Mushu Chicken Is So Easy to Make at Home

  • By Jackie Sun
  • October 26, 2014

Weeknight Meals via @CookSmarts: Mushu Chicken #recipe

What is your favorite Chinese take-out food?

We’re sure everyone already has their favorite in mind. (Leave your answer in the comments below!) Veggie egg rolls, kung pao chicken, sweet and sour pork, Mongolian beef, egg foo-yung…the list goes on and on.

So we thought we’d do everyone a favor and bring your favorite Chinese restaurant right to your kitchen for this week’s weeknight recipe!

“Amazing. It was a hit. Next time I might sub the tortilla for some rice. Who needs take out?”
-Lauren

While we love the aforementioned foods, we decided to stick with a classic American-Chinese dish that is perfect for the whole family, terrific for getting your veggies in, and quick and easy to cook for any day of the week – Mushu Chicken!

A delicious combo of cabbage, carrots, mushrooms, and chicken comes together with a sweet-and-salty Asian condiment, hoisin sauce. This thick sauce really makes it mushu-style, but if you prefer not to use it, try Sriracha (another one of our favorites!) for a tasty switch and a nice kick.

Mushu Chicken #recipe via @CookSmartsIn all honesty, we used to be a little skeptical about making our own Chinese meals at home, but once we got it down, well…like CS member Lauren says, “Who needs take-out anymore?” After all, we love Chinese food and stir-fries, so we didn’t want to feel intimidated by them.

Anyway, it’s nice to be able to cook like a Chinese chef at home, because the homemade versions are so much healthier. Less oil, less salt… And it’s still flavorful and like the real deal. It’s also kinda fun to pretend we’re in a fast-paced Chinese restaurant, working a huge wok!

“Great way to pack in the veggies. Even my husband (who avoids veggies) really liked it.”
-Stephanie

The good thing is that you don’t have to deal with all the restaurant stress (or super heavy woks that are half your size). All you need to know is a basic cooking formula: How to Stir-Fry

But instead of teaching you verbally, watch this video to get the basics down:

Video

How to Make a Stir-Fry

Stir-frying is a great way to bring together just about any vegetable and protein combination in a fast and tasty way.

Now you can make any kind of stir-fry at home. And as much as we love a good Chinese take-out now and then, we can bet that anyone who tastes your homemade stir-fries will be ordering take-out from you instead!

Practice your wok-tossing with these other Chinese stir-fry dishes:

Cooking Smarts:

  • Instead of trekking around, looking for authentic “mushu” wrappers, just use flour tortillas! They’re easier to work with, taste great, and who can say “no” to a Chinese burrito / taco?
  • Anything goes for stir-fries, so get creative with your veggies and proteins with a Versatile Stir-Fry!

Prepping Smarts:

Cutting veggies and proteins into smaller pieces make for quicker cooking time. Plus, more surface area equals more flavor! Here’s how to easily prep these ingredients for more flavor and easy cooking:

Video

How to Slice Cabbage

See how easy it is to break down a head of cabbage for slaws and soups.

Video

How to Shred Root Veggies in a Food Processor

In this video we show you just how easy it is to grate veggies in your food processor.

Video

How to Season & Tenderize Proteins with a Fork

Maximize flavor and tenderize proteins with this little trick.

Equipment Smarts:

A good wok is necessary for stir-fries. It’s also a great investment that you won’t regret buying!

Wok-CirculonFor more kitchen and equipment and tool smarts, visit our ‘Essential Kitchen Cookware and Tools’

SEE THIS RECIPE IN OUR MEAL PLAN HERE

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Easy Mushu Chicken Recipe

You'll see that this classic Chinese restaurant dish isn't really hard to make at home. While this is typically served with a hoisin sauce (a sweet Asian condiment), you can easily skip it for something with a kick - Sriracha!

Prep time: 15 min

Cook time: 20 min

Total time: 35 min

Serves: 4

Ingredients

  • Garlic - 3 cloves, minced
  • Green onions - 3 stalks, chopped, white and green parts separated
  • Green cabbage - 1/2 head, sliced
  • Carrots - 1/2 lb., grated / shredded
  • Shiitake mushrooms - 1/4 lb., sliced
  • Chicken breasts - 1 lb., sliced
  • Soy sauce - 2 tbsp
  • Mirin - 1 tbsp (This is a Japanese rice wine. If you can't find it, try a splash of white wine)
  • Brown sugar - 2 tsp
  • Water - 1/2 cup
  • Corn starch - 1 tbsp
  • Cooking oil - 1 tbsp
  • Flour tortillas - 8
  • Hoisin or Sriracha sauce (opt) - for serving (Hoisin sauce is commonly used for mushu, but if you don't think you'll use it often, no need to purchase)

Instructions

Prep

  1. Garlic / Green onions / Cabbage / Carrots / Mushrooms – Prep as directed. (Can be done up to 3 days ahead)
  2. Chicken – Slice into thin strips. Season and tenderize with salt and pepper. (Can be done up to 1 day ahead)
  3. Make stir-fry sauce – Mix together soy sauce, mirin, brown sugar, water, and corn starch.

Make

  1. Heat a wok over medium-high heat. Add in cooking oil and then carrots and cabbage to heated oil. Saute for ~5 minutes and then add in white parts of green onions, garlic, and mushrooms.
  2. Push all the vegetables to the side forming a hole in the middle (like a donut). Place chicken in the donut hole. Give your sauce a stir, and then pour it over the chicken.
  3. Once sauce starts to bubble and darken, toss to mix. Continue to stir-fry until chicken is cooked through.
  4. Warm tortillas. Let everyone assemble their own mushu wraps using hoisin or Sriracha sauce, filling, and green parts of green onion.

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