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Enjoy this Mongolian Chicken Recipe for lunch or dinner any day of the week. Tender and juicy chicken cooked in a sweet and savory sauce that’s healthier than the traditional take-out Chinese chicken recipe.
This healthy Mongolian Chicken recipe is the perfect way to add more easy chicken recipes to your weeknight dinner menus. Change it up with some juicy, sweet, and savory chicken instead of the same bland chicken dinners you are comfortable cooking.
This recipe is made healthier, full of flavor, easy to make, and ready in just under 30 minutes. The kids will love it, and they are great for meal prepping. Feel free to add some veggies like green beans or broccoli to this Chinese chicken.
Recipe summary
- Better than takeout: Enjoy healthier takeout at home. Same great taste and is even better. No hidden ingredients, and the chicken is not deep-fried.
- Quick and Easy: It’s super easy to make this Mongolian chicken recipe. You need just about 30 minutes or less from start to finish:
- Perfect for meal prepping: This easy chicken recipe is great if you like to meal prep. They store well for up to 4 days.
Ingredients you will need
These are just the ingredients you will need to make this Asian chicken recipe. Full measurements are listed further down below in the recipe card.
- Boneless skinless chicken breast (thinly sliced into 1-2 inch strips): you may also use boneless skinless chicken thighs.
- Cornstarch or gluten-free flour
- Vegetable oil or any nut oil
- Green onions
- Sesame seed
- Low-sodium soy sauce
- Honey or brown sugar
- Water or chicken stock
- Garlic cloves: use fresh garlic if possible
- Fresh ginger
- Red pepper flakes
- Rice vinegar
- Cooked rice of choice
How to make Mongolian chicken
- Prep the chicken: Add the chicken pieces to a large Ziploc bag together with salt, pepper, and cornstarch. Seal and mix through the bag to evenly coat the chicken.
- Cook the chicken: Heat oil in a large frying pan over medium-high heat. Add chicken in a single layer and cook until golden and cooked through, around 8 minutes. Add garlic and cook for another 1-2 minutes.
- Make the sauce: In a small bowl combine all sauce ingredients. Pour the sauce over the cooked chicken into the pan and stir to coat It should take about 2-3 minutes to thicken.
- Serve: Stir in the green onions and sprinkle with sesame seeds. Serve immediately over rice, and enjoy!
Recipe notes and tips
- Chicken: I much prefer cooking with chicken breast because they are leaner. You may use boneless chicken thighs which will be much tender meat but the calories will vary.
- If you want to use beef instead of chicken, you can. Go for lean cuts of beef.
- Use low-sodium soy sauce or you can swap it for coconut aminos.
- Garlic and ginger: For the best taste and flavor, use fresh garlic and ginger. If you need to work with what you have at home, use 2 tsp garlic powder and 1 tsp ginger.
- Add more veggies: I kept this Mongolian chicken recipe really close to what you would get in a restaurant but you may add other veggies like broccoli, zucchini, mushrooms, red peppers, or green beans to this Asian chicken stir fry.
- Honey: I love using honey, but you may use maple syrup. The taste will vary slightly.
- Nutrition facts do not include the rice.
Frequently asked questions
To make Mongolian sauce, you will need brown sugar, minced ginger, minced garlic, soy sauce, salt, and pepper. In our Mongolian chicken recipe, I used honey in place of brown sugar. Some would add chili to give it a spicy kick.
You can store leftover Mongolian Chicken in a tightly sealed container in the fridge for up to 3 days. Reheat in the microwave when ready to serve.
It tastes like what you would expect your Chinese chicken takeout to taste like. It has a sweet flavor from the combination of salty soy sauce and brown sugar. The flavors of the fresh garlic and ginger make it so delicious. Served over a bed of white rice.
Yes. If you prefer to use boneless and skinless chicken thighs instead of chicken breast, you can use chicken thighs the calorie count will vary.
