30-Minute Moo Goo Gai Pan Chinese Stir Fry

If you ask me, Moo Goo Gai Pan is one of those Chinese takeout dishes that’s easier to make at home than you’d think.

This classic stir-fry brings together tender chicken and crisp vegetables in a light, savory sauce. The velveted chicken stays juicy while snow peas, mushrooms, and water chestnuts give you that satisfying crunch in every bite.

The secret is in the cornstarch coating on the chicken and a quick, hot stir-fry that keeps everything from getting soggy. A simple sauce made with chicken stock, soy sauce, and a touch of sesame oil pulls it all together.

It’s a weeknight-friendly dinner that comes together faster than waiting for delivery, and tastes better too.

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What Kind of Chicken Should I Use?

For moo goo gai pan, boneless, skinless chicken breast is the traditional choice and works perfectly for this stir fry. You can also use chicken thighs if you prefer a bit more flavor and juiciness – they’re a little more forgiving if you accidentally overcook them. The key is to slice your chicken into thin, bite-sized pieces so it cooks quickly and evenly in the hot wok. If you’re having trouble getting clean slices, pop the chicken in the freezer for about 15-20 minutes before cutting – it firms up just enough to make slicing much easier.

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Options for Substitutions

This stir fry is pretty forgiving when it comes to swapping ingredients:

• Chicken: You can easily use pork tenderloin, shrimp, or even firm tofu instead of chicken. Just adjust the cooking time – shrimp cooks faster (about 2-3 minutes) while pork needs similar time to chicken.
• Snow peas: Snap peas or sugar snap peas work great as a substitute. You can also use green beans, but blanch them first for a couple minutes since they take longer to cook.
• Mushrooms: Any mushroom variety works here – button, cremini, shiitake, or oyster mushrooms all bring their own flavor. Just slice them to similar sizes for even cooking.
• Water chestnuts and bamboo shoots: These add crunch, but if you can’t find them, try jicama or even celery cut into thin slices. Fresh water chestnuts are great if you can find them at an Asian market.
• White pepper: Black pepper works fine if you don’t have white pepper, though it’ll add little black specks to your dish.
• Vegetable oil: Peanut oil or canola oil are good alternatives for high-heat stir frying. Avoid olive oil as it has a lower smoke point.

Watch Out for These Mistakes While Cooking

The biggest mistake when making stir fry is overcrowding your pan, which causes the vegetables to steam instead of getting that nice sear – if your pan looks too full, cook the vegetables in two batches for better results.

Another common error is adding the garlic too early, since it burns quickly over high heat and turns bitter, so always add it near the end with the water chestnuts and bamboo shoots like the recipe suggests.

Make sure your cornstarch slurry (the mixture of cornstarch and water) is smooth before adding it to the pan, and stir it into the sauce constantly for about a minute to avoid lumps and ensure the sauce thickens evenly.

Finally, have all your ingredients prepped and ready to go before you start cooking, because stir fry moves fast and you won’t have time to chop vegetables once the pan is hot.

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What to Serve With Moo Goo Gai Pan?

This Chinese stir fry is best served over a big bowl of steamed white rice or fried rice to soak up all that savory sauce. If you want to make it a bigger meal, add some vegetable spring rolls or egg rolls on the side for dipping in sweet and sour sauce. Steamed or fried dumplings (potstickers) are another great option that keeps with the Chinese takeout vibe. For something lighter, you can serve it over cooked lo mein noodles or even cauliflower rice if you’re watching carbs.

Storage Instructions

Store: Keep your leftover moo goo gai pan in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days. The vegetables might soften a bit over time, but the flavors actually get better as they sit together. I like to pack it with some rice for easy lunches throughout the week.

Freeze: This stir fry freezes pretty well for up to 2 months, though the vegetables won’t be quite as crisp when you thaw them. Let it cool completely first, then portion it into freezer-safe containers. Just know that water chestnuts and bamboo shoots can get a little softer after freezing.

