Moo shu pork is a quick and flavorful Chinese dish consisting of strips of pork and veggies wok fried in a savory sauce. Traditionally, it's served with thin moo shu pancakes for wrapping up all the delicious ingredients! I've featured recipes for both, so you can enjoy moo shu pork the way it was meant to be eaten!
Moo Shu Pork With Pancakes
If your family is a fan of Chinese takeout recipes, this moo shu pork will be an instant hit! It's full of tender strips of stir-fried pork and vegetables in a bold and savory sauce. Then, you get to wrap it up like a burrito in thin made-from-scratch pancakes!
It sounds (and tastes) like it would be a difficult and time-consuming recipe, but it really isn't! Everything comes together quickly, so you will still have dinner on the table in about 30 minutes.
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What Is Moo Shu Pork
Moo Shu Pork is a popular Chinese dish that originated in northern China but is now widely enjoyed throughout the world. It consists of thin strips of tender pork that are stir-fried with vegetables and wrapped in thin pancakes.
The dish typically includes shredded cabbage, carrots, and sometimes wood ear mushrooms, all of which are stir-fried with the pork in a wok. The ingredients are seasoned with soy sauce, hoisin sauce, and other seasonings, giving the dish a sweet and savory flavor.
How To Serve Moo Shu Pork
To serve, the pork and vegetables are spooned onto a thin pancake, which is then rolled up and eaten like a burrito. The pancakes are usually made from wheat flour, water, and sometimes eggs, giving them a soft and slightly chewy texture.
Moo Shu Pork is a popular dish in Chinese-American cuisine and is often served in Chinese restaurants. It can also be made at home using a wok or a large skillet. The dish is versatile and can be customized to suit individual tastes, with additional ingredients like bamboo shoots, bean sprouts, and green onions often being added to the mix.
In addition to pork, Moo Shu can also be made with chicken, beef, or tofu, making it a popular choice for vegetarians and vegans. Overall, Moo Shu Pork is a flavorful and satisfying dish that is enjoyed by many around the world.
🥘 Moo Shu Pork And Pancake Ingredients
The list of ingredients is a little long, but I promise you the delicious results are worth it! If you do a lot of Asian or Asian-inspired cooking, you might already keep many of these ingredients on hand.
Moo Shu Pancakes (Cantonese Pancakes)
- All-Purpose Flour - 2 cups of all-purpose flour (plus a little extra for flouring the dough).
- Boiling Water - ½ cup boiling water
- Cold Water - ½ cup cold water
Moo Shu Pork
- Soy Sauce - 2 tablespoons of soy sauce.
- Hoisin Sauce - 2 tablespoons of hoisin sauce.
- Rice Vinegar - 1 tablespoon of rice vinegar.
- Sugar - 1 teaspoon of granulated white sugar.
- Vegetable Oil - 2 tablespoons of vegetable oil (divided into two portions of 1 tablespoon).
- Pork Loin - 1 pound of pork loin, thinly sliced into strips (you can also use thinly sliced pork chops).
- Garlic - 4-5 cloves of fresh garlic, minced (or 1 ½ tablespoons of jarred minced garlic).
- Cabbage - 4-5 cups of shredded cabbage.
- Carrots - 2-3 carrots, thinly sliced.
- Wood Ear Mushrooms (optional) 4-5 wood ear mushrooms, re-hydrated and thinly sliced.
- Green Onions - 4-5 green onions, thinly sliced.
*Be sure to see the free printable recipe card below for ingredients, exact amounts & instructions with tips!*
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🍽️ Equipment Needed To Make Moo Shu Pork
Though you don't need any 'special' tools to make moo shu pork, you will need a few common cooking utensils.
For the moo shu pancakes, you will need a mixing bowl and a fork (or chopsticks) to mix the dough. You'll also need a skillet (or griddle), a rolling pin (or wine bottle), and a spatula.
For the moo shu pork, you can use the same skillet or (my preference) a large wok. In addition, you should grab a small mixing bowl and whisk, as well as a wooden spoon or spatula for stir-frying.
🔪 How To Make Moo Shu Pork
Both the pancakes and pork are easy to prepare- they only take about 15 minutes each! Make the pancakes first, then move on to the pork so the pancakes have cooled by the time you're ready to use them.
This recipe makes about 4 servings of moo shu pork with pancakes. You can always double the recipe as needed, just be sure you have an extra large skillet or wok!
Moo Shu Pancakes
- Mix flour & boiling water. In a large mixing bowl, combine 2 cups of all-purpose flour and ½ cup of boiling water. Mix together with a fork or chopsticks until the dough comes together into a shaggy ball.
