Chicken Chow Mein Recipe (2024)

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Your favorite Chinese restaurant is going to miss you. With this Easy Chicken Chow Mein Recipe, you'll be making dinner in far less time than it takes to get take-out delivered to your doorstep.

Chicken Chow Mein is officially better at home, and it features tender, juicy strips of chicken tossed with a savory mix of noodles, bell pepper, carrots, onion, and cabbage. It's finished off with a quick and easy Chow Mein Sauce, and in just 30 minutes, you'll have an easy weeknight dinner on the table the entire family adores!

Love American-Chinese food? Be sure to check out Beef and Broccoli Stir Fry, Chicken Lo Mein, and Brown Sugar Garlic Chicken!

WHAT IS CHOW MEIN?

The name Chow Mein is used to indicate an American-Chinese stir-fry noodle dish containing vegetables and (sometimes) meat as well. The Chinese word chow translates to "stir-fried" or "sautéed" in English.

In Hong-Kong, Chow Mein is served as a crispy, fried noodle dish, while in America, it is served with soft noodles.

CHICKEN CHOW MEIN VS. CHICKEN LO MEIN

In America, Chow Mein and Lo Mein are essentially the same dishes, although, oftentimes, Chow Mein is made with thinner noodles. As mentioned above, the real difference between the two is more commonly found overseas, where Chow Mein is served with crispy, fried noodles instead of soft noodles. You may find that the noodles in American Chinese restaurants are stir-fried, but they are not typically served crispy.

WHAT'S IN CHICKEN CHOW MEIN?

CHICKEN

The best cut of chicken to use for chicken chow mein is boneless, skinless chicken thighs. They are less likely to overcook than white meat chicken, easy to slice into strips, and are more likely to stay juicy cooked over high heat. The chicken thighs are cooked in oil and seasoned with Kosher salt and black pepper. Be sure to use a flavorless oil with a high smoke point for searing your chicken. Oils such as avocado or canola oil are great choices.

VEGETABLES

Chicken Chow Mein is as much about the vegetables as it is the chicken. The classic veggie combo for this dish is thinly sliced bell pepper, carrots, yellow onion, green cabbage, as well as finely chopped garlic. With the exclusion of the garlic, the trick to even cooking is to get the vegetables sliced as close to the same size as possible. To make prep work easier on yourself, pick up packages of pre-shredded cabbage and julienned carrots in the produce aisle of your grocery store.

NOODLES

We used Wel-Pac Chow Mein Stir Fry Noodles for this recipe and cooked the noodles according to package directions. You can find them in the international aisle of your grocery store, along with the Asian ingredients. These noodles cook in about 3 minutes, so take care not to overcook them!

GARNISH

Garnishes are always optional but chopped cilantro and green onions add a fresh note to this savory Asian staple and a good deal of flavor as well.

CHOW MEIN SAUCE

Of course, you can't have Chicken Chow Mein without a killer sweet-and--savory Chow Mein Sauce. Lucky for us, it's seriously easy to make. Simply combine soy sauce, oyster sauce, sugar, and sesame oil in a bowl and stir to combine.

HOW TO MAKE CHICKEN CHOW MEIN

Make the Sauce - Add all of the sauce ingredients to a small bowl and whisk to combine. Set aside until ready to use.
Prep the Chicken - Pat the chicken dry with a paper towel and using a sharp knife, cut the chicken against the grain into thin strips (about a ½" thick). Transfer to a bowl and season with Kosher salt and pepper. Massage the seasoning evenly onto the chicken and set aside.
Cook the Chicken - Add oil to a large sauté pan over medium-high heat and bring to temperature. Add the chicken to the pan and sear for 4 minutes. Turn the chicken and sear minutes more. Remove from the pan and set aside on a plate.
Cook the Vegetables - Add the bell pepper, carrots, and onions to the pan and sauté for 5 minutes, stirring often. Then, add the cabbage and sauté for 2 minutes more. Add the garlic and sauté 1 minute more.
Bring It All Together - If your pan is large enough to house all of the ingredients, add the chicken, the noodles, cilantro, green onion, and sauce and toss to combine. If your pan is not large enough, see notes.

IS CHOW MEIN HEALTHY?

Chicken Chow Mein is loaded with healthy ingredients like lean, dark meat chicken and nutritious vegetables. On the flip side, these healthy ingredients are intertwined with carby chow mein noodles and tossed in a sweet-and-savory sauce that some might deem not so healthy.

However, the Chicken Chow Mein you make at home is going to be far healthier than chow mein at a restaurant, as it is less oily and packed with more of the nutritious ingredients like chicken and vegetables than cost-friendly noodles.

CHICKEN CHOW MEIN CALORIES

Chicken Chow Mein weighs in at about 500 calories per 1 cup serving. For a filling and delicious comfort food pasta dinner, we're thinking this isn't half bad.

