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Whip up your favorite Chinese take-out dish at home with this quick and easy moo shu pork recipe! Thin strips of stir-fried pork tenderloin, shredded cabbage, mushrooms, and eggs come together in a sweet-and-savory sauce for a simple weeknight dinner that appeals to even the pickiest little eaters. Wrap the moo shu pork with pancakes (or flour tortillas), serve it over a bowl of rice, or enjoy the meat and veggies on their own. It’s ready in less than 30 minutes!
Authentic Moo Shu Pork
Moo Shu Pork has been one of my favorite entrées at Chinese restaurants since I was a child, and my mom even prepares the meal at home on occasion. She recently gave me her authentic moo shu pork recipe, which comes from a Chinese cookbook called The Joy of Wokking by Martin Yan. We’ve adapted the original recipe slightly to account for certain ingredients that we can’t find in our local grocery store, but the basics remain the same.
What is typically in moo shu?
Moo Shu Pork originated in northern China, possibly Shandong. In its traditional Chinese form, the dish consists of sliced pork tenderloin, cucumber, and scrambled eggs, stir fried together with shiitake or wood-ear mushrooms. It is seasoned with ginger and garlic, green onions, soy sauce, and rice cooking wine.
Why is it called moo shu pork?
The name Moo Shu (Mù Xī/木樨 in Chinese), originally referred to sweet osmanthus, and is now used to describe small pieces of scrambled egg, since the egg resembles the tiny yellow flowers of sweet osmanthus trees. Moo shu pork therefore gets its name from two of its primary ingredients: egg and pork.
What does moo shu taste like?
I’ve omitted the rice wine here (which isn’t easily accessible in our little rural market), and substituted with hoisin sauce. The hoisin sauce gives the dish a sweeter taste, which is similar to the American Chinese restaurant versions that we all know and love. In North America, green cabbage is also a predominant ingredient in moo shu pork, so that’s what we’re using instead of the Chinese cucumber. You’ll love the sweet, slightly toasted and nutty flavor that you get from the hoisin sauce and sesame oil — especially when paired with the salty, umami flavors of the soy sauce.
How to Eat Moo Shu Pork
In China, mu shu pork is typically served with rice. In American Chinese restaurants, the dish comes with a side of hoisin sauce or plum sauce and several warm, steamed, thin, white tortilla-like wrappers made of flour, called “moo shu pancakes” or “Mandarin pancakes.”
Since store-bought moo shu pancakes are hard to come by, and making them by hand can be a bit time consuming, you can substitute with warm flour tortillas in this recipe. Simply spoon some of the meat and vegetable mixture into a tortilla or pancake, top with extra hoisin sauce, and garnish with scallions, toasted sesame seeds, or a squeeze of lime juice. Eat the stuffed pancakes like moo shu pork tacos!
What is moo shu pork sauce made of?
As I mentioned above, in America, moo shu pork comes with a side of either hoisin sauce or plum sauce. I’ve included a little bit of hoisin sauce in the stir fry itself, but you’ll also want to offer some extra on the side for more flavor. Hoisin sauce is a thick sauce with a sweet and salty taste that’s commonly used in Cantonese cuisine. It’s not spicy, and is similar to a Chinese version of barbecue sauce. Plum sauce will also work as a garnish with this dish. Plum sauce is a lighter brown color than hoisin sauce, and has a sweet and sour flavor.
Ingredients
This is a quick overview of the ingredients that you’ll need to make an easy moo shu pork recipe. As always, specific measurements and complete cooking instructions are included in the printable recipe box at the bottom of the post.
- Vegetable oil: a neutral oil with a high smoke point for stir-frying the meat and veggies. You can substitute with other neutral oils like canola oil or peanut oil.
- Eggs: a classic moo shu pork ingredient — however, you can omit the eggs if you like.
- Pork tenderloin: one whole pork tenderloin is about 1 lb., so it’s the perfect amount for this recipe. Pork tenderloin is naturally tender and does well when cooked quickly at high temperatures, like in this stir-fry method.
- Garlic: adds savory flavor to the sauce.
- Shiitake mushrooms: I buy sliced mushrooms for a shortcut. You can substitute with your favorite mushrooms, such as baby bella or white button mushrooms, if necessary. Wood ear mushrooms are very authentic if you can find them.
