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This homemade Moo Goo Gai Pan combines juicy chicken strips tossed with mushrooms and crunchy veggies in a delicate, tasty sauce. Our family version brings genuine Chinese tastes using easy-to-find ingredients from your local store.
I came up with this dish after spending tons of time tweaking it in my kitchen at home, using old family recipes and what I learned cooking professionally. Now it's even better than what you'd get at most restaurants.
Must-Have Components
- Chicken breast: 1 pound, cut into thin strips across the grain
- White mushrooms: 8 ounces, wiped and sliced
- Fresh ginger: 2-inch chunk, skinned and chopped small
- Fresh garlic: 3 cloves, chopped tiny
- Bamboo shoots: 8-ounce can, drained and cut
- Water chestnuts: 8-ounce can, drained and cut
- Snow peas: 6 ounces, ends removed
- Carrots: 2 medium, angle-sliced
- Green onions: 3 stalks, cut into 1-inch bits
Getting the Chicken Ready
- First Soak:
- Put chicken strips in bowl. Stir with soy sauce, wine, and white pepper. Let sit 10 minutes.
- Second Soak:
- Blend egg white and cornstarch till smooth. Mix with chicken thoroughly. Let sit 20 minutes.
Prep Your Space
- Get Organized:
- Set up different plates for soaked chicken, cut veggies, and sauce mix. Keep an empty bowl for cooked chicken.
- Right Temperature:
- Make wok super hot - droplets should instantly sizzle. Lower to medium-high during cooking.
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From my years in restaurant kitchens, I've learned that managing your heat and timing is everything in stir-frying. These basics really matter if you want your Moo Goo Gai Pan to taste like it came from a good restaurant.
How To Cook It
Get wok smoking hot. Drizzle in oil and watch it shimmer. Fry the soaked chicken in small amounts until golden. Move to a side dish with its juices. Quickly cook ginger and garlic, then toss in mushrooms, carrots, bamboo shoots, and water chestnuts one after another. Throw in snow peas at the end. Mix chicken back in, pour sauce over everything, and stir until everything's nicely mixed.
How To Keep Leftovers
Put in a sealed container and keep in the fridge for up to three days. When warming up, add a splash of water and heat slowly in a pan to keep everything crisp. You'll find it often tastes even better the next day.
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If you pay attention to how and when you cook things, this traditional Chinese meal will become a go-to in your kitchen. The mix of textures and clean flavors makes for a wonderful dinner that shows off the best parts of Chinese cooking at home.
Frequently Asked Questions
- → What does Moo Goo Gai Pan mean?
- In Cantonese, it means ‘mushroom chicken slices.’ Moo goo is mushrooms, gai means chicken, and pan is slices.
- → Can I pick different vegetables for this dish?
- Totally! Broccoli, celery, baby corn, or any crisp veggie can be swapped in to make it your own.
- → What works instead of Shaoxing wine?
- Dry sherry or chicken broth does the job perfectly if you’re out of Shaoxing wine!
- → Why is cutting chicken against the grain important?
- It makes the pieces softer and stops them from being stringy or tough to eat.
- → Can I make this dish ahead of time?
- It’s best served fresh, but prepping the ingredients beforehand is totally doable for a quick meal when you need it!