Mongolian Chicken Garlic Soy (Printable Version)
Golden chicken glazed in brown sugar soy sauce with garlic, ginger, and scallions over steamed rice.
# What You'll Need:
→ Chicken
01 - 1½ lbs boneless, skinless chicken thighs or breasts, cut into 1-inch pieces
02 - 2 tablespoons cornstarch
03 - ½ teaspoon salt
04 - ¼ teaspoon black pepper
→ Sauce
05 - ½ cup low-sodium soy sauce
06 - ½ cup brown sugar, packed
07 - ¼ cup water
08 - 3 cloves garlic, minced
09 - 1 tablespoon fresh ginger, grated
10 - 1 tablespoon rice vinegar
11 - 1 teaspoon sesame oil
12 - 1 teaspoon cornstarch
13 - 2 teaspoons water
→ Stir-Fry
14 - 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
15 - 5 scallions, cut into 1-inch pieces
16 - 1–2 dried red chilies
→ For Serving
17 - Steamed white rice
18 - Toasted sesame seeds
# Directions:
01 - Toss chicken pieces with cornstarch, salt, and pepper in a medium bowl until thoroughly coated.
02 - Whisk together soy sauce, brown sugar, water, garlic, ginger, rice vinegar, and sesame oil in a small bowl. Set aside.
03 - Combine 1 teaspoon cornstarch with 2 teaspoons water in a separate small bowl, stirring until smooth.
04 - Heat vegetable oil in a large skillet or wok over medium-high heat. Add chicken in a single layer and cook 4–5 minutes per side until golden brown and cooked through. Remove chicken and set aside.
05 - Add dried chilies to the hot pan and stir-fry for 30 seconds to release their aroma. Return chicken to the pan.
06 - Pour sauce mixture into the pan and bring to a simmer. Stir in cornstarch slurry and cook 2–3 minutes until sauce thickens and coats the chicken pieces.
07 - Add scallions to the pan and stir-fry for 1 minute until slightly wilted.
08 - Plate the chicken and sauce over steamed white rice. Garnish with toasted sesame seeds if desired.
# Expert Hints:
01 -
- The sauce hits that perfect balance between salty and sweet that makes you want to lick the plate
- Everything comes together in one pan so cleanup is almost as easy as ordering out
02 -
- Crowding the pan steams the chicken instead of searing it, so work in batches if necessary
- The sauce thickens quickly once it bubbles, so have your slurry ready before you start cooking
03 -
- Room temperature chicken cooks more evenly, so take it out of the fridge 20 minutes before starting
- Use low-sodium soy sauce to keep the salt-sugar balance in check