Moo Goo Gai Pan is an easy stir-fry recipe of chicken, mushrooms, and veggies in a simple savory sauce. Skip the takeout and make this Chinese food favorite at home.
Get ready for another perfect Chinese food takeout copycat recipe! My Moo Goo Gai Pan is just as good (if not better) than anything you can order, and super simple to make in just one pot!
You’ll also love to make homemade General Tso’s Chicken, Cream Cheese Rangoons, and Egg Drop Soup.
What is Moo Goo Gai Pan?
When ordering at a Chinese restaurant, Moo Goo Gai Pan generally means a stir-fried dish of chicken and mushrooms. Often, other veggies are included, such as broccoli, snow peas, or carrots, but these will depend on who’s making it for you.
I like to add as many vegetables as possible when I make stir fries, so this one is packed with them!
Thank you so much for sharing this totally delicious, very easy recipe. All have agreed it is as good as a top quality Chinese restaurant. Will definitely be one of our favourites.
Linda
Why You’ll Love This Recipe
- Tastier than Take Out – When you make dishes like this one at home, you are in control of all of the ingredients and seasonings. That means that you can be sure that your Moo Goo Gai Pan is exceptional by using the freshest and healthiest options.
- And Less Expensive – Why spend your hard-earned dollars on a takeout meal when it’s this simple to make your Chinese food favorites at home?
- Tender Chicken – The key to this is in the preparation. First, we’ll slice the chicken into thin strips, going against the grain. Then we’ll coat the chicken lightly with cornstarch to give it a soft, velvety texture. Trust me – this is going to be the best chicken stir fry you’ve ever made!
- Crisp Veggies – Follow along with the recipe and you’ll have a perfectly cooked chicken stir fry with crisp-tender veggies. There’s nothing worse than overcooked stir fry vegetables.
Key Ingredients
Here’s what you need to make my version of homemade Moo Goo Gai Pan:
Complete list of ingredients and amounts can be found in the recipe card below.
- Chicken: Use about a pound of chicken breast meat for this stir fry. Slice it into very thin strips, against the grain. This should be easy to do with a sharp knife, but if you’re struggling, freeze the chicken for an hour or so first.
- Cornstarch (aka cornflour): This is a key ingredient in many Asian dishes. We’re using it in two places in this recipe. First, to coat the chicken, and second to thicken the sauce.
- Salt and White Pepper: Ground white pepper is commonly used in Chinese cooking. I like how it adds flavor without being visible! If you don’t have this, black pepper will work too.
- Fresh Vegetables: I’m using button mushrooms (a must for moo goo gai pan), carrots, and snow peas (aka mangetout) today. Feel free to adjust these to include your favorites.
- Canned Chinese Veggies: Pick up a can of sliced water chestnuts and a can of sliced bamboo shoots. Drain and rinse these well before cooking them.
- For the Sauce: Start with freshly minced garlic, then build flavor with soy sauce, chicken stock, sugar for sweetness, and sesame oil.
How To Make Moo Goo Gai Pan
Tip!
At this point, the chicken won’t be fully cooked, and it doesn’t need to be browned. We’re just trying to set the cornstarch coating for now.
Recipe Tips
- Have everything ready. Once you start cooking, this recipe will move quite fast. It is very helpful to have all of your ingredients chopped, prepped, and measured and within arms reach first.
- Choose your Skillet. I like to use a large 12-inch stainless steel skillet for stir-fries, but this recipe will work just the same in a non-stick pan, a cast iron pan, or a traditional wok.
- Slice against the grain. When preparing your boneless skinless chicken breast, slice it across the muscle fibers. This is the first step to making it tender and amazing. This recipe can also be made with thinly sliced pork or even steak!
- For tender, juicy chicken, avoid overcooking it. The first round of cooking it in the skillet should only take 1 minute because the chicken does not need to be fully cooked until later. It will finish cooking in the sauce and turn out perfect!
- For crisp-tender veggies, avoid overcooking them as well! Stir fry the peas, mushrooms, and carrots only until they just start to soften. They will finish cooking in the sauce too.
- Add Flavor. As written, this recipe is exactly like the mild, savory dish you love, but if you like things a bit more exciting, feel free to add some sriracha sauce or a bit of freshly grated ginger to the party.
- Adjust the Salt. I often cook with low-sodium soy sauce so that I can control how much salt is in my recipes. You can also use low-sodium chicken broth. For this recipe, using regular soy sauce will give you a dish that tastes most like your favorite restaurant’s.
Storing Tips
This dish will taste best if you eat it immediately, but if you have leftovers, keep them in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 3 days.
To reheat on the stove: I like to reheat stir fries in a pan on the stovetop over medium-high heat. Heat a little bit of oil in the pan, then add the leftovers. Heat for 2-3 minutes, stirring, until warmed through.
To reheat in the microwave: Add the leftover stir fry to a microwave-safe bowl and cook for 30-send intervals until just heated through.
How to Serve Moo Goo Gai Pan?
I think that some steamed jasmine rice is the perfect side dish here! For a lower carb option you could also use cauliflower rice.
Garnish plates with toasted sesame seeds if you like, and serve with chopsticks for an authentic Chinese restaurant experience!
Need more? Try my Instant Pot Fried Rice, or an appetizer of Egg Drop Soup.
