Air Fryer Mongolian Chicken: Crispy, Flavorful, and Effortlessly Gluten-Free Takeout at Home
Craving the rich, savory, and slightly sweet flavors of your favorite Chinese takeout? Look no further than this incredible Air Fryer Mongolian Beef-inspired recipe, perfectly adapted for chicken. While Mongolian beef is a classic, this Air Fryer Mongolian Chicken offers a fantastic alternative for those who prefer poultry, delivering the same beloved taste and tender-crisp texture right in your own kitchen. It’s an ideal choice for busy weeknights, offering a healthier spin on a restaurant favorite without sacrificing flavor.
This recipe utilizes straightforward, everyday pantry ingredients, making it accessible for any home cook. Whether you opt for succulent chicken breast or juicy chicken thighs, the result is a mouthwatering dish that rivals your favorite takeout. The real magic happens in your Air Fryer or Ninja Foodi, which ensures perfectly cooked chicken with a delightful crisp exterior, all with minimal oil and effort. Plus, we’ve made it incredibly easy to adapt for a gluten-free diet, ensuring everyone can enjoy this delicious meal.
Why Choose Air Fryer Mongolian Chicken?
There are countless reasons to fall in love with making Mongolian Chicken in your air fryer. First and foremost, it’s a significantly healthier option compared to traditional deep-fried versions often found in restaurants. The air fryer circulates hot air, creating a crispy outer layer on the chicken with just a fraction of the oil, reducing calorie and fat content without compromising on taste or texture. This method also makes cleanup a breeze, as you avoid the mess and splatter associated with pan-frying or deep-frying.
Beyond health benefits, the air fryer excels at achieving that desired tender-on-the-inside, crispy-on-the-outside chicken that’s crucial for a truly authentic Mongolian chicken experience. The consistent, even heat distribution cooks the chicken thoroughly and quickly, making it a perfect solution for weeknight dinners when time is of the essence. You’ll be amazed at how simple it is to whip up this flavorful meal from scratch, often faster than waiting for delivery! Moreover, the ability to easily adapt this recipe to be gluten-free means it caters to a wider range of dietary needs, allowing more people to savor this beloved dish at home.
Essential Ingredients for Air Fryer Mongolian Chicken
Crafting this delicious dish requires a handful of common ingredients that are likely already in your pantry. Simplicity is key to this recipe’s success:
- Boneless Skinless Chicken Thighs: While chicken breast can be used, thighs are highly recommended for their inherent moisture and flavor, which helps prevent them from drying out in the air fryer.
- Cornstarch: This is a crucial ingredient for achieving that signature crispy coating on the chicken. It also helps to thicken the sauce, ensuring it clings beautifully to every piece of chicken.
- Vegetable Oil: A light coating of oil helps the cornstarch crisp up and brown the chicken in the air fryer. Grapeseed oil spray is particularly recommended for its high smoke point and neutral flavor.
- Ginger: Freshly minced ginger adds a warm, spicy, and aromatic depth to the Mongolian sauce, a cornerstone of its flavor profile.
- Minced Garlic: Garlic is another foundational flavor, providing a pungent and savory kick that complements the ginger perfectly.
- Regular Soy Sauce or Gluten-Free Soy Sauce: This provides the rich, umami, and salty base for the sauce. For a gluten-free version, tamari or coconut aminos are excellent substitutes that maintain the flavor.
- Water: Used to thin the sauce to the desired consistency and allow the flavors to meld during cooking.
- Brown Sugar (Packed): Essential for balancing the savory and salty notes with a delightful sweetness, creating the characteristic Mongolian flavor. Make sure it’s packed for accurate measurement.
These ingredients combine to create a balanced and irresistibly delicious Mongolian sauce and perfectly cooked chicken. For a complete meal, we typically suggest pairing this with fluffy Ninja Foodi Rice and steamed green beans or broccoli, which absorb the sauce wonderfully and add a fresh, vibrant element to the plate.
Expert Tips for Making the Best Air Fryer Mongolian Chicken
Achieving takeout-quality Mongolian chicken at home is easier than you think, especially with these insider tips for your air fryer:
Choosing Your Chicken
As mentioned, chicken thighs tend to work best for this recipe. Their higher fat content keeps them incredibly moist and flavorful, even under the direct heat of an air fryer, making them less prone to drying out than chicken breast. If you prefer chicken breast, ensure you cut it into uniform, bite-sized pieces and keep a close eye on the cooking time to prevent overcooking. Regardless of your choice, aim for boneless and skinless cuts to simplify preparation.
