Gluten Free Mongolian Chicken
This gluten-free Mongolian Chicken is an allergen-friendly take on a takeout classic. With thinly-sliced chicken and sticky sauce, you’ll keep coming back for more.
Featured Reader Review:
“I made this tonight for dinner and it was delish! Yummy, flavorful, and quick to prepare. Thanks for the great recipe!” – Katie
Why you’ll love this gluten-free Mongolian chicken
When it comes to the recipes I make over and over again for my family, Asian inspired dishes top the list. Gluten-Free Chinese Lemon Chicken, Gluten-Free Orange Beef, and Orange Ground Chicken Bowls are all a hit in my house. This Mongolian chicken is equally popular!
Mongolian chicken is a thin-sliced, crispy chicken dish that’s tossed with a sticky soy-based sauce, and traditionally, it’s not gluten-free. However, this version takes everything you love about the take-out classic and makes it gluten and soy-free
- Quick and easy! From start to finish, this recipe takes 30 minutes. Just pair it with a side like veggies and rice, and you have a nourishing meal.
- Take out vibes at home. The sweet and sticky sauce will really make you feel like you’re eating a restaurant dish, but homemade.
- Gluten and soy-free. Traditional Mongolian is made with soy sauce and a flour coating, neither of which is gluten-free. There’s no need to modify this recipe to make it gluten-free; it’s already done for you! Goodbye to the cross-contamination concerns of eating out!
Recipe Ingredients
- Chicken breast. Technically, you can also use chicken thighs, but I prefer to use boneless and skinless chicken breast.
- Coconut aminos. This is a soy and gluten-free soy sauce alternative.
- Rice vinegar. You can also use apple cider vinegar.
- Garlic and ginger. I highly recommend using fresh garlic and ginger.
- Arrowroot starch. This forms a coating on the chicken to make it crisp and thickens the sauce. The closest swap would be tapioca starch or corn starch.
How to make Gluten-Free Mongolian Chicken
Here are the simple steps, with photos, to make this recipe. Find full instructions in the recipe card.
Step one. Whisk the sauce ingredients together and set aside.
Step two. Toss the chicken with salt, pepper and arrowroot starch.
Step three. Cook the chicken in a pan until crisp and cooked through.
Step four. Simmer the sauce and add the green onions.
Step five. Add the chicken and coat it in the sauce!
Michelle’s Tips & Tricks
- Don’t overcrowd the pan. Adding too much chicken to the pan at once can cause it to steam and the coating to be gummy instead of crispy. If you’re working with a smaller pan, cook the chicken in batches.
- Slice the chicken into uniform pieces. Cutting pieces of different sizes risks over or undercooking, so make sure they’re all about the same size.
- Slice the chicken into thin stir-fry slices rather than cubes. That gives the authentic, restaurant-style feel!
What to serve with Mongolian chicken
- Steamed rice
- Stir-fry vegetables
- Gluten-free hibachi noodles
- Green salad with Japanese Restaurant Style Ginger Dressing
Storage & reheating instructions
- Store in a glass container 2-3 days in the fridge
- Reheat in a pan on low heat, adding a splash of chicken broth to loosen the sauce if needed!
If you tried this Mongolian Chicken or any other recipe on my blog please leave a star rating and let me know how it went in the comments below. Thanks for visiting!
More Asian-Inspired Gluten-Free Recipes To Try
Gluten-Free Mongolian Chicken
Want to save this for later?
Just drop your name and email below. Then we’ll email right to your inbox. ✉️
Ingredients
For the sauce
- ⅓ cup coconut aminos
- ¼ cup chicken broth
- 2 tsp rice vinegar
- 2 tsp coconut sugar
- 2 cloves garlic, grated
- 1 small thumb ginger, peeled and grated
- 1 ½ tsp arrowroot starch
For the chicken
- 1 lb chicken breast
- Salt and pepper
- 2 tbsp arrowroot starch
- 2 tbsp avocado oil
- 4-5 green onions sliced into 1″ slices
Instructions
- Combine the ingredients for the sauce in a bowl or measuring cup. Whisk well and aside.
- Slice the chicken breast into thin stir-fry slices. Toss with arrowroot starch, salt and pepper and coat well.
- Heat the avocado oil in a large pan over medium heat and add the chicken breast. Cook for 4-5 minutes on each side. The chicken should be crisp and cooked through to 165 F. Set aside
- Reduce the heat to medium-low and add the sauce and green onions. Simmer for 2-3 minutes to allow the sauce to thicken and the green onions to wilt.
- Add the chicken back to the pan and stir to coat well.
This one is delicious and easy to make. I hope it reheats as well!
Thanks!!
Greetings from Canada, Michelle! I just finished making this, and the smells in my home are fantastic! The only substitution I made was adding a little nut butter to the sauce to thicken it. I plan to serve it in pita bread with a side of Basmati Rice. Perfect comfort food for this cold, rainy day. I haven’t yet tried it, but consider this a 5 star review. If it’s half as good as it smells, it’s a win for me!
Everyone in the family loved it!
Thank you Janean! Im so glad it was a hit!
After a long day, I wanted something home cooked and not a lot of chopping involved. I substitute leeks for the green onion. Tasty.
Can this be doubled?!
Sure!
This one us delicious and my husband loved it. It’s a regular for us.
This is a delicious recipe – thank you for sharing! It’s part of our regular dinner rotation and is my non-AIP husband’s favorite AIP dinner. Also tastes great using boneless skinless chicken thighs.
Thank you so much!! So glad you liked it! 🙂
I made this tonight for dinner and it was delish! Yummy, flavorful, and quick to prepare. Thanks for the great recipe!
Yay! Thank you so much, Katie!
can you go ginger powder instead of fresh ginger, and if so, how much? Thanks!
You can use 1-2 tsp of ginger powder!
Can you make this with olive oil instead of avocado oil?!
Sure! 🙂
This is seriously my favorite dish! It’s a weekly meal that I make in my home now. My husband absolutely loves this dish and can’t even tell it’s AIP.
This was so delicious! My two year old and husband loved it too. I’ll have to try the beef version next. Thanks for posting easy recipes that deliver on flavor.
Thank you so much!
This is soooo good (and easy!) and is quickly becoming one of our favorite go-to meals for the adults and teen in our house!
Thank you so much, Kristi!! So glad you guys like it!! 🙂
This was gorgeous. It had a lovely fresh taste. Thank you for making AIP so tasty.
Thank you!! So glad you liked it!! 🙂
This Mongolian chicken was delicious. My husband (who does not follow paleo) also really enjoyed this recipe. The sauce is perfectly thick and I love the fresh ginger.
Thank you so much!! I’m so glad you guys liked it! 🙂