Dinner in underneath half-hour? Who might say no to that!? This Mongolian hen is made with juicy, bite-sized items of hen sauteed to golden brown after which completed in a velvety, savory-sweet sauce loaded with punches of garlic and ginger.
Like many, I’ve a particular fondness for Chinese language takeout, notably Mongolian Hen. The power to recreate this dish at dwelling in about half-hour is much more interesting. It options juicy hen items completely caramelized and tossed in a deliciously easy garlicky sauce. This sauce balances the candy and savory, making certain every chew of hen is coated with a burst of tasty Asian-inspired flavors.
What Is Mongolian Hen?
- Mongolian hen is a extremely common Chinese language-American entree. It’s usually comprised of bite-sized items of hen which are browned up in a sizzling pan after which completed in a savory, barely candy sauce that coats each chew in a velvety blanket of taste.
Why We Love This Recipe
- Fast. This Mongolian hen recipe actually solely takes minutes from begin to end. It’s the proper busy weeknight meal.
- Dynamic flavors. Between the brilliant chew of the recent garlic and ginger, the salty umami of the soy sauce, the nuttiness of the toasted sesame oil, and the slight trace of sweetness from the honey, the sauce for this scrumptious entree is simply exploding with taste.
- Customizable. It’s straightforward to experiment with this Chinese language-American basic. Add some sauteed veggies, flip up the warmth with pink pepper flakes or sauteed chilis, use a distinct protein, and so forth.
Substances For Mongolian Hen
- Boneless skinless hen breasts: You possibly can simply use sliced pork or beef right here as an alternative.
- Cornstarch: This actually helps the meat get a pleasant golden brown end. Additionally it is used within the sauce to assist thicken it, giving it a luscious, velvety consistency.
- Low-sodium soy sauce: Utilizing low-sodium soy sauce provides you extra management over the flavour profile of the completed product.
- Hen inventory: Vegetable inventory would additionally work.
- Honey: A bit of brown sugar is an effective substitution.
- Canola oil: You possibly can additionally use vegetable oil or avocado oil.
- Toasted sesame oil: I just like the wealthy and nutty taste that toasted sesame oil brings.
- Garlic: I used recent garlic, however you may use garlic powder in a pinch.
- Freshly grated ginger: You possibly can use floor ginger, however the recent stuff lends a a lot brighter taste.
- Inexperienced onions: You’ll solely want the inexperienced components. Save the white bulbs for one more recipe.
The way to Make Mongolian Hen
- Coat the hen. Toss the hen in 1/2 cup cornstarch.
- Make the sauce. Whisk collectively the soy sauce, hen inventory, and honey. Individually, whisk collectively 1 1/2 tablespoons of cornstarch and water after which whisk that into the sauce.
- Brown the hen. Warmth the canola oil over medium-high warmth and add the hen, sauteing till golden brown. Take away the hen from the wok.
- Sauté the aromatics. Add the toasted sesame oil, minced garlic, and grated ginger to the wok and sauté till aromatic.
- Add the sauce. Stir within the sauce and simmer for a few minutes.
- Put all of it collectively. Stir the hen into the sauce and cook dinner for 2-3 minutes, stirring often. Stir within the inexperienced onions.
Recipe Ideas
- Even-sizes. Remember to slice your hen into even-sized items to make sure even cook dinner time.
- Low-sodium soy sauce. I extremely advocate utilizing low-sodium soy sauce. You possibly can all the time add a bit of salt (or further soy sauce) however you possibly can’t take it away. Utilizing a low-sodium product gives you way more management over the ultimate taste of the dish.
- Use the correct pan. It’s greatest to make use of a wok for this recipe. Woks do an incredible job at evenly distributing warmth over their total floor space, making them ultimate for quick-cooking stir-fry dishes akin to this one. In the event you don’t have a wok, use a big, heavy-bottomed skillet to attain comparable outcomes.