- Coleslaw mix: a bag of pre-shredded mix is a perfect shortcut so that you don’t have to shred your own cabbage and carrots.
- Green onions: scallions add a nice, mild touch of onion flavor without overpowering the dish.
- Kosher salt and ground black pepper: enhance the other flavors.
- Soy sauce: for salty, umami flavor in the sauce. I prefer low sodium soy sauce (or light soy sauce), but any variety will work.
- Hoisin sauce: a thick, rich, sweet-and-salty Chinese sauce that adds flavor to the stir-fry and serves as a garnish for the finished dish. Find it in the Asian or International foods aisle at your grocery store, or order it online here.
- Sugar: just enough for a slightly sweet touch.
- Sesame oil: an essential ingredient for that true Asian flavor. Do not substitute with a different oil. The sesame oil has a unique nutty flavor that’s hard to replicate with other ingredients, and it truly makes the dish! You can find sesame oil in the Asian or International foods aisle at just about every grocery store these days, or order it online here.
- Ginger: use fresh if you have it, or substitute with ground ginger when necessary. It adds a warm, zesty touch to the sauce.
- Chicken broth and cornstarch: thicken the sauce.
- Flour tortillas, rice, toasted sesame seeds, lime wedges: optional additional garnishes for serving.
How to Make Easy Moo Shu Pork
This quick stir fry dinner comes together in less than 30 minutes. Have all of your ingredients prepped and ready to go, because it moves fast once you start cooking.
- Cook the eggs in a large skillet or wok over medium heat until they’re set like an omelet. Remove the cooked eggs to a cutting board.
- Stir-fry the pork over high heat for about 1 ½ minutes, then add the garlic and veggies and cook for about 2 more minutes.
- Add the chopped eggs to the pork mixture in the skillet, along with the salt, soy sauce, hoisin sauce, sugar, sesame oil, ginger, pepper, and the broth-cornstarch mixture.
- Let the sauce simmer for another couple of minutes, until the vegetables are tender and the sauce thickens a bit.
- Serve the pork mixture wrapped in tortillas or over rice. Garnish with hoisin sauce and other optional toppings.
What to Serve with Moo Shu Pork
In addition to the pancakes or tortillas, this dish is delicious when served with a side of rice. You might also like to offer some steamed broccoli, oven-roasted sesame broccoli, ramen noodle salad, or a sesame ginger snap pea salad. Don’t forget about spring rolls or egg rolls, too (pick up some prepared egg rolls in the frozen section at your grocery store). If you like noodles alongside your meat and moo shu vegetables, try these sesame peanut noodles.
Storage
Store leftover moo shu pork in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. It gets soggy as the vegetables sit and absorb the sauce, but the flavor is still great! You can reheat individual servings in the microwave for about 1 minute, or reheat a larger quantity in a skillet over low heat just until warmed through.
Can you freeze moo shu pork?
No, I do not recommend freezing the leftover moo shu pork. The cabbage and other vegetables will have a mushy texture when thawed, and will release extra water that thins the sauce.
Recipe Variations
- Make moo shu chicken by substituting 1 lb. of boneless, skinless chicken breast for the pork tenderloin.
- For a vegetarian option, make moo shu vegetables by omitting the pork and bulking up the stir-fry with additional mushrooms, diced tofu, and other veggies of choice (like bean sprouts). Substitute vegetable broth for the chicken broth in the sauce.
- If you choose to shred your own green cabbage and carrots instead of using a bag of coleslaw mix, you will need a total of about 6 ¾ cups of finely-shredded vegetables.
- Moo shu pork isn’t typically a spicy dish, but you can add some heat by garnishing individual servings with sriracha sauce or crushed red pepper flakes.
Tips for the Best Moo Shu Pork Recipe
- Slice the pork as thin as possible. A really sharp knife is key! You can also freeze the pork for about 20 minutes to make it easier to slice into very thin strips.
- Wrap the tortillas in a towel and microwave them for a few seconds so that they’re warm before serving, or wrap them in foil and pop them in a 350°F oven for a few minutes. A soft, warm tortilla is so much better than a cold one!
