Quick and easy Mongolian chicken recipe made with crispy chicken glazed with sweet and savoury glossy sauce. One of the best Chinese restaurant and takeout chicken recipes you can easily cook at home in 30 minutes. Enjoy this dish...
Quick and easy Mongolian chicken recipe made with crispy chicken glazed with sweet and savoury glossy sauce. One of the best Chinese restaurant and takeout chicken recipes you can easily cook at home in 30 minutes. Enjoy this dish with plain rice or noodles for a perfect dinner.
A popular variation of Chicken Mongolian is a classic Mongolian Beef and both of these dishes originated in Taiwan and not from Mongolia.
[feast_advanced_jump_to]This recipe is simple, easy, and loaded with flavours. Made with minimum ingredients and quick homemade Mongolian sauce. Lightly coated chicken is fried to perfection and smothered in delicious brown glossy sauce. It is also a versatile dish where you can add vegetables and adjust the flavours to your liking. I can guarantee that this dish is soon to be your favourite crispy Chinese chicken!
Essential Ingredients
Following is a quick guide with photos and the detailed measurements and instructions video are on the recipe card.
Chicken: Boneless skinless chicken is ideal for this recipe. You can either use chicken thigh or breast. Simply cut the chicken into medium-sized cubes.
Vegetables: Onion, spring onions ( green onions ), fresh garlic and chilli peppers go well with this dish.
Dried red chilli: Mongolian chicken is not originally a very spicy dish. It is more on the savoury and sweet side. But I love to add dried whole dried chillies for a kick of heat.
Sauce: regular soy sauce, brown sugar, and chicken stock/broth are 3 basic ingredients in making Mongolian sauce. The secret to creating the thick glossy sauce is adding a dash of cornstarch or potato starch in the sauce mixture.
Frying oil: any vegetable oil with a high smoking point and neutral flavour such as sunflower, canola or peanut oil can be used. I used sunflower oil in this recipe.
How to cook Mongolian Chicken
First, prepare the chicken marinade and coating. In a bowl, add chicken pieces with soy sauce, Shao Xing wine, cornstarch, and vegetable oil. Mix everything well and set it aside. Combine sauce ingredients in a small bowl and whisk until sugar and cornstarch are dissolved. To shallow fry the chicken, fill the frying pan with cooking oil for about 1-2 inches. Place the chicken pieces in the hot oil ( 350°F/180°C ) for 5-6 minutes or until crispy golden brown. Flip the chicken pieces occasionally. ( You can shallow fry, deep fry, or air-fry the chicken pieces. ) Remove from oil and set them aside.
Frequently asked questions
Szechuan chicken is famous for its hot and numbing flavours. It has a deeply aromatic, spicy and numbing taste from its main ingredients such as Szechuan peppercorns, chilli oil, garlic and ginger. On the other hand, Mongolian chicken has a more balanced taste between sweetness and savouriness.
You can store the leftovers in a storage bag or airtight container in the refrigerator. Make sure to let the dish cool down before sealing. Reheat in a microwave or a pan before serving next time.
For a healthier, less-frying option you can air-fry or bake the chicken pieces. Place the marinated chicken pieces in the 400° F ( 200° C ) pre-heated air fryer or oven and spray cooking oil over the chicken pieces. Air-fry or bake for about 8-10 minutes, or until crispy.
Fantastic Add-ons and Variations
More veggies: If you love to add more veggies carrots, bell peppers, and mangetout ( snow peas ), are popular choices.
Stir-fry Mongolian chicken: is a great option, if you want to skip the shallow-fry or deep-frying chicken pieces. Cut chicken into thin slices and stir fry with 1-2 tbsp of oil before combining with the sauce and the rest of the ingredients.
Extras: Add roasted cashew nuts or peanuts if you love a bit of crunch. Toasted sesame seeds can be also used as a garnish and extra toasty flavour.
For a milder kid-friendly version, I recommend skipping the dried chillies and fresh chillies.
Umami options: Chicken stock or broth is usually used in the sauce for a rich umami flavour. If you don't have chicken stock in hand, just simply add water with a dash of chicken stock cubes, msg, or chicken powder. Adding a couple of tablespoons of hoisin sauce or oyster sauce is another savoury option.
Note: If you use chicken stock/broth that contains sodium, you might want to adjust the amount of soy sauce in the sauce mixture.
More popular Chinese takeout chicken dishes
If you love restaurant-style crispy Chinese chicken dishes, I recommend you to try out our Crispy Sesame Chicken, Sweet and Sour Chicken, and General Tso's Chicken recipes.
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Mongolian Chicken
Equipment
Ingredients
Chicken and marinade
300 grams Boneless chicken Skinless boneless chicken breast/thigh2 tsp Soy sauce Regular soy sauce or light soy sauce2 tsp Shao xing wine Cooking rice wine or rice vinegar2 tsp Cooking oil Vegetable oil, sunflower, peanut, or sesame oil4 tbsp Cornstarch Or potato starchMongolian sauce
2 tbsp Soy sauce Regular soy sauce or light soy sauce2 tbsp Brown sugar Or regular white sugar or honey¼ cup Chicken stock Or water or chicken broth½ tsp Corn starch or potato starchOther ingredients
½ Onion Cut thin slices6-8 Dried chilles Deseeded whole dried chillies 2 cloves Garlic Minced or cut thin slices2 tsp Ginger Minced or cut thin strips2-3 Spring onions Cut 2" pieces1 Chilli pepper Or bell pepper, cut thin slices ( optional ) Oil for frying Sunflower, vegetable, peanut oil, etc.Instructions
Notes
Nutrition