Mongolian Chicken Soy Garlic (Printable View)

Tender chicken in savory-sweet soy garlic sauce, ready in 35 minutes

# 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

# Cooking Steps:

01 - Toss chicken pieces with 2 tablespoons cornstarch, salt, and pepper in a medium bowl until evenly 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 and cooked through. Remove and set aside.
05 - Add dried chilies to the pan if using and stir-fry for 30 seconds. Return chicken to the pan.
06 - Pour sauce into the pan and bring to a simmer. Stir in cornstarch slurry and cook 2–3 minutes until sauce thickens and coats the chicken.
07 - Add scallions and stir-fry for 1 minute. Serve immediately over steamed rice, garnished with sesame seeds if desired.

# Expert Tips:

01 -
  • The sauce hits that magical balance between salty and sweet that makes you want to lick the plate
  • It comes together faster than delivery can arrive, especially after youve made it a few times
  • The velveting technique with cornstarch creates that restaurant-style texture people think requires professional skills
02 -
  • Crowding the pan steams the chicken instead of searing it, so work in batches if your pan is smaller than 12 inches
  • Let the sauce come to a full simmer before adding the slurry, or the cornstarch will not activate properly
  • The sauce continues to thicken as it stands off the heat, so remove it from the pan when it looks slightly thinner than you want
03 -
  • Cut your chicken into uniform pieces so everything cooks at the same rate
  • Have all ingredients measured and prepped before you turn on the heat because stir-frying happens fast
  • Pre-cook your rice ahead of time and keep it warm, or use frozen precooked rice for the quickest weeknight version

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