What is Moo Shu Chicken with Pancakes? Moo Shu Chicken is a Chinese dish made up of small pieces of chicken, vegetables and pancakes all served together. The pancakes are thin crepes that are a bit crispy around the edges. They’re used in place of rice to make this meal. The end result is a delicious blend of tastes and textures all mixed together. Let’s walk through how to make it and dish out some quick facts along the way.
MOO SHU CHICKEN (WITH PANCAKES!)
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!
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.
Moo Shu Chicken With Pancake.
Moo shu chicken with pancakes is a healthy and low-calorie dish full of egg flavor and tender chicken breast. The secret to the chicken breast’s smoothness is the addition of a little beaten egg and cornstarch when marinating. This is a family-friendly dish.
Moo Shu Chicken Recipe
I use chicken breasts for this recipe. Chicken breasts are easier to cut into strips and absorb flavors better than drumsticks. Usually, this dish is made with scrambled eggs, but I mimicked some restaurant practices and fried the egg into an egg wrapper first, and then sliced it. This way the flavor and aroma of the eggs come out better.
I also use tortillas instead of pancakes. This is because they’re easier to get. You can also find the pancake in the frozen section of an Asian market, usually labeled Moo Shu Wrapper or Duck Wrapper.
What is Moo Shu chicken
Moo Shu (mo͞o’ sho͞o’) refers to eggs in this dish. The most important thing about this dish is the eggs, not the wood ear mushrooms or other ingredients.
It is a dish of northern Chinese origin. The authentic moo shu chicken recipe is chicken fried with various vegetables in soy, garlic, and sweet sauce. It’s usually served with pancakes, lettuce leaves, or rice.
Ingredients
- Chicken breasts – cut into thin strips. You can also use chicken drumsticks. But chicken breasts can absorb the flavor better than chicken legs.
- Egg – fry it in a pan and then slice it. This way you can enjoy the full egg flavor.
- Cabbage – shredded or you can use coleslaw mix. This is a quick and easy method.
- Carrot – shredded.
- Wood ear mushrooms – thinly sliced. If you use dried wood ear, you need to soak them in water for 2 to 3 hours. This is optional, if you can’t get them.
- Garlic – minced or pressed
- Green onions – sliced 1″ long.
It’s very simple, you just need sesame oil, Chinese black vinegar, oyster sauce, salt, and white pepper. Mix them well in a bowl and add them to this dish at the end. You’ll enjoy the salty, mild-sweet taste. If you don’t have Chinese black vinegar, you can also use balsamic vinegar.
How to make
- Marinate chicken – cut the chicken breast into strips. To learn how to cut the chicken breast so that the chicken is tender, see my other post –Tenderize Chicken For Stir Fry.Add soy sauce, 1 tablespoon beaten egg, and cornstarch. Mix them well with the chicken breast.PRO TIP: The main purpose of adding beaten egg and cornstarch is to make the chicken breast tender & smooth.
- Moo Shu sauce – mix oyster sauce, vinegar, white pepper, salt, and sesame oil well in a bowl. Set aside.
- Pan fry egg -pour 3 eggs into a bowl, add just a little oil, after you mix the eggs and oil, heat the pan, you don’t need to add oil to the pan, pour the beaten egg into the pan and fry it from both sides until it’s cooked.
- After the egg wrapper is cold, cut it into strips.
- Add oil and garlic, and stir for 30 seconds.
- Add chicken breast, don’t turn or stir for 1 minute.
- Add carrots and wood ear mushrooms, stir for 1 minute. Add cabbage, stir for 30 seconds.
- Add the sauce, and stir for 30 seconds.
- Add scallions, stir for 30 seconds.
- Add egg, then ready to serve.
How To Eat Moo Shu Chicken?
The authentic Chinese way is to eat moo shu chicken with pancakes. To make the wrap, you carefully peel off a pancake, spread a thin layer of hoisin sauce on it, and put a pile of chicken on top.
But I use tortillas, like I said, they’re easy to get. And I don’t spread hoisin sauce, on them because it’s already salty enough. But it’s up to you what you like.
You can also find the pancake in the frozen section of an Asian market, usually labeled as Moo Shu Wrapper or Duck Wrapper.
Other Variations and Substitutions.
- Mushrooms: if you can’t find wood ear mushrooms, you can use shiitakes, baby Bella mushrooms are a good substitute.
- Wrappers: for the low-carb version, you can use lettuce leaves or low-carb tortillas as a substitute.
- Veggies: you can also add any other veggies you love, such as zucchini, red bell peppers, snow peas, etc.
- Make it spicy: feel free to mix in some homemade chili oil.
- For a Vegetarian Moo Shu Recipe, see my earlier post.
Moo Shu Chicken.
Prep : 10 minutes
Cook : 10 minutes
Author : Anna Lee
Cuisine : Chinese Cuisines
No ratings yet
Serving : –+
Moo Shu chicken is a healthy, keto, and low calorie dish for the whole family. Moo shu chicken recipe is easy to prepare and takes less than 20 minutes, which anyone can make at home.
Ingredients
MARINADE CHICKEN:
- ▢300g /0.7 lb chicken breasts, sliced to thin strips
- ▢1 tablespoon soy sauce
- ▢1 teaspoon cornstarch
- ▢1 tablespoon beaten egg
INGREDIENTS:
- ▢1/2 or 1/4 cabbage, shredded or coleslaw mix.