The Magic of Cornstarch
It’s crucial to cut the chicken into uniform chunks first, and then thoroughly coat them with cornstarch before they enter the air fryer basket. This cornstarch coating isn’t just for texture; it acts as a protective layer, helping the chicken achieve that desirable crispy exterior when cooked. The thin layer also helps the sauce adhere beautifully to each piece, ensuring every bite is bursting with flavor.
Don’t Forget the Oil Spray
While the air fryer uses minimal oil, a light and even coating of oil spray is a must. A spray like Grapeseed Oil Spray is excellent because it has a high smoke point and a neutral flavor that won’t interfere with the Mongolian sauce. The oil spray helps the cornstarch coating crisp up to a golden brown, transforming any residual “floury” texture into a satisfying crunch. It’s the secret to getting that fried texture without the deep-frying.
Achieving Perfect Doneness
The goal is tender chicken pieces with a wonderfully crisp texture. Since all air fryers vary slightly in their heating elements and wattage, cooking times can differ. It’s always best practice to have a reliable meat thermometer on hand. The internal temperature of the chicken needs to reach at least 165 degrees F (74 degrees C) to be considered fully cooked and safe to eat. Check a few pieces in different parts of the basket to ensure even cooking.
Air Fryer Liners and Foil Tricks
For easier cleanup, consider using aluminum foil in your air fryer basket. You can fashion a makeshift liner by rolling up the sides to create a shallow dish. This helps contain any drips from the chicken and sauce, making post-meal cleaning significantly quicker. However, if you use aluminum foil, it’s absolutely essential to leave ample room for air to circulate around and over the food. The air circulation is what makes an air fryer effective at crisping. Additionally, ensure that the food itself weighs down the foil to prevent it from blowing into the heating element, which can be a fire hazard.
Sauce Mastery
The delicious Mongolian sauce can be prepared while the chicken is cooking in the air fryer. Simply combine all sauce ingredients in a small saucepan and cook over medium heat until it thickens slightly and reaches a gentle boil. Alternatively, if you’re using a Ninja Foodi, you can utilize its SAUTE function in the inner pot after the chicken is cooked. Once the sauce is ready and the chicken is perfectly crispy, simply toss the cooked chicken back into the pot with the sauce (if using the Ninja Foodi method) or transfer the chicken to a bowl and pour the sauce over it. This ensures every piece is coated in that irresistible Mongolian glaze!
What Kind of Sauce Defines Mongolian Chicken?
The hallmark of Mongolian Chicken, much like its beef counterpart, is its distinctive brown sauce. While the precise ingredients can vary from recipe to recipe, it’s generally characterized by a harmonious blend of sweet, savory, and sometimes a hint of spice. Common base ingredients include soy sauce, often enhanced by other rich, umami-packed components like hoisin sauce or aromatic sesame oil. For this particular recipe, we’ve focused on using soy sauce as the primary base, which offers the significant advantage of being easily replaceable with gluten-free alternatives like tamari, making the dish accessible to those with dietary restrictions.
Beyond the core components, many Mongolian sauce recipes incorporate additional layers of flavor. Freshly grated ginger and minced garlic are almost always present, providing a warm, pungent undertone. Some variations might also include a touch of rice vinegar for brightness, chili flakes for a subtle kick, or a garnish of chopped green onions for a fresh, mild onion flavor and vibrant color. The beauty of homemade Mongolian sauce is that you can easily adjust the sweetness and saltiness to your personal preference, ensuring a perfectly tailored taste every time.
Storing and Reheating Leftover Mongolian Chicken
If you happen to have any delicious leftovers (which is a big “if”!), they can be easily stored and enjoyed later. Place the cooled Mongolian chicken in an airtight container and refrigerate it for 3-4 days. This ensures its freshness and prevents any contamination. When you’re ready to reheat, transfer the chicken to a microwave-safe dish. Heat it in the microwave for 2-3 minutes, stirring occasionally to ensure even heating. For best results and to help restore some crispness to the chicken, you can also reheat it in the air fryer at 350°F (175°C) for 5-7 minutes, shaking the basket halfway through. This method will give you a closer texture to when it was freshly made.
