Skip takeout and make this amazing Vegan Mongolian Chicken! It’s crispy vegan chicken cooked in a sweet and savory sauce and served over rice and steamed broccoli for a better-than-takeout, 30-minute meal.
Disclosure: This post may contain affiliate links.
This post is sponsored by Improved Nature. All opinions are mine.
I’ve been craving take-out recently.
I don’t know if it’s because that is one of our only options these days or because I need some serious comfort food. Whatever the reason, I’ve been in need of something sweet, salty, chewy, warm, and delicious.
And today, I made that happen.
This Mongolian “Chicken” checks all the boxes. It is warm, comforting, hearty, salty, sweet, flavor-packed AND it’s not only vegan but also gluten-free and low carb. Oh, and did I mention it can be made in under 30 minutes?
What’s better than take-out? Classic take-out food made right in the comfort of your own home.
Ingredients & Substitutions
This recipe is sweet, salty, savory, and so good! And you only need a handful of ingredients to make this better-than-takeout meal from the comfort of your own home.
Here is everything you need.
- Nature’s Prime Nuggets – Since traditionally this dish is nearly entirely compromised of chicken (or beef), I needed to use the best chicken replacement I could find. Something chewy, that absorbed flavors, and wasn’t overly processed. The answer: Improved Nature.
- Vegetable Broth
- Cornstarch
- Soy Sauce – Use Tamari for a gluten-free option.
- Brown Sugar – You can also use equal amounts of maple syrup or coconut sugar.
- Vegan Worcestershire Sauce
- Sesame Oil – I love the added flavor of sesame oil but any high-heat oil will work. Peanut or coconut oil would be the best alternatives.
- Garlic
- Ginger
- Red Bell Pepper
- Cooked Rice –You can use either white or brown rice. Also feel free to use quinoa, couscous, or cauliflower rice.
- Optional Toppings – Sesame seeds, green onions, cilantro
Nature’s Prime Nuggets
Nature’s Prime Nuggets are an incredible meat alternative created by Improved Nature. Improved Nature is a company dedicated to creating better protein for a better planet. Understanding that our planet is in desperate need of alternative protein sources, Improved Nature create sustainably sourced, non-GMO soy protein foods that replicate the taste and texture of chicken.
Most of Improved Nature’s products use only two ingredients. Soy and water. That’s it. With these two ingredients, they make a variety of products such as fillets, nuggets, shreds, poppers, and more that taste and feel like chicken!
Better yet, they are high in protein, high in fiber, low in fat, and made with no preservatives or unnatural ingredients.
Read all about Improved Nature here.
How to Cook with Nature’s Prime Nuggets
Cooking with Prime Nuggets is easy. Simply rehydrate them by boiling them in water or vegetable broth for about 12-15 minutes. Once they are rehydrated, you can sauté them, crisp them, marinated them in your favorite sauce, bread them, or cook them.
Because, for this recipe, these nuggets aren’t marinated, I recommend boiling them in vegetable broth to give them a saltier, more flavor-packed taste to pair with the Mongolian sauce.
Step-by-Step Instructions
Step One – Cook the Nuggets
Begin by rehydrating the vegan chicken. To do this, bring 8 cups of vegetable broth to a boil in a large stockpot. Add Nature’s Prime Nuggets and boil for 12-15 minutes, stirring occasionally. When the nuggets are ready, they will be about 2x larger in size and have a soft, chewy texture.
Strain the nuggets through a colander and pat dry. Transfer the rehydrated nuggets to a bowl and toss with 2 tablespoons of cornstarch until fully coated. This step is necessary. The cornstarch allows the nuggets to crisp up when cooking while preventing them from sticking to the pan.
In a large, non-stick skillet, heat 2 tablespoons of sesame oil over medium-high heat. Once the oil is hot, add the cooked nuggets and sauté for 7-8 minutes, stirring frequently, until they are browned and crispy all over. Transfer to a large plate or paper towel.
Step Two – Make the Sauce
Whisk together the soy sauce, brown sugar, 1/3 cup water, and vegan Worcestershire sauce. In another bowl make a slurry with the 2 tablespoons of water and 1 teaspoon of cornstarch.
Step Three – Sauté the Garlic and Ginger
Mince and dice the ginger, garlic, and bell pepper. Heat up the remaining tablespoon of sesame oil in your skillet. Once hot, add in the garlic, ginger, and red peppers, stirring for 30-60 seconds until lightly brown and fragrant.
Step Four – Mix it All Together
Add the crispy nuggets, Mongolian sauce, and cornstarch slurry. Stir it all together until the sauce is thick enough to coat the back of a spoon. Serve it immediately with steamed broccoli and rice.
