Description
A takeout favorite, this Mongolian chicken is surprisingly easy to recreate at home. Tender, juicy chicken that’s battered lightly and fried till crispy, then tossed in a rich sauce flavored with garlic and ginger. This homemade version is gluten-free and dairy-free too.
Ingredients
For the Chicken:
- 1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breast, cut into 1-inch cubes
- 1/4 cup cornstarch
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/3 teaspoon ground black pepper
For the Sauce:
- 3 tablespoons oil, for frying
- 2 garlic cloves, diced
- 1 teaspoon ginger paste
- 1 tablespoon sesame oil
- 1/3 cup gluten-free soy sauce (tamari sauce)
- 1 tablespoon light brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
- 2 tablespoons water
- Green onions, sliced
Instructions
- Coat Chicken in Cornstarch Mixture: In a bowl, mix cornstarch, salt, and pepper. Coat chicken pieces evenly in the mixture.
- Fry Chicken: Heat frying oil in a large skillet over medium heat. Fry chicken for 7–8 minutes, stirring, until golden and cooked through. Transfer to paper towels to remove excess oil.
- Prepare Sauce: In the same skillet, sauté garlic and ginger paste for 1 minute. Add sesame oil, soy sauce, and brown sugar. Bring to a gentle boil, stirring. Dissolve 1 tablespoon of cornstarch in 2 tablespoons of water to make a cornstarch slurry. Add the slurry to the pan and cook, stirring, for 1 minute until the sauce thickens.
- Return Chicken to Skillet: Add chicken and sliced green onions. Toss until evenly coated with sauce, then remove from heat.
- Garnish & Serve: Serve with rice. Garnish with extra green onions, sesame seeds, and chili flakes.
Notes
Chicken: I used boneless, skinless chicken breast, but you can also use boneless, skinless chicken thighs instead.
Cornstarch: Using cornstarch as a coating helps to crisp up the chicken once fried. If you are allergic to corn, you may use potato starch, tapioca starch or arrowroot starch instead.
Garlic: Fresh garlic adds aroma and plenty of flavor to this Mongolian chicken, so make sure to add it in.
Ginger: Ginger paste adds depth of flavor to this chicken recipe. If you don’t have chicken paste, you can use grated fresh ginger instead.
Sesame Oil: Sesame oil adds a very characteristically Asian flavor to this chicken dish, so make sure you add it in.
Soy Sauce: I used gluten-free soy sauce (tamari sauce) to keep this recipe dairy-free. If you are not Celiac or gluten-intolerant, you can use regular soy sauce instead. Alternatively, if you are allergic to soy, go ahead and substitute the soy sauce with equal amounts of coconut aminos instead.
Sugar: I used light brown sugar, but you can also use white sugar or cane sugar if you prefer.
Green Onions: I like garnishing this Mongolian chicken dish with sliced green onions for a nice pop of color. Alternatively, you may use fresh chopped chives instead.
- Prep Time: 5 mins
- Cook Time: 25 mins
- Category: Dinner
- Method: Stir Fry
- Cuisine: Asian
