Amazing flavors in this easy moo shu chicken recipe that uses shredded, precooked chicken.
The first time I made this easy moo shu chicken recipe, it was because I had some leftover baked chicken breast and pre-shredded coleslaw mix that I wanted to use up.
It was so good, the flavor combination so delicious, that I have made it many times since.
What is Chinese moo shu?
Moo shu pork is a dish of northern Chinese origin. It consists of sliced pork tenderloin, cucumber, and scrambled eggs, stir fried in peanut oil together with mushrooms. The dish is seasoned with ginger, garlic, scallions, soy sauce, and rice cooking wine.
As you can see in the recipe card below, my own recipe departs from tradition quite a bit. But it’s delicious nonetheless.
Moo shu chicken is thought by many to be a healthier variation on the traditional recipe. Although whether chicken is healthier than fresh lean pork is debatable. I choose to use chicken simply because I make a lot of baked chicken breasts. So I often have leftovers that I want to use up.
As with most stir-fry recipes, the cooking itself is very quick. It’s the prep that takes most of the time. And when using precooked chicken and pre shredded cabbage, even the prep isn’t too bad.
How to serve moo shu chicken?
The traditional recipe is served with little savory pancakes. Instead of those, I use cabbage or lettuce wraps (I do the same thing in these Greek lamb lettuce wraps). It makes for a pretty presentation, and it’s healthy. Another option is to serve this dish on a bed of cauliflower rice, to soak up the yummy sauce.
What about leftover moo shu chicken?
Leftover chicken should keep for 3 days in the fridge. But if you used pre cooked chicken that already spent a day or two in the fridge, I wouldn’t keep leftovers longer than the day after making this recipe.
To reheat the leftovers without over drying the chicken, it’s best to heat them covered, and use a microwave on a low setting.
More Asian inspired chicken recipes you might enjoy
A few other Asian inspired recipes that use up chicken breast are broiler sesame chicken, Chinese chicken salad, shirataki lo mein and chicken vegetable stir fry.
Moo Shu Chicken
INGREDIENTS
- 2 tablespoons soy sauce, reduced sodium
- 1 tablespoon honey
- 1 teaspoon rice vinegar
- 1/2 teaspoon red pepper flakes
- 1 tablespoon refined coconut oil
- 1 tablespoon minced garlic
- 1 tablespoon minced fresh ginger
- 14 oz packaged coleslaw
- 2 cups cooked boneless skinless chicken breasts, shredded (10 oz)
- 1/2 cup sliced green onions, divided (1 oz)
- 1 teaspoon sesame oil
- 1 teaspoon sesame seeds for garnish
INSTRUCTIONS
- In a small bowl, whisk together the soy sauce, honey, vinegar and red pepper flakes.
- Heat a large, deep skillet over medium-high heat, about 2 minutes. Add the coconut oil and swirl to coat. Add the garlic and ginger. Cook, stirring, 30 seconds.
- Add the soy sauce mixture and the coleslaw. Cook 1 minute, until just wilted, stirring constantly to coat all the coleslaw with the soy sauce mixture. Add the chicken and 1/4 cup green onions. Cook 1 more minute, stirring. Off heat, stir in the sesame oil.
- Serve, garnished with the remaining green onions and sesame seeds, over cooked brown rice, on top of shredded lettuce, or in lettuce/cabbage cups, as shown.
- To create lettuce or cabbage cups, rinse a head of green cabbage or iceberg lettuce; dry well. Discard damaged outer leaves. Cut in half through the core, remove the core with a sharp knife, then carefully separate into cups, using 2-3 leaves for each cup.
