Paleo Moo Shu Pork is an easy, hearty weeknight meal that puts a Chinese spin on Taco Tuesday! On a Whole30? Spoon the savory filling on top of lettuce leaves or on a bowl of cauliflower rice for a delicious dinner!

An overhead shot of a serving bowl filled with Paleo Moo Shu Pork, along with grain-free tortillas, and paleo hoisin sauce.

Remaking a Chinese classic!

Growing up, when my mom served homemade moo shu pork for dinner, I always joked that we were eating Chinese tacos. I wasn’t actually that far off—after all, my mom would wrap the pork and vegetable filling in store-bought flour tortillas if she couldn’t find traditional Mandarin pancakes at the Chinese market.

A collage of the cooking steps to make Paleo Moo Shu Pork

These days, whenever I serve Paleo Moo Shu Pork alongside grain-free tortillas, my kids remark that these DIY Chinese tacos have become one of their new favorites. There’s just something about sticking food into an edible wrapper that makes it taste exponentially better.

What is Moo Shu Pork?

A traditional northern Chinese dish, moo shu pork has been adapted many times over in American Chinese restaurants and households. It’s a delicious stir-fry featuring matchstick-thin strips of pork and vegetables and dotted with fluffy scrambled eggs. Typically, the stir-fry itself isn’t strongly flavored because most people tuck it into a thin Mandarin pancake wrapper slathered with sweet-and-savory hoisin sauce.

My mom’s version contains pork, Napa cabbage, and scrambled eggs, but she also adds more exotic components like wood ear mushrooms, daylily buds, and julienned bamboo shoots. I left out these hard-to-find ingredients from my version because I want you to be able to make my Paleo Moo Shu Pork without having to make a special trip to an Asian grocery store—but feel free to include them if you want.

How is this version Paleo- and Whole30-friendly?

To make my Moo Shu Pork paleo-friendly and simple, I use my All-Purpose Stir-Fry Sauce as the seasoning, and I serve it with store-bought Siete brand cassava and coconut flour tortillas as the wrappers. If you want to make your own paleo-friendly tortillas, I have a recipe on page 78 of Ready or Not! cookbook. I also use my own recipe for Paleo Hoisin Sauce, which pulls the whole dish together and can be whipped up in just a few minutes.

An overhead shot of an immersion blender blending homemade paleo hoisin sauce in a small saucepan.

In China, moo shu pork is normally served over rice rather than wrappers, so you can keep it Whole30-compliant by spooning it over Simple Cauliflower Rice. If you’re on a Whole30 and still craving some sort of wrapper, butter lettuce leaves and thinly sliced jicama are a fantastic sub for Mandarin pancakes/grain-free tortillas. (Unfortunately, Siete grain-free tortillas are considered SWYPO and aren’t Whole30-compatible—but they can be part of your Food Freedom after your Whole30 is over.)

How do you eat Moo Shu Pork?

There isn’t a right or wrong way to eat Moo Shu Pork. I serve the stir-fry with a pile of warm grain-free tortillas and a dish of Paleo Hoisin Sauce. Then, I leave it up to the eater to decide how they want to assemble their little packet of porky goodness.

Here’s the way I eat it: I smear a thin layer of Paleo Hoisin Sauce on a warm wrapper, and then I spoon on some savory filling. Sometimes I just pull up the sides and eat it like a taco. Other times, I wrap it up into a tiny burrito.

Step-by-step pictures on how to wrap paleo moo shu pork in a grain-free tortilla

How do you cut the pork tenderloin into matchsticks?

Cutting the pork into thin matchsticks isn’t complicated, but I do have a few tips that make it easier. First, you should freeze the pork tenderloin for about 30 minutes or until it stiffens, but not so much that it turns into a block of ice. This way, the tenderloin won’t be too slippery or soft when you cut it.

Next, grab a sharp chef’s knife and slice the pork crosswise into ¼-inch thick slices. Stack the pork slices three or four layers high and cut into thin strips. Repeat until you have a tiny hill of pork matchsticks!

Step-by-step photos showing how to slice a partially frozen pork tenderloin into matchsticks.

What can you substitute for the pork?

