Moo Shu Chicken
A hybrid of authentic Chinese and American Chinese food, moo shu chicken is a refreshing and delicious dish that’s better than the Chinese restaurant version. Tender juicy chicken, crisp napa cabbage, crunchy bamboo shoots, and wood ear mushrooms are quickly cooked in a savory and lightly sweet sauce. Serve either with moo shu wrappers or steamed rice and you’ll have a healthy and delicious meal.
Servings: 4 servings
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons dried wood ear mushrooms , rehydrated and sliced (yields 1/2 cup)
- 1/2 lb (225 g) chicken breast or thigh , sliced into thin strips (approximately 1 breast)
Marinade
- 2 teaspoons shaoxing wine
- 1/4 teaspoon salt
- 1/4 teaspoon white pepper
- 1 teaspoon cornstarch
- 1 teaspoon sesame oil
Sauce
- 1 tablespoon sweet bean paste (or oyster sauce)
- 1 teaspoon Shaoxing wine
- 1 teaspoon soy sauce
- 1/8 teaspoon sugar
Stir-fry
- 3 tablespoons peanut oil (or vegetable oil, divided)
- 2 eggs , beaten
- 1/2 yellow onion , sliced
- 1" (2.5 cm) 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)
- 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.
- Serve over steamed rice or with steamed moo shu wrappers and extra sweet bean sauce on the side.
(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.
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