Moo Shu Pork combines marinated, thin, tender pieces of pork stir-fried with cabbage, mushrooms, and eggs in a savory sauce with garlic and ginger.
It is traditionally served with flour tortillas, Chinese pancakes, or rice. When I serve it to my family, I like to include cream cheese wontons or gyoza. This recipe tastes so much better than takeout and is easily made at home.
Ingredient Notes and Substitutions
See the complete list of ingredients on the recipe card below.
- Hoisin sauce: You can find this in the Asian food section of your grocery store. It is often referred to as Chinese ketchup, but more flavorful.
- Rice wine: Substitutes are dry sherry or sake.
- Soy sauce: Low-sodium is best.
- Rice vinegar: Also used in my pork stir fry and vegetable stir fry.
- Mushrooms: You can substitute white button mushrooms for the shiitake mushrooms.
- Black pepper: Freshly ground is always best.
- Mirin: It is a sweetened Japanese wine. It is optional as it can be challenging to find.
- Pork tenderloin: with the silverskin removed. I like to use pork tenderloin for this recipe. It is inexpensive and cooks up delicious, tender, and not as dry as boneless pork chops. This recipe also works with chicken and beef.
- Vegetable oil: Canola oil or olive oil.
How to Make Moo Shu Pork
This is the summary version; for the complete list of ingredients and instructions, see the recipe card below.
- Whisk the Hoisin sauce, rice wine, soy sauce, rice vinegar, garlic, ginger, cornstarch, sesame oil, black pepper, and mirin. Leave half a cup aside.
- Add the pork to the remaining marinade and stir. Let it sit and marinate while the eggs cook.
- In a skillet, add the beaten eggs and cook. Cut into thin strips and cover them.
- In a skillet, add the pork and cook until browned. Remove and plate.
- Still in the same skillet, add the coleslaw, mushrooms, and half of the green onions and cook.
- Add the pork and eggs back in. Whisk and drizzle the sauce in, cooking on low heat.
Preparation Tips and Storage
- The marinade doubles as a sauce, so remember to remove ½ cup before adding any raw meat.
- Use a sharp knife to slice the pork tenderloin into pieces about ⅓-½ inch thick. Then, pile the pieces and slice them into strips.
- Shake the excess marinade off so it does not make too much of a mess in your pan. I like to use Bar Keepers Friend to clean up some of my stir-fry messes.
Serving Suggestions
In addition to flour tortillas, mandarin pancakes, rice, and Chinese noodles, you can serve it with egg drop soup, hot and sour soup, potstickers, ramen noodle salad, or wonton soup. You can also serve it with steamed mixed vegetables like broccoli, zucchini, and snow peas.
Frequently Asked Questions
Mirin is a sweetened sake. If you can find it, you will love it in your stir-fries. Look for it in the Asian Food Section of your local grocery store. You can substitute dry sherry and granulated sugar in a 3:1 ratio. For every tablespoon of sherry, add one teaspoon of sugar.
I use a 16-ounce bag of pre-shredded coleslaw to make this recipe easier. If shredding your own, you will need 6-7 cups of shredded green cabbage, red cabbage, and carrots, with green cabbage accounting for most of the mix.
More Stir-fry Recipes
Moo Shu Pork
Ingredients
Marinade
- ⅔ cup Hoisin sauce
- 2 tablespoons rice wine
- 2 tablespoons low sodium soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon rice vinegar
- 2 cloves minced garlic
- 1 tablespoon grated ginger
- 2 teaspoons cornstarch
- 1 teaspoon sesame oil
- ½ teaspoon fresh ground black pepper
- 2 tablespoons mirin optional
Moo Shu Pork
- 1¼ lb pork tenderloin sliced into very thin strips
- 2-3 tablespoon vegetable oil
- 2 large eggs lightly beaten
- 1 (16-ounce) bag tricolor coleslaw
- 8 ounces shiitake mushrooms stemmed and sliced
- 4 green onions thinly sliced
Instructions
- In a medium bowl, whisk together the Hoisin Sauce, rice wine, soy sauce, rice vinegar, garlic, grated ginger, cornstarch, sesame oil, black pepper, and, if using, mirin. Remove ½ cup of the marinade and set it aside.
