Whip up this 30-minute version of Moo Shu Pork at home with easy-to-find ingredients like boneless pork chops, store-bought coleslaw mix, mushrooms, scallions, and flour tortillas.

A frying pan filled with Moo Shu Pork, a stir-fry of boneless pork, cabbage, carrots, and scallions in a hoisin-based sauce.

Notes From the MGC Kitchen
Key Ingredients
How to Make Moo Shu Pork
Tips for Success

Moo Shu Pork (or Mu Shu Pork) is a popular Chinese-American stir-fry dish with roots in Northern Chinese cuisine. While the authentic dish is known for unique ingredients like dried daylily flowers and wood ear mushrooms, as well as pancakes made from scratch, this easy version of Moo Shu Pork is made with everyday ingredients you can find in any grocery store. Plus, it only takes about half an hour to prepare.

Notes From the MGC Kitchen

Our approach to Moo Shu Pork not only simplifies the cooking process but also makes this Chinese restaurant favorite a practical choice for a weeknight dinner. By utilizing everyday ingredients like boneless pork chops, a handy bag of store-bought coleslaw mix, fresh scallions, earthy mushrooms, and flour tortillas, you can whip up a delightful homemade version of Moo Shu Pork that doesn’t compromise on taste. The secrets to its great flavor are fresh ginger and a simple sauce made with hoisin, soy, oyster sauce, and rice vinegar.

Stir-fry dishes like this one are a favorite in our house for weeknight dinners, but we do like to switch up the flavors a bit for variety. We’ve also got a recipe for a spicy pork and cabbage stir fry that includes a tomato-based sauce to serve over steamed rice.

Key Ingredients

This is an overview of the key ingredients for this recipe. Please see the printable recipe card below for the complete listing, including quantities.

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.

How to Make Moo Shu Pork

This is an overview of how this recipe is prepared. Please see the printable recipe card below for detailed step-by-step instructions.

Prepare the pork: Pound the pork chops to a thickness of about 1/4 inch, slice across the grain into thin strips, and transfer to a mixing bowl. Drizzle with sesame and vegetable oil, add the garlic, ginger, and a pinch of black pepper. Combine and set aside to marinate for a few minutes.

Make the sauce: While the pork marinates, combine hoisin sauce, rice vinegar, soy sauce, and oyster sauce and set aside. Wrap the tortillas in foil and place in a warm oven.

Scramble the eggs and stir-fry the pork: Preheat a wok or large frying pan over medium-high heat, add a little oil, and swirl to coat the pan. Add the eggs and stir-fry until soft-scrambled; break them into small pieces, then transfer to a bowl. Return the pan to the stove, add the pork, and stir-fry until no longer pink on the outside. Transfer to a plate and set aside.

Stir-fry the veggies: Coat the pan with a little more oil, add the mushrooms, and stir-fry until lightly browned. Add the coleslaw mix (or sliced cabbage) and stir-fry until wilted.

Finish the dish: Stir in the sauce and return the pork to the pan. Stir in the eggs and chopped scallions, heat for 1 minute, then transfer to a serving bowl. Serve family-style, letting each person fill their tortillas and roll as desired.

A plate with two flour tortillas filled with moo shu pork stir fry and sauce bottles in the background.

Tips for Success

Prepare and organize your ingredients before you begin cooking: The French call this mise en place, which, when 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 overcooking 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.