Slow Cooker Mongolian Chicken is a set it and forget it five ingredient recipe that is sweet, spicy, and full of garlic and ginger flavors!
On top of the chicken of course, but also over rice the next day. I actually sometimes will use leftover rice and use this thickened sauce as s mix in for a quick fried rice.
Mongolian Beef is actually one of the most popular recipes on the site, so a chicken version is long overdue! I actually also have a ground mongolian beef recipe coming up, with such an easy set of ingredients all things Mongolian beef are a huge hit in out house.
Some tips/tricks about this Slow Cooker Mongolian Chicken:
- I used spices instead of fresh ginger and garlic to mix things up and make this a true pantry recipe. I also found it had better texture in recipe testing as minced ginger tends to get chewy in an unpleasant way in the slow cooker.
- Dark brown sugar adds an extra depth of flavor because of added molasses. If you only have light brown sugar it will work too, but flavors won’t be as deep.
- I always use lite soy sauce to keep the sodium/salty flavor in check. Careful if using regular soy sauce.
- I keep the green onions out of this dish because they got a bit slimy in the slow cooker during testing. If you add them fresh in the last five minutes, I’m sure it would be delicious!
Can I make this Mongolian Chicken in the oven?
Yes, absolutely. Keep the chicken in a smaller baking pan, perhaps an 8×8 or 9×13 pan (if using a few more pieces of chicken) and keep things cozy to keep the liquids around the chicken. Cook at 400 degrees for 25-30 minutes.
Can I make this Mongolian Chicken in a skillet?
YES! You may want to use sliced/diced chicken thigh meat and add a bit of canola oil to the pan first. Then brown the chicken on medium high heat for 4-6 minutes on each side and add in the remaining ingredients until caramelized and cooked through.
Want more Slow Cooker Chicken Recipes?
- Slow Cooker Brown Sugar Garlic Chicken
- Slow Cooker Thai Peanut Chicken
- Slow Cooker Teriyaki Chicken
- Slow Cooker Jerk Chicken
- Slow Cooker Indian Butter Chicken
Want more Asian Recipes?
- Honey Orange Firecracker Shrimp
- PF Chang’s Orange Peel Chicken
- California Pizza Kitchen’s Kung Pao Chicken Spaghetti
- General Tso’s Chicken
- Panda Express Recipes… every single one in fact: Panda Express Recipes Index
- Many more Chinese food options…
Tools Used in this Slow Cooker Mongolian Chicken recipe:
Slow Cooker: Love this slow cooker and how programmable it is, it has been a workhorse for me… until…
My New Slow Cooker: This recipe was made in this slow cooker. For larger roasts I also brown the meat in the insert and not lose a bunch of the flavor by transferring the meat and leaving the browned bits behind. If you’re thinking of a new slow cooker, consider it if your budget is open.
Soy Sauce: Nothing much to say here except Kikkoman has the best flavor overall and I always recommend reduced sodium.
Slow Cooker Mongolian Chicken
Ingredients
- 5 chicken thighs , bone in and skin on
- 1/4 cup lite soy sauce , low sodium
- 1/2 cup dark brown sugar
- 1/2 teaspoon ground ginger , or 2 teaspoons ginger, minced
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder , or 2 tablespoons garlic, minced
- sesame seeds and sliced green onions , for garnish (optional)
Instructions
- Mix all the ingredients and set the chicken into the slow cooker skin side up.
Cook on low for 8 hours or on high for 4 hours.
- Garnish with sesame seeds or green onions (optional).
Hi, I’m trying this recipe for the first time! As I’m using chicken breast do I need to add any liquid eg stock to stop it drying out?
Helen
No need to add anything additional but I could suggest cutting back on the cook time.
Making this for the first time, using boneless skinless thighs #10. Should I adjust the other ingredients? And how long should I cook in slow cooker on low? Thank you
If you’re using 10 lbs of chicken, I’d suggest splitting it into multiple slow cookers or making this in the oven.
Can I use a combination of breast and thighs and of so how long???
Sure, you might need to cut back the cook time by around 30 minutes. You don’t want the breasts to dry out.
I only have light brown sugar. Would it make much difference?
It will still be ok but the flavor might not be as rich. Enjoy!
This was wonderful! I did make only 1 adjustment. I added 1/4 tsp of red pepper flakes. We like it spicy, what can I say lol. Thank you so much. Will make this again. Served with a side of veggie fried rice and egg rolls.
I like your style!
If you’re using fresh garlic, should it be 2 tablespoons or teaspoons? I am a big garlic user, but 2 tablespoons is a lot, even for me. So far I’ve chopped 3 large cloves and am only up to 1 tablespoon.
Also, I think if using boneless, skinless thighs you can keep about the same amount of time if you cook on low (4-5 hours). That’s what I intend to try based on other recipes I’ve made. Or 2-3 hours on high.
Feel free to add in the amount you like. Ground garlic powder is more potent than fresh so that would be the correct adjustment though.
Can i use honey instead of brown sugar?
Sure 🙂
I made this in the pressure cooker, 38 minutes. It was out of this world delicious. Thank you.
You’re welcome!
If I am making this recipe for 1 and only putting in 2 boneless, skinless chicken thighs how would you adjust the cook time?
You have to make sure that you’re using a smaller slow cooker so that you’re filling the space otherwise it has a tendency to burn. I would suggest 3-4 hours on low if you’re planning on halving it.
Can I use chicken breasts?
Sure
thank you. so easy to put together. 5 minutes prep time and then straight in to my pressure cooker for 38 minutes cooking 2kg of chicken thighs to perfection. Gravy was delicious and simple. I had mine with mash and children will eat theirs with white rice. thanks for the post
Thank you for this speedy method. I am trying this tonight Muriel. ~Valerie
Tastiness + Simplicity … this recipe combines the best of both of these characteristics. I’ve tried a fair number of your recipes and this is definitely one of our favorites. Thank you, so tasty and so simple and easy to make. We’ll be using this recipe, exactly as listed, frequently now that we’ve discovered it.
Going to do this in the oven tonight.Will I have to thicken sauce when done?
You can always add cornstarch or flour and whisk on the stovetop to thicken. Enjoy!