- Prep Forward. When you begin including issues to the wok, all the things goes to maneuver comparatively rapidly. You wish to have your whole substances prepped and shut by with the intention to sustain with the tempo of this quick-cooking dish. Mince your garlic, grate your ginger, and whisk collectively the sauce earlier than you activate the warmth.
- Don’t crowd the wok. When browning the hen, watch out to not crowd the wok. In the event you do, the hen will steam as an alternative of brown, leading to a troublesome, rubbery meat.
Serving Options
Chinese language Mongolian hen is often served with a facet of steamed white rice. You possibly can strive my Immediate Pot Jasmine Rice or make my favourite, Shrimp Fried Rice or Teriyaki Noodles. I additionally love Mongolian hen topped with Sesame Snap Peas, Child Bok Choy, or my Crispy Air Fryer Roasted Broccoli. For one thing extra refreshing, make this Sesame Cucumber Salad.
The way to Retailer & Reheat Leftovers
- To retailer, let the hen cool fully earlier than sealing it in an hermetic container. You possibly can hold it within the fridge for as much as 4 days or within the freezer for as much as 3 months. Thaw it within the fridge earlier than reheating.
- To reheat, heat a little bit of oil in a saute pan over medium-high warmth. Add the leftovers and saute till heated by way of. You possibly can additionally warmth particular person parts within the microwave in 30-second intervals, stirring between every, till heat.
Fast And Straightforward Hen Recipes
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Coat the hen. In a big bowl, toss the hen with 1/2 cup cornstarch till effectively coated.
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Make the sauce. In a separate bowl, whisk collectively the soy sauce, hen inventory, and honey. In one other bowl, whisk collectively 1 1/2 tablespoons of cornstarch and water till easy, after which whisk the cornstarch slurry into the sauce. Put aside.
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Brown the hen. In a big skillet or wok, warmth the canola oil over medium-high warmth. Add the hen and cook dinner till golden brown on all sides, stirring continuously. Take away the hen from the wok and put aside.
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Sauté the aromatics. To the identical wok, add the toasted sesame oil, minced garlic, and grated ginger. Sauté for 15 seconds or till aromatic.
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Add the sauce. Stir the soy sauce combination into the wok and let it simmer for a few minutes till thickened.
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End. Return the hen to the wok and stir to coat it within the sauce. Cook dinner for a further 2 to three minutes or till the hen is cooked by way of, stirring often.
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Garnish and serve. Stir the inexperienced onions into the Mongolian hen and serve sizzling.
- Uniform Hen Items: Reduce the hen into even-sized items for constant cooking.
- Management the Salt: Go for low-sodium soy sauce. Including further salt or soy sauce later is simpler than correcting an excessively salty dish.
- Proper Cookware: A wok is your best option for this recipe because of its glorious warmth distribution, which is essential for stir-fry dishes. A big, heavy-bottomed skillet could be a good various.
- Preparation is Key: Have all substances prepared and inside attain earlier than beginning. The cooking course of is quick, so mince the garlic, grate the ginger, and blend the sauce beforehand.
- Keep away from Overcrowding: When browning the hen within the wok, guarantee it’s not overcrowded. An excessive amount of hen without delay can result in steaming reasonably than browning, leading to robust and rubbery meat.
- Storage: Switch leftovers to an hermetic container and hold them within the fridge for as much as 3 days or within the freezer for as much as 3 months.
Serving: 6 ounces | Energy: 353 kcal | Carbohydrates: 27 g | Protein: 36 g | Fats: 11 g | Saturated Fats: 2 g | Polyunsaturated Fats: 3 g | Monounsaturated Fats: 5 g | Trans Fats: 0.04 g | Ldl cholesterol: 97 mg | Sodium: 1341 mg | Potassium: 723 mg | Fiber: 1 g | Sugar: 12 g | Vitamin A: 126 IU | Vitamin C: 4 mg | Calcium: 26 mg | Iron: 1 mg
Dietary data is an estimate and offered as courtesy. Values might range in response to the substances and instruments used. Please use your most well-liked dietary calculator for extra detailed data.
