Ready for a great moo shu chicken recipe that's higher quality than takeout? This is how we used to make it in our family restaurant—a rapidly disappearing flavorful version of the dish.
Recipe by Bill on November 1, 2020
Prep time: PT60M
Cook time: PT20M
Total time: PT80M
Rating
4.96 stars (48 reviews)
Keywords
moo shu chicken
Ingredients
8 oz. chicken breast, (sliced in thin strips)
1 tablespoon water
1 teaspoon cornstarch
1 teaspoon oil
½ teaspoon sesame oil
1/8 teaspoon ground white pepper
3 tablespoons oil ((divided))
2 large eggs ((beaten))
2 tablespoons hot water
1 tablespoon hoisin sauce ((plus extra for spreading on the pancakes))
1 tablespoon oyster sauce
1 teaspoon light soy sauce
½ teaspoon sesame oil
2 cloves garlic ((minced))
3 cups napa cabbage ((shredded))
5 dried shiitake mushrooms ((soaked and sliced, about ½ cup))
1 tablespoon dried wood ear mushrooms ((soaked and roughly chopped, about ½ cup))
1/2 cup bamboo shoots ((soaked and julienned))
¼ cup dried lily flowers ((soaked and ends removed))
1 tablespoon Shaoxing wine
2 scallions ((split and sliced into 2-inch pieces))
Mandarin pancakes (See our Mandarin Pancake recipe)
Categories
Chicken and Poultry
Cuisine
Chinese
Steps
Mix the sliced chicken and marinade ingredients in a bowl until well-incorporated, and set aside for 15 minutes.
Pour 1 tablespoon oil into a heated frying pan and pour in the beaten eggs to make an omelet. Transfer to a cutting board, and cut the egg omelet into thin strips. Set aside. Combine the hot water, 1 tablespoon hoisin sauce, 1 tablespoon oyster sauce, 1 teaspoon light soy sauce, and 1/2 teaspoon sesame oil in a bowl. Stir until well-combined and set aside.
Heat another tablespoon of oil in your wok or large skillet until it's almost smoking, and add the chicken. Lightly sear on all sides until about 80% done, and remove from the wok. Set aside.
Add an additional tablespoon of oil to the wok, and turn the heat up to high. Stir in the garlic, followed immediately by the cabbage, shiitake mushrooms, wood ear mushrooms, bamboo shoots, and lily flowers. Give everything a good stir for 1 minute. Add the Shaoxing wine, and stir-fry for another 20 seconds.
Next, add the sauce mixture, cooked chicken, and egg strips. The pan should be hot enough so that there is little or no residual liquid left at the bottom of the pan. Toss in the scallions, and serve with the pancakes and extra hoisin sauce!
Nutitrion
Serving Size: 1 serving
Calories: 257 kcal
Carbohydrates: 10 g
Protein: 17 g
Fat: 16 g
Saturated Fat: 2 g
Cholesterol: 118 mg
Sodium: 377 mg
Sugar: 3 g
Reviews
Kristine on 2026-04-20 (5 stars): What a delicious recipe! This was always my favorite thing to order at restaurants growing up. I made exactly as written so my kiddo could experience one of my favorite meals and it was a big hit! I finally got the pancakes right at by the time I cooked the last one, but now I can't wait to try making a new batch tomorrow for the leftovers!
Vanillabean on 2025-02-09 (5 stars): Delicious! Totally worth making
Food lover on 2024-08-12 (3 stars): The chicken in this moo shu chicken recipe is tender and juicy, complementing the crunchiness of the fungus. The sweetness of the carrots adds a touch of freshness to the dish, while the delicate texture of the egg gives the whole dish a silky texture.
Chris Packard on 2024-05-26 (5 stars): How many grams of dried wood ear is a tablespoon of wood ear mushroom?
Kona Bella on 2023-08-28 (5 stars): My husband made a request for me to make mooshoo chicken. All I can say was how amazing this was. I gave myself 2 hours to get things ready, the marinade and the pancakes take some time. Wow! Next on the list is Orange Chicken
Mary-Lynn on 2023-07-31 (5 stars): This was a lot of fun to make & absolutely delicious. I learned very much as I was previously ignorant of the use of dried foods and had never shopped for them before. A craving for Moo Shu turned into a wonderful educational experience. It's incredible how much the mushrooms expand when soaking them, now I realize the packages of dried mushrooms will make several dishes--which is economical & saves space in my refrigerator.