You can use chicken, shrimp, or beef in place of the pork—they’ll all taste great. Here’s my Moo Shu Chicken recipe!

How do I cook this recipe quickly?

A little advance meal prep will save you lots of time in the evening. If you already have jars of All-Purpose Stir-Fry Sauce and Paleo Hoisin Sauce in the fridge, you’re already halfway there. When I plan on making anything with dried shiitake mushrooms, I soak them before I leave the house in the morning so they’re soft and ready to go at dinnertime. Also, you should have all your ingredients cut and prepped when you heat up your skillet so you aren’t scrambling for things when you should be stir-frying. And with practice, you will get faster and more proficient at chopping stuff!

What if you don’t have All-Purpose Stir-Fry Sauce?

Come on, people! My All-Purpose Stir-Fry Sauce only takes about 5 minutes to mix up and tastes fabulous in everything, so you should take a few moments to shake up a jar. You’ll be happy you made it because you can use it in all these recipes for the rest of the week! (Still not willing to make it? FINE. You can mix together 2 tablespoons coconut aminos, 2 teaspoons rice vinegar, 1 teaspoon Red Boat fish sauce, 1 teaspoon toasted sesame oil, and 1 teaspoon arrowroot powder for the sauce.)

Ingredients

  • Dried shiitake mushrooms or fresh shiitake mushrooms (dried tastes better!)
  • Pork tenderloin
  • Diamond Crystal kosher salt
  • Avocado oil or cooking fat of choice
  • Eggs
  • Red Boat fish sauce
  • Napa cabbage
  • Carrot
  • All-Purpose Stir-Fry Sauce
  • Arrowroot powder
  • Toasted sesame oil
  • Scallions
  • Grain-free tortillas (I like Siete brand Cassava and Coconut flour tortillas), lettuce leaves, or thinly sliced jicama
  • Paleo Hoisin Sauce

How to make Paleo Moo Shu Pork

Place the dried shiitake mushrooms in a medium bowl and cover with water for at least 30 minutes or until softened. Squeeze out the extra liquid, cut off the stems, and thinly slice the mushrooms. Set them aside with the rest of the sliced vegetables.

Shiitake mushrooms are soaking in water in a blue and white bowl.

In a large bowl, toss the sliced pork with ¾ teaspoon Diamond Crystal kosher salt and 1 teaspoon avocado oil. Set aside.

An overhead shot of two hands mixing sliced pork tenderloin strips with salt and avocado oil in a silver bowl.

Whisk together the eggs and fish sauce in a medium bowl.

Whisking eggs with fish sauce with a fork in a metal bowl.

Heat a small non-stick or well-seasoned cast iron skillet over medium heat. Swirl in 2 teaspoons avocado oil when the pan is hot and pour in the eggs. Stir and scrape the pan constantly until you have soft, moist curds of scrambled eggs. Transfer the eggs to a platter.

Scrambling eggs in a non-stick skillet until they are moist and fluffy.

Heat a large 12-inch skillet over medium high heat and add 1 tablespoon of avocado oil when it is hot. Add the seasoned pork…

Pouring avocado oil to a hot skillet before adding the marinated sliced pork.

…and cook, stirring frequently until it is no longer pink. Transfer the cooked pork to a plate.

Cooking the pork strips in a large skillet until they are no longer pink.

Discard any liquid in the pan and add another tablespoon of avocado oil before tossing in the chopped mushrooms, cabbage, and carrot.

Adding the cut vegetables to the empty skillet after the pork has been removed.

Sprinkle ½ teaspoon of Diamond Crystal kosher salt on the vegetables and stir-fry until the vegetables are tender crisp, about 2 to 3 minutes.

A side shot of the vegetables cooking in a large skillet.

While the vegetables are cooking, whisk the All-Purpose Stir-Fry Sauce, arrowroot powder, and sesame oil in a small measuring cup or bowl.

Whisking the All-Purpose Stir-Fry Sauce with sesame oil and arrowroot powder in a liquid measuring cup.

When the vegetables are ready, stir in the reserved cooked pork…

Adding the cooked pork back into the skillet with the vegetables.

