Moo Shu Pork Simplified
Moo Shu Pork (or Mu Shu Pork) is a popular Chinese-American stir-fry dish with roots in Northern Chinese cuisine. Truly authentic recipes include ingredients like dried daylily flowers, wood ear mushrooms, and pancakes made from scratch, but it’s easy to satisfy your craving for this delectable dish at home with some more readily available choices.
Our recipe only takes about 30 minutes to make and uses strips of boneless pork, eggs, cabbage, carrots, scallions, garlic, and fresh ginger, tossed with a simple hoisin-based sauce and served in soft flour tortillas.
Essential Ingredients
This is a list of special ingredients you’ll need to make this recipe. The complete list, including quantities, can be found in the printable version of the recipe below.
- Boneless pork loin chops: This cut of pork is usually quite lean, so look for chops with some fine marbling and follow the recipe instructions closely to avoid overcooking.
- Fresh ginger: We opt for fresh ginger whenever possible because of its distinctive zing and subtle heat. The pre-prepared paste you can buy in the produce department is an excellent substitute; however, you may need to use a little extra to achieve the desired flavor.
- Store-bought coleslaw mix: Buying a ready-made mix of shredded green and red cabbage and julienned carrots is a convenient way to speed up the preparation of this moo shu pork recipe. Feel free to replace it with freshly shredded cabbage and a large carrot cut into julienne strips.
- Scallions: Adding a handful of chopped scallions just before serving lends a fresh, sweet onion flavor to the dish and a vibrant pop of color. If you don’t use scallions, you can substitute a tablespoon or two of chopped onion and cook them along with the mushrooms.
- Low-carb flour tortillas: We prefer low-carb tortillas as a convenient substitute for traditional Chinese pancakes because they are thinner and lighter than regular flour tortillas.
- Toasted sesame oil: Toasted sesame oil has a rather intense flavor, so be careful with the quantity you use, as a little goes a very long way. Sesame oil will keep for quite a while but must be refrigerated to prevent it from becoming rancid.
- Hoisin sauce: Hoisin sauce is easy enough to find in the ethnic foods aisle of your supermarket. If you don’t plan to use this condiment frequently, opt for a small bottle and check the expiration date before purchasing.
- Rice vinegar: Rice vinegar is available in both seasoned and plain versions. For this recipe, we use plain, but we keep both on hand because we like the seasoned version for salad dressing.
- Soy sauce: We usually buy low-sodium soy sauce and don’t feel it compromises flavor in recipes like this one. For a gluten-free option, use tamari instead.
- Oyster sauce: Like hoisin sauce, oyster sauce is an easy-to-find ingredient, and we always keep some in the fridge for quick stir-fries like this one. We recommend buying small bottles for optimal freshness.
Step by Step: How to Make Moo Shu Pork
- Place the pork chops between two sheets of plastic wrap, gently pound to a thickness of about 1/4 inch, then slice them across the grain into thin strips.
- Transfer the pork to a mixing bowl, then drizzle with sesame and vegetable oil. Add the garlic, ginger, and a pinch of black pepper and combine well. Set aside for 15 minutes.
- While the pork marinates, combine the hoisin sauce, rice vinegar, soy sauce, and oyster sauce in a measuring cup or small bowl and set aside.
- Wrap the tortillas tightly in foil and place in a warm oven (275°F) to soften.
- Preheat a wok or large frying pan over medium-high heat, add 1 tablespoon of vegetable oil and swirl to coat the pan.
- Add the eggs and stir-fry until soft-scrambled, about 30 seconds. Break into small pieces, transfer them to a small bowl, and set aside.
- Return the pan to the stove, add the pork and stir-fry for about 2 minutes until no longer pink on the outside. Transfer to a plate and set aside.
- Coat the pan with another tablespoon of vegetable oil and add the mushrooms. Stir-fry until lightly browned, 2 minutes.
- Add the coleslaw mix (or cabbage) and stir-fry 1 to 2 minutes until wilted. Stir in the sauce and return the pork to the pan.
- Stir in the eggs and scallions, heat for 1 minute, then transfer to a serving bowl.