- Add cold water. Add ½ cup of cold water to the bowl and continue mixing until the dough comes together into a smooth ball.
- Knead. Knead the dough for 5-10 minutes on a floured surface until it becomes smooth and elastic.
- Roll into balls. Divide the dough into 16 equal-sized pieces and roll each one into a ball.
- Flatten and dust. Flatten each ball with your palm and then use a rolling pin to roll it into a thin, round pancake about 6 inches in diameter. Dust each pancake with flour to prevent sticking.
- Cook the pancakes. Heat a dry skillet or griddle over medium-high heat. Once hot, place one pancake in the skillet and cook for about 30 seconds on each side, or until lightly browned and slightly puffed up.
- Separate. Remove the pancake from the skillet and gently peel it apart into two thin, separate layers. Stack the layers on a plate and cover them with a clean towel to keep warm. Repeat the process with the remaining pancakes.
Moo Shu Pork
- Make the sauce. In a small bowl, whisk together 2 tablespoons of soy sauce, 2 tablespoons of hoisin sauce, 1 tablespoon of rice vinegar, and 1 tablespoon of granulated sugar. Set aside.
- Brown the pork. Heat 1 tablespoon of vegetable oil in a wok or large skillet over high heat. Add the pork and stir-fry until browned, about 2-3 minutes. Remove from the wok and set aside.
- Stir fry the veggies. Add another 1 tablespoon of vegetable oil to the wok. Add the garlic and stir-fry for 30 seconds, then add 4-5 cups of shredded cabbage, 2-3 shredded carrots, and 4-5 earwood mushrooms (if using). Stir-fry for 2-3 minutes or until the vegetables start to soften.
- Add green onions. Add 4-5 thinly sliced green onions and stir-fry for an additional 1-2 minutes.
- Combine everything. Return the pork to the wok and add the soy sauce mixture. Stir-fry everything together for another 1-2 minutes, or until the sauce has thickened and the pork is fully cooked.
- Enjoy. To serve, spread a small amount of hoisin sauce on each pancake or tortilla. Spoon the moo shu pork mixture onto the center of the pancake or tortilla, and then roll it up like a burrito.
Moo shu pork (or chicken, beef, or tofu) is always delicious with a side of fried rice or jasmine rice. Sometimes I make some additional mixed veggies on the side. Enjoy!
💭 Angela's Tips & Recipe Notes
- Moo shu pork is a versatile dish, so feel free to customize it to your liking by adding or substituting vegetables or using a different protein like chicken or tofu.
- If you prefer a softer and more pliable pancake, you can add a small amount of vegetable oil to the dough before kneading it.
- You can swap the pancakes for flour tortillas for an even quicker family dinner!
🥡 Storing & Reheating
Moo shu pancakes can be made ahead of time and reheated in the microwave or on a steamer when ready to use. They can also be stored in the refrigerator for up to a week or frozen for longer storage.
Moo shu pork leftovers can be placed into an airtight container and refrigerated for up to 3-4 days.
Reheating Moo Shu Pork
Pancakes and individual portions of moo shu pork can be reheated in the microwave separately (the pancakes will warm up much more quickly than the pork).
Large portions of moo shu pork can be reheated in a skillet over medium heat for 5-10 minutes, stirring frequently.
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❓ FAQ
Moo shu pork isn't spicy at all, so it's great for kiddos (and they'll love wrapping it up in pancakes). If you're a spice lover though, I highly recommend adding some sambal oelek chili paste to your stir-fried pork mix!
The sauce that moo shu pork is stir-fried in consists of soy sauce, hoisin sauce, rice vinegar, and sugar. Soy sauce adds a rich salty flavor while hoisin sauce has a sweet, nutty, umami flavor. The rice vinegar adds a little tang and the sugar caramelizes to give it the signature sticky consistency of Chinese takeout.
To freeze moo shu pork, let it cool and place it in an airtight container or heavy-duty freezer bag with the air squeezed out. It will keep well frozen for up to 3-4 months when packaged well. Defrost it overnight in the fridge before reheating in a skillet over medium heat.
There are a few common alternative names including mu shu, mu xu, moo shi, and mù xū.
🍜 More Chinese Takeout Recipes
- Chinese Beef Meatballs - These juicy beef meatballs are coated in a sticky hoisin ginger sauce and make a great appetizers or main course!
- Lo Mein - A simple recipe for classic Chinese takeout noodles!
- Sweet & Sour Chicken Meal Prep - Plan lunch and/or dinner for the next few days with this delicious sweet and sour chicken recipe!
- Panda Express Teriyaki Chicken - Sweet and salty teriyaki chicken just like the signature recipe at Panda Express.
