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This Dump-and-Bake Moo Shu Chicken is a lighter, healthier version of the Chinese restaurant classic. With just one dish and about 10 minutes of prep, it’s an easy dinner recipe that’s even better than take-out!
When I was growing up, it was such a treat for our family to go out to dinner at the local Chinese restaurant. For years, my standard order was Beef with Broccoli. Eventually, though, I came around and I realized that my mom’s favorite Moo Shu Chicken with pancakes was the way to go!
If you love the restaurant-style authentic moo shu pork or moo shu chicken just as much as our family always has, then you’re going to love this dish. Thanks to my easy moo shu chicken recipe, you can enjoy this treat at home — any night of the week — no reservations required!
What does Moo Shu mean?
Moo Shu is a Chinese dish of stir-fried vegetables, egg, and often meat or fish served wrapped in a thin pancake.
What is Moo Shu made of?
This delicious and easy moo shu sauce is made with a combination of brown sugar, soy sauce, hoisin sauce, rice vinegar, sesame oil, salt, garlic and ginger. It’s the perfect blend of sweet and savory!
How to Make Moo Shu Chicken:
Place diced chicken in a large Ziploc bag and sprinkle with cornstarch. Toss the chicken with the cornstarch to coat every piece of meat, and then transfer the chicken to a large baking dish.
Next, you’ll add the cabbage and sliced mushrooms, and then stir to combine.
I like to use two bags of coleslaw mix and a container of sliced mushrooms for a shortcut, but you can also slice your own vegetables if you prefer.
Now it’s time for the moo shu sauce! Simply whisk together all of the ingredients, including:
- brown sugar
- soy sauce
- hoisin sauce
- rice vinegar
- sesame oil
- salt, garlic and ginger
Pour the sauce over the chicken and vegetables, and then toss to combine.
Bake the Moo Shu Chicken in a 425 degree F oven for a total of about 30 minutes, stirring twice during the cooking time. You know it’s done when the chicken is cooked through and the vegetables are tender.
Season with additional salt and pepper, garnish with sliced green onions or toasted sesame seeds, and serve!
How to Eat Moo Shu Chicken and What to Serve with Moo Shu Chicken:
- Restaurants typically serve moo shu chicken with mandarin pancakes. These thin moo shu pancakes are really just made from flour and water. Since I don’t have access to mandarin pancakes around here, I just serve flour tortillas as our moo shu chicken wraps.
- Instead of pancakes, try eating your moo shu chicken over a bed of rice, over cauliflower rice, or wrapped in a big lettuce leaf.
- If you want to add some sides to your table, you can also serve the moo shu chicken with baked egg rolls that you pick up from the freezer aisle, or with 10-Minute Oven Roasted Sesame Broccoli.
Can you freeze Moo Shu Chicken?
Yes! If you have leftovers, package the chicken mixture in airtight containers and store in the freezer for up to 3 months.
Thaw frozen moo shu chicken in the refrigerator overnight, and then reheat in a hot skillet (or in a microwave) until warmed through.
Cook’s Tips and Recipe Variations:
- An authentic Moo Shu recipe includes scrambled eggs (similar to those that you find in fried rice). I have omitted the eggs here because I found that they don’t cook well in the sauce and they just give the dish a weird texture. If you want to add the eggs to your meal, I recommend cooking scrambled eggs in a separate skillet on the stovetop and then stirring them into the Moo Shu Chicken at the end of the cooking time.
- Use this same basic recipe to prepare Moo Shu Shrimp! To do so, bake the vegetables in the moo shu sauce as instructed. Use 2 lbs. of shrimp instead of the chicken. Just be sure to wait and add the shrimp to the baking dish during the final 15 minutes, since the shrimp will cook much faster than the chicken.
- Please don’t try to substitute a different oil for the sesame oil. The dinner just will NOT taste the same. Plus, you can find tiny little bottles of sesame oil in just about any grocery store these days, and you’ll plow through it quickly with recipes like my Peanut Sesame Noodles, my Garlic Sesame Chicken, and my One Skillet Egg Roll in a Bowl!
Other easy Chinese-inspired dinner recipes that you can make at home:
- Dump-and-Bake General Tso Chicken
- Dump-and-Bake Sweet and Sour Chicken
- Dump-and-Bake Kung Pao Chicken
- Dump-and-Bake Chinese Pepper Steak
Dump-and-Bake Moo Shu Chicken
Ingredients
- 2 lbs. boneless, skinless chicken tenderloins or breasts, cut into 1 ½-inch pieces
- 2 bags (8.5 ounces each) coleslaw mix (or 6-7 cups finely shredded cabbage)
- 8 ounces sliced mushrooms
- 2 tablespoons cornstarch
- ½ cup brown sugar
- ¼ cup less sodium soy sauce
- ¼ cup hoisin sauce plus extra for serving
- 1 tablespoon rice vinegar
- 1 teaspoon sesame oil
- ½ teaspoon salt
- 3 teaspoons finely minced fresh garlic I like to use a squeeze bottle of minced garlic from the produce section as a shortcut
- ¼ teaspoon ground ginger
- Optional garnish: sliced green onions; toasted sesame seeds
- For serving: tortillas, rice, lettuce wraps, or cauliflower rice
Instructions
- Preheat oven to 425 degrees F. Spray a large baking dish (about 9 x 13 inches) with cooking spray and set aside.
- Place diced chicken in a large Ziploc bag. Sprinkle the cornstarch into the bag, seal the bag, and toss to coat the chicken pieces.
- Dump chicken into the prepared baking dish. Add cabbage and mushrooms, toss to combine.
- In a separate bowl, whisk together brown sugar, soy sauce, hoisin sauce, rice vinegar, sesame oil, salt, garlic, and ginger. Pour sauce into dish and stir.
- Bake, uncovered, for a total of 30 minutes, stirring twice during the cooking time. Remove from the oven with the chicken is cooked through and the sauce has thickened.
- Season with additional salt and pepper, to taste. Garnish with sliced green onions, sesame seeds, and an extra drizzle of hoisin sauce, if desired. Serve with tortillas, rice, lettuce wraps or cauliflower rice.
Notes
- An authentic Moo Shu recipe includes scrambled eggs (similar to those that you find in fried rice). I have omitted the eggs here because I found that they don’t cook well in the sauce and they just give the dish a weird texture. If you want to add the eggs to your meal, I recommend cooking scrambled eggs in a separate skillet on the stovetop and then stirring them into the Moo Shu Chicken at the end of the cooking time.
- Use this same basic recipe to prepare Moo Shu Shrimp! To do so, bake the vegetables in the moo shu sauce as instructed. Use 2 lbs. of shrimp instead of the chicken. Just be sure to wait and add the shrimp to the baking dish during the final 15 minutes, since the shrimp will cook much faster than the chicken.
- Please don’t try to substitute a different oil for the sesame oil. The dinner just will NOT taste the same. Plus, you can find tiny little bottles of sesame oil in just about any grocery store these days, and you’ll plow through it quickly with recipes like my Peanut Sesame Noodles, my Garlic Sesame Chicken, and my One Skillet Egg Roll in a Bowl!