Serving and Storing
Serving – Serve this Mongolian Chicken shortly after it’s made. Serve it over rice, quinoa, or cauliflower rice.
Storing – Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. To eat leftovers, gently reheat the stir fry over the stove or in the microwave.
Tips and Tricks
- Do not overcook the rice. Overcooked rice will get mushy and won’t stir fry when added to the vegetables. Use long-grain rice and cook it until it is al dente.
- Either brown rice or white rice will do. Just note that brown rice takes about 2x as long to cook.
- Use fresh garlic and ginger. While you can use powdered spices, I highly recommend using fresh ginger and garlic as it adds so much flavor to this recipe.
Frequently Asked Questions
Mongolian chicken or beef is typically made of crispy meat coated in Mongolian sauce. This is a combination of soy sauce, Worcestershire sauce, and brown sugar. The whole dish is flavored with ginger, garlic, and green onions. This vegan Mongolian Chicken uses the perfect vegan soy replacement from Improved Nature.
Yes, it is! And you can make it low-carb by swapping out the brown sugar with a sugar alternative and serving it with cauliflower rice.
You can buy all Improved Nature products online. Check out their awesome selection and get more recipe inspiration.
More Vegan Stir Fry Recipes
- Broccoli Pepper Stir Fry with Peanut Sauce
- 20-Minute Kung Pao Tofu
- Korean BBQ Bowls
- Crispy Tofu with Peanut Sauce
Vegan Mongolian Chicken
Ingredients
- 6 oz Nature's Prime Nuggets
- 8 cups vegetable broth
- 2 tbsp. cornstarch
Mongolian Sauce
- 1/3 cup soy sauce
- 1/3 cup water
- 3 tbsp. brown sugar
- 1 tbsp. vegan Worcestershire sauce
- 2 tbsp. water
- 1 tsp. cornstarch
Stir Fry
- 3 tbsp. sesame oil, divided
- 3 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 tbsp. fresh ginger, peeled and minced
- 1/4 cup red bell pepper, minced
Everything Else
- 2 cup cooked rice
- 2-3 green onions, chopped
- 2 tbsp sesame seeds
Instructions
- In a large stockpot, bring 8 cups of vegetable broth to a boil. Add Nature's Prime Nuggets and boil for 12 minutes, stirring occasionally.
- While the nuggets cook, whisk together soy sauce, brown sugar, 1/3 cup water, and vegan Worcestershire sauce. In another bowl make a slurry with the 2 tablespoons of water and 1 teaspoon of cornstarch. Mince and dice the ginger, garlic, and bell pepper. Set everything aside.
- Strain the cooked nuggets a colander and pat dry. Transfer the rehydrated nuggets to a bowl and toss with 2 tablespoons of cornstarch until fully coated. In a large, non-stick skillet, heat up 2 tablespoons of sesame oil over medium-high heat. Once the oil is hot, add the cooked nuggets and sauté for 7-8 minutes, stirring frequently, until they are browned and crispy on both sides.
- Transfer the cooked nuggets to a plate. Return the pan to heat, reduce heat to medium-low, and add the remaining tablespoon of sesame oil. Once hot, add in the garlic, ginger, and red peppers, stirring for 30-60 seconds until lightly brown and fragrant. Add nuggets, Mongolian sauce, and cornstarch slurry. Stir together until the sauce is thick enough to coat the back of a spoon. This should take 3-5 minutes.
- Serve immediately over rice with green onions and sesame seeds.
Notes
- Do not overcook the rice. Overcooked rice will get mushy and won’t stir fry when added to the vegetables. Use long-grain rice and cook it until it is al dente.
- Either brown rice or white rice will do. Just note that brown rice takes about 2x as long to cook.
- Use fresh garlic and ginger. While you can use powdered spices, I highly recommend using fresh ginger and garlic as it adds so much flavor to this recipe.
Hi, I’m Sarah. I’m a 14-year (and counting) vegan, professionally trained photographer, former pastry chef, founder of My Darling Vegan, and author of the
Alistair Brown says
Made this for time to night an just and easier than I imagined thank you for this great recipe have saved to my iPad for future use! am just starting giving up meat! This vegan Mongolian chicken was yummy delicious! X
Cheryl says
Do you think soy curls would work for the “chicken”. I will give the nature’s prime a try, but I have soy curls in the pantry.
Jill says
Hi this looks good! Is there a way these could be baked and get a similar result?
Sarah McMinn says
I haven’t tried it and I don’t recommend it.