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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Claire Mac
This sounds absolutely delicious! I love the idea of having it with tortillas. I’m definitely going to be trying this one.
Beth Pierce
Thanks, Claire! Enjoy!
Karen
I never had Moo Shu Pork but I am so excited to try it out. I will cook it on Saturday, it is gonna be fun. thanks a lot Beth for the amazing recipe.
Beth Pierce
You are most welcome, Karen!
Lucy
Moo shu pork is delicious! I love the balance of flavors you’ve created within this dish. Simply amazing!
Beth Pierce
Thanks, Lucy! So happy that you liked it! We love it too!
Corinne
I bet this tastes so fresh. I don’t like pork but I wonder if beef or chicken would also work?
Beth Pierce
Yes they would!
Katie
This was great. We are big fans of stir frys and pork is a favorite. This recipe is both flavorful and very easy to follow. The whole family enjoyed it.
Beth Pierce
So glad that they enjoyed it, Katie!
Kat
I really appreciate your tip about using prepackaged cabbage mix for this. Preparation becomes much faster when skipping all that extra chopping work.
Beth Pierce
So true, Kat!
Pat
I was wrong!! I just looked it up. The Americanized version added the side of hoisin sauce and the pancakes….then again, the original didn’t have hoisin sauce at all. I still prefer the style with hoisin directly on the pancake though, probably because that is how I have always had it. 🍻. I just think the flavors are more pronounced and exciting that way.
Angela
This recipe for Moo Shu Pork turned out so delicious! I can’t wait to make it again…the family loved it…YUM!!!
Beth Pierce
Thank you, Angela! I am so glad that they liked it!
Katie B
This was absolutely delicious! The flavors were perfectly balanced, and the homemade hoisin sauce took it to the next level!
Beth Pierce
Thank you, Katie! So happy tht you liked it. We love it.
Cara
Moo shu pork was always my favorite thing to order for takeout – so excited to have such a good recipe to make at home anytime!
Beth Pierce
Thank you, Cara! We love it too!