- Add the cut pork to the remaining marinade and stir to combine. Let it sit and marinate while you cook the eggs.
- Heat 1 tablespoon vegetable oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat. Add the beaten eggs and cook until the eggs are set enough to flip. Using a spatula, flip and cook the other side. Remove the eggs, cut them into thin strips, and cover to keep warm.
- Heat another tablespoon of vegetable oil in the skillet over medium-high heat. Using tongs, remove the pork from the marinade, letting the excess drip off. Add the pork to the hot skillet, cooking until browned and cooked through, about 2-3 minutes. Work in batches, remove to a plate, and cover to keep warm.
- Heat 1 more tablespoon of oil in the skillet over medium heat. Add the coleslaw, mushrooms, and half of the green onions. Stir fry until the cabbage starts to wilt and the mushrooms are tender.
- Add the pork and eggs back to the skillet. Whisk the sauce mixture that was set aside. Drizzle with the sauce and stir to combine, cooking over low heat. Sprinkle with the reserved green onions. For best results, serve promptly.
Video
Notes
- Store leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days. Reheat in the microwave on reduced power.
- I do not recommend freezing moo shu pork. Cabbage is mostly water and will destroy the dish’s texture.
Nutrition
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Taylor M
I made this pork for dinner last night and it was delicious! Definitely a new favorite here.
Beth Pierce
Thanks, Taylor! So glad that you liked it!
Magnus
My family enjoyed this recipe. This was the first time I attempted making Mushu Pork.
I only had half the amount of Hoisin Sauce so I added Oyster Sauce. I also someone ran out of rice vinegar but I did have Mirin which I used. Instead of the cole slaw package, I used carrots and savoy cabbage.
I don’t like to make a bunch of changes to a recipe then give it a rating, but I don’t think my changes varied much from your ingredients in taste.
Thanks.
Beth Pierce
My pleasure. Magnus! So glad that you liked the moo shu pork.
Angela
This was so flavorful and tasted just like my favorite Chinese restaurant’s moo shu pork!! I’m definitely making this instead of getting takeout next time!
Beth Pierce
Thank you, Angela!
MacKenzie
This was 1000 times better than takeout. We made it tonight and even my picky eaters enjoyed it. We liked it so much that I added it to the menu for next week.
Beth Pierce
That is awesome, MacKenzie! I agree 100%.
Gianne
The flavors are so delicious and the combination of tender pork, crispy vegetables, and savory sauce is just heavenly. I could eat it every day!
Beth Pierce
I feel the same way, Gianne!
Sarah W
I love recreating my favorite take out dishes from home, and this was no exception! Quick, easy and packed with flavor; definitely, a new favorite recipe!
Beth Pierce
Thank you, Sarah!
Krissy
Super tasty and I love how easy it was to put together! I actually made this as a meal planning option at the beginning of the week.
Beth Pierce
That is fantastic, Krissy! So glad that you liked it!
Marie
Incredible recipe. The pork was so tender and the flavour is amazing!
Beth Pierce
Thanks, Marie!
Kassandra
As a fan of pork, I always order this when I go to my favorite restaurant however this time I made the decision to stay in and cook it myself. It was pretty easy to make and tasted so much better than the restaurants version. I think I need to do this more often. You are right cooking is therapeutic.
Beth Pierce
Hey Kassandra! I am so glad that you like cooking and the pork recipe. When I am cooking, I am in my own little world singing and enjoying myself.
Sonia
I love this moo shu pork with rice noodles or Chinese pancakes. It is one of my favorite meals. I made it last night and my brother came over for dinner. We both loved it.