Sweet Savory Mongolian Chicken (Printable)

Crispy chicken in a sweet and savory garlic-ginger soy sauce, ready in under an hour.

# What You Need:

→ Chicken

01 - 2 lbs boneless, skinless chicken thighs, cut into bite-sized pieces
02 - 2 tablespoons cornstarch
03 - 1/2 teaspoon salt
04 - 1/4 teaspoon black pepper
05 - 2 tablespoons vegetable oil

→ Sauce

06 - 1/2 cup low-sodium soy sauce
07 - 1/2 cup brown sugar, packed
08 - 1/4 cup water
09 - 1 tablespoon hoisin sauce
10 - 1 tablespoon rice vinegar
11 - 2 teaspoons sesame oil
12 - 2 tablespoons fresh ginger, grated
13 - 4 garlic cloves, minced
14 - 1 teaspoon red chili flakes

→ For Serving & Garnish

15 - 4 green onions, thinly sliced
16 - 2 tablespoons toasted sesame seeds
17 - Steamed white rice, to serve

# How-To Steps:

01 - In a large bowl, toss the chicken pieces with cornstarch, salt, and black pepper until evenly coated.
02 - Heat vegetable oil in a large skillet or wok over medium-high heat. Add the chicken in batches and cook until golden brown and crisp on all sides, about 6–8 minutes. Remove and set aside on a plate.
03 - In a medium bowl, whisk together soy sauce, brown sugar, water, hoisin sauce, rice vinegar, and sesame oil. Set aside.
04 - In the same skillet, add ginger and garlic. Sauté for 1 minute until fragrant.
05 - Pour in the prepared sauce and bring to a simmer over medium heat. Cook for 2–3 minutes, stirring frequently, until slightly thickened.
06 - Add the cooked chicken back into the skillet. Toss to coat evenly in the sauce. If desired, sprinkle in red chili flakes for heat.
07 - Simmer for an additional 2–3 minutes until the sauce clings to the chicken and the chicken is heated through.
08 - Serve hot over steamed rice. Garnish with sliced green onions and toasted sesame seeds.

# Expert Tips:

01 -
  • The sauce hits that perfect sweet and savory balance that makes you want to lick your plate clean
  • It comes together in under an hour but tastes like takeout from your favorite spot
  • The crispy chicken stays perfectly textured even after being tossed in that gorgeous glaze
02 -
  • Do not skip the cornstarch coating because it is the difference between ordinary stir fry and restaurant quality texture
  • Let the sauce simmer until it thickens properly because runny sauce will not cling to the chicken
  • Cook the chicken in batches even if it takes longer because overcrowding leads to soggy steamed meat
03 -
  • Double fry the chicken for extra crunch by letting it cool after the first fry then frying again briefly before tossing in sauce
  • Grate your ginger on a microplane so it practically dissolves into the sauce instead of leaving stringy bits

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