Instant Pot Mongolian Chicken

This easy Instant Pot Mongolian chicken recipe is ready in just 30 minutes from start to finish and is packed with tender chunks of chicken, zucchini and garlic-ginger flavors.

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Note: the SLOW COOKER instructions are listed in the recipe card below

Instant Pot Mongolian Chicken

This saucy chicken is tender, moist and flavorful. This dump and go recipe is so easy and it only needs a 2 minute pressure cooking time! You’re going to love this chicken served over rice or cauliflower rice and topped with green onions or scallions.

What ingredients do I need?

• Minced garlic–fresh or jarred
• Minced ginger–find gingerroot in the produce section of your grocery store. You can freeze it and then just grate off a teaspoon of two. No need to peel.
• Sesame oil
• Low sodium soy sauce–so it isn’t too salty. You can also use tamari for a gluten-free version.
• Water
• Boneless skinless chicken breasts–or chicken thighs
• Zucchini–optional but really yummy! You can also use broccoli florets or another type of vegetable.
• Brown sugar–light or dark brown sugar both work
• Cornstarch–just a tablespoon or two to thicken the sauce
• Diced green onions–or scallions
• Sesame seeds–for garnish

How do you make Mongolian chicken?

This recipe can be made in the Instant Pot or the Crockpot.

Instant Pot Instructions: 

I used my 6 quart Instant Pot* but you can also make this recipe in a 3 or 8 quart pot.

1. Add sauce ingredients: Add garlic, ginger, oil, soy sauce, water into the Instant Pot and stir well. Add in the chicken and stir to coat. 
2. Add vegetables: If using zucchini wash and slice it into quarter inch rounds. Place the zucchini in a pot-in-pot dish and place the dish on top of the chicken (you can use a tall trivet if you have one or just place the dish right on top of the chicken). I chose not to put the zucchini directly in with the chicken because I didn’t want it to overcook and get mushy.
3. Pressure cook: Cover Instant Pot and secure the lid. Make sure valve is set to sealing. Set manual/pressure cook button to 2 minutes. When time is up let pot sit for 10 minutes and then move valve to venting. 
4. Remove the zucchini pan and dump it into the Instant Pot. Stir in the brown sugar. 
5. Thicken: Turn Instant Pot to sauté setting. Stir together corn starch and water until smooth. Pour the mixture into the Instant Pot to thicken the sauce. Once sauce has thickened turn off Instant Pot. 
6. Serve chicken and sauce topped with green onions. 

Slow Cooker Instructions:

This works in a 3 or 6 quart slow cooker.

1. Add ingredients: Add garlic, ginger, oil, soy sauce, water, brown sugar and chicken into slow cooker and stir to coat. 
2. Add vegetables: If using zucchini wash and slice it into quarter inch rounds and stir it into the pot.
3. Slow cook: Cover and cook on low for 2 hours. 
4. Thicken: Stir together cornstarch and water until smooth. Pour the mixture into the slow cooker to thicken the sauce. Cook on high without the lid for 15-20 minutes, or until sauce has thickened.
5. Serve chicken and sauce topped with green onions. 

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Tips for cubing chicken breasts

Make sure to cut the chicken across the grain so that the chicken can be as tender as possible. Slice across the grain. Then cut each of those wider strips crosswise into bite size cubes. All muscle has a grain to it. The placement of your knife to this grain will determine the length of the muscle fibers in an individual slice of meat, which in turn will have a profound effect on how tender or tough that meat is.

What equipment did you use?

• Tall trivet*
• Pot-in-pot pan*
• Instant Pot*
• Cutting board*
• Knives*
• Measuring spoons and cups*

What does Mongolian chicken taste like?

Mongolian chicken in the Instant Pot tastes sweet and savory and like a takeout dish from your favorite Chinese restaurant. The difference is my version is not breaded and fried so it’s healthier.

Is Mongolian style chicken dairy free and gluten free?

My version of mongolian chicken is dairy free and can be gluten free. To make it gluten-free use a gluten-free soy sauce or tamari sauce. Find my dairy free recipes. Find my gluten free recipes.

Can I add vegetagles?

Yes you can! I added zucchini into my dish and cooked it pot-in-pot so that it wouldn’t get mushy. You can use this method for other veggies like snow peas, broccoli, cauliflower, carrots, mushrooms, bell peppers etc.

I like spice! How can I kick it up a notch?

Add in a pinch of red pepper flakes or red pepper in with the mongolian sauce! You can always add more to each individual serving as well.

How to serve

The chicken, vegetables and savory sauce taste great over rice. I made my rice in a separate Instant Pot. This time I used white rice but brown rice is usually my go to. You can also serve with cauliflower rice, lo mein noodles or plain.

Storing Leftovers

Store leftovers in an airtight container* in the refrigerator for up to 5 days or in the freezer for up to 3 months.

How many calories in Mongolian chicken?

My version has only 209 calories for the chicken and sauce (1/6 of the recipe). It has less calories than a normal Mongolian chicken recipe because it’s not breaded and fried.

Total Fat 3.8g, Saturated Fat 0.8g, Cholesterol 82.7mg, Sodium 613.7mg, Total Carbohydrate 15.3g, Dietary Fiber 0.1g, Sugars 11.9g, Protein 27.2g

If you’re serving over rice you’ll need to add that to your calorie total. Half a cup of white rice has 103 calories

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More Asian Recipes you’ll love

Instant Pot Mongolian Beef

Instant Pot Skinny Honey Lemon Chicken

Instant Pot Chicken Stir Fry

Instant Pot Dan Dan Noodles

Instant Pot Sweet and Sour Chicken

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*Karen Petersen is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to amazon.com.