Moo Goo Gai Pan is an easy recipe for a stir-fry made with chicken and mushrooms in a richly seasoned sauce. This copycat recipe is tastier and better for you than take-out, yet comes together with minimal effort.
When it comes to fast and flavorful meals, I love to turn to stir-fries.
Not only do they cook up extremely fast, but they are often filled with lean protein, tons of veggies, and a flavorful sauce.
From Stir-Fried Chicken and Bok Choy to Chicken Asparagus Stir Fry to this Chicken and Mushroom stir fry, dinner can be easy, wholesome, and delicious! What more can we ask for?!
What is Moo Goo Gai Pan?
Moo Goo Gain Pan is an Americanized version of a Cantonese Stir-Fry.
The signature ingredients in this recipe are chicken, mushrooms, and a savory sauce made with oyster sauce.
It is a popular take-out dish that is incredibly simple to make at home.
Not to mention, Homemade Moo Goo Gai Pan is more affordable and better for you than take-out.
Notes On Ingredients
- Chicken: Both boneless, skinless chicken breasts or chicken thighs work in this recipe for Moo Goo Gai Pan. Regardless of the type of chicken you opt to use, it needs to be thinly sliced. I share with you exactly how to get restaurant-quality thin slices in the directions.
- Cornstarch: Cornstarch is used to thicken the sauce and to marinate the chicken. Using cornstarch in the marinade may sound odd, but it is a trick that will help the chicken stay tender.
- Egg White: An egg white is also another key ingredient to creating restaurant-quality stir-fried chicken.
- Vegetables: The only vegetable that is considered a must when making Moo Goo Gai Pan, is mushrooms. After all, it is a recipe for a chicken and mushroom stir-fry. Along with the mushrooms, I like to include carrots and snow peas for added nutrition, flavor, and crunch. Feel free to use any vegetables that have similar cooking times to the mushrooms, such as peppers, onions, edamame, or green beans.
- Bamboo Shoots: Bamboo shoots are a fairly traditional addition. They add a nice crunch and flavor to the dish. You can find canned bamboo shoots in the Asian section of your grocery store.
- Oyster Sauce: The key ingredient in Moo Goo Gain Pan sauce is oyster sauce. It has such a rich punch of flavor, but if you don't have it on hand, you can use Hoisin. Keep in mind that some brands of oyster sauce contain MSG. If you need/want to avoid MSG, Kikkoman Oyster Sauce is made without added MSG.
- Mirin: If you don't have mirin, feel free to use rice wine vinegar.
- Chicken Broth: Be sure to use low-sodium chicken broth/stock to control the level of sodium in the sauce.
- Peanut Oil: For stir-fries, peanut oil is a great option as it can handle a high smoking point. If you don't have peanut oil, use vegetable oil.
How to Make Moo Goo Gai Pan
Prepare the Chicken
The secret to making restaurant-quality Moo Goo Gai Pan is to very thinly slice the chicken and marinate it in an egg white and cornstarch. This is called a velveting technique which makes the chicken melt in your mouth tender.
- To make the chicken easier to slice, place it into the chicken into the freezer for 10-15 minutes to make it easier to thinly slice.
- While the chicken is in the freezer, whisk together an egg white with a bit of soy sauce and cornstarch until the cornstarch is dissolved.
- Remove the chicken from the freezer and thinly slice the chicken against the grain into very thin slices.
- Place the chicken slices into the cornstarch mixture and toss to coat. Cover and refrigerate for at least 10 minutes, 30 minutes is best, to marinate the meat.
Prepare the Sauce
It is best to prepare the sauce before stir-frying the chicken and vegetables, as the stir-fry comes together quickly, leaving you little time to whisk together the sauce.
- In a small bowl, mix together the chicken broth, mirin, soy sauce, oyster sauce, sesame oil, garlic, ginger, brown sugar, sugar, and cornstarch together until the cornstarch and sugar are dissolved.
- Set aside until needed.
Stir-Fry the Chicken and Vegetables
- Heat a bit of oil over high heat in wok or large skillet.
- Once the oil is heated and glistening,remove the chicken from the marinade and add to the heated pan. Stir fry the chicken until just nearly cooked through. It should only take about 2 minutes, as the chicken is super thin.
- Remove the browned chicken from the pan to a clean plate.
- Wipe the pan out with a paper towel and return to the heat. Add a bit more oil to the same pan and heat until shimmering again.
- Add in the mushrooms and stir fry for 1 minute. Add in the carrots, and snow peas and stir-fry until crisp-tender.
- Give the reserved sauce a good whisk again and add to the pan. Bring the mixture to a boil.
- Once bubbling, add the chicken back into the pan and simmer until the sauce is thickened. Add in the reserved sauce and bring to a boil. Add in the cooked chicken and simmer until thickened, about 2 minutes.
- Turn off the heat and stir in the bamboo shoots.