More Irresistible Air Fryer Asian Chicken Recipes
If you’ve enjoyed this Air Fryer Mongolian Chicken, you’ll be thrilled to discover a world of other delicious Asian-inspired chicken recipes that can be made just as easily in your air fryer. These recipes leverage the convenience and health benefits of air frying to bring flavorful meals to your table:
- Asian Air Fryer Chicken Recipes: A collection of various Asian chicken dishes perfect for your air fryer, offering diverse flavors and cooking styles.
- Air Fryer Honey Garlic Chicken: A classic sweet and savory chicken dish, featuring a sticky, irresistible honey garlic glaze and tender, crispy chicken.
- Air Fryer Chicken Teriyaki Bowls: Create your own customizable teriyaki bowls with perfectly cooked chicken, fresh vegetables, and a savory teriyaki sauce, all made quickly in the air fryer.
Each of these recipes provides a unique and exciting way to enjoy chicken, harnessing the power of your air fryer for quick, healthy, and incredibly tasty meals.
Air Fryer Mongolian Chicken is truly a game-changer for those seeking a restaurant-quality meal without the excessive oil often found in takeout. It’s a flavorful, satisfying, and easy-to-make dish that will quickly become a family favorite. Give it a try tonight!
Air Fryer Mongolian Chicken (Gluten-Free)
Recipe by Air Fryer Fanatics
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Ingredients
- 1 Pound Boneless Skinless Chicken Thighs (or breast for leaner option)
- 1/4 Cup Cornstarch
- 2 Tsp Vegetable Oil
- 1/2 Tsp Ground Ginger
- 1 Tbsp Minced Garlic
- 1/2 Cup Soy Sauce or Gluten-Free Tamari
- 1/2 Cup Water
- 3/4 Cup Brown Sugar packed
Optional Serving Extras
- Cooked Rice
- Steamed Green Beans
- Steamed Broccoli
- Sliced Green Onions for garnish
Instructions
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Prepare the Chicken: Slice the boneless, skinless chicken (thighs or breast) into uniform, small chunks. In a bowl, toss the chicken pieces with cornstarch until they are evenly coated.
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Prepare the Air Fryer: Line your air fryer basket with aluminum foil, making sure to crimp the sides up to create a barrier and leave space for air circulation. Alternatively, spray the basket directly with a high smoke point oil spray (like grapeseed oil).
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First Cook: Place the cornstarch-coated chicken in a single layer in the air fryer basket. Lightly spray the chicken pieces with olive oil or grapeseed oil spray.
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Cook the chicken for 8-10 minutes at 390°F (199°C).
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Second Cook: After the first cooking interval, open the air fryer, stir or shake the chicken to redistribute, and lightly spray with additional grapeseed oil spray.
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Continue to cook for an additional 8-10 minutes at 390°F (199°C), or until the chicken is golden brown and crispy. To ensure it’s fully cooked, check the internal temperature with a meat thermometer; it should register at least 165°F (74°C). Remember that air fryer cooking times can vary.
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Prepare the Mongolian Sauce: While the chicken is cooking, begin preparing the sauce. In a small saucepan on the stove, or in the Ninja Foodi pot on SAUTE mode (if using), add the vegetable oil, ginger, minced garlic, soy sauce (or gluten-free alternative), water, and packed brown sugar.
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Whisk all sauce ingredients thoroughly to combine them well.
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Bring the sauce mixture to a low boil over medium heat, stirring occasionally, until it slightly thickens. This usually takes about 5-7 minutes.
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Combine Chicken and Sauce: Once the chicken is done cooking and the sauce has thickened, transfer the crispy chicken to a large bowl. Pour the warm Mongolian sauce over the chicken, ensuring every piece is well coated.
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Allow the chicken to soak in the sauce for about 5-10 minutes. This allows the flavors to fully meld and the chicken to absorb the delicious glaze.
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Serve: When ready to serve, use tongs or a slotted spoon to remove the chicken, allowing any excess sauce to drip off.
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Serve your flavorful Air Fryer Mongolian Chicken immediately over cooked rice and your choice of steamed green beans or broccoli. Garnish with fresh green onions if desired. Enjoy your homemade takeout!
Notes
Nutrition