… and pour the sauce over everything. Cook, stirring frequently, until sauce is slightly thickened.

Pouring the All-Purpose Stir-Fry Sauce into the skillet with the pork and vegetables.

Turn off the heat and stir in the scrambled eggs and sliced scallions. Taste and adjust for seasoning if needed.

Adding the reserved scrambled eggs and sliced scallions to the skillet.

If you’re serving the Paleo Moo Shu Pork in grain-free tortillas, heat them up in a dry skillet over medium heat until warm and softened.

Heating a grain-free Siete cassava and coconut flour tortilla in a hot skillet until soft and pliable.

Slather some Paleo Hoisin Sauce on a warm tortilla or lettuce wrap and build your own Chinese tacos or mini burritos with the Paleo Moo Shu filling.

Using the back of a spoon to spread Paleo Hoisin Sauce on a grain-free tortilla before adding the Paleo Moo Shu Pork.

The mess will be worth it!

On the left, a woman with glasses is biting into a grain-free tortilla filled with Paleo Moo Shu Pork. On the right, is a shot of the inside of the Paleo Moo Shu Pork after a big bite has been taken.

How do you store leftovers?

I store leftover Paleo Moo Shu Pork in a sealed container in the fridge for up to 4 days. When I want to eat it, I reheat it in the microwave or fry it in a hot skillet.


Looking for more recipe ideas? Head on over to my Recipe Index. You’ll also find exclusive recipes on my iPhone and iPad app, and in my cookbooks, Nom Nom Paleo: Food for Humans (Andrews McMeel Publishing 2013), Ready or Not! (Andrews McMeel Publishing 2017), and Nom Nom Paleo: Let’s Go! (Andrews McMeel Publishing 2021).


 PRINTER-FRIENDLY RECIPE CARD

Paleo Moo Shu Pork

4.96 from 22 votes
Prep Time20 minutes
Cook Time15 minutes
mushroom soaking time30 minutes
Total Time35 minutes
Servings 4 people
Paleo Moo Shu Pork is an easy, hearty weeknight meal that puts a Chinese spin on Taco Tuesday! No matter if the savory filling is wrapped in lettuce or served on cauliflower rice, this is a delicious addition to your Whole30!  

Ingredients 
 

  • ½ ounce dried shiitake mushrooms or ¼ pound fresh shiitake mushrooms, stemmed and thinly sliced
  • 1 pound pork tenderloin cut into thin matchsticks
  • Diamond Crystal kosher salt
  • Avocado oil or cooking fat of choice
  • 3 large eggs
  • ¾ teaspoon Red Boat fish sauce
  • 4 cups thinly sliced Napa Cabbage ~½ pound
  • 1 large carrot julienned
  • ¼ cup All-Purpose Stir-Fry Sauce
  • 2 teaspoons arrowroot powder
  • ½ teaspoon toasted sesame oil
  • 3 scallions thinly sliced
  • Grain-free tortillas (I like Siete Cassava and Coconut flour tortillas) lettuce leaves, or thinly sliced jicama
  • Paleo Hoisin Sauce
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Instructions 

  • Place the dried shiitake mushrooms in a medium bowl and cover with water for at least 30 minutes or until softened. Squeeze out the extra liquid, cut off the stems, and thinly slice the mushrooms. Set them aside with the rest of the sliced vegetables.
  • In a large bowl, toss the sliced pork with ¾ teaspoon Diamond Crystal kosher salt and 1 teaspoon avocado oil. Set aside.
  • Whisk together the eggs and fish sauce in a medium bowl.
  • Heat a small non-stick or well-seasoned cast iron skillet over medium heat. Swirl in 2 teaspoons avocado oil when the pan is hot and pour in the eggs. Stir and scrape the pan constantly until you have soft, moist curds of scrambled eggs. Transfer the eggs to a platter.
  • Heat a large 12-inch skillet over medium high heat and add 1 tablespoon of avocado oil when it is hot. Add the seasoned pork and cook, stirring frequently until it is no longer pink. Transfer the cooked pork to a plate.
  • Discard any liquid in the pan and add another tablespoon of avocado oil before tossing in the chopped mushrooms, cabbage, and carrot.
  • Sprinkle ½ teaspoon of Diamond Crystal kosher salt on the vegetables and stir-fry until the vegetables are tender crisp, about 2 to 3 minutes.
  • While the vegetables are cooking, whisk the All-Purpose Stir-Fry Sauce, arrowroot powder, and sesame oil in a small measuring cup or bowl.
  • When the vegetables are ready, stir in the reserved cooked pork and pour the sauce over everything. Cook, stirring frequently, until sauce is slightly thickened.
  • Turn off the heat and stir in the scrambled eggs and sliced scallions. Taste and adjust for seasoning if needed.
  • If you’re serving the Paleo Moo Shu Pork in grain-free tortillas, heat them up in a dry skillet over medium heat until warm and softened.
  • Slather some Paleo Hoisin Sauce on a warm tortilla or lettuce wrap and build your own Chinese tacos or mini burritos with the Paleo Moo Shu filling.

