Moo Goo Gai Pan
A Chinese takeout favorite, Moo Goo Gai Pan is an easy stir-fry recipe of chicken, mushrooms, and veggies in a simple savory sauce.
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.
Video
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
Calories: 380kcal | Carbohydrates: 29g | Protein: 31g | Fat: 16g | Saturated Fat: 3g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 7g | Monounsaturated Fat: 4g | Trans Fat: 0.1g | Cholesterol: 75mg | Sodium: 1349mg | Potassium: 946mg | Fiber: 5g | Sugar: 9g | Vitamin A: 3054IU | Vitamin C: 31mg | Calcium: 47mg | Iron: 3mg
Find it online: https://littlesunnykitchen.com/moo-goo-gai-pan/