This Easy Homemade Moo Goo Gai Pan has tender sliced chicken and lots of veggies - mushrooms, onions, carrots, snow peas, and water chestnuts - in a delectable savory sauce. It's a quick dinner that's ready in under an hour!
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You'll find this dish on most Chinese food menus. And I'm going to say it...I think this homemade version is even better than takeout!
The Moo Goo Gai Pan that most of us know (and love!) here in the States is an Americanized adaptation of a Cantonese dish called Mohgu Gai Pan, which basically translates to sliced chicken with mushrooms.
In the Chinese-American version, you'll find chicken and mushrooms plus even more vegetables. And the spelling has been changed to the more phonetic Moo Goo Gai Pan, although most pronunciations I've seen show that pan should be said like pin {shrugs shoulders}.
Well, no matter how you say it or spell it, there's one thing that's for sure: It's absolutely delicious!
Many versions of Moo Goo Gai Pan are made with a white or almost-white sauce. I tried making it that way many times but always felt that it lacked flavor. So, I make a light brown sauce instead that has lots of flavor, and I think it looks more appealing too.
It's such a quick and easy dish to make. Just stir-fry some chicken and fresh veggies, add that yummy sauce, and dinner is ready!
Ingredients You Need
Note: Ingredient amounts are in the recipe card at the bottom of the post.
- Chicken breast (boneless and skinless, thinly sliced; or tenderloins)
- Baking soda (optional; this is for "velveting" the chicken if you would like to do that step)
- Chicken broth (I use a combination of water and roasted chicken base)
- Soy sauce (I prefer to use low-sodium soy sauce, but you can also use regular soy sauce; just watch the salt if you do)
- Oyster sauce (adds a delicious salty-sweet umami (savory) flavor; look for it near the Asian foods in the grocery store)
- Sesame oil (I use toasted sesame oil)
- Cornstarch (for thickening the sauce)
- Vegetable oil (or any neutral-tasting oil with a higher smoke point)
- Carrots (peeled and thinly sliced)
- Mushrooms (I use white button mushrooms; cremini or baby bellas are another good choice)
- Onions (peeled and thickly sliced)
- Snow peas (I recommend removing the fibrous strings)
- Water chestnuts (sliced; these come in cans; look for them near the Asian foods in the grocery store)
- Garlic (minced)
- Ginger (minced)
- Salt and pepper
How To Make Moo Goo Gai Pan
Note: This is just a brief overview of the steps. For the full printable recipe with ingredient amounts and detailed instructions, please go to the recipe card at the bottom of the post.
Optional Step: To "velvet" the chicken, place it in a large bowl, sprinkle with baking soda, stir until well combined, and let it sit for 20 minutes. Rinse well with cold water, then drain and pat the chicken dry with paper towels; set aside.
In a small bowl, make the sauce. Whisk together the chicken broth, soy sauce, oyster sauce, sesame oil, and cornstarch until well combined; set aside.
In a large skillet or wok over medium-high heat, stir-fry the chicken in oil until it is no longer pink and is just cooked through. Remove the chicken from the skillet to a plate; set aside.
Stir-fry the carrots in oil until they are just starting to soften, about 2 to 3 minutes.
Add the mushrooms and onions to the skillet; stir-fry until the mushrooms are tender and the onions are crisp-tender, about 3 to 4 minutes.
Add the snow peas, water chestnuts, garlic, and ginger; stir fry for 1 to 2 minutes.
Return the cooked chicken to the skillet along with the sauce; stir to combine.
Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer, stirring, just until the sauce has thickened. Enjoy!
Recipe Tips
- Because thinly sliced boneless, skinless chicken breast can quickly become overcooked and dry, velveting is a procedure commonly used in Chinese cooking that helps make sure the meat stays tender.
- If you'd rather not do this or if you don't enjoy the texture of velveted chicken, it is an optional step, and you can skip it.
- To make this recipe in 40 minutes, prep your vegetables while the chicken is velveting (if you are doing that step). If you are skipping the step of velveting the chicken, you'll probably be able to get the recipe done in about 30 minutes.
- Please don't shy away from using oyster sauce in this recipe, even if you don't like oysters (I don't!). It adds a great salty-sweet umami flavor...and it doesn't really taste like oysters, and it isn't fishy.
- Snow peas have a fibrous string along the flatter top edge that can be unpleasant to eat. I recommend removing the strings before cooking.
- Along that top edge, one end will have a little nub that has a little curve or curl to it. Grab that end, pinch it and pull it towards the other side of the top edge until the string is completely removed.
Substitutions & Variations
- Boneless skinless chicken thighs can be used instead of breasts. Since dark meat is much less likely to dry out and become tough, I don't recommend velveting when using thigh meat.
- This combination of vegetables is what you most often get in takeout versions of this dish. But you can change up the veggies if you'd like (think bok choy, bamboo shoots, baby corn, broccoli, bell peppers, etc.).
Leftover Storage & Reheating
Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 to 4 days. I don't recommend freezing this dish because the texture of the vegetables will change.
