Moo shu chicken with chicken strips, egg, and wood ear mushrooms

Moo shu is originally a Northern Chinese dish, but the version served in American Chinese restaurants is quite different from what I grew up eating in China. Traditional moo shu pork is a simple, savory stir fry of thinly sliced pork, eggs, wood ear mushrooms, and vegetables, usually served with rice rather than wrapped in pancakes. The American Chinese version typically comes with thin pancakes and a rich, sweet-savory sauce for spreading or dipping.

For this Moo Shu Chicken recipe, I wanted to bring together the best of both versions. I keep the eggs and wood ear mushrooms that I love from the traditional dish, but use tender chicken and a flavorful sweet bean sauce for that familiar takeout taste. The wood ear mushrooms add a delightful, slightly crunchy texture that contrasts with the tender chicken and fluffy eggs. I love serving it with warm pancakes for a fun, hands-on meal, but it’s just as delicious spooned over steamed rice for an easy weeknight dinner.

The best part is that it is so easy to make; I simply marinate the chicken strips while the wood ear mushrooms rehydrate, then move fast through one pan: chicken, egg, aromatics, vegetables, and the sauce at the end. I love that it only takes me 40 minutes from cutting board to table, so I recommend you to make this the next time a takeout craving hits on a weeknight.

Moo shu chicken plated with steamed pancakes and extra sweet bean sauce

Ingredients

I keep the ingredient list in 3 groups, the chicken and its quick marinade, a small stir together sauce, and the vegetables that go into the pan in order. Here is what I use:

Ingredients for moo shu chicken including chicken, wood ear mushrooms, napa cabbage, and sweet bean sauce

The chicken: I slice chicken breast or thigh into thin strips so they cook through in a minute or two. I coat them with Shaoxing wine, salt, white pepper, cornstarch, and sesame oil, which keeps the strips separate and tender in the pan.

The sauce: I stir together sweet bean sauce with a little Shaoxing wine, soy sauce, and sugar. Sweet bean sauce is the flavor that makes this taste like moo shu.

You will come across two versions of Tian Mian Jiang – the Northern version (made primarily from flour) and the Southern version (made from soybeans). I love the Northern version, but the Southern version will work just as well. You can also find Tian Mian Jiang on Amazon, but it’s overpriced.

If sweet bean sauce is not available, you can use oyster sauce as an alternative for cooking, and hoisin sauce for serving.

Tian Mian Jiang (Sweet Flour Sauce)

The vegetables and egg: I use rehydrated wood ear mushrooms, sliced yellow onion, minced ginger, bamboo shoots, and napa cabbage. I also beat a couple of eggs to scramble, since the egg is as much a part of moo shu as the meat.

How to Make

1. Rehydrate the wood ear mushrooms: Place the wood ear mushrooms in a small bowl and cover with warm water. Let them rehydrate for 15 minutes, until tender. Drain, cut off any tough ends, and slice into thin strips.

Dried wood ear mushrooms rehydrating in a bowl of hot water

2. Slice and marinate the chicken: Slice the chicken against the grain, first into thin slices and then into thin strips. Coat the strips with the Shaoxing wine, salt, and white pepper. Add the cornstarch and mix again, then work in the sesame oil so the strips stay separate. Marinate for 10 to 15 minutes.

Chicken sliced into thin strips

3. Mix the sauce: While the chicken marinates, stir the sweet bean sauce with the Shaoxing wine, soy sauce, and sugar until smooth.

4. Cook the chicken: Heat 1 tablespoon of oil in a large nonstick pan over medium-high heat. Add the chicken and separate the strips with chopsticks or a spatula. Cook until both sides are just done, about 2 minutes. A hint of pink in the center is fine. Transfer to a big plate.

Chicken strips cooking in a nonstick pan

5. Scramble the egg: Add another tablespoon of oil and the beaten egg to the pan. Let the egg cook undisturbed for 30 seconds, then scramble until just set. Move it to the plate with the chicken.

Beaten egg scrambled in the pan

6. Brown the onion: Add the last tablespoon of oil and the onion. Cook over high heat until slightly browned, about 1 minute.

7. Add the ginger: Add the minced ginger and stir a few times, until fragrant.

Sliced onion browning in the pan with minced ginger

8. Cook the vegetables: Add the wood ear mushrooms, bamboo shoots, and cabbage. Cook until softened but still crunchy, about 2 minutes.

Wood ear mushrooms, bamboo shoots, and napa cabbage cooking

9. Combine and sauce: Return the chicken and egg to the pan. Pour in the sauce and stir until everything is coated. Transfer to a serving plate.

Chicken, egg, and vegetables tossed with sweet bean sauce

10. Serve: Serve over steamed rice, or with steamed pancakes and extra sweet bean sauce on the side. Steam store-bought pancakes for 3 to 5 minutes if thawed, or 10 to 15 minutes from frozen.

Moo shu chicken plated with steamed pancakes and extra sweet bean sauce

My Cooking Tips

Slice the chicken against the grain: Cutting across the muscle fibers shortens them, which is what keeps thin strips tender instead of chewy. I slice the meat while it is still half firm from the fridge, since cold chicken is easier to cut thin.

Buy dried wood ear, not fresh: Dried wood ear mushrooms rehydrate to a soft crunch that holds up in the pan, and a small bag lasts me months in the pantry. I start soaking them first thing so they are ready by the time I mix the sauce.

Cook each thing separately, then combine: Pulling the chicken and egg out before the vegetables keeps the meat from overcooking and the egg from breaking into dry crumbs. Everything goes back in for one quick toss at the end.

Keep the vegetables crunchy: Napa cabbage and bamboo shoots only need about 2 minutes over high heat, since the point is a light bite, not a stew. I stop cooking while the cabbage still has some spring to it.

