Moo Goo Gai Pan is an Americanized Chinese stir-fry of chicken, mushrooms and assorted vegetables. It’s quick to prepare at home, healthy, and full of fresh flavor.
What is Moo Goo Gai Pan?
Originally from Cantonese cuisine (Guangdong province), Moo Goo Gai Pan centers on chicken and mushrooms. The Americanized version commonly adds a variety of vegetables to create a colorful, nutritious stir-fry.
What does Moo Goo Gai Pan mean?
The name translates literally: “Moo Goo” refers to button mushrooms and “Gai Pan” means sliced chicken.
What are Moo Goo Gai Pan ingredients?
The core ingredients are sliced chicken breast and mushrooms—button, oyster or shiitake all work well. Restaurants often include snow peas, bamboo shoots and water chestnuts, but you can use any combination of vegetables you prefer: carrots, napa cabbage, bok choy, broccoli, bell peppers, spring onions, ginger and celery are excellent choices.
What is Moo Goo Gai Pan sauce made of?
The sauce is a simple savory blend: water or chicken stock combined with Shaoxing wine or sake, soy sauce, oyster sauce and a touch of sesame oil. Cornstarch is used to thicken the sauce so it coats the chicken and vegetables nicely.
How to cut chicken for Moo Goo Gai Pan?
Use chicken breast and slice it into thin strips against the grain for tenderness. Coat the slices with a mixture of egg white and cornstarch before cooking—this gives the meat a velvety texture and helps it stay juicy during stir-frying.
How to make Moo Goo Gai Pan?
Moo Goo Gai Pan is a straightforward stir-fry. Prepare the chicken and vegetables, stir-fry them quickly over high heat, and finish by adding the sauce so it thickens and glazes the ingredients. The technique is fast, and you can adjust vegetables and seasonings to taste.
Does Moo Goo Gai Pan have MSG?
Many restaurant dishes may include MSG, but this homemade recipe does not require it. You can keep the flavor bright and savory using quality soy sauce, oyster sauce and aromatics like ginger and garlic instead.
Because it’s adaptable and quick to prepare, Moo Goo Gai Pan is a great option for anyone seeking an easy, healthy weeknight meal that still feels special.
More easy homemade Chinese recipes:
- Beef Egg Foo Young with Thick Gravy
- Chinese Egg Drop Soup
- Rice Noodles with Chicken and Prawns
- Napa Cabbage Stir Fry
Main Course
Chinese
moo goo gai pan
- 1 lb chicken breast cut into thin strips
- MARINADE:
- 1 egg white
- 1/2 tsp salt
- 1/8 tsp ground pepper
- 2 tsp cornstarch
- VEGETABLES:
- 2 cups button mushrooms or oyster or shiitake, sliced
- 1/2 cup celery sliced
- 1/3 cup each red, yellow and green bell peppers cut into large chunks
- 3 slices ginger
- 2 garlic cloves sliced
- 1/4 cup spring onions sliced
- 1/4 cup carrots thinly sliced
- 1/2 tsp sugar
- 3 + 1 Tbsp vegetable oil
- 1/4 cup water or chicken stock
- SAUCE:
- 1/4 cup Shaoxing wine or sake
- 1 Tbsp soy sauce
- 2 Tbsp oyster sauce
- 1/4 cup water
- 1 Tbsp cornstarch
- 1 tsp sesame oil
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Mix the egg white with salt, pepper and cornstarch, then coat the sliced chicken with this mixture.
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Heat 3 tablespoons of oil in a wok or large frying pan. Add the chicken and fry until almost cooked through, then remove from the pan.
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Add the remaining oil and the sliced vegetables to the pan. Stir-fry until they reach your preferred tenderness, then return the chicken to the wok or pan.
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For the sauce, mix Shaoxing wine (or sake) with soy sauce, oyster sauce, water, cornstarch and sesame oil. Pour the sauce over the meat and vegetables and cook, stirring occasionally, for at least one minute or until the sauce thickens and coats everything.
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Serve the Moo Goo Gai Pan over steamed rice.
Recipe Video
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