This Sheet Pan Mongolian Chicken Thighs recipe makes a quick and easy dinner.
Mongolian chicken is a family favorite! Making it on a sheet pan with vegetables eliminates an extra pan and is easier than cooking it on the stovetop. This recipe makes enough to feed a crowd. I usually serve it for dinner then use the leftovers to meal prep lunches.
What is Mongolian Chicken?
The first time I had a Mongolian Sauce it was on Mongolian Beef and Broccoli at P.F. Changs. It was similar to Beef and Broccoli only it had a little bite to it and was slightly sweeter. I have made an easy Mongolian sauce using a few common ingredients to coat the chicken and vegetables. Like many Asian dishes, I serve it over rice or cauliflower rice.
What does it taste like? Is it spicy?
Mongolian Chicken is made with soy sauce and sugar which provides a salty and sweet combination. The red pepper flakes make the sauce slightly spicy, but not super hot.
What is a sheet pan dinner?
Sheet pan meals are an easy way to cook your main dish or maybe even your complete meal on a large baking sheet.
How to make a sheet pan dinners?
To make this sheet pan chicken or any sheet pan recipe, use a large sheet pan with raised sides so all of the juices stay inside the pan. When you cook meat on a sheet pan, you can often cook the vegetables at the same time, which reduces the number of dishes you will have to wash after dinner. If you don't have a sheet pan with raised sides, you can use your larges casserole dish, but it may take just a little longer for the chicken to cook.
Sheet pan chicken thighs versus chicken breasts
I prefer to cook chicken thighs on sheet pans. Chicken thighs have a little extra fat which means they stay moist and tender while cooking in the oven. If you prefer to use chicken thighs, consider cutting the thighs into smaller pieces so they will cook quicker and be less likely to dry out.
Sheet Pan Mongolian Chicken Thighs Recipe with Vegetables
This isn't quite a one-pan chicken recipe, because I like to thicken half of the sauce in a small pot and pour it over the Mongolian chicken when it is finished cooking, but it is pretty close to a one-pan meal!
I realize the ingredient list is long, but don't get overwhelmed! This really is an easy sheet pan chicken dinner! The spices add flavor, but using them in 2 different places makes the ingredient list longer.
Mongolian Chicken Ingredients:
- 2 pounds of boneless/skinless chicken thighs
- 1/2 cup soy sauce (or coconut aminos to make this dish gluten-free)
- 2/3 cup coconut sugar (or brown sugar or another sugar substitute)
- 2 teaspoons ginger
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
Vegetable Ingredients:
- 4 cups broccoli florets
- 1 head of cauliflower, cut into florets
- 2 carrots, thinly sliced
- 1 red pepper, cut in thin strips
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 1/2 teaspoon ginger
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
Ingredients needed to finish the sauce:
- 1/4 cup of water
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
Optional Ingredients:
- 2 tablespoons sesame seeds
- 1 green onion, thinly sliced
Directions:
You will find printable directions below and instructions on how to turn this into a meal prep lunch.
1. Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
2. Add the soy sauce, coconut sugar, ginger powder, garlic powder, and red pepper flakes to a 2-cup liquid measuring cup or small bowl. Stir to combine.
3. Place the chicken thighs in a gallon-size plastic bag or in a large dish. Pour 1/2 half of the Mongolian Sauce over the chicken. (Reserve the rest of the sauce for serving). Toss the chicken to ensure all pieces are evenly coated with the sauce.
4. Place the chopped vegetables on the sheet pan. Drizzle the olive oil over the vegetables then toss to evenly coat the vegetables with the oil. Sprinkle the ginger, garlic powder, and onion powder over the vegetable. Toss to coat.
5. Place the chicken thighs on top of the vegetables.
6. Place the sheet pan in the oven and cook at 425 for 30 minutes or until the chicken thighs are cooked through and reach an internal temperature of 165 degrees.
7. While the thighs are cooking, whisk the cornstarch into the water. Mix to thoroughly blend.
8. Add the remaining Mongolian sauce to a saucepan. Stir the cornstarch mixture into the sauce. Cook over medium heat until it reaches a boil. Then simmer over low heat for 1 – 2 minutes until it thickens.
9. When the chicken and vegetables are done cooking, plate it over rice or cauliflower rice and drizzle the Mongolian Sauce over the chicken and vegetables. Then top with sliced green onions and sesame seeds if you with.
You can also let the Mongolian chicken cool and use it to meal prep lunches for the week.
How to Meal Prep Mongolian Chicken
This sheet pan chicken recipe is great for meal prep lunches because with one sheet pan you can make more than a week's worth of lunches. I use these glass storage containers to make lunch bowls. I make them for my husband, my oldest son, and myself, so I alter the amounts I put in each container based on our individual nutritional needs.
- Add 1/4 cup – 1/2 cup of rice or cauliflower rice to each bowl.
- Spoon 1 cup – 1 1/2 cups of vegetables into the bowl
- Add an approximately 4-ounce piece of chicken
- Spoon the Mongolian sauce over the chicken. Top with sliced green onions and sesame seeds if you with.
- Seal and store.
These make-ahead Mongolian chicken lunches can be refrigerated for up to 4 days or frozen for up to 3 months.
Printable Recipe for Sheet Pan Mongolian Chicken Thighs with Vegetables
Sheet Pan Mongolian Chicken Thighs Recipe with Vegetables
Ingredients
Mongolian Chicken Ingredients:
- 2 pounds of boneless/skinless chicken thighs
- 1/2 cup soy sauce or coconut aminos to make this dish gluten-free
- 2/3 cup coconut sugar or brown sugar or another sugar substitute
- 2 teaspoons ginger
- 1 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1 teaspoon red pepper flakes
Vegetable Ingredients:
- 4 cups broccoli florets
- 1 head of cauliflower cut into florets
- 2 carrots thinly sliced
- 1 red pepper cut in thin strips
- 3 tablespoons olive oil
- 1/2 teaspoon ginger
- 1/2 teaspoon garlic powder
- 1/2 teaspoon onion powder
Ingredients needed to finish the sauce:
- 1/4 cup of water
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch
Optional Ingredients:
- 2 tablespoons sesame seeds
- 1 green onion thinly sliced
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425 degrees.
- Add the soy sauce, coconut sugar, ginger powder, garlic powder, and red pepper flakes to a 2-cup liquid measuring cup or small bowl. Stir to combine.
- Place the chicken thighs in a gallon-size plastic bag or in a large dish. Pour 1/2 half of the Mongolian Sauce over the chicken. (Reserve the rest of the sauce for serving). Toss the chicken to ensure all pieces are evenly coated with the sauce.
- Place the chopped vegetables on the sheet pan. Drizzle the olive oil over the vegetables then toss to evenly coat the vegetables with the oil. Sprinkle the ginger, garlic powder, and onion powder over the vegetable. Toss to coat.
- Place the chicken thighs on top of the vegetables.
- Place the sheet pan in the oven and cook at 425 for 30 minutes or until the chicken thighs are cooked through and reach an internal temperature of 165 degrees.
- While the thighs are cooking, whisk the cornstarch into the water. Mix to thoroughly blend.
- Add the remaining Mongolian sauce to a saucepan. Stir the cornstarch mixture into the sauce. Cook over medium heat until it reaches a boil. Then simmer over low heat for 1 - 2 minutes until it thickens.
- When the chicken and vegetables are done cooking, plate it over rice or cauliflower rice and drizzle the Mongolian Sauce over the chicken and vegetables. Then top with sliced green onions and sesame seeds if you with.
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