Warm the pancakes before you plate: Cold pancakes crack when you fold them, so I steam mine until they are soft and pliable right before serving. A quick steam is all they need.

Moo shu wrapper

How to Serve

Moo shu chicken is a fill-your-own dish at my table, and I set the pan of filling in the middle with a stack of warm duck pancakes and a little dish of extra sweet bean sauce. Each person brushes a pancake with sauce, spoons in the filling, and rolls it up. On a plain weeknight I skip the pancakes and just spoon it over steamed rice, which is faster and just as good.

I love hosting a Northern style dinner for friends once in a while, I set the moo shu next to a couple of dishes with different textures. A bowl of egg drop soup to start and a cold Chinese cucumber salad on the side complements the meal without repeating the savory notes of the stir fry. You’d be surprised how flavorful and fresh it tastes, using very simple and healthy ingredients. I hope you enjoy it!

Frequently Asked Questions

What is sweet bean sauce and can I substitute it?

Sweet bean sauce, or tian mian jiang, is a thick fermented sauce that gives moo shu its amazing savory sweet flavor. If I am out of it, I use oyster sauce for cooking, and hoisin sauce for serving, though the result tastes a little different.

Can I make Moo Shu Chicken without wood ear mushrooms?

Yes! Wood ear mushrooms have a unique, slightly crunchy texture that I love in moo shu, but you can skip them or replace them with a few fresh mushrooms instead. The texture will be softer, but the dish will still taste delicious.

What can I use instead of moo shu pancakes?

If you can’t find moo shu pancakes, thin flour tortillas make a convenient substitute. I like to warm them briefly in a skillet before serving so they’re soft and pliable. You can also skip the pancakes altogether and serve the stir fry over steamed rice, which makes a quick and satisfying meal.

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Moo shu chicken on moo shu wrapper

Moo Shu Chicken

By Maggie Zhu
5 from 3 votes
Prep Time: 30 minutes
Cook Time: 10 minutes
Total Time: 30 minutes
Servings: 4 servings
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This Moo Shu chicken is my 30 minute stir fry of tender chicken strips, scrambled egg, and wood ear mushrooms tossed in a savory sweet bean sauce. I cook it as a hybrid of Northern Chinese home cooking and the American Chinese takeout version, and it tastes better than the one I used to order.

Ingredients 

  • 2 tablespoons dried wood ear mushrooms , rehydrated and sliced (yields 1/2 cup)
  • 1/2 lb chicken breast or thigh , sliced into thin strips (approximately 1 breast)

Marinade

Sauce

Stir-fry

  • 3 tablespoons peanut oil (or vegetable oil, divided)
  • 2 eggs , beaten
  • 1/2 yellow onion , sliced
  • 1" ginger , minced
  • 1/2 cup bamboo shoots , sliced into strips
  • 1 cup sliced napa cabbage (cut to 1” / 2.5 cm pieces)

Serving option

  • Homemade duck pancakes (or packaged duck/moo shu pancakes)
  • Hoisin sauce or seasoned sweet bean sauce
  • OR steamed rice

Instructions

Prep

  • Place the wood ear mushrooms in a small bowl and cover with hot water. Let rehydrate for 15 minutes, or until thoroughly tender. Drain, remove and discard any tough ends, and slice the mushrooms into thin strips.
  • Slice the chicken against the grain, first into thin slices then into thin strips.
  • Use your hands to gently coat the sliced chicken with the shaoxing wine, salt, and pepper. Then add the cornstarch and mix again until fully coated. Do the same with the sesame oil. This will help keep the chicken strips from sticking together. Marinate for 10 to 15 minutes.
  • While the chicken is marinating, combine the sauce ingredients.

Stir-fry

  • Heat 1 tablespoon of oil in a large nonstick pan over medium-high heat. Add the chicken. Seperate the slices using chopsticks or a spatula. Cook until both sides are just cooked, 2 minutes or so. It’s OK if the center of the chicken still has a hint of pink. Transfer to a big plate.
  • Add 1 tablespoon of oil and the beaten egg into the pan. Cook the egg undisturbed for 30 seconds, then scramble it until just cooked. Transfer the egg to the plate with the chicken.
  • Add the remaining 1 tablespoon of oil and the onion. Cook over high heat until browned slightly, 1 minute.
  • Add the ginger. Stir a few times to release the fragrance.
  • Add the mushrooms, bamboo shoots, and cabbage. Cook until softened but still crunchy, about 2 minutes.
  • Add the cooked chicken and eggs back into the pan. Pour in the sauce. Stir until everything is evenly coated. Transfer everything into a big serving plate.

(Optional) Steam the pancakes

  • Heat up the homemade pancakes or store-bought pancakes by steaming them until they are just heated through. Steam 3 to 5 minutes for thawed pancakes or 10 to 15 minutes for frozen ones.

(Optional) Make the seasoned sweet bean sauce

  • Make seasoned sweet bean sauce by combining 2 tablespoons sweet bean sauce, 1 tablespoon warm water and 2 teaspoons sugar in a small bowl. Mix until the sugar dissolves.
  • Serve moo shu chicken with steamed rice. Or if prefer, serve it with steamed pancakes and hoisin sauce (or seasoned sweet bean sauce).

Ingredient Substitution Guide

Nutrition

Serving: 1serving, Calories: 232kcal, Carbohydrates: 8.2g, Protein: 16g, Fat: 15.2g, Saturated Fat: 2.6g, Cholesterol: 118mg, Sodium: 392mg, Potassium: 432mg, Fiber: 1.2g, Sugar: 3.8g, Calcium: 42mg, Iron: 1mg

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