Moo Goo Gai Pan

5 from 3 votes

If you're craving Chinese food, this Moo Goo Gai Pan recipe with tender pieces of boneless skinless chicken breast, vegetables including mushrooms, snow peas, and bok choy, complete with a savory sauce, is quick and easy dinner to make! This recipe is not spicy and has mild flavors.

Prep Time15

Cook Time20

Marinate time20

Total Time55

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: Asian

Servings: servings

Author: Krissy Allori

Equipment

wok pan

Ingredients

MARINADE:

1 1/2 pounds boneless skinless chicken breast (sliced thin)
2 tablespoons soy sauce
2 tablespoons cornstarch
1 tablespoon rice vinegar

SAUCE:

1/2 cup chicken stock
1/4 cup soy sauce
1 tablespoon rice vinegar
1 tablespoon oyster sauce
1 tablespoon sesame oil
1 tablespoon cornstarch

MOO GOO GAI PAN:

1 tablespoon oil peanut, avocado, or vegetable
2 cups mushrooms sliced (stems removed before slicing, equivalent to about 6 large button or mini bella mushrooms)
2 cups snow peas
1 head baby bok choy roughly chopped with stem removed
8 ounces bamboo shoots (one can, drained)
8 ounces water chestnuts (one can, drained)
3 cloves garlic minced
1 teaspoon ginger minced
salt and pepper to taste

Instructions

Marinate (velvet) the chicken:

Thinly slice 1 1/2 pounds boneless skinless chicken breast against the grain. An extremely sharp fillet knife and almost frozen chicken is recommended for easy slicing.
In a shallow dish or resealable plastic bag, whisk together 2 tablespoons soy sauce, 2 tablespoons cornstarch, and 1 tablespoon rice vinegar until the corn start dissolves. Add the chicken breast and stir to coat. Allow to sit, refrigerated, for at least 20 minutes.

Moo Goo Gai Pan sauce:

While chicken is marinating, whisk together sauce ingredients and set aside. Since this is a fast cooking recipe, prepare remaining ingredients.
1/2 cup chicken stock, 1/4 cup soy sauce, 1 tablespoon rice vinegar, 1 tablespoon oyster sauce, 1 tablespoon sesame oil, 1 tablespoon cornstarch

Cook the Moo Goo Gai Pan:

In a wok or large sauté pan over high heat, add 1 tablespoon oil. When oil begins to smoke, add marinated chicken and spread out to avoid crowding. Cook for about 5 minutes, turning or tossing occasionally only to avoid burning. Transfer browned chicken to a clean plate and set aside.
Using the same pan, add 2 cups mushrooms (sliced) and 2 cups snow peas and cook for about 5 minutes, stirring only occasionally to prevent burning. When the vegetables start to sear, add 1 head baby bok choy (roughly chopped with stem removed), stir, and continue cooking.
Add 8 ounces bamboo shoots, 8 ounces water chestnuts, 3 cloves garlic (minced), 1 teaspoon ginger (minced), and cooked chicken to the pan. Stir well to combine and allow to cook for a couple minutes minutes.
Add sauce, stir well to combine, and allow to cook for a few minutes until sauce thickens. Taste and add salt and pepper, to taste (I found that it definitely needed additional salt).
Remove from heat and serve immediately.

Notes

To get the best sear: Always ensure the oil and pan are extremely hot, spread ingredients out as much as possible, and only stir to prevent burning.
Modify ingredients: This is a versatile dish that can be altered however you wish. Additional ingredients you can add or swap include:
- sliced carrots
- fresh broccoli
- canned straw mushrooms
- scallions
- peanuts or cashews

Nutrition