Homestyle moo goo gai pan is loaded with juicy tender chicken and colorful vegetables, brought together with a hearty savory sauce. {Gluten-Free Adaptable}
Moo Goo Gai Pan, or mo gu ji pian (蘑菇鸡片), means mushrooms and sliced chicken. It originates from Cantonese cuisine and was slightly transformed when it became one of the most well known American Chinese dishes.
In the US, the takeout style moo goo gai pan is a colorful dish that has a lot of fun textures created by colorful vegetables and the juicy tender chicken slices. In this homemade version, I add a bit more veggies than the restaurant version, making it a nutritious and healthy meal without compromising on taste.
Moo goo gai pan ingredients
Bamboo shoots
Bamboo shoots are a common ingredient in Chinese stir fries to add a crunchy texture to the dish. In the US, you can easily find canned bamboo shoots in most grocery stores. You can simply drain off the water and directly use the sliced bamboo shoots in this recipe.
If you have access to a Chinese market or Asian grocery store, you might be able to find whole bamboo shoots in water. They could either come in packages in the refrigerated section, or soaked in water in bulk (usually displayed near the produce or tofu). They come in different shapes and sizes, but any of them will work in this recipe.
When available, I highly recommend using whole bamboo shoots. Because whole bamboo shoots have a firmer texture and a better taste than the canned ones.
Water chestnut
Water chestnut is another fun ingredient to add texture to moo goo gai pan. Different from bamboo shoots, water chestnuts have a crunchy crisp texture that is similar to apple. It also has a mild sweet taste that works perfectly with chicken.
Like bamboo shoots, you can also easily find the canned water chestnuts in most grocery stores.
At Asian markets, you can also find peeled frozen whole water chestnuts, or even fresh skin-on water chestnuts, when in season. If you have the chance, definitely try out the fresh water chestnuts. Even though it takes extra time to peel and slice them, they have a much crisper texture and a much sweeter taste.
Mise en place
When you’re ready to cook, your table should have:
- Marinated chicken
- Snow peas (tough ends removed)
- Sliced vegetables (carrot, bamboo shoots, water chestnuts, and mushrooms)
- Chopped aromatics (green onion and garlic)
- Mixed sauce
Note on the sauce:
A previous version of this recipe used 1/2 cup chicken broth and 2 teaspoons of cornstarch. When updating the post, I halved both ingredients so you will have just enough sauce to coat the ingredients. That is my preferred way to cook this dish.
If you like a saucier version, you can use 1/2 cup chicken broth and 2 teaspoons of cornstarch without changing the other ingredient quantities.
How to make moo goo gai pan
- Sear the chicken until golden and just cooked through
- Saute the aromatics to release fragrance
- Cook the carrot and mushrooms
- Cook the bamboo shoots and snow peas
- Add back the chicken and pour in the sauce
- Mix everything together
It is very important to remove the chicken once it is cooked and add it back later to prevent overcooking.
My recipe uses quite a lot of vegetables, so please be sure to use a large pan (12” skillet) and heat it very hot, so the veggies will be seared properly.
Do I need a wok to make moo goo gai pan?
If you think you need a wok to make proper Chinese takeout, you are mistaken. As long as you have a large skillet that is 12” to 14” inches (30 to 35 cm) in diameter, with a higher edge if possible, you’re all set. (You can read more about why I recommend a skillet over a wok for home cooks and how to set up your cooking station.) My favorite frying pan is a Debuyer 12.5” carbon steel pan. It heats up evenly, holds heat very well, and sears the meat and vegetables beautifully. Plus, it becomes nonstick once properly seasoned, just like a cast iron pan. A OXO nonstick pan works well too, especially if you want to add less oil into your stir fry and keep it lower in calories.
How to serve moo goo gai pan
You can serve moo goo gai pan over steamed rice as a balanced meal, or serve it as a main dish in a multi-course dinner along with some sides and appetizers.
For takeout dishes that serve well together, check out:
- Egg Drop Soup
- Chinese Eggplant with Garlic Sauce
- Chinese Beef and Broccoli
- General Tso’s Chicken
- Yang Zhou Chao Fan (扬州炒饭)
- Char Siu Lo Mein
Moo Goo Gai Pan (蘑菇鸡片)
Ingredients
Marinade
- 1 boneless skinless chicken breast (or 2 chicken thighs) , about 1/2 lb / 225 g
- 1 tablespoon Shaoxing wine
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1 teaspoon cornstarch
Sauce (*Footnote 1)
- 1/4 cup chicken broth
- 1 tablespoon soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon oyster sauce
- 1 tablespoon Shaoxing wine (or dry sherry, or chicken stock)
- 1 teaspoon cornstarch
Stir-fry
- 2 tablespoons peanut oil (or vegetable oil)
- 2 cloves garlic , minced
- 2 green onions , sliced (reserve some green of the green part for garnish)
- 1 carrot , sliced
- 1/2 lb (225 g) white mushrooms , sliced
- 1 cup snow peas , tough ends and strings removed
- 1 cup bamboo shoots , sliced and drained thoroughly
- 1 cup water chestnuts , sliced and drained thoroughly
Instructions
- Slice chicken against the grain into 1/4” (1/2 cm) pieces. Transfer into a medium-size bowl. Add Shaoxing wine and salt. Mix well. Add the cornstarch. Gently mix by hand to coat chicken evenly.