- Air Fryer Frozen Potstickers - For perfectly crispy potstickers, bust out your air fryer!
- General Tso's Shrimp - The sweet, salty, and slightly spicy General Tso's sauce makes these shrimp hard to resist!
📋 Recipe
Moo Shu Pork
Ingredients
Moo Shu Pancakes
- 2 cups all-purpose flour (plus more for dusting the dough)
- ½ cup boiling water
- ½ cup cold water
- 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
Moo Shu Pork
- 2 tablespoon soy sauce
- 2 tablespoon hoisin sauce
- 1 tablespoon rice vinegar
- 1 teaspoon sugar
- 2 tablespoon vegetable oil (divided into 1-tablespoon portions)
- 1 lb pork loin (sliced into strips)
- 4-5 cloves garlic (minced)
- 4-5 cups cabbage (shredded)
- 2-3 carrots (thinly sliced)
- 4-5 earwood mushrooms (optional, rehydrated and thinly sliced)
- 4-5 green onions (thinly sliced)
Instructions
Moo Shu Pancakes
- In a large mixing bowl, combine the flour and boiling water. Mix together with a fork or chopsticks until the dough comes together into a shaggy ball.½ cup boiling water, 2 cups all-purpose flour
- Add the cold water to the bowl and continue mixing until the dough comes together into a smooth ball.½ cup cold water
- Knead the dough for 5-10 minutes on a floured surface until it becomes smooth and elastic. Then, divide the dough into 16 equal-sized pieces and roll each one into a ball.
- Flatten each ball with your palm and then use a rolling pin to roll it into a thin, round pancake about 6 inches in diameter. Dust each pancake with flour to prevent sticking.
- Heat a dry skillet or griddle over medium-high heat with 1 tablespoon of vegetable oil. Once hot, place one pancake in the skillet and cook for about 30 seconds on each side, or until lightly browned and slightly puffed up.
- Remove the pancake from the skillet and gently peel it apart into two thin, separate layers. Stack the layers on a plate and cover them with a clean towel to keep warm. Repeat the process with the remaining pancakes.
Moo Shu Pork
- In a small bowl, whisk together the soy sauce, hoisin sauce, rice vinegar, and sugar. Set aside.2 tablespoon soy sauce, 2 tablespoon hoisin sauce, 1 tablespoon rice vinegar, 1 teaspoon sugar
- Heat 1 tablespoon of vegetable oil in a wok or large skillet over high heat. Add the pork and stir-fry until browned, about 2-3 minutes. Remove from the wok and set aside.2 tablespoon vegetable oil, 1 lb pork loin
- Add another tablespoon of vegetable oil to the wok. Add the garlic and stir-fry for 30 seconds, then add the cabbage, carrots, and mushrooms (if using). Stir-fry for 2-3 minutes or until the vegetables start to soften.4-5 cloves garlic, 4-5 cups cabbage, 2-3 carrots, 4-5 earwood mushrooms
- Add the green onions and stir-fry for an additional 1-2 minutes.4-5 green onions
- Return the pork to the wok and add the soy sauce mixture. Stir-fry everything together for another 1-2 minutes, or until the sauce has thickened and the pork is fully cooked.
- To serve, spread a small amount of hoisin sauce on each pancake or tortilla. Spoon the moo shu pork mixture onto the center of the pancake or tortilla, and then roll it up like a burrito.
Equipment You May Need
Notes
- Moo shu pork is a versatile dish, so feel free to customize it to your liking by adding or substituting vegetables or using a different protein like chicken or tofu.
- If you prefer a softer and more pliable pancake, you can add a small amount of vegetable oil to the dough before kneading it.
- You can swap the pancakes for flour tortillas for an even quicker family dinner!
- To store: Moo shu pancakes can be made ahead of time and reheated in the microwave or on a steamer when ready to use. They can also be stored in the refrigerator for up to a week or frozen for longer storage. Moo shu pork leftovers can be placed in an airtight container and refrigerated for up to 3 days.
- To reheat: Pancakes and individual portions of moo shu pork can be reheated in the microwave seperately (the pancakes will warm up much more quickly than the pork). Large portions of moo shu pork can be reheated in a skillet over medium heat for 5-10 minutes, stirring frequently.
Nutrition
Angela is an at home chef that developed a passion for all things cooking and baking at a young age in her Grandma's kitchen. After many years in the food service industry, she now enjoys sharing all of her family favorite recipes and creating tasty dinner and amazing dessert recipes here at Bake It With Love!
Teresa says
Love the recipe!
I also really like that you include the ingredients in the instruction section. Helps with flipping back and forth.
Thanks😀