Mongolian Beef? No, it’s Mongolian Chicken!
Mongolian Beef may just be America’s favorite Chinese dish. It’s crispy, salty, sweet, and spicy, and coated in an addictive sauce that’s perfect with steamed white rice. While P.F. Chang’s version is legend, we’ve created our own Mongolian Beef recipe. Not to pat myself on the back *too* much, but people who have tried our recipe swear by it!
But the fact of the matter is, some people just prefer chicken over beef. Also, there comes a time when you start craving something new instead of the same old Orange Chickens, the Sesame Chickens, and the General Tso’s Chickens of the world. This Mongolian Chicken will do the trick.
Recipe Notes – How to make Mongolian Chicken
- In this recipe, we call for sliced boneless chicken breast or thighs, but we recommend using thighs, which are harder to accidentally overcook.
- The key to this tasty Mongolian Chicken is in the salty sweet sauce. It’s packed with flavor, which means that we can eliminate the step of marinating the chicken (a typical step in many of our stir-fries). Just give the chicken a light cornstarch dredging, and then fry it to crispy perfection.
- When you also fry the aromatics, all that flavor gets infused into that legendary sauce (that––trust us––has very little to do with Mongolia).
- Pro tip: you can also try this by oven frying the chicken – see directions on our Sesame Chicken – Baked, Not Fried (I suggest using chicken thighs if you want to bake as the chicken breast may dry out too much in the oven).
Toss that crispy chicken into the sauce, and wham–winner, winner, Mongolian Chicken dinner!
Mongolian Chicken: Recipe Instructions
Mix the sliced chicken with 1 tablespoon of oil, until the pieces are evenly coated.
Dredge all of the chicken in the cornstarch, shaking off the excess until the chicken is just lightly coated.
Heat ⅓ cup oil in a wok over high heat. At this point, if the chicken has absorbed the cornstarch and gets moist again, dredge the pieces again before frying. Just before the oil starts to smoke, spread the chicken pieces evenly in the wok, and fry for 1 minute, or until browned and crispy.
Turn the chicken, and let the other side fry for another 30 seconds or until browned and crispy. Transfer to a sheet pan or plate lined with paper towels. The chicken should be fried on all sides with a crusty coating.
Drain the oil from the wok, leaving 1 tablespoon behind, and set over medium high heat. Add the ginger fry for 20 seconds, until fragrant.
Add the dried chili peppers, if using, the garlic, and the white portions of the scallions.
Easy to make Mongolian Chicken Sauce
All of these aromatics add flavor to this tasty sauce.
Next, stir fry for another 15 seconds, and add the soy sauce, brown sugar, and chicken stock (or water).
Bring the sauce to a simmer, and stir constantly until the brown sugar is completely dissolved.
Let the sauce simmer for another 2 minutes, and slowly stir in the cornstarch-water mixture until the sauce coats the back of a spoon.
Add the chicken and the green portions of the scallions. Toss everything together for another 10 seconds.
There should be almost no liquid–the sauce should cling to the chicken. If you still have excess sauce, add more of the cornstarch slurry, and increase the heat slightly. Stir until thickened.
For more detailed information on the many ways to use cornstarch to get authentic results at home with our recipes, see our post on How to Use Cornstarch in Chinese Cooking.
Plate and serve your Mongolian Chicken with lots of hot steamed rice!
Mongolian Chicken
Ingredients
- 12 ounces boneless skinless chicken breast or thighs (340g, pat dry with paper towels and cut into ¼-inch thick slices)
- 1 tablespoon vegetable oil (plus ⅓ cup for frying)
- 1/4 cup cornstarch
- 1 teaspoon ginger (julienned or minced)
- 5 dried red chili peppers (optional)
- 2 cloves garlic (chopped)
- 3 scallions (cut on a diagonal into 1-inch slices)
- 2 1/2 tablespoons soy sauce
- 2 tablespoons brown sugar
- ¼ cup hot water or low sodium chicken stock
- 2 tablespoons cornstarch (mixed with 1 tablespoon water)
Instructions
- Mix the sliced chicken with 1 tablespoon of oil, until the pieces are evenly coated. Dredge all of the chicken in the cornstarch, shaking off the excess until the chicken is just lightly coated.
- Heat ⅓ cup oil in a wok over high heat. At this point, if the chicken has absorbed the cornstarch and gets moist again, dredge the pieces again before frying. Just before the oil starts to smoke, spread the chicken pieces evenly in the wok, and fry for 1 minute, or until browned and crispy.
- Turn the chicken, and let the other side fry for another 30 seconds or until browned and crispy. Transfer to a sheet pan or plate lined with paper towels. The chicken should be fried on all sides with a crusty coating.
- Drain the oil from the wok, leaving 1 tablespoon behind, and set over medium high heat. Add the ginger fry for 20 seconds, until fragrant. Add the dried chili peppers, if using, the garlic, and the white portions of the scallions. Stir fry for another 15 seconds, and add the soy sauce, brown sugar, and chicken stock (or water). Bring the sauce to a simmer, and stir constantly until the brown sugar is completely dissolved.