- Do not omit the sesame oil or hoisin sauce. These are essential ingredients that give the dish its classic Asian flavor.
More Chinese-Inspired Recipes to Try
- One-Skillet “Egg Roll in a Bowl”
- Chicken Lo Mein
- Shrimp Fried Rice
- Chicken and Broccoli Stir-Fry
- Honey Sesame Grilled Shrimp Skewers
- Dump-and-Bake Kung Pao Chicken
- Chicken Ramen Noodles in Peanut Sauce
- Dump-and-Bake General Tso Chicken
- Healthy Chicken Chow Mein
Moo Shu Pork
Ingredients
- 3 tablespoons vegetable oil, divided
- 3 eggs, lightly beaten
- 1 (1 lb.) pork tenderloin, cut into thin strips
- 2 cloves garlic, finely minced
- 5 ounces sliced shiitake mushrooms
- 1 (14 ounce) bag coleslaw mix (about 6 ¾ cups)
- 2 green onions, white and green parts, sliced into 1-inch pieces
- ¾ teaspoon kosher salt
- 3 tablespoons soy sauce
- 3 tablespoons hoisin sauce, plus extra for serving
- 1 tablespoon sesame oil
- 1 ½ teaspoons grated fresh ginger (or ½ teaspoon ground ginger)
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- Dash of ground black pepper
- ⅓ cup chicken broth whisked with 1 teaspoon cornstarch
- For serving: extra hoisin sauce; flour tortillas or rice; additional sliced green onions; toasted sesame seeds; lime wedges
Instructions
- In a large skillet, heat 1 tablespoon of oil over medium heat. Add the eggs; let them sit, undisturbed, for about 3-4 minutes (or until they set and form a large omelet). Remove the eggs to a cutting board and set aside.
- Add 2 more tablespoons of oil to the skillet and heat the oil over high heat. Add the pork; stir-fry for 1 ½ minutes. Add the garlic, mushrooms, coleslaw mix, and green onion; stir-fry for 2 more minutes. While the meat and vegetables cook, cut the eggs into thin strips. At the very end, add the chopped eggs, salt, soy sauce, hoisin sauce, sugar, sesame oil, ginger, pepper, and broth-cornstarch mixture. Cook and stir until the sauce thickens and the vegetables are tender, about 2 more minutes. Taste and season with additional salt and pepper, if necessary.
- Serve the mixture on top tortillas or rice with hoisin sauce and additional optional toppings.
Notes
- Slice the pork as thin as possible. A really sharp knife is key! You can also freeze the pork for about 20 minutes to make it easier to slice into very thin strips.
- Wrap the tortillas in a towel and microwave them for a few seconds so that they’re warm before serving, or wrap them in foil and pop them in a 350°F oven for a few minutes. A soft, warm tortilla is so much better than a cold one!
- Do not omit the sesame oil or hoisin sauce. These are essential ingredients that give the dish its classic Asian flavor.
- Make moo shu chicken by substituting 1 lb. of boneless, skinless chicken breast for the pork tenderloin.
- For a vegetarian option, make moo shu vegetables by omitting the pork and bulking up the stir-fry with additional mushrooms, diced tofu, and other veggies of choice (like bean sprouts). Substitute vegetable broth for the chicken broth in the sauce.
- If you choose to shred your own green cabbage and carrots instead of using a bag of coleslaw mix, you will need a total of about 6 ¾ cups of finely-shredded vegetables.
- Moo shu pork isn’t typically a spicy dish, but you can add some heat by garnishing individual servings with sriracha sauce or crushed red pepper flakes.
Nutrition
This recipe was originally published in April, 2021. The photos were updated in August, 2022.
Disclosure: This post may contain affiliate links. I may earn a small commission for my endorsement, recommendation, testimonial, and/or link to any products or services from this website. As an Amazon Associate I earn from qualifying purchases.
5 stars are hard to come by with my hubby but this was close!!
Only thing I changed was reduced oil for the eggs to 1/2 tbsp. and my tenderloin was too big so I used center cut pork loin chops and sliced them thin to cut into strips.
Served with Jasmine rice…..DELISH!!! Another Seasoned Mom winner!!!!
The best
Thank you! 🙂