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
That’s awesome, PolySammo! It really is super quick and easy to make and it’s one of my favorite go-to’s for a quick and delicious meal. I’ll sometimes add some healthy veggies to it as well like broccoli and peppers. (By the way, here’s my recipe for Mongolian Beef which is of course is very similar.) Thanks so much for the feedback!
Tawni Scroggins says
This is the absolute best recipe for Mongolian Chicken!! My husband is one of the pickiest eaters I’ve ever met and he requests this one! Thank you so much for sharing!
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
That’s awesome, Tawni, I’m glad it won him over!!
Cori says
I’ve made this twice already and my whole family LOVES it! It’s so quick and easy and tastes way better than the stuff we used to get take-out. Thank you!!
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
Awesome, Cori, I’m so glad to hear that, thank you!
Kate says
Made this for my husband for dinner last night. Absolutely delicious! Sauce was perfect and the chicken came out so tender. I also added white button mushrooms. My husband was thrilled. I will definitely make again and again.
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
Wonderful, Kate, I’m so glad to hear it and appreciate the feedback, thank you!
Baiba says
I loved this recipe and will try it with beef next time. I also added snow peas and sprouts. Yum!
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
Wonderful, Baiba, thanks for the feedback! I actually have a recipe for Mongolian Beef and for Beef Stir Fry with Snow Peas and Mushrooms :) I love Chinese dishes like these, so fast and so good.
Michelle says
Love this recipe. I cooked it for tonight’s dinner and it passed. I will cook this again.
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
So glad it was a hit, Michelle, thanks!
Loretta Graves says
I am going to try it tonight for dinner, so right now can’t tell you how it will taste but sounds good.
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
Sounds great, Loretta! Happy cooking and let us know what you think!
Cathy Trochelman says
I really love the sound of this recipe! Adding it to my menu for the week!
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
Awesome, Cathy! You’ll love how quick and easy it is, not to mention dang delicious!
Joanie @ Zagleft says
I love finding a recipe that cooks so quickly and looks like you’ve spent hours preparing it. This Mongolian Chicken sounds like the perfect meal for my busy family. I’m looking forward to adding it to my menu next week.
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
For a busy schedule this is definitely a perfect dish, Joanie!
Valerie | From Valerie's Kitchen says
I have a bag of pot stickers in my freezer that I think would make the perfect side for this dish. Looks delicious and love the easy prep!
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
That does sound perfect, Valerie, I’ll join you for dinner! :)
Sharon @ What The Fork Food Blog says
I’m a big fan of Mongolian Beef and your chicken version looks just as delicious!
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
Thanks, Sharon! We’re huge fans of both, it just depends on whether we’re in the mood for beef or chicken :)
Lauren @ Hall Nesting says
I love making take out meals from home! I’ve never tried this w/ chicken. Sounds great!
Kimberly @ The Daring Gourmet says
I do, too, Lauren! I have both a beef and a chicken version. Both are really popular and I’m not really sure which I prefer – they’re both great!