- ▢half carrot, shredded
- ▢5 pieces wood ear mushrooms thinly sliced
- ▢3 gloves garlic, minced or pressed
- ▢2 green onions, sliced 1″ strips
- ▢3 eggs
- ▢1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil
SAUCE:
- ▢1 tablespoon Chinese black vinegar
- ▢1.5 tablespoons oyster sauce
- ▢1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil
- ▢¼ teaspoon ground white pepper
- ▢1 teaspoon salt
Instructions
- Marinade chicken- cut the chicken breast into strips. To learn how to cut the chicken breast so that the chicken is tender, see Tenderize Chicken For Stir Fry.Add soy sauce, 1 tablespoon beaten egg, and cornstarch. Mix them well with the chicken breast. (Noted 1)
- Prepare vegetables- Instead of taking your time, chop up cabbage and some carrots. You can also just buy a bag of your favorite Cole Slaw! (Noted 2 & 3)
- Mix the sauce- Whisk oyster sauce, vinegar, white pepper, salt, and sesame oil together in a medium bowl until fully combined. Set aside.
- Pan fry egg –pour 3 eggs into a bowl, add just a little oil, after you mix the eggs and oil, heat the pan, you don’t need to add oil to the pan, pour the beaten egg into the pan and fry it from both sides until it’s cooked.
- After the egg wrapper is cold, cut it into strips. You may do it at the last.
- Saute the aromas – add oil and garlic, and stir for 30 seconds.
- Add chicken breast, don’t turn or stir for 1 minute.
- Then add carrots and wood ear mushrooms, stir for 1 minute. Add cabbage, stir for another 30 seconds.
- Add the sauce and scallions, and stir for 1 minute.
- Serve – add eggs, immediately with a side dish of rice, pancakes or tortillas.
Tips & Notes:
- The main purpose of adding beaten egg and cornstarch is to make the chicken breast tender & smooth.
- If you use dried wood ears, you need to soak them in water for 2 to 3 hours. If you can’t find wood ear mushrooms, you can use shiitakes, baby Bella mushrooms are a good substitute.
- 1/4 or 1/2 cabbage depends on the size of a cabbage, around 250~300g. Or you can use coleslaw mix. This is a quick and easy method.
Moo Shu Chicken with Pancakes
gluten-free
dairy-free
Moo Shu Chicken with Pancakes might be just the main course you are searching for. One portion of this dish contains around 32g of protein, 15g of fat, and a total of 380 calories. This gluten free and dairy free recipe serves 2 and costs $4.27 per serving. Head to the store and pick up shiitake mushrooms, cabbage, soy sauce, and a few other things to make it today. To use up the ginger you could follow this main course with the Ginger Cake with Crystallized Ginger Frosting as a dessert. From preparation to the plate, this recipe takes roughly 30 minutes.
Ingredients
gridlist
Servings:
4 ounces
cremini mushrooms
1 clove
garlic
¼ ounce
ginger
¼ cup
hoisin sauce
2 ounces
oyster mushrooms
2 cups
shredded red cabbage
4
scallions
1½ Tbsps
sesame oil
2 ounces
shiitake mushrooms
2
skinless boneless chicken breasts
2 Tbsps
soy sauce
6
moo shu pancakes
Equipment
gridlist
baking sheet
paper towels
tongs
aluminum foil
oven
frying pan
Instructions
- Prepare Ingredients: Preheat oven to 425°F. Mince garlic. Trim and discard skin of ginger and mince. Remove and discard mushroom stems, then wipe caps clean with a damp paper towel and cut into ¼-inch slices. Rinse scallions, trim and discard roots, and thinly slice on a diagonal.
- Roast Chicken: Pat chicken dry with paper towel then season all over with ½ teaspoon salt and pepper as desired. Place on a baking sheet and drizzle over half of sesame oil. Roast until cooked through and no longer pink, 12-15 minutes.
- Sauté Vegetables: While chicken roasts, heat remaining sesame oil in a large pan over medium heat. When oil is shimmering, add garlic and ginger and sauté, stirring, until golden and fragrant, about 2 minutes. Stir in cabbage, mushrooms, and half of scallions and sauté until tender, 6-8 minutes. Season with ¼ teaspoon salt and pepper as desired.
- Warm Moo Shu Pancakes: While vegetables sauté, stack moo shu pancakes, wrap in foil, and place in oven to warm until ready to use, about 10 minutes.
- Season Chicken: Roughly chop roasted chicken into bite- size pieces, or shred using 2 forks or tongs, and add to pan with vegetables over medium heat. Add soy sauce and hoisin sauce and cook, stirring, until chicken is warmed through and sauce is thickened, 1-2 minutes. Remove pan from heat.
- Plate Moo Shu Chicken: Fill moo shu pancakes with chicken and sautéed vegetables and sprinkle with remaining scallions. Wrap up pancakes and enjoy your flavorful Chinese specialty.
Ingredient
4 ounces cremini mushrooms
1 clove garlic
¼ ounces ginger
¼ cups hoisin sauce
2 ounces oyster mushrooms
2 cups shredded red cabbage
4 scallions
1.5 tablespoons sesame oil
2 ounces shiitake mushrooms
2 skinless boneless chicken breasts
2 tablespoons soy sauce
Price
$0.63
$0.07
$0.04
$0.91
$1.13
$0.39
$0.32
$0.51
$2.31
$2.00
$0.24
$8.55