This moo shu shrimp recipe has everything you’re looking for in a weeknight meal. It’s nutritious, it’s fast (just 20 minutes), and it’s totally delicious. You’ll love making this classic takeout dish at home. You can try my shrimp teriyaki stir fry, garlic butter shrimp with couscous, or shrimp quesadillas for other quick shrimp recipes. Shrimp is a great protein for a weeknight dinner because it cooks so quickly.
Moo shu shrimp is a delicious Chinese-American dish that has become a beloved takeout favorite. This flavorful stir-fry featuring tender shrimp shredded vegetables and fluffy scrambled eggs is served with thin wheat pancakes known as mu shu pancakes. By wrapping the stir-fry mixture in the mu shu pancakes with hoisin sauce, you can create the quintessential Chinese “burrito” in your own kitchen!
In this article we’ll cover everything you need to know about this iconic dish, from its origins to how to make restaurant-quality moo shu shrimp with pancakes right at home.
A Brief History of Moo Shu Shrimp
While moo shu shrimp has become a menu staple at American Chinese restaurants, its origins can be traced back to Northern China. The name “moo shu” refers to the authentic Chinese mu shu pancakes traditionally used to wrap the stir-fried filling.
In China, the filling was typically made with shredded pork along with mushrooms, cabbage, and bamboo shoots. The pork version is called “moo shu pork”. When the dish emigrated to America, cooks started swapping the pork for shrimp to cater to local tastes.
The Americanized moo shu shrimp was popularized in the 1950s and 60s in New York City and San Francisco’s Chinatowns. Its growing fame led it to become a standard offering across North America by the 1970s.
While moo shu shrimp is not an authentic Chinese recipe, it has become a beloved fusion dish representing Chinese-American cuisine.
The Importance of the Pancakes
The signature element that makes moo shu shrimp unique is wrapping the stir-fry mixture in soft mu shu pancakes. These thin wheat flour pancakes have a delicate, almost crepe-like texture. Their neutral flavor allows the seasoning of the filling to shine.
In Chinese restaurants, the pancakes are often served warm right off the griddle and diners assemble their own moo shu rolls tableside. Spreading a bit of thick, sweet hoisin sauce on the pancake before adding the shrimp stir-fry is key. The hoisin provides the perfect savory-sweet complement.
While mu shu pancakes can be difficult to find in regular grocery stores, you can often buy them frozen at an Asian market. And tortillas make an easy substitute if you’re in a pinch!
How to Make Restaurant-Worthy Moo Shu Shrimp at Home
Recreating moo shu shrimp with pancakes is simple with just a few key steps:
Prep the vegetables: For the filling, you want a medley of shredded veggies. Napa cabbage, carrots, bell peppers, and mushrooms are standard. Precut “stir-fry mixes” save time.
Make the sauce: Whisk together soy sauce, oyster sauce, sesame oil, and other flavorings to yield a rich, savory sauce.
Cook the components: Stir-fry the vegetables, scramble some eggs, cook the shrimp, then combine everything to allow the flavors to meld.
Assemble the pancake rolls: Spread hoisin sauce on each pancake, top with 1-2 big shrimp and veggie mixture, then roll it up like a burrito.
With the right technique and seasonings, you can make restaurant-caliber moo shu shrimp in 30 minutes flat in your own kitchen. It’s also highly customizable depending on your tastes and what you have on hand.
Tips for Making Perfect Moo Shu Shrimp at Home
Here are some helpful tips and tricks to ensure your homemade moo shu shrimp turns out fabulously:
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Use raw shrimp for the best flavor – Cooked shrimp tends to get rubbery when stir-fried. Go for raw, peeled shrimp to let it cook through in the pan.
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Don’t overfill the pancakes – Less is more when assembling the rolls. 1-2 shrimp with a spoonful of veggies per pancake is ideal. Overstuffing leads to messy eating.
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Cook in a wok if you have one – A wok is specially shaped to keep stir-fry ingredients moving. But a large non-stick skillet works too.
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Make the sauce velvety – Whisk in a teaspoon of cornstarch to give the sauce a rich, clingy texture akin to takeout.
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Keep the pancakes warm – Cold pancakes are prone to cracking. Warm them up in the microwave before assembling for a restaurant-quality presentation.
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Garnish with scallions – No moo shu shrimp is complete without a sprinkle of sliced scallions on top for a pop of color and freshness.
