David loves Chinese Food so I thought I would research a recipe I could make for our dinner. I found one for Moo Goo Gai Pan. I would like to share with you what is Moo Goo Gai Pan and How to Make It.
Moo Goo Gai Pan is a favorite among those who love Chinese restaurants, and with good reason. The delicious stir fry is simply one of the best tasting options on the menu! Some people might think Moo Goo Gai Pan is difficult to make, or that the ingredients would be hard to find. We’re here to tell you that that’s just not true. In fact, you could be Moo Goo Gai Pan better than your favorite Chinese restaurant from your own kitchen!
What is Moo Goo Gai Pan
For those who’ve never tried it, Moo Goo Gai Pan sounds pretty mysterious. You might have heard the word thrown around in Chinese restaurants, but never knew quite what it meant. In truth, Moo Goo Gai Pan is exactly what it sounds like — once you know what all those words mean of course. Translating into English makes everything a bit clearer: “Moo Goo” means mushroom, “gai” means chicken, and “pan” means slices. In other words, Mushroom Chicken Slices!
When we say Moo Goo Gai pan what we really mean is the Americanized version of traditional Cantonese stir-fry. Just like the name suggests, Moo Goo Gai pan is made with mushrooms and sliced chicken, along with other vegetables, that are tossed together in a stir-fry sauce. Moo Goo Gai pan is a staple in Chinese restaurants all across the U.S., and although every restaurant has their own style, most recipes will call for Carrots, Water Chestnuts, Bamboo Shoots, and Green Onions to be added into the mix. And, if you’re a Vegetarian, you have nothing to worry about. There’s no hard-and-fast rule saying your Moo Goo Gai Pan needs to have Chicken. A Moo Goo Gai Pan made with only Mushrooms and Vegetables can be just as delicious!
Why Moo Goo Gai Pan is a Great Dish to Make at Home
A lot of the time it can be daunting trying to make a new recipe at home, and that’s doubly true when you barely recognize half of the ingredients. Luckily, making your own Moo Goo Gai Pan is a cinch. Almost every ingredient, except for a couple Vegetables, can be easily found at your local grocery store. On top of that, Moo Goo Gai Pan takes under an hour to prepare, so you can quickly get on to enjoying your meal!
In addition to being quick, simple, and easy to shop for Moo Goo Gai Pan is one of the healthiest options out there when it comes to Asian Stir-Fry. Chicken and Mushrooms are both high in protein, and although the sauce has some Sugar, Moo Goo Gai Pan is a much healthier choice than other Stir-Fries with Fried Meats and more sugary sauces. Add in all those Vegetables, too, and Moo Goo Gai Pan is pretty clearly a great choice for healthy eating.
What Ingredients does Moo Goo Gai Pan Use
One of the best things about Moo Goo Gai Pan is that there are so many different ways to make it your own. Vegetarian Recipes can drop the Meat, and everyone can experiment with tossing in different Veggies. With all the different Vegetables to choose from and Seasonings you can add to your sauce, it’s easy to tailor your Moo Goo Gai Pan until it tastes just the way you want it to. In fact, exploring different ways to make it until you find what works is one of the best parts!
To get started making your own Moo Goo Gai Pan at home, here are some of the things you’ll need. As you can see, you can find almost everything in the aisles of your favorite supermarket. And remember, just because you can’t find an ingredient doesn’t mean you can’t enjoy your Moo Goo Gai Pan. Just substitute in something similar, and get cooking!
Key Ingredients:
- Chicken breast
- White button mushrooms
Vegetables and Add-Ins
- Snow peas
- Bamboo shoots
- Water chestnuts
- Sesame seeds
- Carrots
- Bok choy
- Cabbage
- Green Onions
- Garlic
- Vegetable Oil
For the Sauce
- Sesame oil
- Chicken broth
- Soy Sauce
- Oyster Sauce
- Shaoxing Cooking Wine
- Cornstarch
How to Prepare Moo Goo Gai Pan
Once you’ve gathered all of your ingredients, it’s time to make some Moo Goo Gai Pan! Making Moo Goo Gai Pan is simple, and you’ll be enjoying your food less than an hour from when you start cooking. The first steps to making Moo Goo Gai Pan are preparing the Chicken and the sauce:
Preparing the Chicken
You’ll want to slice your Chicken into small quarter-inch pieces. Once it’s sliced, toss the Chicken with Oil, Cornstarch, and Salt to give it a nice coating. Don’t be afraid to use your hands here to make sure the Chicken is really covered.
Preparing the Sauce
Mix the Sauce ingredients together in a bowl and whisk well, setting the sauce aside for later once it’s mixed.
Cooking the Chicken
At medium-high heat, cook the Chicken in Oil for 30 seconds a side, before removing the Chicken from the pan and setting it aside. Don’t worry about the Chicken being raw here, we’ll bring it back to the heat soon.
Cooking the Vegetables
At medium heat, add more Oil to the pan before adding in your Garlic and Green Onions. After giving them thirty seconds to soften, add in the Mushrooms and Carrots before cooking for another 3 minutes. At that point, add in any other Vegetables you’d like to add and cook them all together for a final 2 minutes.
Put it All Together and Enjoy!
Once the Vegetables have softened, pour the sauce into the pan on top of them before adding the Chicken back in as well. Mix everything together and cook until you have a nice thick sauce and your Chicken is cooked completely.
And just like that you’ve made your very own Moo Goo Gai Pan! Once you’ve tasted it, you’ll agree with us when we say every home cook needs Moo Goo Gai pan on their menu.
Thank you,
Glenda, Charlie and David Cates
