Craving takeout? Try my paleo, Whole30, and gluten-free moo goo gai pan! Made with my All-Purpose Stir-Fry Sauce, this quick chicken and mushroom stir-fry brings the delicious flavors of your favorite Chinese American restaurant to your home kitchen!
What is moo goo gai pan?
Moo goo gai pan is one of those classic Chinese American dishes that takes me back to my childhood. While it doesn’t necessarily scream “authentic,” it’s a super simple and comforting Cantonese stir-fry that was adapted decades ago for American palates.
The name moo goo gai pan literally translates to “mushroom chicken slices,” which tells you everything you need to know about this dish: it’s an irresistible mix of tender chicken breast, umami-packed mushrooms, and crunchy veggies like snow peas, carrots, and water chestnuts—all tossed together in a light, savory sauce.
A healthier spin on moo goo gai pan!
Some of you may have avoided moo goo gai pan due to dietary restrictions or preferences—but don’t worry: with my recipe, you can enjoy a healthier version at home! I’ve created a paleo, Whole30, and gluten-free homemade take on this dish using my crazy versatile All-Purpose Stir-Fry Sauce. My moo goo gai pan recipe is bursting with flavor—just like at your favorite Chinese American restaurant. Plus, you can whip it up in no time with ingredients you probably already have on hand!
Tips for the best moo goo gai pan
- Prep all of the ingredients ahead of time! If you cut and measure all of your ingredients ahead of time, marinate the chicken, and whisk up the sauce, the actual stir-frying part will be quick and seamless. Trust me: taking a few extra minutes to set your mise en place is the key to stress-free stir-fry suppers.
- Velveting the chicken breast! My mom’s secret to tenderizing chicken breast slices is to “velvet” the meat ahead of time. This velveting process uses baking soda or a mixture of egg whites, starch, and oil to marinate and tenderize economical cuts of steak, chicken and other meats before cooking. Introducing an alkaline ingredient (e.g., baking soda or egg whites) softens the meat fibers and improves tenderness and juiciness.
- Skip the canned bamboo shoots! I know a lot of other moo goo gai pan recipes call for canned bamboo shoots, but I personally hate their smell and taste and leave them out. Even if you rinse canned bamboo shoots a bunch, the metallic-sulfuric (or, as Ollie says, “fart-y”) smell lingers and ruins the stir-fry. (The texture and taste of canned water chestnuts, on the other hand, are just fine, and I love the crunch that the water chestnuts add to this dish!)
- Use a mixture of mushrooms! In the past, only white button mushrooms were used in moo goo gai pan because that’s what was readily available to Chinese American restaurants. These days, you can easily procure a medley of mushrooms to get the most umami bang for your buck out of this stir-fry. I like to use a combination of oyster mushrooms, shiitake mushrooms, enoki mushrooms, or whatever else they have at the market!
Ingredients
- Boneless, skinless chicken breast: For this stir-fry recipe, I like to use thinly sliced chicken breast meat that is tenderized with a little baking soda and marinated with some water, arrowroot powder, avocado oil, coconut aminos, and Umami Stir-Fry Powder. Feel free to substitute sliced boneless, skinless chicken thighs if you prefer—but I don’t normally add baking soda to chicken thighs because it’s not necessary.
- Mixed mushrooms: You can use all white button mushrooms if you’d like, but I prefer a medley of mushrooms. Try combining white button mushrooms, oyster mushrooms, and shiitake mushrooms.
- Arrowroot powder: To help thicken the sauce and coat the chicken slices, I mix some arrowroot powder with my All-Purpose Stir-Fry Sauce in place of a traditional cornstarch slurry.
- Avocado oil: I use some of this oil in the chicken marinade and as the high smoke point cooking fat for the stir-fry. Feel free to substitute another flavorless, high smoke point cooking oil if you don’t have avocado oil on hand.
- Coconut aminos
- Umami Stir Fry Powder or Diamond Crystal kosher salt
- Baking soda
- All-Purpose Stir-Fry Sauce: My loyal Nomsters know that this is my go-to stir-fry sauce! For this recipe, I dilute it with a 1:1 ratio of chicken broth, thicken it with arrowroot powder, and add toasted sesame oil and ground white pepper for extra flavor.
- Low-sodium chicken broth or unsalted chicken broth
- Toasted sesame oil
- Ground white pepper
- Carrots: I add thin carrot coins to this stir-fry for extra crunch and color!
- Snow peas or sugar snap peas: Snow peas and sugar snap peas are interchangeable in this recipe—but don’t overcook them or you’ll lose the bright green color and crunch. You can also substitute other green veggies, like baby bok choy, celery, or sliced cabbage.
- Canned sliced water chestnuts, drained
- Garlic cloves
- Fresh ginger
How to make moo goo gai pan
Prepare and marinate the chicken breast
First, slice the chicken breast against the grain into thin ¼-inch strips.
To make the cutting part less cumbersome, stick your chicken breast in the freezer for about 15 minutes so the chicken firms up and is easier to slice.
In a large bowl, combine the sliced chicken with 2 tablespoons water, 1 tablespoon arrowroot powder, 1 tablespoon avocado oil, coconut aminos, Umami Stir-Fry Powder, and baking soda.
Toss well and marinate for at least 30 minutes or overnight in the refrigerator.
Make the sauce
In a small bowl or measuring cup, whisk together the chicken broth, All-Purpose Stir-Fry Sauce, 1 tablespoon arrowroot powder, toasted sesame oil, and white pepper. Set the mixture aside.
Make the stir-fry
Heat a large skillet (e.g., well-seasoned cast-iron, wok, or non-stick pan) over medium high heat until hot. Add 1 tablespoon avocado oil to coat the skillet.
