Kitchen notes · a little help before you start
Mongolian Chicken
Glossy chicken with sweet soy sauce and green onion makes a lively dinner. The thin pieces have browned edges under their coating, with garlic and ginger bringing a savory fragrance. Toss everything in the warm sauce and enjoy it straight from the pan.
- Prep
- 10 min
- Cook
- 20 min
- Total
- 30 min
- Original yield
- Serves 4
- Ingredients
- 12 listed
Make it part of your week
Recipe categories & planning details
- Meal type
- Main course
- Primary protein
- Chicken
- Cuisine
- Asian
- Preparation & total time
- Prep: 15 minutes or less · Total: 30 minutes or less
A few quick notes
1. Shake for even coating
Put the sliced chicken and coating cornstarch in a resealable bag and shake until the pieces are evenly coated.
2. Brown in one layer
Arrange chicken in a single layer over high heat, cooking multiple batches if needed before removing it to paper towels.
3. Keep slurry separate
Mix the remaining cornstarch with cold water before adding it to the simmering sauce for its brief thickening boil.
Get to know the ingredients
Thin chicken slices
Use boneless, skinless breast thinly sliced before coating, ready for the short browning stage on both sides.
Two oil roles
Vegetable oil cooks the chicken. The smaller amount of toasted sesame oil flavors the sauce with soy, water and sugar.
Green onion pieces
Cut the green onions into one-inch pieces and keep them for the final toss with chicken in the thickened sauce.
Let’s make it
Choose your servings, then check things off as you go.
Original recipe: Serves 4. Original quantities shown.
Check ingredients as you prepare them. These checks stay on this page.
How to make it
0 of 8 steps completeMake room for Mongolian Chicken
Review ingredients in your pantry before anything is added. Meal plans use your household size; grocery-only additions use the servings selected above.
The last little job
Toss in the sauce
Return the chicken with green onions, toss to coat in the just-thickened sauce and serve over rice if desired.
A little more help as you go
Garlic and ginger first
Cook garlic and ginger for thirty seconds after removing chicken, then add the liquid sauce ingredients and brown sugar.
Season with soy in mind
Add salt and pepper to the chicken lightly enough to account for the saltiness the soy-based sauce will bring.
A few questions you might have
Does all the cornstarch coat the chicken?
Use the quarter-cup portion for coating. The remaining two teaspoons mix with cold water to thicken the sauce later.
When does brown sugar go in?
Add it after the brief garlic-and-ginger stage with soy sauce, sesame oil and water, then bring the mixture to a simmer.
How long does the sauce boil after adding slurry?
Boil thirty to sixty seconds, just until thickened, before adding the chicken and green onions for the final toss.
Should I drain the browned chicken?
The directions transfer it to a paper-towel-lined plate while the garlic, ginger and sauce cook in the pan.
What soy sauce is listed?
Low-sodium soy sauce is specified for the sauce, alongside water, toasted sesame oil and dark brown sugar.
Storage & reheating safety
For cooked, perishable leftovers, refrigerate within 2 hours (1 hour above 90°F), using shallow containers for prompt cooling. Keep the refrigerator at 40°F or below, use refrigerated leftovers within 3–4 days, and reheat hot leftovers to 165°F, checked with a food thermometer. Follow any shorter package limit.
These are general safety limits, not a tested storage or freezing recommendation for this particular dish. USDA leftovers guidance · Safe cooking temperatures
Recipe source: dinneratthezoo.com. Ingredient names and quantities may be adapted for the pantry.
Preparation notes follow the recipe shown here.