- Let the sauce simmer for another 2 minutes, and slowly stir in the cornstarch-water mixture until the sauce coats the back of a spoon. Add the chicken and the green portions of the scallions. Toss everything together for another 10 seconds.
- There should be almost no liquid--the sauce should cling to the chicken. If you still have excess sauce, add more of the cornstarch slurry, and increase the heat slightly. Stir until thickened.
Nutrition
Stephanie Sandoval says
We are done with takeout! This is officially better than the takeout we were craving Saturday night. Love the balance of flavors and how easy everything was to make.
Bill says
Hi Stephanie, I totally agree and much healthier too! That said, there are still compromises made for takeout when you just don’t feel like cooking :)
Carolyn Sloboda says
I’m an old abc and have been cooking Chinese an American dishes for my family for over 40 years. I made this dish substituting maple syrup instead of brown sugar. I got 3 “this is so good “ from my husband! I love your website!
Bill says
Hi Carolyn, I also love using maple syrup in these types of stir-fried dishes instead of sugar, but that is because I love the maple flavor. Sounds like your hubby loves it too!
Hiram Dominguez jr. says
I have done this dish to the T many times and the flavor is on the money but I’m still unable to get that rich red caramel color that covers the chicken as seen on your pics. What’s missing? Food colorant?
Bill says
Hi Hiram, You’re probably missing the dark mushroom soy sauce, which gives that deep rich color. Dark soy sauce is less salty than the regular and slightly thicker.
Adila says
Do you use dark soy sauce in this recipe or do you mix light and dark? I find dark soy sauce to be a little bitter.
Bill says
Hi Adila, this recipe does not call for dark soy sauce. But you can add a quarter teaspoon or more if you like a darker and richer sauce.
Jimmy says
I made this twice. First time, we cooked the chicken, as written, on a Sunday and made the rest of the dish for dinner on Tuesday using the pre-cooked chicken. Turned out amazing. Second time, didn’t have time to fry the chicken, so just quickly pan-fried with a lot less oil, but found out later that the sauce doesn’t stick to the chicken, at all. Will definitely make again, but only like you’ve written, but we add Sambal Oelek at the end. Thanks again. 4.5/5 for our family!
Bill says
Hi Jimmy, thanks so much for sharing your cooking experience with our Mongolian chicken. Enjoy and happy cooking!
Angela says
OMG Thank you for this recipe. I always loved the way restaurant’s get the chicken so tender. Now i know…… I placed the chicken in a large bag, first the oil and then the cornstarch and gave it a good shake, also doubled chicken amount & added wee bit more spice (i have two very large teenage boys!) Thank you once again, I now feel like i can cook. Angela xxx
Bill says
Hi Angela, you’re welcome and glad you and your boys enjoyed the recipe!
Huong says
Hi Bill, can I use chicken thighs instead of breast?
Bill says
Hi Huong, yes, chicken thighs will work nicely for this recipe!
Chris says
Guys! I made this last night, along with steamed rice and your Braised Bok Choy with Garlic… It was AMAZING!
Tender, flavorful, downright good! I did add 3 more seeded and minced Red Sichuan Chili Peppers to kick up the heat a bit. Making Hot and Sour Soup tonight (for about the 20th time, sooo good!) and tomorrow is Twice Cooked Pork – Restaurant Style. Will let you know how that turns out for us! In the meantime, keep on posting!
Bill says
Hi Chris, wow, sounds like you are having a culinary adventure. :) Keep up the awesome cooking!
Michelle Forrest says
Just to add to my last post, that recipe is for about 650- 750 grams meat, I cook 1kg meat (for 2 adults n 2 teenagers with hollow legs lol) and times the sauce by 1 1/2 n it’s the perfect amount. Then again, we are kiwis so tend to have rather large night time meals!
Bill says
Thanks for sharing that Michelle!
Michelle Forrest says
You can make this in your slow cooker too! Just coat the chicken (or beef strips) in cornflour, throw in your crockpot. Mix together 2 tablespoons Olive Oil, ½ teaspoons minced garlic, ¾ cups Soy Sauce (I use low sodium, the better the soy the yummier the end result, the no brand bulk stuff ruins the sauce) ¾ cups Water (I often add 1/2 to 1 cup more later on, plus a wee cornflour/water slurry if it’s too thin), ¾ cups Brown Sugar n throw in with the beef/chook n add 1-1.5 cup/s grated carrot. Cook on high 3-4 hours or low for 6-8. If the meat seems a bit tough just leave it for another 30-60 mins n it’ll be tender n juicy! It’s great for a night where you want something easy or 1 pot, but didn’t have time to put a stew etc on earlier in the day. Put on at 3pm n it’ll be perfection by 7pm! We eat on rice or hokkien/Singapore/rice noodles. It’s so damn easy but tastes DIVINE!! I was shocked, tbh, at how tasty it was for a sauce so simple!!
Eva says
Amazing! I added broccoli instead of scallions. Still tasted great! Thank you for the recipe.
Judy says
You are so welcome! Glad you liked it, Eva.