Reheat: The best way to reheat this is in a skillet or wok over medium-high heat with a splash of chicken stock to loosen the sauce. You can also microwave it, but add a tablespoon of water and cover it to keep everything moist. Stir it halfway through to heat evenly.

Estimated Nutrition

Estimated nutrition for the whole recipe (without optional ingredients):

• Calories: 1100-1250
• Protein: 70-85 g
• Fat: 40-50 g
• Carbohydrates: 100-120 g

Ingredients

For the chicken coating:

• 1 lb chicken (thinly sliced across the grain into 1/8-inch pieces)
• 2.5 tbsp cornstarch (creates a velveted texture on the meat)
• 1 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp white pepper
• 1 tbsp vegetable oil

For the stir fry:

• 2 tbsp vegetable oil
• 1 carrot (peeled and sliced into thin rounds)
• 6 oz snow peas
• 6 oz mushrooms (I prefer using Giorgio brand sliced white buttons)
• 8 oz water chestnuts
• 8 oz bamboo shoots
• 3 garlic cloves (freshly minced for best aroma)
• 1 tsp fresh ginger (minced)

For the sauce and thickening:

• 1 1/4 cups chicken stock (I always use Swanson for consistent salt levels)
• 2.5 tbsp soy sauce
• 1 tsp sugar
• 1 tsp sesame oil
• 1.5 tbsp cornstarch

Step 1: Prepare Mise en Place and Velvet the Chicken

• 1 lb chicken, thinly sliced
• 2.5 tbsp cornstarch
• 1 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp white pepper
• 1 carrot, peeled and sliced
• 6 oz snow peas
• 6 oz mushrooms, sliced
• 8 oz water chestnuts
• 8 oz bamboo shoots
• 3 garlic cloves, minced
• 1 tsp fresh ginger, minced

Slice the chicken thinly across the grain into 1/8-inch pieces—this ensures tender, quick-cooking bites.

In a bowl, combine the sliced chicken with 2.5 tablespoons cornstarch, 1 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon white pepper.

Toss gently to coat evenly; this velveting technique creates a silky, tender texture.

Meanwhile, prepare all your vegetables: peel and slice the carrot into thin rounds, trim the snow peas, slice the mushrooms, and drain the water chestnuts and bamboo shoots.

Mince the garlic and ginger and set aside.

Having everything prepped before cooking is essential since stir-frying happens quickly.

Step 2: Sear the Velveted Chicken

• 1 tbsp vegetable oil
• velveted chicken mixture from Step 1

Heat 1 tablespoon of vegetable oil in a large wok or skillet over high heat until it shimmers.

Working quickly, add the velveted chicken mixture from Step 1 and cook for about 30 seconds per side—you’re not fully cooking it here, just searing the exterior to seal in juices and develop flavor.

The chicken will finish cooking later when it returns to the pan.

Transfer the chicken to a clean plate and set aside.

Step 3: Stir-Fry the Vegetables in Stages

• 2 tbsp vegetable oil
• prepared vegetables from Step 1

Add the remaining 2 tablespoons of vegetable oil to the same pan over high heat.

Add the carrot slices, snow peas, and mushrooms, stirring constantly for about 3 minutes until they begin to soften and develop light color.

Then add the water chestnuts, bamboo shoots, minced garlic, and minced ginger from Step 1, stirring for another minute until fragrant.

I like to add the garlic and ginger near the end of vegetable cooking so they stay vibrant and aromatic rather than turning bitter—it makes a noticeable difference in the final flavor.

Step 4: Combine Chicken and Build the Sauce

• seared chicken from Step 2
• vegetables from Step 3
• 1 1/4 cups chicken stock
• 2.5 tbsp soy sauce
• 1 tsp sugar
• 1 tsp sesame oil

Return the seared chicken from Step 2 to the pan with the vegetables.

Pour in the chicken stock, soy sauce, sugar, and sesame oil, stirring gently to combine.

Bring the mixture to a boil and let it cook for 1-2 minutes, allowing the flavors to meld and the chicken to finish cooking through.

