My Instant Pot Mongolian chicken is an incredibly quick and easy version of the Chinese food takeout classic! All of your favorite flavors are combined with tender pieces of boneless skinless chicken to make a delicious 20-minute dinner that the whole family will love! This affordable chicken dinner will definitely become one of your go-to weeknight meals!
Instant Pot Mongolian Chicken Recipe
My family loves this super easy Instant Pot version of Mongolian chicken, and I love that it's a great lighter-calorie meal to serve up for dinner! It can be made in no time at all with a pressure cooker, and it's a flavorful, hearty meal that all will enjoy!
I'm a big fan of many classic Chinese restaurant meals and am absolutely thrilled when I can make equally wonderful meals at home. As with any homemade meal, I also love that I know exactly what is going into my dishes, too!
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If you love Mongolian beef, try out my easy slow-cooker Mongolian beef recipe too!
🥘 Mongolian Chicken Ingredients, Notes, & Substitutions
Mongolian Chicken
- Chicken Thighs - 1½ pounds of chicken thighs (or breast meat - boneless, skinless).
- Chili Oil - 1 teaspoon of chili oil (or crushed red pepper flakes).
- Sesame Seed Oil - 2 teaspoons of sesame seed oil, or use a sesame seed oil substitute.
- Green Onion - 6 stalks of green onion (sliced into 1" pieces, cut on the diagonal).
- Garlic - 1 tablespoon of minced garlic.
- Ginger - 1 tablespoon of minced ginger.
- Chicken Broth - ¾ cup of chicken broth (2 portions - ½ cup and ¼ cup).
Mongolian Chicken Sauce
- Soy Sauce - ½ cup of soy sauce.
- Brown Sugar - ½ cup of light brown sugar (packed).
- Hoisin Sauce - 2 tablespoons of hoisin sauce.
- Cornstarch - 1½ tablespoons of cornstarch. (combined with an equal portion of water).
*Be sure to see the free printable recipe card below for ingredients, exact amounts & instructions with tips!*
🔪 How To Make Mongolian Chicken
This amazing Asian-inspired dish is super easy to make at home with your favorite pressure cooker! All you need is your Instant Pot, some measuring utensils, and a small bowl.
This recipe will make enough Mongolian chicken for 6 servings.
Make Mongolian Chicken
Step 1: Prepare. Start with placing 1½ pounds (680 grams) of whole, boneless, skinless chicken thighs (or boneless skinless chicken breasts) in the inner pot of your Instant Pot or pressure cooker.
Step 2: Add. Add 1 teaspoon (5 grams) of chili oil or red pepper flakes, 2 teaspoons (10 milliliters) of sesame seed oil, 6 sliced green onions, 1 tablespoon (15 grams) of minced garlic, and 1 tablespoon (15 grams) of minced ginger. Stir the ingredients to coat the chicken, then add the first ½ cup (118 milliliters) portion of chicken broth or stock.
Step 3: Cook. Lock your pressure cooker lid, close the steam vent, and set the cooking time to 6 minutes using the manual setting. If using chicken breast meat, set your cooking time to 10 minutes.
Step 4: Make the sauce. While the chicken is cooking, combine your sauce ingredients. In a small bowl, add the remaining ¼ cup (59 milliliters) portion of chicken broth, ½ cup (116 milliliters) of soy sauce, ½ cup (110 grams) of brown sugar, 2 tablespoons (29.5 grams) of hoisin sauce, and a slurry of 1½ tablespoons (22 grams) of cornstarch (with an equal part of water).
Step 5: Naturally release pressure. After your six-minute cook time, allow the pressure cooker to release steam naturally (natural pressure release or NPR) for 5 minutes. Carefully finish releasing the steam manually by opening the steam vent.
Combine & Thicken
Step 6: Saute. Remove the cooked chicken meat and shred, then return to the inner pot of your Instant Pot. Add the sauce and cook for 3 - 4 minutes using the sauté function.