Add the marinated chicken to the skillet…
…and stir-fry the chicken until it’s cooked though and browned in parts.
Transfer the cooked chicken to a plate.
Add the remaining tablespoon of avocado oil to the empty pan. Toss in the carrots and stir-fry for 1 minute or until tender-crisp. Then, throw in the mushrooms.
Sauté the mushrooms until they release their liquid, get a little squeaky, and brown in parts.
Next, add the garlic and ginger and sauté until fragrant, about 30 seconds.
Toss in the snow peas and water chestnuts. Cook, stirring, until the peas are bright green and tender-crisp. Then, add the cooked chicken along with any accumulated juices back into the pan.
Whisk the sauce and add it to the pan.
Cook, tossing well, until the sauce has thickened and coats the chicken and vegetables.
Serve!
What do you serve with moo goo gai pan?
Traditionally, moo goo gai pan is served with a bowl of jasmine rice or plain white rice. To keep things paleo, Whole30, and low carb, serve moo goo gai pan with a simple cauliflower fried rice or extra veggies!
How do you save leftovers?
Leftover moo goo gai pan can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to four days. You can also freeze it for up to 3 months. The sauce might thin upon reheating, but that won’t affect the flavor!
More healthy Chinese recipes
Looking for more recipe ideas? Head on over to my Recipe Index. You’ll also find exclusive recipes in my cookbooks, Nom Nom Paleo: Food for Humans (Andrews McMeel Publishing 2013), Ready or Not! (Andrews McMeel Publishing 2017), and Nom Nom Paleo: Let’s Go! (Andrews McMeel Publishing 2022).
Moo Goo Gai Pan
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Ingredients
- 1¼ pounds boneless skinless chicken breasts
- 2 tablespoons water
- 2 tablespoons arrowroot powder, divided
- 3 tablespoons avocado oil, divided
- 1 tablespoon coconut aminos
- ¾ teaspoon Umami Stir Fry Powder or Diamond Crystal brand kosher salt
- ¼ teaspoon baking soda
- ½ cup chicken broth, low sodium or unsalted
- ½ cup All-Purpose Stir-Fry Sauce
- ½ teaspoon toasted sesame oil
- ⅛ teaspoon ground white pepper
- 1 large carrot, peeled and cut into thin coins
- 12 ounces mixed mushrooms, stemmed and sliced (e.g., button mushrooms, oyster mushrooms, shiitake mushrooms, etc.)
- 3 large garlic cloves, minced
- 1 teaspoon minced fresh ginger
- 4 ounces snow peas, ends trimmed (or sugar snap peas)
- 8 ounce canned sliced water chestnuts, drained
Instructions
-
First, cut the chicken breast against the grain into thin ¼-inch strips. To make the cutting part less cumbersome, freeze your chicken breast for about 15 minutes so the chicken firms up and is easier to slice.
-
In a large bowl, combine the sliced chicken with 2 tablespoons water, 1 tablespoon arrowroot powder, 1 tablespoon avocado oil, coconut aminos, Umami Stir-Fry Powder, and baking soda. Toss well and marinate for at least 30 minutes or overnight in the refrigerator.
-
Next, in a small bowl or measuring cup, whisk together the chicken broth, All-Purpose Stir-Fry Sauce, 1 tablespoon arrowroot powder, toasted sesame oil, and white pepper. Set the mixture aside.
-
Heat a large skillet (e.g., well-seasoned cast-iron, wok, or non-stick pan) over medium high heat until hot. Add 1 tablespoon avocado oil to coat the skillet.
-
Add the marinated chicken to the skillet and stir-fry the chicken until it is cooked though and browned in parts. Transfer the cooked chicken to a plate.
-
Add the remaining tablespoon of avocado oil to the empty pan. Toss in the carrots and stir-fry for 1 minute or until tender-crisp. Then, throw in the mushrooms. Sauté the mushrooms until they release their liquid, get a little squeaky, and brown in parts.
-
Next, add the garlic and ginger and sauté until fragrant, about 30 seconds.
-
Toss in the snow peas and water chestnuts. Cook, stirring, until the peas are bright green and tender-crisp. Then, add the cooked chicken along with any accumulated juices back into the pan.
-
Whisk the sauce and add it to the pan. Cook, tossing well, until the sauce has thickened and coats the chicken and vegetables. Serve!
Notes
- Prep all of the ingredients ahead of time! If you cut and measure all of your ingredients ahead of time, marinate the chicken, and whisk up the sauce—the actual stir-frying part will be quick and seamless! Trust me, taking the extra minutes to get your mise en place is key to stress-free stir-fry suppers.
- Velveting the chicken breast! My mom’s secret to tender chicken breast slices in her stir-fries is to marinate the meat with a smidge of baking soda. According to many Chinese cooks, “velveting” is to use baking soda or a mixture of egg whites, cornstarch, and oil to marinate and tenderize economical cuts of steak, chicken and other meats before cooking. Introducing an alkaline ingredient is thought to soften meat fibers and improves tenderness and juiciness. Just use about ¼ teaspoon baking soda per pound and you’re good to go!
- Skip the canned bamboo shoots! I know a lot of moo goo gai pan recipes ask for canned bamboo shoots, but I personally hate them. Even if you rinse them a bunch, the smell lingers and ruins the stir-fry.
- Use a mixture of mushrooms! Traditionally, only white button mushrooms are used in moo goo gai pan because that’s what was readily available. These days, you can use a medley of mushrooms to get the most bang for your buck. I like to use oyster mushrooms, shiitake mushrooms, enoki mushrooms, or whatever else they have at the market!
Nutrition
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