More Asian chicken recipes
- Asian Chicken Cups
- Easy Chicken Chopped Salad
- Honey Garlic Chicken
- Sweet and Sour Chicken
- Chicken Fried Rice
- Honey Sesame Chicken
- Orange Chicken Stir Fry
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Healthy Mongolian Chicken Recipe
Ingredients
- 1.5 pound boneless skinless chicken breast, thinly sliced into 1-2 inch strips
- 1/4 cup cornstarch , or gluten-free flour
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 4 green onions, thinly sliced on the diagonal
- 1 teaspoon sesame seeds
- Salt and pepper
- 2-3 garlic cloves, pressed
Sauce:
- 1/2 cup low-sodium soy sauce
- 1/4 cup honey
- 1/2 cup water, or chicken stock
- 1 tablespoon freshly grated ginger
- 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes, or to taste
- 1 tablespoon rice vinegar
- 2 teaspoons vegetable oil, or sesame oil
- cooked rice , optional to serve
Instructions
- Add the 1.5 pound boneless skinless chicken breast pieces to a large Ziploc bag together with Salt and pepper, and 1/4 cup cornstarch . Seal and mix through the bag to evenly coat the chicken.
- Heat 2 tablespoons vegetable oil in a large frying pan over medium-high heat.
- Add chicken in a single layer and cook until golden and cooked through, around 8 minutes. Add 2-3 garlic cloves (pressed) and cook for 1-2 more minutes until garlic is cooked through.
- Meanwhile, in a small bowl combine all sauce ingredients. (1/2 cup low-sodium soy sauce, 1/4 cup honey, 1/2 cup water, 1 tablespoon freshly grated ginger, 1/4 teaspoon red pepper flakes, 1 tablespoon rice vinegar, 2 teaspoons vegetable oil)
- Pour the sauce over the cooked chicken into the pan and stir to coat It should take about 2-3 minutes to thicken.
- Stir in the 4 green onions (sliced) and sprinkle with 1 teaspoon sesame seeds.
- Serve immediately over cooked rice and enjoy!
Video
Notes
- Chicken: I much prefer cooking with chicken breast because they are leaner. You may use boneless chicken thighs, which will be much tender meat, but the calories will vary.
- Want to use beef instead of chicken, you can. Go for lean cuts of beef.
- Use low-sodium soy sauce, or you can swap it for coconut aminos.
- Garlic and ginger: For the best taste and flavor, use fresh garlic and ginger. If you need to work with what you have at home, use 2 tsp garlic powder and 1 tsp ginger.
- Honey: I love using honey, but you may use maple syrup. The taste will vary slightly.
- Nutrition facts do not include the rice.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Way too much cornstarch and sweetness. Added water and lemon juice.
I love this recipe. I’ve made it for my family and they love it too!
Thank you
Wow, it tasted better than any takeout and was super easy!! I added orange juice to the sauce with 1/4 teaspoon of dried orange peel. Thanks for a great recipe!
We loved this! I have made it twice now, the second with these changes: I omitted the ginger (personal taste) and used 1/2 teaspoon of garlic powder (laziness) and added a little more sweetness/zing by adding about 2 Tablespoons of Thai sweet chili sauce to the sauce ingredients. Next time will add some snow pea pods and/or red bell pepper strips. Thanks for a great recipe!
Thanks for the feedback
Lovely recipe, fresh but will definitely use low sodium soya next time.
Family really enjoyed this one. I feel like the key is cooking this chicken in two batches to get the texture perfect. Sauce was great.
Awesome. So glad everyone loved it.
Omg, this is so good! Very authentic taste and so simple! Definitely a winner!
Thank you
Came out perfect wow!
Perfect and yummy.
So good. Thank you much for sharing this Recipe
Looks yummy with lots of Indian flavors.
This was easy and delicious! Sauce was perfect. Not too strong like most soy sauce sauces are
Perfect! thanks for the feedback.
Whole family loved it. We used sweet chili sauce instead of honey ,also added broccoli too
Sounds perfect. Thanks for the feedback.
Wonderful, easy and delicious recipe. Love it ❤
Thanks.
So glad you loved it.
This was lovely although I somehow made it quite hot (spicy).
I assume as I used Ground Cayenne Pepper instead of Red Pepper flakes (an alternative according to a Google search).
Saying that plates were emptied!
Thank you.
Thanks Mark. Glad you loved it.
This is very yummy and fresh flavour from the ginger. Thank you..