Mongolian chicken – hoisin sauce, sesame oil, soy sauce and brown sugar tossed with diced chicken and bell pepper. The perfect 30 minute lunch recipe – its sweet, sticky, umami goodness goes beautifully with jasmine rice!
Hoisin was one of the first flavours I tried outside of the regular “Chinese” ones. My love for this sweet, sticky, umami flavour started with the first bite! No points for guessing that Hoisin duck rolls are my absolute favourite. Made from soybeans, hoisin is mostly used in Cantonese cooking.
Mongolian chicken is an adaptation of the Mongolian beef – crispy fried chicken pieces, hoisin, sesame and brown sugar. I added some bell pepper for texture, but the best part is, it takes no time to whip up. Check out some more 30-minute easy recipes –
Capellini with courgette and Lemon
Black pepper paneer and rice bowl
Chicken seekh kebab biryani
Some of my favourite Asian picks, and there have been too many in the recent past!
Vietnamese Rice paper Rolls
Red Thai curry from scratch
Thai curry puffs
Pineapple fried rice
Ingredients for Mongolian Chicken – serves 3 to 4
- Boneless chicken thighs – 300g
- Yellow bell pepper – 3/4 cup
- Red bell pepper – 3/4 cup
- Ginger – 1 tsp, finely chopped
- Garlic – 1 tsp, finely chopped
- Sesame oil – 2 tbsp
- Hoisin sauce – 4 tbsp
- Soy sauce – 2 tbsp
- Brown sugar – 2 tbsp
- Cornflour – 1 tbsp
- Oil – 4 tbsp
- Sesame seeds – 1 tbsp
For marinating the chicken
- Cornflour – 2 tbsp
- Chilli oil or chilli jam – 1 tsp
- Salt – 1 tsp
Method
- Start by cutting the chicken thighs into small cubes – approximately 3/4 inch pieces.
- Rub the chicken with some chilli jam and toss in cornflour and salt. Let it marinate for 15 minutes.
- Meanwhile, heat sesame oil in a pan. Add ginger and garlic and cook for 30 seconds.
- Mix hoisin sauce, soy sauce and brown sugar in a bowl together and add to the pan. Mix well. Add to the pan and mix.
- Dissolve cornflour in 2 cups water and add to the pan. Mix well and bring to a boil.
- Toss in the chopped bell pepper, mix and cook on medium heat for 5 minutes.
- Heat oil in another pan and add the chicken cubes. Cook on medium-high heat for 7-8 minutes. Keep tossing to cook evenly from all sides. Pat dry on a kitchen towel.
- Add the crispy cooked chicken to the sauce, mix well and cook for a minute.
- Top with sesame seeds and serve hot with jasmine or steamed rice.
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