I remember making Moo Shu Chicken at my first job at a Holiday Inn in upstate New York, and again in my parents’ Chinese restaurant in New Jersey. We made it the same way at both places.
When we made this moo shu chicken again the other day (again, the same way)—this time documenting it for posterity—everyone agreed that the recipe is officially tried and true.
After devouring it on our family blogging day, we also declared that we should make it more often!
Note: This recipe was originally published in November 2015. We’ve since updated it with clearer instructions, nutrition information and more. Enjoy!
The Perfect Mandarin Pancakes for Moo Shu
We recently created the perfect recipe for Mandarin pancakes, which we used in our Easy Peking Duck recipe. They’re also perfect for this moo shu chicken.
If you really want to get crazy, you can make a double batch and have Moo Shu Chicken one night and Easy Peking Duck the next! The pancakes are addictively chewy and go perfectly with a thin layer of hoisin sauce.
If you’re short on time, however, you can also try our shortcut mandarin pancakes, which are made with dumpling wrappers. They’re not quite as tasty, but they’re a good substitute in a pinch!
While there is a proper way to wrap the Moo Shu Chicken (we have some instructive images below), any technique that uses the pancake as a vehicle for getting the chicken from point A to point B will do!
If you make the moo shu pancakes ahead of time, you can fold them in half or roll them up in advance. Just before serving, simply steam them for 1-2 minutes to re-heat.
A Note on Dried Ingredients
My last tip before we get to the good stuff is that this recipe requires getting your hands on some specialty Chinese dried ingredients.
They are:
These dried ingredients are great to have on hand for many of our other recipes including our hot and sour soup and Steamed Chicken with Mushrooms and Lily Flowers.
Here are photos of what wood ear mushrooms look like dried and later reconstituted:
And here’s what all three ingredients look like after reconstituting:
Check out our Chinese Dried and Preserved Ingredients page for more information.
There, you’ll also find further details on plenty of other Chinese ingredients you may be scratching your heads over!
This retro Chinese restaurant favorite won’t disappoint! Give it a try and let us know what you think in the comments below.
Moo Shu Chicken: Recipe Instructions
Mix the chicken and marinade ingredients (chicken breast, water, cornstarch, oil, sesame oil, white pepper) 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 transfer back to the marinade bowl. 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 shredded napa cabbage, rehydrated dried 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. Nobody wants soupy moo shu chicken!
Toss in the scallions, and serve with the pancakes (mandarin pancakes recipe here), and extra hoisin sauce!
Want More Moo Shu?
Give this Vegetable Moo Shu recipe a try on your next Meatless Monday. After that, try our traditional Chinese Moo Shu Pork recipe. The authentic Chinese version is quite different from the Chinese American takeout version, but it’s no less delicious!
Moo Shu Chicken (With Homemade Pancakes!)
Ingredients
For the chicken and marinade:
- 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
For the rest of the dish:
- 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
Instructions
- 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!
I made this tonight and it was so delicious. The pancakes were easy to make too. My husband said this was so much better than take out and I agree.
Hi Susan, great job and thanks for your comment and rating!
Yum!
Great recipe, our local Scottish Chinese take away doesn’t make this but I satisfied my craving with this easy recipe. Never in my wildest dreams did I think I would be able to make this. Did cheat a bit as I had pancakes in the freezer. Nicely detailed, the only ingredient I couldn’t source locally was the lotus flower. I look forward to trying the pork version. Husband ate it all up and seemed to enjoy it. Definitely a Taste of Home. Once again thank you Bill and family!!
Hi Wren, so happy you and your husband enjoyed the moo shu!
You’re welcome, Wren!
Thank you for posting this recipe! I have been looking for a good recipe for the pancakes but I keep finding recipes for ‘pancakes’ that look more like mexican tortillas, which have their place but it is not in moo shu recipes!
Hi Amanda, you’re welcome – our recipe for the mandarin pancakes is really how they should be made is the results definitely speak for itself. Happy cooking!
Hello
Tried this recipe for the first time tonight and we thoroughly enjoyed it! Tasted very much like what you can get takeout but healthier! The pancakes were perfect and not hard to do although I need more practice for sure.
Hi rehman, thank you so much for sharing your comment and hopefully others are encouraged and will try making moo shu chicken and homemade moo shu pancakes at home.
Oh my goodness! So delicious!! I thought for sure I would fail at this, but it was great!!!
Hi Marcy, thanks for your comment as it will give others confidence to make their own moo shu chicken. It really is pretty straight-forward to make at home and very tasty :)
his has been a favorite of mine for years, but I haven’t had it for a long time. I loved making the pancakes– both parts were good… but I need more practice to make this as good as I remember! (the pancakes I remember from nearly 50 years ago were much thinner than mine!
Hi Ella, glad you enjoyed both making and eating this moo shu chicken and the very important homemade pancakes!
Tried this recipe for the first time tonight and we thoroughly enjoyed it! Tasted very much like what you can get takeout but healthier! The pancakes were perfect and not hard to do although I need more practice for sure. Thank you for this recipe! We haven’t found a restaurant in our new town that has moo shu so this fulfilled our cravings.
Hi Sarah, sounds like you did a nice job! Making favorite dishes at home is a real convenience, especially during these pandemic times. Happy cooking!
This was a fun, and relatively easy, recipe– this has been a favorite of mine for years, but I haven’t had for a long time. I loved making the pancakes– both parts were good… but I need more practice to make this as good as I remember! (the pancakes I remember from nearly 50 years ago were much thinner than mine!)
Now I’m looking at the Egg Foo Young recipe! I’m guessing it’s better than my mom’s!
Hi Stephen, glad to hear you are enjoying both cooking and eating :)