Moo goo gai pan is a simple chicken and vegetable stir fry served in a sour, savory, and gooey sauce. This recipe is family and budget friendly and perfect for a weeknight meal. Serve this delicious Chinese stir fry in 25 minutes from start to finish.
About This Recipe
My favorite types of stir fries are made with chicken or tofu because of their mild flavor and tender texture, and come dressed in a thick gooey sauce, that’s more savory than sweet (I love the gooeyness of sweet and sour tofu and general Tso chicken).
That’s why I love this moo goo gai pan recipe so much – because it contains all of the textures and flavors that make my palate dance. The sauce is savory and nutty but also has a slight acidic and pungent element. It’s a simple chicken and vegetable dish that is kid friendly and a good introduction into Chinese cooking for those unfamiliar with the basic flavors.
Table of contents
Ingredients Needed
- Oil: Use any neutral cooking oil. Peanut oil is a great choice, but you can use vegetable oil and grapeseed oil as well.
- Chicken: I’m using boneless skinless chicken breasts because that’s my go to whenever I use poultry in my cooking. But feel free to use chicken thighs as well.
- Garlic: Garlic is essential to Chinese cooking and is used to flavor the oil.
- Mushrooms: Any type of mushrooms such as shiitake or wood ear can be used here. I opted for white button mushrooms because they are easy to find.
- Snow Peas: I prefer snow peas over sugar snap peas because of their softer texture, but you can swap one for the other.
- Bamboo Shoots: canned bamboo shoots are savory – and a little crunchy and meaty in texture.
- Water Chestnuts: Water chestnuts don’t have a lot of flavor but are often used in stir fries as a contrast in texture because they are so crunchy.
- Cornstarch: Cornstarch is essential to thickening the sauce and will give it that restaurant caliber gooey texture we’ve come to associate with Chinese food.
- Ground White Pepper: Ground white pepper has a sharp and floral kick.
- Chicken Marinade: This is a simple mixture of soy sauce, rice vinegar and cornstarch that will infuse extra flavor to your chicken. Plus, marinating chicken in cornstarch gives is a lovely silky texture.
- Moo Goo Gai Pan Sauce: A mixture of chicken broth, soy sauce, rice vinegar, oyster sauce, and sesame oil.
Popular Vegetables To Use In Moo Goo Gai Pan
As previously mentioned, there are many ways to adapt this recipe to your liking. If you are not fond of a vegetable that’s listed in the recipe, feel free to switch it with another one.
Common vegetables used in stir fries are: Bok choy, baby bok choy, broccoli, cabbage, celery, scallions, carrots, and onions.
How To Make It
- Marinate the chicken: Whisk the ingredients for the marinade and add the chicken. Set aside for at least 20 minutes.
- Cook the chicken: Place the chicken in a large skillet over medium-high heat and saute until it’s cooked through and tender. Transfer the chicken to a plate.
- Cook the vegetables: Cook the vegetables and reintroduce the cooked chicken to the pan.
- Add the sauce: Add the ingredients for the sauce and stir. Once the sauce is hot and bubbling, slowly add the cornstarch slurry, stirring the entire time – until the sauce thickens.
- Serve: Serve with white rice and season with a little salt and white ground pepper if needed.
Best Water Temperature For Cornstarch Slurry
When making the cornstarch slurry, always use cold or room temperature water. This prevents the cornstarch from clumping. When it’s time to add the slurry to the stir fry, stir it one more time to loosen it up again, right before adding it to the skillet.
Expert Cooking Tip
- Slice the chicken into thinner and smaller pieces. Think of a regular one bite piece of chicken you enjoy chewing on. That’s the size you want to go for. This will speed up the stir frying process because the chicken will cook faster. This also helps the vegetables retain a little crunch and prevent them from overcooking and getting too soft.
Easy Way To Tenderize Meat
A great Chinese cooking technique for achieving great texture for chicken, beef, and pork, is called velveting. Velveting does two important things in this recipe:
- It locks in the flavor and the moisture from the marinade – and creates a barrier from the heat of the wok, so your chicken is always juicy.
- It tenderizes the chicken, resulting in soft, silky and almost glossy meat once cooked.
For this recipe I’m marinating the chicken in a mixture of rice vinegar, soy sauce and cornstarch. While 20 minutes is enough to give the flavor and tenderize the chicken, I recommend leaving it for longer if you have the time. 30 to 40 minutes yields super moist chicken pieces.
Storage And Reheating
Store leftovers in an airtight food storage container in the refrigerator for 3 to 4 days.
- Reheating. Reheat leftovers in the microwave, or in a hot pan on the stovetop with a little oil. If the flavors have dulled a bit in the fridge, a dash of soy sauce and a little white pepper should reignite them.
- Freezing: To freeze the stir fry, first let it cool until it reaches room temperature. Divide the stir fry into individual portions and save them in small glass containers or sealable airtight storage bags. Freeze for up to 2 months.
