Moo Shu Chicken

This homemade Moo Shu Chicken is a 20-minute delicious Chinese chicken stir fry better than your favorite Chinese takeout. Made from juicy chicken strips cooked with egg, mushrooms, and cabbage in a lightly sweet soy sauce.

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We all love good Chinese takeout, but most of them use unhealthy fat and far too much added sugar. So here’s an easy Chinese chicken recipe that you can make at home with only a few ingredients and that is far healthier than your current takeaway. Plus, this Chicken Moo Shu is flavorsome, low-carb, and gluten-free.

Moo Shu chicken is a Chinese recipe originating from Northern China and made from stir fry chicken strips, egg strips, shitake mushroom, and cabbage cooked in a sweet soy sauce. It’s typically served in a Mandarin pancake which is similar to a flour tortilla wrap.

Ingredients and Substitutions

All you need to make this delicious Chinese stir fry recipe are:

• Sesame Oil or peanut oil
• Eggs – beaten and large
• Chicken Breast cut into thin strips
• Shredded Cabbage or a mix or cabbage Napa cabbage, red cabbage and white cabbage.
• Shiitake Mushrooms – Shiitake mushrooms have a much stronger flavor than classic button mushrooms, so I don’t recommend swapping them.
• Ginger – grated or minced
• Garlic Cloves – minced
• Hoisin Sauce – or soy sauce.
• Oyster Sauce – or Worcestershire sauce.
• Honey – You can swap honey for coconut nectar or maple syrup.
• Cornstarch – Or potato starch.

How To Make Moo Shu Chicken

This recipe is even easier than my keto orange chicken recipe because you don’t have to coat then fry the chicken.

1. First, warm the oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat with 2 teaspoons of sesame oil.
2. Add the beaten egg and tilt the pan to spread it like an omelette.
3. Cook the eggs until dry and set, then slide a long spatula under them to flip them to the other side. Cook until set, which takes about 30 to 60 seconds.
4. Transfer the eggs to a large chopping board and roll them into a cylinder shape.
5. Then use a sharp knife to cut the omelette into thin strips. Once unrolled, they look like egg pasta. Set them aside in a bowl and cover them with foil to keep them warm.

6. Add two teaspoons of sesame oil to the same pan. No need to clean it. When the oil is warm, add the chicken strips and stir fry until the meat is no longer pink.
7. Remove from the heat and place the chicken in a bowl. Cover it with foil to keep the chicken warm.
8. In the same pan, add the last 2 teaspoons of sesame oil, warm over medium-high heat, then stir fry the shredded cabbage and sliced shitake mushrooms.
9. Cook and stir occasionally until the cabbage starts to wilt.
10. Return the cooked chicken and egg strips to the pan.
11. Whisk the sauce ingredients in a small bowl: soy sauce, hoisin sauce, oyster sauce, honey, cornstarch, and water until it looks light brown in color.
12. Pour over the cooked cabbage along with ginger and garlic. Stir to coat all the ingredients with the sauce and continue cooking until it has thickened.

Serving Suggestions

Serve your Moo Shu Chicken on its own or with cooked rice noodles or cooked rice. However, Moo Shu recipes are traditionally served with a sort of flour tortillas called Moo Shu Wrappers. Here are some serving suggestions for you:

• Flour Tortillas
• Cassava Tortillas
• Coconut Cauliflower Rice – The best choice for a low-carb keto chicken side dish.
• Jasmine Rice
• Mandarin Pancakes, also known as Moo Shu wrappers. Surprisingly, these are very similar in texture to my easy crepes without the sweetener. It’s a thin flour-based pancake, flexible like a tortilla but thinner and perfect for rolling and making Chinese wraps.

I like to serve this dish with some of the delicious toppings below:

• Sesame seeds
• Crushed peanuts
• Chopped green onion
• Extra soy sauce
• Chili flakes

Storage Instructions

Store leftovers in the fridge in an airtight container for up to 3 days. You can also freeze leftovers in a sealed box for up to one month. Thaw in the fridge the day before. This Moo Shu chicken can be easily rewarmed in a non-stick saucepan over medium heat or in the microwave in a microwave-safe bowl.

Allergy Swaps

Below are some substitution suggestions to accommodate your allergies or restrictions.

• Corn-Free – You can swap the cornstarch for the same amount of tapioca flour or arrowroot flour. Both are grain-free healthier options. For a low-carb option, use 1/4 teaspoon of xanthan gum.
• Meat-Free – You can replace the chicken strips with soy curls.
• Shitake Mushrooms – If you prefer other Chinese restaurant-style mushrooms, try wood ear mushrooms. They have a gelatinous texture and earthy flavors.
• Gluten-Free – Make sure to use gluten-free hoisin sauce and tamari instead of soy sauce.
• Sugar-Free – You can replace the honey with a pinch of erythritol or sugar-free maple syrup. You can replace the hoisin with sugar-free Szechuan sauce. Also, thicken the sauce with 1/4 teaspoon of xanthan gum to avoid cornstarch.
• Egg-Free – You can skip the eggs and use bamboo shoots finely cut into strips instead.

Frequently Asked Questions

Below are my answers to your most frequent questions about this recipe.

More Chinese-Inspired Recipes

Here are some more Chinese-inspired recipes for you to enjoy next time