Chinese Moo Goo Gai Pan Recipe

Moo goo gai pan recipe

The Spruce

Prep: 15 mins
Cook: 7 mins
Total: 22 mins
Servings: 2 to 4 servings

A popular restaurant dish, this recipe for moo goo gai pan means "fresh mushrooms with sliced chicken" in Cantonese. The original dish, known as mah gu gai pin, was adapted for Western tastes.

Traditionally made with whole button mushrooms, other types of mushrooms can be substituted and, while some versions include bamboo shoots, water chestnuts, and snow peas, others include broccoli and other vegetables. Likewise, some versions are made with oyster sauce, while others contain hoisin sauce.

Ingredients

For the Marinade:

  • 2 tablespoons soy sauce

  • 1 tablespoon rice wine, or dry sherry

  • Few dashes sesame oil

  • 1 tablespoon cornstarch

  • 3/4 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts, cut into thin strips or chunks

For the Vegetables:

  • 1 cup fresh button mushrooms

  • 1/2 cup canned bamboo shoots

  • 1/2 cup canned water chestnuts

  • 2 slices ginger

  • 1 clove garlic

For the Sauce:

  • 1/2 cup chicken stock

  • 2 tablespoons oyster sauce

  • 1 teaspoon sugar

  • 1 tablespoon cornstarch

  • 3 tablespoons oil, for stir-frying, or as needed

Steps to Make It

Make the Marinade

  1. Gather the ingredients.

    Marinate ingredients
    The Spruce
  2. In a large bowl, whisk together the soy sauce, rice wine or dry sherry, sesame oil, and 1 tablespoon cornstarch until smooth.

    Whisk together
    The Spruce 
  3. Add the chicken strips or chunks, making sure to coat all sides, and marinate the chicken for 15 minutes at room temperature.

Prepare the Vegetables

  1. Gather the ingredients.

    Potatoes in bowl
    The Spruce 
  2. While the chicken is marinating, prepare the vegetables. Wipe the mushrooms clean with a damp cloth and cut into thin slices.

    Mushrooms chopped
    The Spruce
  3. Drain and rinse the canned bamboo shoots and water chestnuts to remove any "tinny" taste.

    Rinse potatoes
    The Spruce
  4. Slice and chop the ginger.

    Chopped ginger
    The Spruce 
  5. Peel and mince the garlic clove. 

Prepare the Sauce

  1. Gather the ingredients.

    Prepare the sauce
    The Spruce
  2. In a small bowl, whisk together chicken stock, oyster sauce, sugar, and 1 tablespoon cornstarch until smooth and set aside.

Stir Fry the Ingredients

  1. Heat a wok and then add 2 tablespoons oil. Add the chicken and stir-fry until it changes color and is nearly cooked through. Remove and set aside.

    Stir fry chicken
    The Spruce
  2. Add remaining 1 tablespoon of the oil. Add the ginger and garlic, and stir-fry briefly.

    Ginger in pan
    The Spruce
  3. Add the mushrooms and stir-fry for several seconds.

    Add mushrooms
    The Spruce
  4. Then add bamboo shoots and water chestnuts. Stir-fry briefly.

    Bamboo shoots
    The Spruce
  5. Give the sauce a quick re-stir, then make a well in the middle of the wok and add the sauce. Cook, stirring until the sauce is thickened.

    Stir fry
    The Spruce
  6. Return chicken to wok. Mix together and heat through.

    Moo goo gai pan mushrooms and chickens
    The Spruce
  7. Serve hot and enjoy!

Kitchen Notes

  • You can use chicken broth instead of chicken stock. Just bring it to a boil, add a bit of rice wine for flavor, and let it simmer for about 5 minutes. 
  • Another variation is to boil the mushrooms in the chicken broth before stir-frying.
Nutrition Facts (per serving)
343 Calories
15g Fat
21g Carbs
30g Protein
×
Nutrition Facts
Servings: 2 to 4
Amount per serving
Calories 343
% Daily Value*
Total Fat 15g 19%
Saturated Fat 2g 9%
Cholesterol 73mg 24%
Sodium 796mg 35%
Total Carbohydrate 21g 7%
Dietary Fiber 2g 6%
Total Sugars 3g
Protein 30g
Vitamin C 8mg 38%
Calcium 31mg 2%
Iron 2mg 12%
Potassium 601mg 13%
*The % Daily Value (DV) tells you how much a nutrient in a food serving contributes to a daily diet. 2,000 calories a day is used for general nutrition advice.
(Nutrition information is calculated using an ingredient database and should be considered an estimate.)