Looking for an easy and affordable Chinese recipe that’s packed with flavor? This homemade Mu Shu Chicken recipe gives you the comfort of Chinese takeout without having to leave your house!
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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: Craving takeout but short on time? This easy Mu Shu Chicken recipe is ready in just 20 minutes, delivering authentic flavors that bring the restaurant experience right into your kitchen.
- Budget-Friendly: Skip the takeout bill! Cooking Mu Shu Chicken at home is a budget-friendly alternative to takeout, making it a great choice for feeding the whole family without breaking the bank.
- Family-Friendly Activity: Involve the kids! Assembling the wraps together adds a fun and interactive element to mealtime.
- Healthier Homemade: Just like with my Easy Ramen Noodle Soup and Beef and Broccoli Stir Fry, this homemade Mu Shu Chicken recipe let’s you be in control of the ingredients, ensuring a nutritious and wholesome meal for you and your family.
The Ingredients
- Cooked shredded chicken: Use leftover cooked chicken or a rotisserie chicken from the grocery store to make this recipe even faster!
- Eggs: Lightly scrambled eggs add a silky texture to this dish, just like in your favorite takeout version.
- Chopped cabbage: Cabbage provides a crunchy, fiber-packed base for the dish while soaking up all the delicious sauces. You can use bagged shredded cabbage or slice your own head of Napa cabbage.
- Shiitake mushrooms: I love shiitake mushrooms in this recipe, but if you don’t have them (or can’t find them), any type of mushroom will work.
- Hoisin sauce: A slightly sweet and tangy sauce that’s key for achieving the classic Mu Shu flavor we all love.
- Sesame oil: A drizzle of nutty sesame oil adds a layer of depth and authentic aroma to the dish.
- Minced ginger and garlic: These aromatics bring bold, vibrant flavors to the sauce, elevating the dish.
- Flour tortillas: Traditionally, mu shu chicken is eaten with fluffy mandarin pancakes. You can absolutely try your hand at making your own homemade mandarin pancakes, but I’ve found that flour tortillas are a convenient and delicious substitute.
*For a full list of ingredients, see the recipe card below.
How to Make Homemade Mu Shu Chicken
Step 1: Heat 1 tablespoon vegetable oil in a large skillet over high heat. Add the eggs and scramble. Transfer to a plate.
Step 2: Heat remaining 1 tablespoon vegetable oil in the skillet. Add the ginger and garlic to the skillet, and cook 1 minute.
Step 3: Add the cabbage and mushrooms and cook until cabbage is wilted, about 5 minutes.
Step 4: Stir in the soy sauce, hoisin sauce, and sesame oil.
Step 5: Add the chicken and scrambled eggs to the skillet, and cook until the chicken is heated through, about 2 minutes.
Step 6: 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 often use a rotisserie chicken and it makes 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. Then, 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
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 — leave a rating and comment below!
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Mu Shu Chicken
Ingredients
- 2 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 2 large eggs, whisked
- 2 teaspoons minced ginger
- 1 garlic clove, minced
- 3 cups chopped Napa cabbage (or bagged coleslaw mix)
- 4 shiitake mushrooms, sliced (about 1 cup)
- 2 tablespoons soy sauce
- 3 tablespoons hoisin sauce
- 2 teaspoons 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 and it made this recipe come together SO fast.
- 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!
Delicious! Thank you for this easy yummy recipe. I also subbed red pepper for mushrooms.
Great idea! I’m sure it was delicious with that substitution. Glad you like this one! It’s one of our go-to’s, especially on a busy weeknight. Thanks for the comment 🙂
Fantastic! I made it with red peppers instead of mushrooms. Thank you for a great recipe!
So glad you love it! It’s one of our all time faves. Great idea using peppers instead of mushrooms!!
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!
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