Mu Shu Chicken is an easy and affordable Chinese recipe that’s packed with flavor. Have the comfort of Chinese takeout without having to leave your house!
When I lived in New York in my late teens, I was introduced to a whole new world of food. New York is an amazing city for countless reasons, but one of the greatest is knowing that no matter what you crave, a dizzying array of cuisines are available to you 24 hours a day. The city is particularly well known for it’s Chinese food, and one dish that I got turned on to back then and considered a rare treat (since I was living on a $10 a day or less food budget) was Mu Shu Chicken.
Why I Love This Recipe
- Satisfies Craving for Takeout: This recipes satisfies that craving for Asian food when you want it ASAP! It’s ready in 20 minutes and lets you relish authentic flavors and tastes, recreating the restaurant experience in your kitchen.
- Cost-Effective: Cooking Mu Shu Chicken at home is a budget-friendly alternative to takeout, making it a great choice for the whole family.
- Family-Friendly Activity: Involve the kids! Assembling the wraps together adds a fun and interactive element to mealtime.
- Healthier Homemade: By preparing Mu Shu Chicken at home, you can use fresh, high-quality ingredients, ensuring a nutritious and wholesome meal for you and your family.
- Customizable: Making Mu Shu Chicken at home means you’re in charge of the ingredients so you can load up on extra veggies, use a different protein or add some extra sauce if you’re feeling it!
The Ingredients
- Cooked shredded chicken
- Eggs
- Chopped cabbage
- Shiitake mushrooms
- Soy sauce
- Hoisin sauce
- Sesame oil
- Vegetable oil
- Minced ginger
- Minced garlic
- Sliced scallions
How to Make Mu Shu Chicken at Home
- Cook the Eggs: Heat 1 tablespoon vegetable oil in a large skillet over high heat. Add the eggs and scramble. Transfer to a plate.
- Sauté Aromatics: Heat remaining 1 tablespoon vegetable oil in the skillet. Add the ginger and garlic to the skillet, and cook 1 minute.
- Sauté Vegetables: Add the cabbage and mushrooms and cook until cabbage is wilted, about 5 minutes. Stir in the soy sauce, hoisin sauce, and sesame oil.
- Add chicken: Add the chicken and scrambled eggs to the skillet, and cook until the chicken is heated through, about 2 minutes.
- Serve: Serve over rice or in warm tortillas, and garnish with scallions.
Tips for Easy Mu Shu Chicken
- Rotisserie chicken for the win. Any cooked chicken will work for this recipe, but I’ve used a rotisserie chicken before too and it made this recipe come together SO fast.
- Substitute bagged coleslaw for chopped cabbage to save you some chopping time.
- Any mushroom will work. If you don’t have shiitakes on hand or have trouble finding them, you can substitute any mushroom you like. Button, portobello or cremini are great options. You’ll need about 1 cup.
- Make it vegetarian. I have a couple vegetarians in the family, so I’ll usually pull some out before I add in the chicken for them. So if you have a vegetarian in your family, this recipe will work for them too!
Storage/Freezing Instructions
- To store: Allow leftover mu shu chicken to cool and store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
- To freeze: Mu shu chicken can be frozen in an airtight container for up to 3 months.
- To reheat: If frozen, thaw in the refrigerator when ready to eat. Reheat on the stove top until warmed through. Add more hoison or soy sauce if it seems like it needs some extra love.
More “Takeout at Home” Recipes
- Thai Curry Cellophane Noodles
- Asian Sautéed Shrimp
- Vegetarian Lo Mein
- Beef and Broccoli Stir Fry
- Stir Fried Ramen
Making mu shu chicken at home is super easy and ready in about 20 minutes! This dish is a perfectly simple weeknight dish that’s full of flavor. The whole family will love it! Let me know what you think of this Mu Shu Chicken recipe in the comments and tag me on social media if you make it!
Images by Ivan Solis
Mu Shu Chicken
Mu Shu Chicken is an easy and affordable Chinese recipe that's packed with flavor. Have the comfort of Chinese takeout without having to leave your house!
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 2 large eggs, whisked
- 2 teaspoons minced ginger
- 1 garlic clove, minced
- 3 cups chopped cabbage or bagged coleslaw mix
- 4 shiitake mushrooms, sliced (about 1 cup)
- 2 tablespoons soy sauce
- 3 tablespoons hoisin sauce
- 1 teaspoon sesame oil
- 3 cups cooked chicken, shredded
For Serving:
- sliced scallions
- cooked white rice
- warmed flour tortillas
- extra hoisin sauce
Instructions
- Heat 1 tablespoon vegetable oil in a large skillet over high heat.
- Add the eggs and scramble. Transfer to a plate.
- Heat remaining 1 tablespoon vegetable oil in the skillet.
- Add the ginger and garlic to the skillet, and cook 1 minute.
- Add the cabbage and mushrooms, and cook until cabbage is wilted, about 5 minutes.
- Stir in the soy sauce, hoisin sauce, and sesame oil.
- Add the chicken and scrambled eggs to the skillet, and cook until the chicken is heated through, about 2 minutes.
- Serve over rice or in warm tortillas, and garnish with scallions and extra hoison if desired.
Notes
- To store: Allow leftover mu shu chicken to cool and store in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 5 days.
- To freeze: Mu shu chicken can be frozen in an airtight container for up to 3 months.
