Moo Shu Chicken is tender marinated chicken stir-fried with cabbage, mushrooms, and eggs in a savory sauce with the flavors of garlic and ginger. It is traditionally served with flour tortillas, Chinese pancakes, or rice. This traditional recipe is so much better than takeout and easily made at home.
The Best Moo Shu Chicken
Learn how to make delicious and authentic moo shu chicken with step-by-step photos to guide you through the process. Impress your friends and family with this flavorful and easy dish. Besides flour tortillas, mandarin pancakes, rice, and Chinese noodles, you can serve it with egg drop soup, hot and sour soup, potstickers, ramen noodle salad, or wonton soup. Or go really simple and serve it with steamed mixed vegetables like broccoli, zucchini, carrots, and snow peas.
Moo Shu Chicken Ingredients
How to make Moo Shu Chicken
First, in a small bowl, whisk together the Hoisin Sauce, low-sodium soy sauce, rice vinegar, garlic, ginger, cornstarch, sesame oil, black pepper, and mirin. Remove 1/2 cup of the marinade and set it aside.
Add the cut chicken to the remaining marinade and stir to combine. Let it set for 10-15 minutes. Heat another tablespoon of vegetable oil in the skillet over medium-high heat. Using tongs, remove the chicken from the marinade, letting the excess drip off. Add the chicken to the hot skillet, cooking until browned and cooked through or about 2-3 minutes. Work in batches, then remove to a plate and cover to keep warm.
Heat 1 tablespoon vegetable oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the mushrooms and cook until browned. Remove to the plate with the cooked chicken. Add the beaten eggs and cook until the eggs are set enough to flip. Then using a spatula, flip and cook until set. Remove the eggs, cut them into thin strips, and cover to keep warm.
If needed, add a little more vegetable oil to the skillet. Add the cabbage and cook until slightly wilted. Add the chicken, mushrooms, and eggs back to the skillet. Whisk the sauce mixture that was set aside. Drizzle with the sauce, stir to combine, and toss to coat cooking over low heat. Sprinkle with the scallions. For best results, serve promptly.
Recipe Tips
Can I use Pre-Shredded Cabbage?
This is always a quick and easy alternative to shredding your own cabbage. Just pick up a bag of shredded slaw mix. The colors of the carrots and red cabbage add a pop of color to the dish.
What is Mirin?
Mirin is sweetened sake. If you can find it, you will love it in your stir-fries. Look for it in the Asian Food Section of your local grocery store. You can substitute with dry sherry and granulated sugar in a 3:1 ratio. So, for every 1 tablespoon of sherry, you will add 1 teaspoon of granulated sugar.
What to Serve with Moo Shu Chicken
Besides flour tortillas, mandarin pancakes, rice, and Chinese noodles, I like to serve it with gyozas, Asian cucumber salad, Asian noodle salad, Asian chopped salad, or miso soup. Or go really simple and serve it with steamed mixed vegetables like broccoli, zucchini, green beans, and snow peas
Store and Reheat
Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Reheat in the microwave at reduced power.
I do not recommend freezing moo shu chicken. Cabbage is mostly water, and freezing it will destroy the texture of the dish.
Moo Shu Chicken
Ingredients
Marinade and Sauce
- 2/3 cup Hoisin Sauce
- 2 tablespoons low-sodium soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon rice vinegar
- 2 cloves minced garlic
- 1 tablespoon grated ginger or ginger paste
- 2 teaspoons cornstarch
- 1 teaspoon sesame oil
- 1/2 teaspoon freshly ground black pepper
- 2 tablespoons mirin
Moo Shu Chicken
- 1 1/4 lbs. boneless skinless chicken breasts cut into thin strips
- 3 tablespoons vegetable oil or canola oil
- 2 large eggs
- 1 1/2 cups sliced shitake mushrooms
- 4 cups sliced green cabbage or Napa cabbage
- 3 green onions thinly sliced
Instructions
- in a small bowl, whisk together the Hoisin Sauce, low-sodium soy sauce, rice vinegar, garlic, ginger, cornstarch, sesame oil, black pepper, and mirin. Remove 1/2 cup of the marinade and set it aside.
- Add the cut chicken to the remaining marinade and stir to combine. Let it set for 10-15 minutes.
- Heat another tablespoon of vegetable oil in the skillet over medium-high heat. Using tongs, remove the chicken from the marinade, letting the excess drip off. Add the chicken to the hot skillet, cooking until browned and cooked through or about 2-3 minutes. Work in batches, then remove to a plate and cover to keep warm.
- Heat 1 tablespoon vegetable oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the mushrooms and cook until browned. Remove to the plate with the cooked chicken.
- If needed, add more vegetable oil to the skillet. Add the beaten eggs over medium-low heat. Cook until the eggs are set enough to flip. Using a spatula, flip and cook until set. Remove the eggs, cut them into thin strips, and cover to keep warm.
- If needed, add a little more vegetable oil to the skillet. Add the cabbage and cook until slightly wilted. Add the chicken, mushrooms, and eggs back to the skillet. Whisk the sauce mixture that was set aside. Drizzle with the sauce, stir to combine, and toss to coat cooking over medium-low heat for several minutes until thickened.
- Sprinkle with the scallions. For best results, serve promptly.
Notes
- Slice the chicken in thin strips.
- The marinade doubles as a sauce, so remember to remove 1/2 cup before you add any raw meat to it.
- If needed, substitute white button mushrooms for the cremini mushrooms.
- Stir fry recipes move fast, so have everything cut and diced and near your cooking area.
- Serve with warm tortillas, mandarin pancakes, rice, or Chinese noodles.
- This recipe also works well with beef and pork.
Nutrition
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Mimi Rippee
What a fabulous idea! It’s a much simpler presentation than traditional moo shu but with all of the same delicious elements. Thanks!
Beth Pierce
My pleaure, Mimi!