- Combine all the sauce ingredients into a small bowl. Mix well and set aside.
- Heat 1 tablespoon of oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat until hot. Add chicken and spread into a single layer. Cook without touching for about 30 seconds, or until the bottom turns golden. Flip and cook for another 10 to 20 seconds, until the surface is lightly browned and the inside is still a little pink. Transfer chicken to a plate.
- Add the remaining 1 tablespoon of oil, garlic and green onion into the skillet. Stir a few times to release fragrance.
- Add carrot and mushrooms. Cook until it starts to get tender and the liquid from the mushrooms has fully evaporated, 3 minutes or so.
- Add snow peas, bamboo shoots, and water chestnuts. Cook for 1 minute.
- Stir the sauce again to let cornstarch dissolve completely. Pour into the pan. Add back chicken. Stir until the sauce thickens.
- Transfer everything into a serving plate immediately and garnish with the green part of the green onion. Serve hot over steamed rice or by itself.
Notes
- A previous version of this recipe used 1/2 cup chicken broth and 2 teaspoons of cornstarch. When updating the post, I halved both ingredients so you will have just enough sauce to coat the ingredients. That is my preferred way to cook this dish.
If you like a saucier version, you can use 1/2 cup chicken broth and 2 teaspoons of cornstarch without changing the other ingredient quantities.
This is one of my favorite dishes to get when I go out to Chinese restaurants, so I’m nervous to try it out at home as I don’t want to ruin it. The recipe makes it seem as though it should be pretty straight forward.
Thanks for posting Maggie! Hoping this turns out well.
Hope your dish turns out well Seth! The cooking is quite straight forward. If you keep your pan hot all the time and do not overcook the chicken, I believe it will turn out well 🙂
Happy cooking and let me know how it goes!
I made this over the weekend. It was so easy and so simply delicious. I make a lot of spicy dishes and it was a nice change of pace to make and eat this one. The mild sauce allows the flavors of the ingredients to shine. Yum!
This looks so fresh and tasty, and easy to make too! I love that you’ve got recipes for so many of my favourite take-out dishes, so now I can make them at home! Thanks Maggie 🙂
This looks absolutely delicious and is something that all of my family would enjoy. Brilliant recipe love the extra veggies and sauce too.
Made this tonight and it was nothing short of FABULOUS. My husband loves Chinese food and I have tried numerous times in our 24 year marriage to make ANYTHING that tastes just like it came from a Chinese restaurant. I have failed quite miserably until tonight. This recipe is spot on and my husband was over the moon. I usually don’t even care for moo goo gai pan when we eat out as I like very spicy food and this dish is usually very bland to me. I prepared my usual condiments to “flavor up” the blah white sauce and guess what – I never opened a bottle or jar” It was amazing! The only things I did differently was to triple the sauce recipe as we lov LOTS of sauce. Probably double would have worked though. I added 2 little shaves of fresh ginger and left out the soy sauce (hubby doesn’t like) but added 1/4 t salt in its place. I also used the chicken broth rather than the sherry because I was scared.
Thank you so much cute little Asian girl!!, You have made this grandma fulfill one of her dreams….to make restaurant quality Chinese food at home. Can’t wait to try your other recipes.
Hi Kim, I’m so happy to hear you enjoyed the dish! Oh yeah it totally makes sense to double the sauce expecially if you serve them with rice. And I believe that using salt to replace soy sauce works too. Thank you for leaving such a sweet message and hope you have a great day! 🙂
I enjoyed this recipe. I had to substitute the following: garlic powder for cloves of garlic, and I used the vegetarian version of oyster sauce. Also, I did not drain the water chestnuts and bamboo shoots. Please advise on to drain or not to drain. Thank you, Maggie, for this healthy and tasty recipe.
I made this tonight and it was exceptional. My Shanghaiese wife loved it.
Thanks for another nice dish.
Delicious and easy! This is the most authentic tasting sauce for this dish I’ve tried. It’s important to buy good Oyster sauce from an Asian market. I did substitute fresh sugar snap peas for snow peas only because I like them better.
This dish was delicious and very straight forward! It tastes like the real dish.
Really good. Turned out great on my first try. It’s part of my Asian food lineup now.
Tried this for the 1st time tonite. Easy to follow directions, hardest part was just the prep. Cooked quickly and was delicious, even the kids loved it.
This tasted just like it was from a restaurant! Loved it!
this recipe tastes excactly like my favorite restaurants dish. will definitly make it again. so simple
Great recipe! I made it for dinner Sunday night. The sauce was great, that is my new favorite way to stir-fry chicken, and it was my first time cooking water chestnuts and bamboo shoots. It was easy to make and delicious! Thank you for the great recipe and cooking inspiration!!
I love 99% of your recipes so glad I am on your mailing list so I don’t miss a thing, this one in particular is one of my favourites although I do have to use the tinned bamboo shoots as I haven’t found anywhere near me (I’m in UK) that I can get them from, which is a problem I have with some of the other ingredients from your other meals, they are always so easy to prepare and even though I generally use chicken in most meals they are all so different, so thank you Maggie for keeping my meals so fresh and tasteful.