- To reheat: If frozen, thaw in the refrigerator when ready to eat. Reheat on the stove top until warmed through. Add more hoison or soy sauce if it seems like it needs some extra love.
- Rotisserie chicken. Any cooked chicken will work for this recipe, but I’ve used a rotisserie chicken before too and it made this recipe come together SO fast.
- Cabbage substitute:Â Bagged coleslaw mix can be used instead of cabbage to save time on chopping vegetables.
- Any mushroom will work. If you don’t have shiitakes on hand or have trouble finding them, you can substitute any mushroom you like. Button, portobello or cremini are great options. You’ll need about 1 cup.
- Make it vegetarian. I have a couple vegetarians in the family, so I’ll usually pull some out before I add in the chicken for them. So if you have a vegetarian in your family, this recipe will work for them too!
Nutrition
Calories: 210kcal | Carbohydrates: 8g | Protein: 24g | Fat: 8g | Cholesterol: 60mg | Sodium: 510mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 4g
Did you make this recipe?Mention @Weelicious or tag #weelicious!
This sounds almost like a “clean out my fridge” recipe that isn’t just delicious, but also budget conscience. I would love to make wraps for the week but I have two questions.
1. Is hoisin sauce the same as plum sauce?
2. Can this recipe be frozen?
Hi! 1. Hoison and plum sauce are not the same but in a pinch could be substituted I suppose. Plum sauce is sweeter and more jammy than hoison sauce. 2. Yes! You can freeze the chicken in an airtight container for up to 3 months. Just thaw in the refrigerator when ready to eat and re-heat.
Hi. I can’t have hoisin sauce is there any substitute?
Made a gluten free version – GF tortillas and Hoisin sauce. Turned out great.
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Lovely recipe. Thank you and have a super-Sunday!
[…] moo shu chicken – https://weelicious.com/2012/06/14/homemade-chinese-take-out-mu-shu-chicken/ […]
Soooo gooood
Hmm I’m not sure what the problem is. I just tried printing out this recipe and it worked just fine. I did it as a 4×6 card as well as the full page and both versions came out just fine. I’ll pass this along to my IT person to see if they can help!
Would print the picture and info under picture about “Mu Shu Chicken but would not print the recipe. Could you let me know what I might be doing wrong. I would tell it to print pages 1-2 and it would print the picture and the words under it and the name Mu Shu Chicken…. it would put out a second page but it would be blank so no recipe info at all.
[…] finally Mu Shu Pork from Weelicious. No photo of this one. Her recipe calls for chicken, which was frozen solid the day I was going to […]
Oh my goodness. This recipe is a keeper! I just whipped up a batch for dinner tonight. Perfect amount for my honey and I to have dinner with leftovers for lunch tomorrow. Served it with a side of steamed broccoli with half a lemon squeezed over. Thanks!
Made this a few nights ago, and the whole family liked it! (even the picky 3 year old and my 17 mo old!) I used a rotisserie chicken from the grocery store to make things easier for this busy mama. : ) Also, my husband and I used sriracha sauce on ours, since we like all things spicy. Thanks, Catherine!
^^ I’m trying to remember from the last time I made this …. I think it said to use 1 tablespoon soy sauce.
2 tablespoons!
There is no soy sauce listed in the recipe, but the instructions say to add soy sauce. How much?? Please advise!! I am making it this very moment!
SO GOOD!
Made this tonight…everyone chowed it down. My 16 month old couldn’t get enough of it. Delicious.
Ok, this was super yummy! Made this last night and it was a big hit. Even my 2 1/2 year old tried it. Thanks!
Yes, it is a wonderful flavor and there really is nothing to compare. I would leave it out if you’re not able to consume sesame!
I am sure that the sesame oil adds great flavor, but my toddler is allergic. I’m assuming there’s no great substitute, that you would just leave it out? Thanks!
It is about 1 cup of sliced mushrooms!
I would like to make this tomorrow! I would like to substitute regular mushrooms. Do you know approximately how many cups to use? (never used shitake so i don’t know how big they are) thank you!
I’m going to try this over the weekend with Gardein veggie Chick’n strips.
How do you suggest cooking the chicken – for simplicity, can you just boil it and then shred by hand or do you have another suggestion?
Mmmm I want to eat this!!!
Aww thanks! You could try seitan! Or mushrooms like I saw someone else suggest.
You could probably sub portobello mushrooms for chicken. Would add heartiness and meatlike consistency.
trying to think of a veggie version… tofu? no. tempeh? no. hmmm i’ll look-into soy proteins. i am CRAZY ABOUT your site (and you). thanks!!
These sound awesome and very easy
Thank you
Looks delish! Gonna make this soon for sure.
yum!
I know I’ve said it before, but I just love your website so much! It keeps me inspired to cook and try new recipes for my family! Thank you!!!
I thought it was a joke, like “What’s your poison?” lol Will definitely try this, thank you!
Ooooh – Mu Shu is my FAVORITE at Chinese restaurants! I’ve always wanted to learn how to make it at home. Bookmarking this for sure. 🙂
Is there a substitute I make for the poison sauce? I seem to be all out. 😉 great recipe though, in all seriousness. Looks yummy!
I was going to mention the same thing. Poison should never be in a recipe.
; x
I saw that to haha poison sauce oopss
Please note: you wrote:
accompaniments…POISON SAUCE. Correct it to HOISON SAUCE