Step 7: Thicken the sauce. Stir your Mongolian chicken occasionally while cooking until your sauce thickens. If needed, make an additional 1 tablespoon slurry of cornstarch and equal part water or chicken broth, then add to thicken the sauce more.
🍽️ What To Serve With Mongolian Chicken
Serve with rice and stir-fried or hibachi vegetables, garnished with sesame seeds and more sliced green onion, if desired. You can also try it with some hibachi noodles, pan-fried asparagus, or a broccolini salad. Enjoy!
💭 Angela's Pro Tips & Recipe Notes
- Feel free to mix your favorite vegetables into this dish as well. Carrots and bell peppers would taste amazing!
- If you want your sauce to be on the sweeter side, you can add a touch more brown sugar.
- Your sauce will continue to thicken as it cools down.
🥡 Storing & Reheating
If you have any leftover Mongolian chicken, let it cool completely to room temperature. Then, you can store it in a sealed container in the refrigerator for 3-4 days.
Freezing Mongolian Chicken
You can also freeze leftovers! Once cooled, place your chicken into a food storage bag and squeeze out any extra air.
It can be frozen for up to 3 months.
When ready, let the meat defrost in the refrigerator overnight.
Reheating Mongolian Chicken
Reheat your Mongolian chicken in a skillet over medium-low heat until hot. You could also try small increments in the microwave.
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❓ Recipe FAQs
When you see instructions for a natural pressure release (NPR), it means you need to let the instant pot release the pressure on its own, rather than opening the steam vent. Once the timer runs out, all you need to do is leave the Instant Pot alone for the necessary amount of time (5 minutes for this recipe). Afterward, you can open the vent to release the remaining pressure.
If you want to increase the heat, add some extra red pepper flakes. You can add it to the entire dish or sprinkle some into your individual bowls when serving.
Absolutely! All you need to do is throw everything into your crockpot except for the cornstarch slurry. Cook on low for 6 hours or high for 3 hours. Then, stir in the cornstarch slurry and let it cook for an additional 20 minutes.
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📖 Recipe Card
Instant Pot Mongolian Chicken
Ingredients
Mongolian Chicken
- 1 ½ lbs chicken thighs (or breast meat - boneless, skinless)
- 1 teaspoon chili oil (or use crushed red pepper flakes)
- 2 teaspoon sesame seed oil
- 6 stalks green onion (sliced into 1" pieces, cut on the diagonal)
- 1 tablespoon garlic (minced)
- 1 tablespoon ginger (minced)
- ¾ cup chicken broth (2 portions - ½ cup and ¼ cup)
Mongolian Chicken Sauce
- ½ cup soy sauce
- ½ cup light brown sugar (packed)
- 2 tablespoon hoisin sauce
- 1 ½ tablespoon cornstarch (combined with equal portion of water)
(Note: 2x or 3x only changes the ingredient list)
Instructions
- Place boneless, skinless chicken thighs or breasts into the inner pot of your Instant pot or pressure cooker. Add the chili oil (or red pepper flakes), sesame seed oil, green onion, garlic, and ginger. Stir to coat the chicken, then add ½ cup chicken broth.
- Lock the lid and set the Instant Pot to cook for 6 minutes on high pressure (using the manual setting - for chicken breasts, set the timer to 10 minutes). Allow the pressure cooker to vent pressure (natural pressure release or NPR) for 5 minutes, then carefully release the rest of the pressure by opening the steam vent.
- While the chicken is cooking in the Instant Pot, combine sauce ingredients: the remaining ¼ cup chicken broth, soy sauce, brown sugar, hoisin sauce, and the slurry of cornstarch (with water).
- Shred the cooked chicken, then add the sauce and cook for 3-4 minutes on the saute setting, stirring occasionally. If needed, add another 1 tablespoon slurry of cornstarch and water or broth to the sauce. Heat until thickened, then serve immediately.
Natasha says
YUMMY!
Made my house smell amazing.