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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.

close up top view of mongolian chicken serve over a bowl of rice
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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 Mongolian chicken 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.

Why you will love this easy asian chicken recipe

  • Better than takeout: Enjoy healthier takeout at home. Same great taste and even better. No hidden ingredients and the chicken are not deep-fried.
  • Quick and Easy: 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.
side shot asian chicken with rice in a white bowl

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.

boneless skinless chicken breast (thinly sliced into 1-2 inch strips)
cornstarch or gluten-free flour
vegetable oil
green onions
sesame seed
Sauce
low-sodium soy sauce
honey
water or chicken stock
garlic cloves
fresh ginger
red pepper flakes
rice vinegar
vegetable oil
cooked rice of choice

ingredients to make mongolian chicken

How to make mongolian chicken from scratch

  • 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.
cooked chicken strips in apan
  • 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!
chicken and sauce cooked in pan with green onion garnish

Recipe notes and tips

  • Chicken: We 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.
  • Add more veggies: We 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: we love using honey but you may use maple syrup. The taste will vary slightly.
  • Nutrition facts do not include the rice.
close up mongolian chicken stir fry

Frequently asked questions

What is Mongolian Sauce made of?

Mongolian sauce is made of brown sugar, minced ginger, minced garlic, soy sauce, salt, and pepper. In our Mongolian chicken recipe, we used honey in place of brown sugar. Some would add chili to give it a spicy kick.

What is Mongolian chicken?

Mongolian Chicken is similar to the popular Mongolian Beef served at restaurants which are made with beef strips and green onions, cooked in a brown sugar sauce. Made with chicken instead and served over some white rice.

How to store Mongolian Chicken?

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.

What does Mongolian Chicken taste like?

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.

top view asian chicken over a bed of rice in a bowl

Other asian chicken recipes to try

chinese chicken in a bed of rice in a white bowl

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5 from 36 votes

Healthy Mongolian Chicken Recipe

By: Rena
Servings: 4
Prep: 10 minutes
Cook: 20 minutes
Total: 30 minutes
close up top view of mongolian chicken serve over a bowl of rice
Tender and juicy chicken pieces cooked in a sweet and savory sauce then served over cooked rice. Ready in just 30 minutes.

Ingredients

  • 1.5 lb boneless skinless chicken breast, thinly sliced into 1-2 inch strips
  • 1/4 cup cornstarch , or gluten-free flour
  • 2 tbsp vegetable oil
  • 4 green onions, thinly sliced on the diagonal
  • 1 tsp sesame seeds

Sauce:

  • 1/2 cup low-sodium soy sauce
  • 1/4 cup honey
  • 1/2 cup water, or chicken stock
  • 2-3 garlic cloves, pressed
  • 1 tbsp freshly grated ginger
  • 1/4 tsp red pepper flakes, or to taste
  • 1 tbsp rice vinegar
  • 2 tsp vegetable oil
  • Optional: cooked rice to serve with

Instructions

  • 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.
  • 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 1-2 more minutes until garlic is cooked through.
  • Meanwhile, 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.
  • Stir in the green onions and sprinkle with sesame seeds
  • Serve immediately over rice and enjoy!

Video

Notes

  • Chicken: We 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: we love using honey but you may use maple syrup. The taste will vary slightly.
  • Nutrition facts do not include the rice.

Nutrition

Calories: 395kcalCarbohydrates: 29gProtein: 38gFat: 14gSaturated Fat: 8gTrans Fat: 1gCholesterol: 109mgSodium: 1267mgPotassium: 749mgFiber: 1gSugar: 18gVitamin A: 208IUVitamin C: 5mgCalcium: 33mgIron: 2mg

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

Additional Info

Course: Main Course
Cuisine: Asian
Tried this recipe?Mention @healthyfitnessmeals or tag #healthyfitnessmeals!

About Rena Awada

Hi, I’m Rena! Welcome to my blog. I am here to help you prepare delicious, light, fresh meals that your whole family will love!

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5 from 36 votes (22 ratings without comment)

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Recipe Rating




24 Comments

  1. 5 stars
    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!

  2. 5 stars
    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!

  3. 5 stars
    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.

  4. 5 stars
    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.