- Serve with rice or cauliflower rice as desired. I personally love to serve over Instant Pot Brown Rice and with a drizzle of Sriracha hot sauce. Delish!
Storing Leftover Moo Goo Gai Pan
If you happen to have any leftover Moo Goo Gai Pan, allow it to cool slightly. Store the cooled stir-fry in an air-tight container for up to 3 days in the refrigerator. To reheat, microwave individual servings or heat in a dry skillet over medium heat until warmed through.
I don't recommend freezing Moo Goo Gai Pan, as the vegetables do not retain their texture when defrosted and reheated.
Recipe Modifications
- Egg-Free Modification: Coating the chicken in egg white will help keep the chicken tender. However, if you have an egg allergy, omit the egg and add 2 tablespoons of water to the marinade to thin.
- Gluten-Free Modification: To make this Moo Goo Gain Pan gluten-free, use Tamari in place of the soy sauce and be sure your broth is gluten-free. Oyster sauce also can be a source of gluten. Be sure to check the label closely.
- Soy-Free Modification: In place of the soy sauce you can use Coconut Aminos. However, the oyster sauce also contains soy. You can opt to use a vegetarian mushroom "oyster" sauce or additional coconut aminos.
More Copycat Take-Out Recipes
- Homemade Ramen
- Instant Pot Mongolian Beef
- Vegetable Fried Rice
- Homemade Orange Chicken
- Instant Pot Beef and Broccoli
- Chicken Katsu
- Hunan Beef
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If you tried this recipe for Moo Goo Gai Pan, I would love for you to leave a comment and review below.
Moo Goo Gai Pan
Ingredients
- 1 pound boneless skinless chicken breasts or thighs
- 1 egg white
- 2 tablespoons soy sauce divided
- 2 tablespoons cornstarch divided
- ½ cup low-sodium chicken broth
- ¼ cup Mirin
- 1 tablespoon oyster sauce
- 1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil
- 2 cloves garlic minced
- 1 teaspoon freshly grated ginger
- 1 teaspoon brown sugar
- 1 tablespoon peanut oil divided
- 8 ounces button mushrooms sliced
- ½ cup sliced carrots
- ½ cup halved snow peas
- 8 ounce can of bamboo shoot strips drained and rinsed
Instructions
- Place the chicken into the freezer for 10-15 minutes to make it easier to thinly slice.
- While the chicken is in the freezer, whisk together the egg white, 1 tablespoon of the soy sauce, and 1 tablespoon of the cornstarch until the cornstarch is dissolved.
- Remove the chicken from the freezer and thinly slice the chicken against the grain into very thin slices.
- Place the chicken slices into the cornstarch mixture and toss to coat. Cover and refrigerate for 10 minutes to 1 hour. I find that 30 minutes is best.
- Meanwhile whisk together chicken broth, mirin, 1 tablespoon soy sauce, oyster sauce, sesame oil, garlic, ginger, brown sugar, and 1 tablespoon of cornstarch together until the cornstarch has dissolved. Set aside until needed.
- After the chicken has marinated, heat ½ tablespoon of the oil in a large wok or large skillet over high heat until shimmering.
- Once the oil has heated, remove the chicken from the marinade, discard the marinade, and add the chicken to the heated pan. Stir fry the chicken until nearly cooked through, about 2 minutes. Remove the chicken from the pan to a clean plate and wipe out the pan with a paper towel.
- Add the remaining tablespoon of the oil to the same pan and heat until shimmering. Add in the mushrooms and stir fry for 1 minute. Add in the carrots, and snow peas and stir-fry until crisp tender, about 2-3 minutes.
- Add in the reserved sauce and bring to a boil. Add in the cooked chicken and simmer until thickened, about 2 minutes.
- Turn off the heat and stir in the bamboo shoots.
- Serve over rice, cauliflower rice, or in lettuce wraps.
Toni
Oh, I love it!! Really good and easy to make! Thanks for sharing the recipe!
Allyssa
Thank you so much for sharing this amazing recipe! Will surely have this again! It's really easy to make and it tasted so delicious! Highly recommended!
Caryn Darts
This is so flavorful and delicious! I can't believe my picky youngest son even loved it so thank you so much!
Debbie
Do you happen to have a corn free modification? Moo goo gai pan is one of my favorites, but I can't eat corn.
Kristen Chidsey
Hi Debbie! I would use arrowroot for the cornstarch. Enjoy!
Debbie
I dont have oyster sauce, but I do have fish sauce. Will that sub out okay?
Kristen Chidsey
Hi Debbie, yes fish sauce will work as a decent substitute. I hope you enjoy!
Debbie
The chicken sticks to the bottom of the skillet. Should I have used cast iron?
Kristen Chidsey
Hi Debbie, I recommend using a nonstick skillet, and be sure you add the oil first to the pan. That should prevent sticking.