Chinese mushroom chicken is very easy to make and perfect for a weekday dinner. The tender chicken bites are cooked in an aromatic savory sweet sauce with juicy mushrooms and crisp bamboo shoots. Serve it over steamed rice and you’ll have your dinner ready in no time. {Gluten-Free adaptable}
Since moving to the US, I’m often amazed at how trying American Chinese food can open my mind towards the food of my own culture. I’ve experienced and recreated some of the popular American Chinese dishes such as Orange Chicken, General Tso Tofu, and Beef with Broccoli. I’d never seen these dishes growing up in China. But they use various Chinese ingredients to create a sensation that’s true to traditional Chinese cooking. I enjoy these dishes and they somehow remind me of the food from home.
There is a mushroom chicken dish in traditional Chinese cooking. It is made with bone-in skin-on chicken, chopped to bite-size pieces, then braised in a soy sauce based sauce with dried shiitake mushrooms. It’s a dish I often ate growing up.
But if you’re short on time, try out this stir fried mushroom chicken that is just as hearty and delicious.
Mushroom chicken ingredients
Chinese mushroom chicken is very easy to make and perfect for a weekday dinner. The tender chicken bites are cooked in an aromatic savory sweet sauce with juicy mushrooms and crisp bamboo shoots.
Which cut of chicken to use
I used chicken breast in this recipe, but you can also use chicken thigh for a richer taste, or use chicken tenders for a softer texture.
Bamboo shoots
Bamboo shoots are a fun ingredient that adds a crisp, crunchy texture to your mushroom chicken stir fry.
You can easily find canned sliced bamboo shoots at the ethnic section in many grocery stores. If you have access to a Chinese or Asian grocery store, try to find whole bamboo shoots. They are boiled bamboo shoots soaked in water. They have a nicer texture than the canned ones. You can usually find them in the refrigerated section.
Mise en place
I like to organize my ingredients in groups, so I can use fewer bowls. It also makes the cooking easier. Once you’re done prepping, your kitchen counter should have:
- Marinated chicken
- Mixed sauce with a spoon (to stir again during the cooking to fully dissolve the cornstarch)
- Chopped ginger, garlic, and green onion in a bowl
- Chopped mushrooms
- Bamboo shoots
How to cook Chinese mushroom chicken
What skillet to use
I’ve talked in previous posts about why NOT to use a wok, and some of the best ways to set up your stir fry station if you’re using an electric stove. Long story short, the most convenient setup is to use your electric stove with a nonstick pan (such as the 12” OXO Frying Pan, which provides enough surface area against the heating element to heat up your pan well).
The benefit of using a nonstick pan is that it heats up faster on an electric stove or a lower output gas range than a traditional wok does. Plus, the nonstick surface prevents the food from sticking to the pan. Most Chinese stir fry dishes use cornstarch to coat the meat, which is very prone to sticking to the pan if you don’t use enough oil and heat the pan well.
On the other hand, if you prefer not to use a nonstick pan, I would recommend a cast iron or a carbon steel pan (Ignore stainless. They stick like hell). In this case, you will need to add more oil to prevent the meat from sticking.
Cooking process
The cooking happens very quickly once the pan has heated up.
- Sear the chicken and transfer to a plate
- Cook the aromatics
- Stir fry the bamboo shoots
- Cook the mushrooms
- Pour in the sauce and cook to thicken it
- Add back the chicken and stir everything together
It’s very important that you cook the chicken first, and take it out before adding the vegetables. This is the best way to prevent the chicken from overcooking. Plus, it helps the pan to keep a high temperature to sear the vegetables instead of steaming them.
If you’re using a cast iron or carbon steel pan, the chicken might stick to the pan. In this case, drizzle 1 to 2 tablespoons of Shaoxing wine and use a wooden spatula to deglaze it.
How to serve Chinese mushroom chicken stir fry
The best way to serve Chinese mushroom chicken is to top it on steamed rice. The rice soaks up the sauce and it accompanies the chicken so well. When I’m feeling under the weather, I also like to boil some noodles and throw the noodles in a bowl of hot chicken broth. Then I add the mushroom chicken along with the sauce into the hot noodle soup. The sauce will season the noodles and it makes a hearty one bowl meal for a chilly day.
If you prefer a multi-course dinner, consider adding these dishes to your menu:
More takeout style recipes
Chinese Mushroom Chicken Stir Fry
Ingredients
- 10 oz. (300 g) boneless skinless chicken breast (or thighs) , sliced to 1/4” (5mm) thickness (about 1 chicken breast or 2 thighs)
Stir fry
- 2 to 3 tablespoons peanut oil (or vegetable oil)
- 1/2 lb (225 g) mushrooms (white or baby portabella)
- 1 cup (150 g) bamboo shoots , sliced, drained
- 3 cloves garlic , chopped
- 2 teaspoons ginger , minced
- 2 green onions , chopped
Instructions
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Combine chicken and all the marinade ingredients in a big bowl. Stir to mix well. Let marinate for 15 minutes while preparing the other ingredients.
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Combine all the sauce ingredients in a medium-sized bowl. Stir to mix well.
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Heat oil in a large skillet over medium-high heat until hot. Spread the chicken in the skillet in a single layer. Sear until the bottom turns golden without moving it, 1 minute or so. Stir and flip to cook the other side, until it turns golden, another minute or so. Transfer the cooked chicken pieces to a big plate and set aside.
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Pour in the remaining 1 tablespoon oil and add the garlic, ginger, and the white part of the green onion. Stir a few times to release fragrance.
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Add the bamboo shoots. Stir and cook for 1 minute.
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Add the mushrooms. Cook and stir until the mushrooms are cooked through and the liquid has evaporated. Drizzle with a bit more oil if the pan looks dry.
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Stir the sauce again to thoroughly dissolve the cornstarch and pour it into the pan. Stir a few times until the sauce thickens.
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Add the chicken back into the skillet. Stir to coat everything well with the sauce. Add the green part of the green onion for garnish. Transfer everything to a big plate. Serve hot over steamed rice as a main dish.
Nutrition
Serving: 1serving, Calories: 408kcal, Carbohydrates: 13.7g, Protein: 56.6g, Fat: 13.4g, Saturated Fat: 1.2g, Cholesterol: 160mg, Sodium: 796mg, Potassium: 1354mg, Fiber: 1.8g, Sugar: 6.6g, Calcium: 32mg, Iron: 3mg