Step 5: Thicken the Sauce and Finish

• 1.5 tbsp cornstarch
• 1.5 tbsp water

While the pan is simmering, mix the remaining 1.5 tablespoons of cornstarch with 1.5 tablespoons of water in a small bowl to create a slurry.

Pour this mixture into the pan and stir constantly for about 1 minute until the sauce thickens and coats the chicken and vegetables with a silky glaze.

The starch will transform the loose sauce into something velvety that clings beautifully to each component.

Taste and adjust seasoning with salt if needed.

Serve immediately over steamed rice.

30-Minute Moo Goo Gai Pan Chinese Stir Fry

Delicious 30-Minute Moo Goo Gai Pan Chinese Stir Fry recipe with step-by-step instructions.

Print Recipe Pin Recipe

Prep Time 10 minutes mins

Cook Time 25 minutes mins

Total Time 35 minutes mins

Servings 4 servings

Calories 1175 kcal

Ingredients

  

For the chicken coating::

• 1 lb chicken (thinly sliced across the grain into 1/8-inch pieces)
• 2.5 tbsp cornstarch (creates a velveted texture on the meat)
• 1 tsp salt
• 1/2 tsp white pepper
• 1 tbsp vegetable oil

For the stir fry::

• 2 tbsp vegetable oil
• 1 carrot (peeled and sliced into thin rounds)
• 6 oz snow peas
• 6 oz mushrooms (I prefer using Giorgio brand sliced white buttons)
• 8 oz water chestnuts
• 8 oz bamboo shoots
• 3 garlic cloves (freshly minced for best aroma)
• 1 tsp fresh ginger (minced)

For the sauce and thickening::

• 1 1/4 cups chicken stock (I always use Swanson for consistent salt levels)
• 2.5 tbsp soy sauce
• 1 tsp sugar
• 1 tsp sesame oil
• 1.5 tbsp cornstarch

Instructions

 

• Slice the chicken thinly across the grain into 1/8-inch pieces—this ensures tender, quick-cooking bites. In a bowl, combine the sliced chicken with 2.5 tablespoons cornstarch, 1 teaspoon salt, and 1/2 teaspoon white pepper. Toss gently to coat evenly; this velveting technique creates a silky, tender texture. Meanwhile, prepare all your vegetables: peel and slice the carrot into thin rounds, trim the snow peas, slice the mushrooms, and drain the water chestnuts and bamboo shoots. Mince the garlic and ginger and set aside. Having everything prepped before cooking is essential since stir-frying happens quickly.
• Heat 1 tablespoon of vegetable oil in a large wok or skillet over high heat until it shimmers. Working quickly, add the velveted chicken mixture from Step 1 and cook for about 30 seconds per side—you're not fully cooking it here, just searing the exterior to seal in juices and develop flavor. The chicken will finish cooking later when it returns to the pan. Transfer the chicken to a clean plate and set aside.
• Add the remaining 2 tablespoons of vegetable oil to the same pan over high heat. Add the carrot slices, snow peas, and mushrooms, stirring constantly for about 3 minutes until they begin to soften and develop light color. Then add the water chestnuts, bamboo shoots, minced garlic, and minced ginger from Step 1, stirring for another minute until fragrant. I like to add the garlic and ginger near the end of vegetable cooking so they stay vibrant and aromatic rather than turning bitter—it makes a noticeable difference in the final flavor.
• Return the seared chicken from Step 2 to the pan with the vegetables. Pour in the chicken stock, soy sauce, sugar, and sesame oil, stirring gently to combine. Bring the mixture to a boil and let it cook for 1-2 minutes, allowing the flavors to meld and the chicken to finish cooking through.
• While the pan is simmering, mix the remaining 1.5 tablespoons of cornstarch with 1.5 tablespoons of water in a small bowl to create a slurry. Pour this mixture into the pan and stir constantly for about 1 minute until the sauce thickens and coats the chicken and vegetables with a silky glaze. The starch will transform the loose sauce into something velvety that clings beautifully to each component. Taste and adjust seasoning with salt if needed. Serve immediately over steamed rice.