Moo Goo Gai Pan
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Moo goo gai pan (蘑菇鸡片, mógū jīpiàn) is a light Cantonese-American stir-fry of velveted chicken with mushrooms, snow peas, and water chestnuts in a clear, glossy white sauce. The name simply means 'mushroom chicken slices.' Unlike the dark, soy-heavy brown sauces of most takeout, it's defined by its pale, delicate 'white sauce' — built on chicken stock, a little Shaoxing wine, garlic, and a cornstarch slurry, with no dark soy sauce to color it. It's one of the cleanest, lightest takeout dishes: no breading, no deep-frying, lots of vegetables, and tender chicken kept silky by velveting (a cornstarch-and-egg-white marinade). The keys are velveting the chicken so it stays soft, keeping the sauce pale and light, and not overcooking the snow peas and mushrooms so they stay crisp. It comes together in about 25 minutes over rice.
Why you'll love this moo goo gai pan
- One of the lightest, cleanest takeout dishes — no breading, no deep-frying, lots of vegetables.
- Silky velveted chicken in a delicate, glossy white garlic sauce.
- Fast, fresh, and ready in 25 minutes over rice.
- Substitutes flagged for anything hard to find.
Ingredients
Chicken & velvet marinade
- 1 lb boneless skinless chicken breast, thinly sliced
- 1 egg white
- 1 tbsp cornstarch
- 1 tbsp Shaoxing winesubstitutes →
- ½ tsp salt
Vegetables
- 8 oz white or cremini mushrooms, sliced
- 1 cup snow peas, trimmed
- 1 cup water chestnuts, slicedsubstitutes →
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 tbsp ginger, minced
- 2 tbsp neutral oil, divided
White sauce
- ¾ cup chicken stock
- 1 tbsp Shaoxing winesubstitutes →
- 1 tsp sugar
- ½ tsp white peppersubstitutes →
- 1 tsp toasted sesame oilsubstitutes →
- 1.5 tbsp cornstarch, mixed with 2 tbsp water
- ½ tsp salt, to taste
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Stock the pantry once and you can cook this anytime: Shaoxing wine, Shaoxing wine, white pepper. Asian groceries deliver nationwide.
Equipment
- Wok or large skillet — For a fast, gentle stir-fry that keeps the sauce pale.(shop →)
Instructions
Velvet the chicken
Velvet the chicken: toss the slices with the egg white, cornstarch, Shaoxing wine, and salt. Let sit 15 minutes. Stir the white sauce ingredients (except the slurry) together.
💡 Velveting — the egg-white-and-cornstarch coating — is the restaurant trick that keeps the chicken silky and tender.
Cook the chicken (keep it pale)
Heat 1 tbsp oil in a wok over medium-high. Add the chicken in a single layer and cook gently until just white and cooked through, 2–3 minutes — don't brown it. Remove.
Stir-fry the vegetables
Add the last 1 tbsp oil, then the garlic and ginger; stir 15 seconds. Add the mushrooms and stir-fry 2 minutes, then the snow peas and water chestnuts for 1 minute.
Make the white sauce
Pour in the white sauce and bring to a simmer. Stir in the cornstarch slurry and cook until glossy and lightly thickened — it should stay pale, not brown.
Combine & serve
Return the chicken, toss to coat for 1 minute, taste for salt, and serve over rice.
Tips & notes
- Keep it pale: this dish uses no dark soy sauce. Season with salt and white pepper so the sauce stays the signature light color.
- Don't brown the chicken — cook it gently just to done so it stays white and silky.
- Velveting makes a big difference; the egg white and cornstarch protect the lean breast from drying out.
- Vary the vegetables: bamboo shoots, baby corn, broccoli, and bok choy are all traditional additions.
- Gluten-free as written if you use a GF stock — there's no soy sauce to worry about.
Recipe wording too vague?
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Moo Goo Gai Pan
- Prep
- 15 min
- Cook
- 10 min
- Total
- 25 min
- Serves
- 4
- Level
- Beginner
Ingredients
- 1 lb boneless skinless chicken breast, thinly sliced
- 1 egg white
- 1 tbsp cornstarch
- 1 tbsp Shaoxing wine
- ½ tsp salt
- 8 oz white or cremini mushrooms, sliced
- 1 cup snow peas, trimmed
- 1 cup water chestnuts, sliced
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 tbsp ginger, minced
- 2 tbsp neutral oil, divided
- ¾ cup chicken stock
- 1 tbsp Shaoxing wine
- 1 tsp sugar
- ½ tsp white pepper
- 1 tsp toasted sesame oil
- 1.5 tbsp cornstarch, mixed with 2 tbsp water
- ½ tsp salt, to taste
Instructions
- Velvet the chicken: toss the slices with the egg white, cornstarch, Shaoxing wine, and salt. Let sit 15 minutes. Stir the white sauce ingredients (except the slurry) together.
- Heat 1 tbsp oil in a wok over medium-high. Add the chicken in a single layer and cook gently until just white and cooked through, 2–3 minutes — don't brown it. Remove.
- Add the last 1 tbsp oil, then the garlic and ginger; stir 15 seconds. Add the mushrooms and stir-fry 2 minutes, then the snow peas and water chestnuts for 1 minute.
- Pour in the white sauce and bring to a simmer. Stir in the cornstarch slurry and cook until glossy and lightly thickened — it should stay pale, not brown.
- Return the chicken, toss to coat for 1 minute, taste for salt, and serve over rice.
Nutrition (est., per serving): 280 cal · 30 g protein · 16 g carbs · 11 g fat
Moo Goo Gai Pan FAQ
What is moo goo gai pan?
Moo goo gai pan is a Cantonese-American stir-fry of sliced chicken with mushrooms, snow peas, and water chestnuts in a light, glossy white sauce. The name means 'mushroom chicken slices.' It's one of the lightest takeout dishes — no breading or deep-frying, plenty of vegetables, and tender velveted chicken in a delicate garlic sauce rather than a heavy brown one.
Why is moo goo gai pan sauce white?
Because it's made without dark soy sauce, which is what colors most Chinese brown sauces. The 'white sauce' is built on chicken stock, a little Shaoxing wine, garlic, white pepper, and a cornstarch slurry, seasoned with salt rather than soy. That keeps it pale, clean, and delicate — letting the chicken and vegetables shine.
Is moo goo gai pan healthy?
It's one of the healthiest takeout-style options. The chicken isn't breaded or fried, the dish is loaded with vegetables, and the light sauce uses far less sugar and oil than glazed dishes. Made at home you control the salt and oil, and it's naturally lower in calories than battered, sweet-sauced takeout.
What vegetables go in moo goo gai pan?
Mushrooms are essential (the 'moo goo'), along with snow peas and water chestnuts. Bamboo shoots, baby corn, broccoli, carrots, and bok choy are common additions. The vegetables are kept crisp-tender to contrast with the silky chicken and the light sauce.
How do you make the chicken so tender?
By velveting it — tossing the slices with egg white, cornstarch, and a little wine, then cooking them gently so they don't brown. This restaurant technique creates a silky coating that keeps lean chicken breast moist and tender. Cook it just to done over medium-high heat, not hard and fast.
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