Easy Moo Shu Chicken (Slow Cooker/Instant Pot Recipe)

Moo Shu Chicken is an easy and delicious meal to serve on busy weeknights. It cooks hands-free in the slow cooker or pressure cooker and freezes beautifully so don’t hesitate to make a double batch.

A riff on traditional Moo Shu Pork, this easy Mu Shu chicken is lighter and easier, using small flour tortillas in place of traditional mandarin pancakes so that you can enjoy a delicious dish without a lot of fuss.

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When you’re craving Chinese food, you may or may not have a legit local Chinese restaurant to feed that craving. That’s when it can be helpful to have some cheater versions of your faves to make at home.

This Moo Shu, or Mu Shu Chicken is that kind of dish!

Traditionally moo shu is a stir fry dish made with shredded pork, scallions, and wild mushrooms served with thin pancakes. This Moo Shu Chicken offers a few shortcuts that make it a delightful weeknight dinner.

Cook chicken thighs or breasts in a savory chicken marinade in the slow cooker for a tender, shredded chicken filling that tastes amazing.

Why Make This Homemade Moo Shu Chicken?

It’s easy to make since the slow cooker or Instant Pot does all the work and you can substitute tortillas for the moo shu wrappers.

It’s delicious, full of crisp and fresh textures, and a little sweet and savory party of flavors. 

It’s freezer friendly. Just cook the meat in advance to freeze; reheat at your convenience. This is great meal to make freezer kits for. Just include a packet of tortillas with the meat and add the savory sauce and green cabbage when you serve it later.

The prep time involved is very minimal; the flavor return is huge. Use leftover chicken in Chicken Fried Rice or in this Asian Cabbage Salad.

Ingredients

Here’s what you’ll need to make this easy moo shu chicken recipe in the slow cooker:

boneless skinless chicken – You can use chicken breasts, tenders, thighs, or even a whole chicken. Use what you find on sale for best pricing.

homemade marinade – You’ll need water, soy sauce, sesame oil, dry sherry, fresh ginger, fresh garlic, and black pepper for the homemade marinade.

green onion – chopped scallions are traditional in any moo shu recipe and add a bit of freshness and bite to the chicken.

taco-sized flour tortillas – These are an easy substitute for traditional moo shu pancakes.

packaged cole slaw mix – You can certainly shred a whole cabbage, but it’s a lot easier and pretty cheap to buy a bag of shredded cabbage, usually with some carrots added for color.

hoisin or plum sauce – these are nice for topping each serving of Moo Shu Chicken. If you prefer a less sweet sauce, you might try a kick of sriracha. Not authentic, but delicious, nonetheless.

Step by Step Instructions

This is a very basic recipe for Moo Shu Chicken:

Cook and prepare the chicken – Place the chicken tenders in the crock of a large slow cooker or instant pot.

In a small bowl, combine the water, soy sauce, sesame oil, sherry, ginger, garlic, and pepper. Pour this homemade sauce mixture over the chicken in the crock. Cover.

• For slow cooker: Cook on high for 4 hours or on low for 6 to 8 hours.
• For instant pot: Pressure cook for 13 minutes. Allow a natural pressure release.

The chicken will be fall-apart tender.

Shred the cooked chicken. And then go ahead and moisten with some of the juices. Add the scallions and toss gently. 

Prepare each serving. To serve, spread a thin layer of plum or hoisin sauce on each tortilla. Add a small amount of chicken on top. Add the coleslaw mix. Drizzle with more sauce and serve.

Serving Suggestions: Moo Shu Chicken is delicious served in a buffet of stir fries and other Asian-style recipes, such as Potstickers with Dipping Sauce and Sheetpan Cashew Chicken. Vegetable Chow Mein is a nice side dish.

How to Make a Meal Prep: Divide the chicken mixture into single-serve meal prep containers with airtight lids. Store the toppings and tortillas separately. Reheat the chicken before assembling and serving.

Make a Plan for Leftovers: Leftover Moo Shu Chicken is good for up to 4 days in the fridge. If you store leftovers in clear air-tight containers you’re more likely to notice them and make sure they get eaten. The cooked meat is great in Asian Bowls.

Freeze Extras for Later: Chill the cooked chicken until completely cold. Package in an airtight container in portions you will want to serve later. Store in the freezer for up to 6 weeks. Thaw and reheat to serve.

Recipe Tips

Working the Good Cheap Eats System will help you lower the price of your Moo Shu Chicken. Here are some specific strategies you can use to make this recipe more economical:

• Stock up on ingredients when they are on sale. This ensures that you’ll have your ingredients at the lowest possible price. Load up on chicken and tortillas when you see a sale.
• Plan meals with similar ingredients. Certain Asian sauces can be expensive or hard to find. Make a plan to use up your hoisin, soy sauce, and sesame oil in other Asian-style dishes so you don’t let those ingredients go to waste.
• Freeze extra for later. Moo Shu Chicken freezes very well. Store leftover in the freezer to serve in a future meal.

More Take-Out Fake-Outs

This post was originally published on July 11, 2016. It has been updated for content and clarity. Special thanks to Jessika Leonard for sharing this idea with me!