I recommend reheating leftover moo goo gai pan in a skillet on the stove over medium heat, stirring often, just until heated through. You can also reheat it in the microwave; I suggest doing this in 30-second intervals, stirring after each one, until heated through (be careful not to overcook).
Serving Suggestions
As with most Chinese stir-fry dishes, I like to serve this over a bed of hot cooked white rice. Basmati is my favorite - it has a nice flavor and always seems to come out nice and fluffy - but jasmine or regular long grain white rice are also good. You can also do brown rice if that's what you prefer.
For a lower-carb option, try serving it over cauliflower rice, or you can simply just serve it as-is.
And if you're good at it (unlike me), go ahead and use chopsticks instead of forks to make dinner a little more fun!
I hope you try this Easy Homemade Moo Goo Gai Pan recipe and love it as much as I do. Thanks for visiting today!
More Chinese-Inspired Recipes To Try
Be sure to check out my Asian Recipes page for even more ideas.
If you try this recipe, I'd love to know how it went. Please leave a star rating and comment below. Thanks!
📋Recipe
Easy Homemade Moo Goo Gai Pan
Ingredients
- 1 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts, thinly sliced (or tenderloins)
- 1½ teaspoons baking soda, for velveting the chicken (optional)
- 1½ cups chicken broth, I use water mixed with roasted chicken base
- 2 tablespoons low-sodium soy sauce, regular soy sauce can be used (just watch the salt)
- 2 tablespoons oyster sauce
- 1 tablespoon sesame oil, I use toasted sesame oil
- 2 tablespoons cornstarch
- 2 tablesooons vegetable oil, divided (or any neutral-tasting oil with a higher smoke point)
- 1 cup peeled and thinly sliced carrots, about 1/16 inch thick
- 8 ounces sliced fresh mushrooms, about ⅛ inch thick (I use white button mushrooms)
- 2 cups thickly sliced onions, about ½-inch slices
- 4 ounces snow peas, strings removed
- 1 (8-ounce) can sliced water chestnuts, drained
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 teaspoon minced fresh ginger
- salt, to taste
- black pepper, to taste
Instructions
Velvet the Chicken (Optional)
- Place the thinly sliced chicken in a large bowl, sprinkle with the baking soda and stir until well combined. Let sit for 20 minutes (no longer).
- Transfer the chicken to a colander and rinse it thoroughly under cold water to remove the baking soda. Drain, then place the chicken on a plate and pat it dry with paper towels; set aside.If you won't be velveting the chicken, just skip this part and add your sliced chicken to the pan in the second step under "Make the Stir-Fry" below.
Make the Sauce
- In a small bowl, whisk together the chicken broth, soy sauce, oyster sauce, sesame oil, and cornstarch until well combined; set aside.
Make the Stir-Fry
- In a large skillet or wok (I use a deep 12" skillet), heat one tablespoon of the vegetable oil over medium-high heat until hot.
- Add the chicken and season lightly with salt and pepper. Stir-fry until the chicken is no longer pink and is just cooked through (there should be no pink in the center). Remove the chicken from the skillet to a plate; set aside.
- Place the skillet back over medium-high heat, add the remaining tablespoon of vegetable oil and heat until hot.
- Add the carrots; stir-fry until they are just starting to soften but still crisp-tender, about 2 to 3 minutes.
- Add the mushrooms and onions; stir-fry until the mushrooms are tender and the onions are crisp-tender, about 3 to 4 minutes.
- Add the snow peas, water chestnuts, garlic, and ginger; stir-fry for 1 to 2 minutes.
- Return the cooked chicken to the skillet along with the sauce (give the sauce a quick whisk to recombine before adding); stir to combine.
- Bring to a boil, then reduce the heat and simmer, stirring, just until the sauce has thickened. Taste and add salt and pepper, if needed.
- Serve immediately and enjoy!
Notes
- I serve this over hot cooked white rice (basmati is my favorite). You could also serve it over brown rice or even cauliflower rice, or you can just enjoy it as-is!
- Because thinly sliced boneless skinless chicken breast can quickly become overcooked and dry, velveting is a procedure that you can use to make sure that the meat stays tender. If you'd rather not do this or if you don't enjoy the texture of velveted chicken, it is an optional step, and you can skip it.
- Snow peas have a fibrous string along the flatter top edge that can be unpleasant to eat. I recommend removing the strings before cooking. Along that top edge, one end will have a little nub that has a little curve or curl to it. Grab that end, pinch it and pull it towards the other side of the top edge until the string is completely removed.
- Please refer to the post for additional information and tips, step-by-step photos, information on substitutions and variations, storing leftovers and reheating.
- Estimated calories shown are for the Moo Goo Gai Pan only. If you are serving it with rice, you will need to add the calories for that.
Sonia Kuczynski says
Finally i found the recipe and how to make the Sauce . No More Takout at Ridculous Prices. DELICIOUS AND A KEEPER ! !
Michelle says
Yay! I'm so happy you found and enjoyed the recipe, Sonia. Thank you!