Recipe FAQs
What other Veggies Go in Moo Goo Gai Pan?
Any veggies that you enjoy! Try this recipe with zucchini, squash, bell peppers, broccoli, bok choy, or baby corn.
What is the difference between Moo Goo Gai Pan and Chicken with Mixed Vegetables?
At a Chinese restaurant, moo goo gai pan will usually have more mushrooms in it, and the chicken with mixed veggies will have a greater variety of vegetables. Generally, the sauce for these two dishes is the same.
Is moo goo gai pain different than moo shu?
Yes! Moo Shu is shredded cabbage cooked with chicken that is served with thin scallion pancakes for eating.
More Chinese Takeout Recipes
All Asian Recipes →
Homemade Moo Goo Gai Pan Chicken is so fresh and delicious, you might never order take-out again! Be sure to Pin this recipe so you can find it the next time that chinese food craving hits.
Did you make this? Be sure to leave a review below and tag me on Facebook, Instagram, or Pinterest!
Moo Goo Gai Pan
Recipe Video
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1 pound (450 g) chicken breasts sliced against the grain into thin strips
- 3 tablespoons cornstarch cornflour in the UK, divided
- 1 teaspoon kosher salt
- ½ teaspoon ground white pepper
- 3 tablespoons (45 ml) vegetable oil divided
- 1 medium carrot peeled and thinly sliced
- 6 ounces (170 g) snow peas mangetout in the UK
- 6 ounces (170 g) mushrooms sliced
- 8 ounces (225 g) canned sliced water chestnuts drained and rinsed
- 8 ounces (225 g) canned sliced bamboo shoots drained and rinsed
- 3 cloves garlic minced
- 1 ¼ cups (300 ml) chicken stock
- 2 tablespoons (30 ml) soy sauce
- 1 teaspoon granulated sugar
- 1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil
Instructions
- In a large bowl, toss the chicken with 2 tablespoons of cornstarch, salt, and white pepper. Add 1 tablespoon of vegetable oil, and toss again (this will help separate the chicken strips so they don’t clump up together).
- In a wok or a 12-inch pan, heat 2 tablespoons of vegetable oil over medium-high heat. Add the chicken, spreading it in a single layer, and cook for 30 seconds per side. Remove to a plate and set aside (the chicken won’t be fully cooked and does not need to be browned).
- Add carrots, snow peas, and mushrooms to the same pan. Stir and cook for 3 minutes, or until they just start to soften.
- Add water chestnuts, bamboo shoots, and garlic, and saute for one minute.
- Return the chicken to the skillet. Pour in the chicken stock, and soy sauce, and add sugar and sesame oil. Bring the mixture to a gentle boil and cook for 1-2 minutes.
- Mix 1 tablespoon of cornstarch with 1 tablespoon of cold water to make a slurry for thickening the sauce. Pour the slurry over the sauce, stir, and cook for 1 minute. The sauce should thicken enough, but if it does not, add more cornstarch slurry.
- Taste the sauce for seasoning and adjust if needed (salt). Remove from heat, garnish with toasted sesame seeds if desired, and serve over rice.
Notes:
- Have everything ready. Once you start cooking, this recipe will move quite fast. It is very helpful to have all of your ingredients chopped, prepped, and measured and within arms reach first.
- Choose your Skillet. I like to use a large 12-inch stainless steel skillet for stir-fries, but this recipe will work just the same in a non-stick pan, a cast iron pan, or a traditional wok.
- Slice against the grain. When preparing your chicken, slice it across the muscle fibers. This is the first step to making it tender and amazing.
- For tender, juicy chicken, avoid overcooking it. The first round of cooking it in the skillet should only take 1 minute because the chicken does not need to be fully cooked until later. It will finish cooking in the sauce and turn out perfect!
- For crisp-tender veggies, avoid overcooking them as well! Stir fry the peas, mushrooms, and carrots only until they just start to soften. They will finish cooking in the sauce too.
- Add Flavor. As written, this recipe is exactly like the mild, savory dish you love, but if you like things a bit more exciting, feel free to add some sriracha sauce or a bit of freshly grated ginger to the party.
- Adjust the Salt. I often cook with low-sodium soy sauce so that I can control how much salt is in my recipes.
Nutrition Information
This website provides approximate nutrition information for convenience and as a courtesy only. Nutrition data is gathered primarily from the USDA Food Composition Database, whenever available, or otherwise other online calculators.
© Little Sunny Kitchen
Megan says
Excellent! I only changed a couple of things- I doubled the sauce because we like extra sauce! I swap coconut aminos in place of soy sauce these days because it’s so much less sodium and I don’t notice the difference in flavor, and I sautéed the mushrooms for a bit before adding the other veggies. It came out amazing! I will definitely be making this frequently as we don’t have the best Chinese restaurants in our area.
Little Sunny Kitchen says
Thank you for sharing your tips, Megan! I’m glad you enjoyed the recipe so much. I’m sorry that you don’t have access to great Chinese food, but you’ll find some great recipes here to help you make it yourself!
Julie says
This is the first time I’ve ever had Moo Goo Gai Pan and it was fabulous. I made it exactly as the recipe said and it was great. my husband loved it too. A new favorite to add to my Chinese cooking recipes.
Little Sunny Kitchen says
Thanks Julie! I’m glad you enjoyed.