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Moo Goo Gai Pan

Moo Goo Gai Pan

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.
Course Main Course
Cuisine Asian
Prep Time 15 mins
Cook Time 20 mins
Marinate time 20 mins
Total Time 55 mins
Servings 6 servings
Calories 254
Author Krissy Allori

Ingredients

MARINADE:

  • 1 ½ pounds boneless skinless chicken breast ((sliced thin))
  • 2 tablespoons soy sauce
  • 2 tablespoons cornstarch
  • 1 tablespoon rice vinegar

SAUCE:

  • ½ cup chicken stock
  • ¼ 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 chicken breast against the grain. An extremely sharp fillet knife and almost frozen chicken is recommended for easy slicing.
    velvet chicken breast for chinese food recipe
  • In a shallow dish or resealable plastic bag, whisk together soy sauce, corn starch, and 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.
    sauce and chopped vegetables in bowls

Cook the Moo Goo Gai Pan:

  • In a wok or large saute pan over high heat, add oil. When oil is so hot that it 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.
    thinly sliced cooked chicken breast
  • Using the same pan, add mushrooms and snow peas and cook for about 5 minutes, stirring only occasionally to prevent burning. When the vegetables start to sear, add the bok choy, stir, and continue cooking.
    cooked mushrooms, snow peas, bok choy
  • Add bamboo shoots, water chestnuts, garlic, ginger, and cooked chicken to the pan. Stir well to combine and allow to cook for a couple minutes minutes.
    chicken with vegetables in wok pan
  • 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).
    Moo Goo Gai Pan sauce
  • 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

Calories: 254kcal | Carbohydrates: 15g | Protein: 29g | Fat: 8g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Polyunsaturated Fat: 2g | Monounsaturated Fat: 3g | Trans Fat: 1g | Cholesterol: 73mg | Sodium: 1127mg | Potassium: 725mg | Fiber: 3g | Sugar: 4g | Vitamin A: 402IU | Vitamin C: 23mg | Calcium: 33mg | Iron: 2mg