Easy Homemade Moo Goo Gai Pan
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!
Servings: 4
Estimated Calories: 334
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!
Recipe 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.
Tried this recipe? I'd love to see it!Take a photo, post it on Instagram, and mention @nowcookthis or tag #nowcookthisrecipes. Thanks!