What to Serve With It
Moo goo gai pan is a main dish that is usually served with a side of rice. But it can also be served with noodles and a few side dishes to keep dinner fun and extra flavorful. Some of my favorite dishes are:
Other stir fry recipes you might like to try: Shrimp stir fry, napa cabbage stir fry, stir fried bean sprouts with tofu and garlic chives, fish, pepper and leek stir fry, quick bok choy stir fry, stir fried glass noodles with shrimp, chicken chop suey.
Frequently Asked Questions
The name is pretty much a direct translation from the two main ingredients – chicken and mushrooms. The literal translation for mòh-gū gāi-pin is ‘mushrooms with chicken slices.’
This is normal because cornstarch can only retain its consistency for about an hour and a half at most. If the sauce has become watery, make a cornstarch slurry (1 teaspoon of cornstarch mixed with 2 teaspoons of water). After reheating the moo goo gai pan in a frying pan, slowly add the slurry, stirring constantly until the sauce thickens again.
Yes you can! Use vegetable broth instead of chicken broth, swap chicken for firm tofu, and use hoisin sauce instead of oyster sauce. I have made this recipe vegan many times and the result is just as delicious!
Did you try this recipe? Are there changes you made that you would like to share? Share your tips and recommendations in the comments section below!
Print
Moo Goo Gai Pan
- Prep Time: 15 minutes
- Cook Time: 9 minutes
- Total Time: 24 minutes
- Yield: 2 servings 1x
- Category: Main
- Method: Stir frying
- Cuisine: Chinese
- Diet: Low Calorie
Description
Better than takeout moo goo gai pan recipe that’s savory and a little sour. Ready in less than 25 minutes!
Ingredients
Moo Goo Gai Pan Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon peanut or vegetable oil
- 1/2 pound boneless, skinless chicken breast, chopped into thin bite size pieces
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 1/2 cup button mushrooms, sliced in half
- 1 1/2 cup snow peas
- 1/2 cup canned bamboo shoots, drained
- 1/4 cup canned water chestnuts, drained
- 1 tbsp cornstarch mixed with 2 tablespoons water
- ground white pepper
Marinade
- 1 tablespoon soy sauce
- 1 teaspoon rice vinegar
- 1 teaspoon cornstarch
Sauce
- 1/2 cup chicken stock
- 1 tablespoon soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon rice vinegar
- 1 tablespoon oyster sauce
- 1 teaspoon sesame oil
Instructions
- Marinate the chicken. Put all the ingredients for the marinade in a bowl, add the chicken and mix well. Let sit for 20 minutes.
- Cook the chicken. In a wok or deep skillet over medium high heat, add the oil and when the oil is hot, add the chicken. Saute for about 4 minutes, or until the chicken is cooked through. Transfer the chicken on a plate and set aside.
- Add vegetables. In the same wok or deep skillet, add the garlic, mushrooms and snow peas and cook for 3 minutes.
- Add the chicken and more vegetables. Add the bamboo shoots, chestnuts, and chicken, and cook for 2 minutes.
- Add the sauce. Add the ingredients for the sauce and stir. Add the cornstarch slurry and stir until the sauce thickens.
- Serve. Turn the heat off, season with ground white pepper and serve immediately with a side of rice.
Notes
Store the leftover moo goo gai pan in a storage container and refrigerate for up to 4 days. Using a wok with a handle for stir fries makes the process of tossing the ingredients easier and helps to evenly coat and spread the sauce.
Nutrition
- Serving Size: 1 serving
- Calories: 328
- Sugar: 6.5yg
- Sodium: 610mg
- Fat: 13.5g
- Saturated Fat: 1.8g
- Unsaturated Fat: 3.8g
- Trans Fat: 0g
- Carbohydrates: 19.9g
- Fiber: 4g
- Protein: 32.1g
- Cholesterol: 84.5mg
I liked this a lot.
Sub’d chili oil for sesame & fish sauce for oyster because those were on hand.
Used all mushrooms instead of any chicken & added baby corn (also on hand).
Would’ve liked more sauce but made a tasty meal!
Will make again.
Thank you so much Shannon! 🙂
I made this and it turned out great! I left out water chestnuts and added broccoli and bok choy. Thanks for the recipe!
Thank you so much Heather! 🙂
I’m excited to try this.
I’ve watched the cooks in my local Chinese restaurant, and this is what they do, and the consistency of your sauce will hold up much better if you do too.
After you stir fry the veggies and chicken, drain all the veggies and chicken in a colander while you heat the ingredients for the sauce. Then add the corn starch and water (a 1:1 mixture with 1Tbsp each per 1- 1 1/4 cups of sauce) and thicken the sauce. Once it’s come to a thick, shiny consistency, add your veggies and meats back. This will allow the moisture in the meat and veg to drain away and stop it mixing with your nice thick sauce.
Thank you David for the tip!
If I leave out the oyster sauce, how will this omission affect the taste?
