For more quick one-pot meals, go to my posts for Chicken Parmesan Pasta, Creamy Tuscan Garlic Spaghetti, and Curry Chicken and Rice.
Made with easy-to-find pantry ingredients plus any veggies you like, I predict this Asian noodle recipe will become a go-to favorite for hangry families everywhere.
Why This Recipe Works
My simple summary of why this recipe works for us — and will for you, too! Flavor — These chow mein noodles are covered in a quick sauce that hits all the right notes: sweet, spicy, salty, savory. Customizable — Use the veggie ideas listed here, use whatever you have on hand, or add to the ingredients list with any of your favorite diced vegetables to pack this chicken chow mein full of nutrition. Fast — This one-pot recipe takes less than 30 minutes to come together, even faster if you use pre-cooked chow mein noodles. Great leftovers — I like to eat any leftover noodles cold, straight from the container, sometimes for breakfast. If cold noodles aren’t your thing, they reheat in a jiffy in the microwave. Pantry staples — Even if you don’t consider oyster sauce a pantry staple, you will after making this Asian chicken dish. Buy it once and use it forever, as a little goes a long way and will be so worth the purchase!
Here’s How You Make It
Prepping the sauce1. Get a small bowl out or mix together right in a large, liquid measuring cup the following sauce ingredients: chicken broth, oyster and soy sauces, sesame oil, sugar, corn starch, and red pepper flakes or Sriracha. Whisk until the cornstarch is completely dissolved. Making the chow mein
What is Chicken Chow Mein?
“Chow mein” translates to “stir fry noodles,” and the chicken, well, that speaks for itself. The recipe is generally created as a soft noodle dish that incorporates chow mein noodles, chicken, and then a sauce that’s all tossed together and eaten hot.
What is the Difference Between Chicken Chow Mein and Chicken Lo Mein?
Although both of these dishes are quite similar, the biggest difference is that when making chow mein, the noodles are “fried” or cooked a bit more crispy. Lo mein noodles are typically boiled and present softer in the dish.
What Can I Add to a Stir Fry?
Here are some of my favorite ingredients to add to my stir-fry dishes, in no particular order:
Shredded cabbage Baby corn (or roasted corn cut off the cob) Broccoli or cauliflower Snow peas or sugar snap peas Shredded carrots Onions Bell peppers Water chestnuts Bamboo shoots Mushrooms Zucchini Garlic Ginger Fresh cilantro
Expert Tips
I like to purchase cooked chow mein noodles whenever possible, but if you can’t find them, then I’ll just buy uncooked noodles. They cook very fast, just follow the instructions on the package and complete the task prior to the beginning of the recipe. Although oyster sauce is commonly found in the Asian section of grocery stores, your store may not have it. In that case, substitute soy or hoisin sauce. I find that using tongs is the easiest way to toss the noodles, veggies, chicken, and sauce together, but you can also use a wooden spoon or another utensil you have on hand. The bonus of using tongs is that it makes one less thing to wash because you can toss and stir in the pan, then serve right away with the same utensil. One pot, one serving tool, so much less to clean up! If you love spicy food (and don’t have picky people in your house) then may I suggest adding even more red pepper flakes (about ½ a teaspoon at a time) or pile on the Sriracha if you like! Another option would be to add sliced jalapenos to the veggies while you cook — depends on how brave you are I suppose. If you are adding a variety of veggies to the chicken chow mein, the best way to cook them is to saute the thickest vegetables first (think broccoli, peppers, sugar snap peas) and let those cook for a minute or two before adding the faster-cooking veggies like cabbage, mushrooms, and zucchini.
More Asian-Inspired Recipes
Kung Pao Chicken Chicken Satay Skewers with Peanut Sauce Thai Chicken Curry with Coconut Milk Instant Pot Broccoli Beef Teriyaki Steak Stir-Fry Chicken and Asparagus Stir-Fry
Did you make this recipe? Please rate the recipe below!
title: “Chicken Chow Mein” ShowToc: true date: “2024-09-17” author: “Dina Hoskins”
Good food is therapeutic. It adds spice to life, offers comfort for the “blah’s”, provides warmth on a cold evening, coolth on a hot day…and helps unravel and unfrazzle you after having spent two hours in bumper-to-bumper traffic on the cursed I-5 headed south of Seattle during rush hour!! Just hypothetically speaking. Food is good. Food is helpful. Food is our friend. Whether it’s a cup of hot chocolate, a glass of cold lemonade, some freshly baked chocolate chip cookies, or…drum roll…a hot plate of chow mein! Believe it or not, Chow Mein was one of the Father’s Day requests in my family. We celebrated Father’s Day with my parents and I asked my husband and dad what their meal requests were. My dad requested Chow Mein and Todd requested British Bangers and Mash with mushy peas! (Do I have very unique men in my family or what?) Well, there was hardly a fitting compromise for such vastly different dishes, so I made both. Yep, for Father’s Day we had Chinese Chow Mein and British Bangers and Mash with mushy peas! It must have been the oddest combination of food Father’s Day has ever seen. But the end result was two very satisfied daddy’s and that’s really what mattered, right? Chow Mein, which means “noodles,” is an Americanized Chinese dish of Canton influence. It was at its peak in popularity in the 50’s and 60’s and though it’s a little more challenging to find it nowadays in Chinese restaurants, some will make it on request. There are many variations of chow mein. It first appeared as a dish or vegetables and chicken tossed with fresh egg noodles. Other versions soon evolved (many of them regional differences between the East and West coast) including ones with a thicker sauce of vegetables and chicken served with deep-fried crunchy egg noodles and served with or over rice. This recipe is easily adapted to your preferences. If you prefer fresh egg noodles, toss them with the sauce at the end. Or you can the sauce with/over rice and/or deep-fried crunchy egg noodles. And as for the meat, prefer pork? Use pork! Prefer shrimp? Use shrimp! Whatever combinations you choose, you’re going to enjoy this chow mein. I call it “ultimate” because not only does it taste fantastic, it’s packed full of a ton of healthy veggies! If you’re worried about calories you don’t have worry with this one. Just limit the rice/noodles and load up on the vegetable-chicken stir-fry to your heart’s content! Super-duper simple to make. And the actual cooking takes less than 10 minutes. It’s the prep work of slicing and chopping all the vegetables that takes some time, but that can all be done in advance. NOTE: There are East and West Coast variations of this Chinese-American dish and many locations on the East Coast serve chow mein with rice instead of noodles. We’re going with the East Coast’s variation this time but feel free to substitute noodles.
Chicken Chow Mein Recipe
Let’s get started! Dice up the chicken or pork.
Slice the carrots, celery and red bell peppers diagonally, Chinese style.
Slice the water chestnuts.
Wash and drain the bean sprouts.
Drain the baby corn and chop the green cabbage.
Combine the sauce ingredients.
Heat the oil over high in a wok or large skillet and cook the meat until done.
Add the celery, carrots and bell pepper and cook for another 3 minutes.
Add the cabbage, water chestnuts and baby corn and fry for another minute or two. Add the sauce and stir to combine. Bring to a simmer until thickened.
Add the bean sprouts and stir to coat.
Add the green onions and stir to combine. Add salt, pepper, soy sauce and sesame oil to taste. If using fresh egg noodles, add the cooked noodles and toss to combine. Or serve with/on rice and/or deep-fried crunchy egg noodles.
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