Creative Ways to Enjoy Leftover Moo Shu Shrimp
One of the bonuses of whipping up a batch of moo shu shrimp is having leftovers! Here are some clever ways to repurpose them:
- Stuff into a lettuce wrap instead of a pancake for a low-carb option
- Serve over steamed rice as a simple shrimp fried rice
- Fold into an omelet or frittata for a hearty brunch
- Pile into a crusty sub roll for a Chinese chicken salad sub vibe
- Toss with pasta and extra veggies for a shrimp lo mein pasta dinner
- Mix with mayo for an easy shrimp salad sandwich filling
Leftover moo shu shrimp retains its wonderful flavors for 3-4 days in the fridge, so get creative with fun new ways to eat it throughout the week!
A Takeout Classic Worth Making at Home
Moo shu shrimp checks all the boxes for a delicious and satisfying weeknight dinner. It comes together quickly, packs a tasty punch of flavors, and provides a fun, interactive dining experience.
While ordering moo shu shrimp from your local Chinese restaurant is always an excellent choice, I hope I’ve convinced you that preparing this favorite at home is totally doable.
With practice, you can master the simple stir-frying technique and recreate the dish just like the takeout version. So give moo shu shrimp a try soon and enjoy this American Chinese icon in your own kitchen. Your tastebuds and family will thank you!
What Is Moo Shu Shrimp?
To make moo shu shrimp, a Northern Chinese dish that is popular in American Chinese restaurants, pork tenderloin is usually used as the meat. The meat is stir-fried with mushrooms, cucumber, and traditional stir-fry spices like ginger, garlic, scallions, and soy sauce.
Moo Shu Shrimp on Twin Cities Live – VIDEO
- Green onions – Look for fresh onions. You could also use fresh chives.
- Shiitake mushrooms—But baby bella, white button, or wild mushrooms will also work. Shiitake mushrooms for the best taste.
- This is what gives the moo shu sauce its sour taste. You can also use white wine vinegar.
- Soy sauce: If you’d rather, use tamari, coconut aminos, or low-sodium soy sauce.
- When you make Chinese stir-fries, oyster sauce is a must-have sauce. It tastes like a mix of barbecue sauce and soy sauce. It adds a hint of sweetness. As an alternative, you could try mixing in some of your favorite barbecue sauce.
- Corn starch brings the sauce together and makes it glossy, which is what classic Chinese stir fry sauce is all about.
- Sauce with chili and garlic. You can also use sriracha or just one teaspoon of sauce if you don’t like it too spicy.
- Vegetable oil—Use a plain vegetable oil like canola or avocado oil.
- You can skip this step and use coleslaw mix instead, but you can also shred your own cabbage and carrot.
- Shrimp: For the best taste, use raw shrimp. Peeled, no-tail shrimp are easier to eat.
- Moo shu pancakes – You have a few options here. Moo shu pancakes can be bought at many Asian markets, or you can make them yourself. You can also use flour tortillas, which is easy but not really the same thing.
- Hoisin sauce is a traditional sauce for moo shu dishes. It is made of fermented soy beans, garlic, five-spice powder, chiles, and sugar.
Easy Tasty Moo Shu Shrimp
How to cook a moo shu pancake?
To cook a Moo Shu pancake, place one disc at a time into a heated wok or frying pan and cook for less than a minute on each side. Gently press down on the pancake to remove any air bubbles that form. Remove the disc from the pan and peel apart the two pancakes that have formed. Moo Shu pancakes should be cooked for less than a minute on each side.
What is moo shu shrimp?
Moo Shu Shrimp is a delightful blend of fresh shrimp, crisp vegetables such as cabbage, carrots, and mushrooms, and a flavorful combination of seasonings and sauces. The dish is typically cooked with a touch of garlic, ginger, and soy sauce, creating a mouthwatering array of flavors that complement the tender shrimp and vegetables perfectly.
What to do with moo shu shrimp?
Finally, all the components are added back to the pan and mixed together with some soy sauce and sesame oil. Serve with rice, or for a more traditional presentation, spread some hoisin sauce on a Mandarin pancake (or flour tortilla), put some Moo Shu Shrimp on top and roll it up.
How do you make Moo Shu shrimp?
**How to Make Moo Shu Shrimp** To make Moo Shu Shrimp, start by marinating the shrimp in a mixture of soy sauce, rice wine, and a touch of cornstarch. Next, stir-fry the shrimp with garlic, ginger, and vegetables until they are tender-crisp. Then, add a savory sauce made from a combination of chicken broth, soy sauce, and oyster sauce.