Hi Janel! You can use 2 tablespoons soy sauce instead and add a pinch of sugar. The taste should be pretty close to the original recipe 🙂
Yummy! I added broccoli, shallots, and celery because I had them on hand. I’ll Marbella this again.
Hi Caroline,
Excellent recipe! I left out the water chestnuts and used half of the cornstarch, because that made it Keto-friendly!
Also dusted the whole thing with sesame seeds just before serving.
This recipe made a stir fry that was better than anything I could buy around here! Thanks very much!
Thank you! 🙂
I am sure the first time I ordered this dish was because the name sounded cool. Its now one of my favorites.
Have you recently updated this recipe? I believe I definitely made this from this site before and it didn’t have oyster sauce? I could also be wrong lol!!
Hi Kim, I didn’t update the recipe lol! You should try mine though, it’s really good hehe! 😉
How many calories?
This moo goo looks fab!! Gonna make it at home first then make it in my cooking class at work. I teach @ a workshop for adults with developmental disabilities. We decided that this month we wanted to to an Asian cooking class. This looks great! Do you have a recipe for lo mein? I love lo mein and would to be able to make it fairly easily. Thanks.
Hi Kelli! I don’t have a lo mein recipe but I do have an easy vegetable chow mein – https://pickledplum.com/recipe/vegetable-chow-mein-recipe/ Very tasty, I think your class would love it 🙂
Dear Carolina! What a beautiful photos!!! Beautiful as you!I am from Israel,and the Israelis loooove assian food,but,it is so far from the original !I was brought up in Canada and in the u.s and I miss soooo much the real othentic assian food and restorants we used to go to. There is no China town here and I find the food here just to sweet and to garlicky to my last.after surching and trying soooo many recipes,yours seems to be the closest ones to what I miss so much,I will try your recipes exactly like you pass it to us. It is not easy for me because I am sick with cancer that takes all my strength but I will try every time I can one of your recipes. My cancer is in the intestine and my liver and assian food seems to be the best for my body ( lucky me!) so I hope! I really hope this time it will worth my efforts.I love cooking, especially assian food,my family said I was an assian in my other life! Ha! Ha! If you tips for me how to get the best reasolts cooking assian food at homeI will be more than happy to hear and so thankful!!! Thank you so very much,and I wish you a beautiful sunny day,yours,ili vital.
Hi Ili,
Have you hear about sea cucumber? There’s been a lot of research recently showing that this Asian vegetable can help cure cancer -> https://breastcancerconqueror.com/how-does-sea-cucumber-affect-breast-cancer/
The taste takes is quite sour but there are easy ways to cook with it, such as adding it to stir fries.
I’m so sorry to hear about your illness, I hope you are getting better day by day and that the power of food can help with your recovery.
We had this for dinner tonight and it was amazing!! The only thing was that there wasn’t enough sauce. How can we change recipe to ensure there is plenty of sauce next time?
Many, many, too many years ago there was a chinese restaurant that served brown moo goo gai pan and it was my favorite! I haven’t found it in a restaurant since. This looks just like it! Gonna give this a go this week!
I hope it tastes the same or at least similar to it! 🙂
Made this last night and even though all the ingredients make you think it will be very flavorful, it was quite bland.. Not a keeper.
This is absolutely one of the best stir fry recipes I’ve ever tried! I tasted something similar in flavour at a restaurant about 15 years ago and I’ve been trying for years to get the same balance of flavours – like yourself, I love bolder, umami flavours and this dish nails it! Two tweaks for my personal tastes – I added a chopped medium brown onion and a handful of cashews. The marinade and sauce was exactly as stated in the recipe. This will be a regular staple in my weekly meals – thank you so much for sharing!
Thank you Christine!
I made this tonight and it was DELICIOUS. I didn’t change a thing except to grate a little bit of fresh ginger in with the garlic. Because I can’t NOT use ginger. Thanks for a superbly yummy and EASY dish.
Thank you so much Teri!
Any ideas for a sesame oil substitute? My son has a sesame allergy, but I still want to expose him to different international flavors.
Hi Ilana! You can just remove the sesame oil from the recipe. It will still taste really good 🙂
Is this receipe gluten free? I would love to try it if it is.
Hi Monica!
The recipe isn’t gluten free but you can easily substitute soy for tamari, which will make it gluten free :). Enjoy!
Loved this! The sauce was way tastier than what I’m used to whenever I order moo goo gai pan and I love how easy this is to make. Great recipe, I’ll be making this again soon!
Thanks Hannah! 🙂
Caroline, I always order this out, but your home version sounds so doable and delicious! Easy to find ingredients. Question…what is difference between white pepper and black pepper in a recipe? P. S. I am still making your vegetable ricotta quiche and introducing it to others. I make notes on the recipe of he people I have shared it with…don’t ant to leave anyone out. Still Five Stars.
Janel Barthe
Hi Janel! You are the sweetest! Thank you so much for introducing my recipes to other, I really appreciate it 🙂
The difference between white and black pepper is in taste and texture. White pepper is ground to a powder and also tastes hotter therefore, a little goes a long way!