- Serve family-style, letting each person fill their tortillas and roll as desired.
Tips for Success
Prepare and organize your ingredients before you begin cooking: The French call this mise en place, which roughly translated means “set up” or “put in place.” This is a good practice no matter what you’re cooking, but it’s particularly important for stir-fries to prevent the overcooking of any of the components.
Choose the right size pan: If you use a conventional frying pan for this dish instead of a wok, be sure it is large enough to allow ample room for moving the ingredients around as they cook. An overcrowded pan will “sweat” the ingredients and prevent proper searing of the pork and/or alter the desired crisp-tender texture of the veggies.
Editor’s Note: If you enjoy Moo Shu Pork, you might like our Spicy Stir-Fried Pork with Cabbage too!
Quick and Easy Moo Shu Pork
Tender strips of pork and store-bought coleslaw mix combine with a tangy sauce to make a fast, easy version of this Chinese restaurant favorite.
Ingredients
- 3/4 lb boneless pork loin chops
- 2 teaspoons toasted sesame oil
- Vegetable oil
- 6 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 tablespoon minced ginger
- Freshly ground black pepper
- 8 low-carb flour tortillas (8-inch)
- 2 eggs, lightly beaten
- 8 ounces cremini or white button mushrooms, sliced
- 5 cups store-bought coleslaw mix, see notes
- 3 scallions, sliced
For the sauce:
- 1/3 cup hoisin sauce
- 2 tablespoons rice vinegar
- 2 tablespoons low-sodium soy sauce
- 2 tablespoons oyster sauce
Instructions
- Place the pork chops between two sheets of plastic wrap, gently pound to a thickness of about 1/4-inch, then slice them across the grain into thin strips.
- Transfer the pork to a mixing bowl, drizzle with sesame oil and 1 tablespoon of vegetable oil. Add the garlic, ginger, and a pinch of black pepper and combine well. Set aside for 15 minutes.
- While the pork marinates, combine the hoisin sauce, rice vinegar, soy sauce, and oyster sauce in a measuring cup or small bowl and set aside.
- Wrap the tortillas tightly in foil and place in a warm oven (275°F) to soften.
- Preheat a wok or large frying pan over medium-high heat, add 1 tablespoon of vegetable oil and swirl to coat the pan.
- Add the eggs and stir-fry until soft-scrambled, about 30 seconds. Break into small pieces, transfer them to a small bowl, and set aside.
- Return the pan to the stove, add the pork, and stir-fry for about 2 minutes until no longer pink on the outside. Transfer to a plate and set aside.
- Coat the pan with another tablespoon of vegetable oil and add the mushrooms. Stir-fry until lightly browned, 2 minutes.
- Add the coleslaw mix (or cabbage) and stir-fry 1 to 2 minutes until wilted. Stir in the sauce and return the pork to the pan.
- Stir in the eggs and scallions, heat for 1 minute, then transfer to a serving bowl.
- Serve family-style, letting each person fill their tortillas and roll as desired.
Recipe Notes
Ready-made coleslaw mix is available in the produce section of most supermarkets, but you can replace it with thinly shredded cabbage and one large carrot cut into julienne strips.
Nutrition Information
Nutrition Facts
Quick and Easy Moo Shu Pork
Amount per Serving
Calories
293
% Daily Value*
Fat
11
g
17
%
Saturated Fat
3
g
19
%
Polyunsaturated Fat
3
g
Monounsaturated Fat
4
g
Cholesterol
140
mg
47
%
Sodium
1012
mg
44
%
Potassium
787
mg
22
%
Carbohydrates
22
g
7
%
Fiber
4
g
17
%
Sugar
11
g
12
%
Protein
26
g
52
%
Trans Fat
0.1
g
Vitamin A
299
IU
6
%
Vitamin C
37
mg
45
%
Calcium
86
mg
9
%
Iron
2
mg
11
%
* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.
Have you tried this recipe?Did you add your own special touch? We’d love to hear about it! Leave a comment and a rating to share your thoughts with others.
Nancy Bartlett says
I have made this per instructions 3 times in a month. Love it and so does my family.