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5 from 6 votes

Chicken Chow Mein

Prep Time

15 mins

Cook Time

15 mins

Total Time

30 mins

With this Easy Chicken Chow Mein Recipe, you'll be making dinner in far less time than it takes to get Chinese take-out delivered to your doorstep.

FAQs

What is chow mein sauce made of? ›

The BEST Chow Mein Sauce:

Combine soy sauce, light sesame oil, oyster sauce, granulated sugar, cornstarch, and chicken broth to make the signature sweet and savory sauce that makes chow mein taste authentic.

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What makes chow mein taste like chow mein? ›

Simple sauce: While chow mein sauce is unbelievably easy to make, it still brings a complexity of flavors to the dish. The careful combination of ingredients like soy sauce, sesame oil, oyster sauce and sugar results in a chow mein sauce that has hints of both savory and sweet notes.

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How do you make chow mein not soggy? ›

An expert chef's tip for perfect chow mein

Before frying them, it's best to steam the noodles rather than boil them, then dunk them in the hot water for just a minute. Remember to let the noodles cool down. When you're pan frying the noodles, let them cook and crisp up, and don't move them around too much.

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Can you buy chow mein sauce? ›

Tesco Chow Mein Stir Fry Sauce 165g - Tesco Groceries.

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What does chicken chow mein contain? ›

Hong Kong Style Chicken Chow Mein Noodles is a classic Chinese dish consisting of crispy, pan-fried noodles and a rich gravy filled with fresh vegetables and chicken! The ultra crispy noodles is crispy around the edges and soft from the gravy in the middle – when mixed up it's a perfect contrast of textures!

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What is the crunchy stuff in chow mein? ›

At my local Chinese, they call this Crispy Chow Mein Noodles. It's a Hong Kong / Cantonese style dish, and there are a lot of variations but the core of it is a bed of deep fried crunchy noodles topped with a saucy stir fry.

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What is a good substitute for chow mein noodles? ›

If you can't find these, you can use other noodles – it won't be 100% the same but it will be close enough. Some substitutes are: Yakisoba noodles. Lo Mein noodles (these will be thicker and won't have the slightly crispy nature of chow mein when fried)

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Can you use spaghetti noodles for chow mein? ›

Is it actually possible to substitute spaghetti for chow mein noodles? Yes, it is possible to substitute spaghetti for chow mein noodles by boiling it with a small amount of baking soda. The baking soda alters the pH level of the spaghetti, giving it a similar texture and flavor to chow mein noodles.

Why do we add vinegar to chow mein? ›

All you need is soy sauce, black vinegar, sugar, oyster sauce, black pepper, and sesame oil. The flavor that is often missing in homemade chow mein is the tanginess. Black Vinegar is less harsh than regular vinegar, which gives the chow mein a subtle hint of tanginess that brings the dish together.

What are the three rules of stir-frying? ›

The first is to cook your protein and your vegetable separately, and combine them only after both are fully cooked. A second rule of thumb for stir-frying: Choose one vegetable per stir-fry. Finally, always remember to add liquid only after everything is more or less finished cooking.

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How do you thicken chow mein sauce? ›

Use one tablespoon cornstarch mixed with one tablespoon cold water (aka a cornstarch slurry) for each cup of medium-thick sauce. Thoroughly mix the cornstarch and water together, then pour into your sauce. Cook and stir over medium heat until thickened and bubbly.

Why is chicken chow mein so good? ›

The sauce is what gives chow mein all of its seasoning and addictive flavors. It's a mix of oyster sauce, sweet soy sauce, toasted sesame oil and freshly ground black pepper. It's full of sweet and savory umami and seriously SO good.

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What are the two types of chow mein? ›

In the American market, two types of chow mein include crispy chow mein and steamed chow mein. The steamed chow mein has a softer texture, while the former is crisper and drier. Crispy chow mein uses fried, flat noodles, while soft chow mein uses long, rounded noodles.

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Is chicken chow mein healthier than chicken fried rice? ›

Chow mein is typically made with egg noodles, which are a better option than traditional white pasta due to the extra protein boost from the yolk [1]. It has a lower calorie count compared to fried rice, with around 640 calories per serving [1]. The fat content is also lower, with 10 grams of fat per serving [1].

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What is the brown sauce in Chinese food called? ›

Oyster sauce is commonly used in Chinese food and adds a savory, salty, umami flavor. Both can be found in most grocery stores. If you like, you can add grated or minced ginger or garlic. Serve your homemade brown sauce with a beef, chicken, or pork stir-fry or chow mein dish.

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What the heck is chow mein? ›

Chow mein is a dish of stir-fried Chinese-style noodles that can be served with proteins, vegetables or gravy. Chow mein is the English derivative of the word chau meing and comes from the Taishan dialect of Chinese. Chau means stir-fried and meing means noodles.

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What is plain chow mein made of? ›

Plain chow mein is a perfect combination of soft egg noodles, crisp vegetables and savoury umami chow mein sauce. A humble noodle dish that every Asian household love to have at least once a week.

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