While Mongolian Beef has always been one of my favorite things to order at Chinese restaurants thanks to its delicious sweet and salty flavor combination. I recently decided to experiment with making a chicken version at home. This healthier version of Mongolian chicken is absolutely delicious! The chicken is coated in an arrowroot and spice mixture and then pan seared until golden brown and crispy. The crispy chicken pieces are then coated in a delicious savory sauce and served with scallions. This is an easy to make recipe that comes together in under 30-minutes and is perfect for weeknight dinner.
Absolutely delicious! Loved the sauce! Will definitely make it again
Table of Contents
Why You Will Love This Mongolian Chicken
- The sweet and salty sauce coats the crispy chicken creating an incredibly flavorful and delicious dish that tastes just like the popular chinese takeout dish!
- This easy mongolian chicken recipe requires basic ingredients you may already have in your kitchen and takes less than 30 minutes to prepare making it the perfect option for an easy weeknight dinner.
- Most Mongolian Chicken recipes that you will find online use store bought sauces such as oyster sauce or hoisin sauce which are packed full of sugar, or require deep frying. This is a healthier spin on mongolian chicken that has all of the flavor but less sugar.
- This Mongolian Chicken recipe is Paleo, Gluten Free, Grain Free and Dairy Free.
What Is Mongolian Chicken
Mongolian chicken is a popular Chinese-American dish that includes thinly sliced chicken stir-fried in a savory and slightly sweet sauce. Interestingly the dish originated from Taiwan and actually has no direct ties to Mongolian cuisine. It is a popular dish that can be found on the menu of many Chinese-American restaurants.
Ingredients You Need To Make This Mongolian Chicken
- Chicken: boneless skinless chicken thighs are sliced into thin strips. I recommend removing any large pieces of fat from the chicken thighs before coating them in the arrowroot mixture.
- White Pepper: I love the flavor of white pepper in asian inspired dishes. It has a much milder taste compared with black pepper with no hint of spice. White pepper can be purchased off Amazon or at any asian grocery store.
- Arrowroot Powder: it is a gluten free alternative to corn starch which coats the chicken and helps to create a crispy coating. Cornstarch or potato starch work as a substitute
- Oil: I like using avocado oil but any mild flavored oil with a high smoke point can be used such as vegetable oil.
- Ginger and Garlic: I like using fresh ginger and garlic for the best flavor, but jarred can be used to save time.
- Shallots: these can be substituted for a thinly sliced yellow onion.
- Soy Sauce: substitute with coconut aminos or tamari
- Chicken Broth: Chicken stock or vegetable stock can be used to thin out the sauce
- Honey: Honey adds sweetness to the sauce contrasting the saltiness and creating a perfect balance of flavors.
- Fish Sauce: fish sauce adds a wonderful saltiness to the sauce that both mongolian beef and chicken are known for.
- Scallions: strips of chopped green onions add a nice oniony flavor to the dish and a vibrant pop of color.
You can find a full list of ingredients in the recipe card below.
How To Make Mongolian Chicken
- Toss thinly sliced chicken with arrowroot powder, salt, white pepper and garlic powder.
- Pan-sear the chicken in batches in a large skillet until golden and crispy; set aside.
- Wipe the pan, sauté garlic, ginger and shallots.
- Add soy sauce, broth, honey and fish sauced and simmer until thickened
- Return chicken to the pan with scallions and stir to coat.
Kitchen Tools You Need:
- Large Bowl
- Measuring Spoons
- Measuring Cups
- Cutting Board
- Sharp Knife
- Skillet/Frying Pan
- Tongs
Tips for the Best Mongolian Chicken
- Serve immediately for the best texture; the coating softens as it sits in the sauce.
- Slice the chicken evenly so every piece cooks at the same rate and crisps properly.
- Cook the chicken in batches to avoid overcrowding which will to steaming (think mushy chicken) instead of crisping.
- Adjust the sauce thickness by adding a splash of broth if it’s too thick or simmering longer if too thin.
How To Modify
- Swap thighs for chicken breasts (cut into cubes to prevent drying).
- Add heat with sliced chilies or red pepper flakes.
- Add veggies such as red bell peppers, broccoli or bok choy.
What To Serve With This Mongolian Chicken
I love serving this Mongolian Chicken with a side of rice to absorb any of the excess salty and sweet sauce and to make it a more filling meal. As a Paleo or low carb option I like serving it with sauteed cauliflower rice, but brown rice or jasmine rice are also great options. To add more vegetables to the meal I like to serve this mongolian chicken with a side of simple stir-fried vegetables (such as carrots, zucchini, broccoli or asparagus).
Common Questions
Leftover Mongolian Chicken will last for up to 4 days stored in the fridge in an airtight container. Unfortunately the chicken loses its crispy texture but overtime in the fridge the coating absorbs some of the sauce so every bite of chicken seems to become even more flavorful. I recommend reheating any leftover chicken in the microwave or in a large sauté pan on medium heat until warmed through.
Not at all! There is actually zero spice in this chicken dish making it very kid friendly. That being said you can easily make this dish spicy by adding thinly sliced chili peppers in with the shallots, or sprinkling the dish with red pepper flakes before serving.
Here are a few more Chinese-American inspired recipes that you might enjoy:
- Sweet & Sour Pork
- Crispy Sesame Chicken
- Teriyaki Chicken Bowls
- Spicy Orange Chicken
- Pork Fried Rice
- Thai Basil Beef
- Salt & Pepper Chicken
- Black Pepper Chicken
If you make this recipe let me know in the comment section below, I would love to hear what you think or take a photo and tag me (@everylastbite_) on Instagram, I love seeing your photos!
Mongolian Chicken
Ingredients
- 1 pound boneless skinless chicken thighs cut into 1 inch wide strips
- ½ tsp salt
- ½ tsp white pepper
- ½ tsp garlic powder
- ½ cup arrowroot powder or corn starch
- 2 tbsp avocado oil or other neutral oil
- 1 tbsp sesame oil
- 2 tbsp finely chopped ginger
- 3 cloves garlic chopped
- 1 large shallot halved and then finely sliced lengthwise
- 1/4 cup soy sauce coconut aminos or tamari
- ¼ cup chicken stock
- 1 tbsp honey
- 1 tsp fish sauce
- 1 bunch scallions cut into 1 inch pieces
- 1 tbsp white sesame seeds
Instructions
- Cut the chicken into 1 inch wide strips. Place the chicken in a bowl and toss with the salt, white pepper, garlic powder and arrowroot powder. Toss to ensure that all of the pieces of chicken are well coated in the arrowroot
- Heat the avocado oil in a large skillet or wok on medium high heat. Add in half of the chicken strips ensuring that they are separated and don’t overlap. Cook for 3-4 minutes until golden brown and crispy, flip and cook for another 2 minutes and then set aside in a bowl and repeat with the remaining chicken.
- Once all of the chicken is cooked, use a paper towel to wipe any of the excess oil from the pan. Add in the sesame oil and once hot add the ginger, garlic and shallots and saute for 1 minute before adding in the coconut aminos, chicken stock, honey and fish sauce. Bring to a gentle simmer and leave to cook for 4-5 minutes until the sauce has begun to reduce and thicken.
- Add in the chopped scallions and return the chicken to the pan. Toss to ensure everything is well coated and garnish with sesame seeds before serving.
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Tried This Recipe?
Leave a comment below and let us know how it was!
This post was originally published on May 28, 2024.
The new dish is fantastic. The colors are so eye-catching.
Absolutely delicious! Loved the sauce! Will definitely make it again