Video

Nutrition

Calories: 321kcal | Carbohydrates: 18g | Protein: 37g | Fat: 11g | Fiber: 3g

Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.

Like this? Leave a comment below!

About Michelle Tam

Hello! My name is Michelle Tam, and I love to eat. I think about food all the time. It borders on obsession. I’ve always loved the sights and smells of the kitchen. My mother was (and is) an excellent cook, and as a kid, I was her little shadow as she prepared supper each night. From her, I gained a deep, abiding love for magically transforming pantry items into mouth-watering family meals.

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Recipe Rating




12 Comments

  1. This is a winner. I loved it! Even the hoisin sauce is delicious. I had to make my own cassava flour tortillas that were not the best…but this recipe is so good. It’s labor intensive, and I destroyed my kitchen, but so worth it. I froze the remainder and I’m crossing my fingers it will thaw and heat up ok in the future. This makes a lot!

    1. 5 stars
      This looks amazing so can’t wait to try it. I eat keto, and make my own keto hoison sauce and stir fry sauce. I also use keto wraps, but may try it with lettuce wraps. I know it will come out great.
      Thank you for your great recipes.

  2. This recipe is amazing!! It came out wonderfully!! The hoisin sauce was excellent!! We made it again immediately afterwards because it was so great!! The second time was easier to already have the stir fry and hoisin sauces made!! And the Siete tortillas were great!! You really know your seasonings to be able to create this dish so authentically!! I so appreciate your sharing it!! I made extra but the whole thing was gone the first meal!! NO leftovers!!

  3. I’ve made this a few times (because it’s GREAT!) but I end up throwing away a lot of All Purpose Stir Fry Sauce.

    If I don’t create a full batch of All-Purpose Stir-Fry sauce and instead make the one you mentioned (coconut aminos, rice vinegar, fish sauce, sesame oil and arrowroot), do I STILL add arrowroot and sesame oil on Step 8? Thanks!

  4. 5 stars
    Yummmo! This was very good. Even though I had to make some minor adjustments: used ground pork and eliminated all AIP non-compliant items, it still tasted fantastic. Bummer that my cassava tortilla fell apart too. All the flavors were great! Thanks for all the tasty recipes Michelle. Hugs 🤗

  5. Just made this tonight – delicious! I used chicken instead of pork and it came out great. Added water chestnuts for crunch and topped with roasted cashews.
    Thanks for a great recipe!

  6. 5 stars
    This is delicious – my whole family loved! Next time I need to make your recipes for stir-fry and hoisin sauces – I’m sure that’ll make this dish even better (and have a lot less sugar than the store bought ones).

  7. 5 stars
    Love this recipe. I have made it many times and my entire family devours it!
    Quick question, To cut down the process, can I cut up the pork in advance earlier that day or will it dry out? It would really cut down on the time in the kitchen during dinner.
    Thank you!

  8. 5 stars
    Made this dish last night and it was SO delicious and it cooks up quickly! The hoisin sauce definitely pulled all the favors together.
    Thanks Michelle for a great weeknight recipe!

  9. 5 stars
    I’ve had my eye on this recipe for a while and finally made it last night. It was a huge hit with my family and we’ll be making it again soon! Thanks for sharing yet another great recipe!