This easy Chicken Chow Mein recipe is simple to make! It will take you just 20 minutes. If you enjoy Chinese stir-fry, you'll love this quick and tasty dinner dish that you can make at home.
★ Why You'll Love this Recipe ★
Chicken Chow Mein is a popular Chinese-American dish that consists of stir-fried noodles, vegetables, and chicken all tie together with a flavorful sauce.
This well balanced meal is hearty and healthy too. A great option for lunch or dinner.
Skip take-out and save money with this recipe. It's actually very easy to make this restaurant quality dish at home.
Using a shredded cole slaw or broccoli slaw mix as well as garlic and ginger paste saves lots of prep time.
If you are a meal prepper this is a great dish to make ahead and pack as lunch for the week.
You can easily double this recipe if you are serving a larger crowd.
★ Ingredients You'll Need ★
You don't need a long list of groceries to make this dish, just just a few key ingredients for authentic Asian flavor.
Here's everything you will need:
- Oyster sauce. This is key to that authentic flavor.
- Soy sauce. I prefer low sodium spy sauce but you can decide which you prefer.
- Sesame oil. Toasted sesame seed oil offer robust flavor if you can find it, it's what I prefer to use.
- Mirin. This is a Chinese sweet cooking seasoning that adds a lot of flavor. For authentic stir-fry flavor, you don't want to leave this out. Mirin is a fermented rice base much like rice wine vinegar but Mirin is much sweeter. The sweetness is key to balancing out the other flavors so it's best not to substitute one for the other.
- Chicken broth. This is the base of your delicious sauce.
- Cornstarch. This thickens the sauce.
- Sugar. Just your basic granulated white or you can substitute sugar with honey.
- White pepper. If you prefer you can use black pepper.
- Chow mein stir fry noodles. You can also just use spaghetti noodles if that's what you have on hand or is more cost effective for you.
- Chicken. Chicken breast cut into pieces works great.
- Avocado oil. Or you can use vegetable oil.
- Cabbage. Using a bag of cole slaw mix with shredded cabbage and carrots is a great short cut.
- Green onions. Also known as scallions, add that finishing touch of crunchy texture and mild spice.
- Garlic. You can save time and instead of using a whole clove, just use garlic paste that you can squeeze out.
- Ginger. Again to save time, try ginger paste. Super easy!
★ How to Make this Recipe ★
The prep is super simple!
Here's a look at the steps involved:
- Mix together sauce ingredients.
- Cook chicken.
- Cook vegetables.
- Combine chicken, vegetable and sauce.
- Top with green onions and serve.
Super easy!
★ Tips & FAQs ★
Adding Some Crunch
The name "Chow Mein" translates to "fried noodles" in Chinese. We are using cooked noodles in this dish but if you'd like to add a little crunch you can top this with crunchy chow mein noodles! They are readily available at most grocery stores.
You can also add bean sprouts to this dish for more texture. Canned Chinese bean sprouts can be found at most grocery stores.
Can I use other proteins besides chicken?
You sure can. While Chow Mein typically features chicken, you can experiment with other proteins like beef, pork, shrimp, tofu, or a combination of these based on your preferences.
Customize the Flavor of Your Chicken Chow Mein
Feel free to adjust the seasoning and spice levels according to your taste. You can add more spices for extra flavor, or even experiment with different vegetables to suit your preferences.
Try adding red pepper chili flakes or Sriracha sauce to make this spicy if you prefer a little heat.
Can I substitute oyster sauce with fish sauce?
While it may seem like these two are interchangeable, they are not. You really need the oyster sauce to complete the flavor profile of this stir-fry. Oyster sauce is mild in flavor and has a sweetness where fish is very strong, salty and not sweet.
Is Chicken Chow Mein a healthy dinner option?
Chicken Chow Mein can be a balanced meal with protein and vegetables. You can make it healthier by incorporating more vegetables and using lean cuts of chicken. Nutrition Facts can be found below.
Can I make Chicken Chow Mein ahead of time for a party or gathering?
Yes, you can prepare the dish ahead of time and simply reheat slowly with low heat to your desired temperature. Be careful not to overcook chicken or it will become chewy.
How do I store leftovers?
You can keep the leftovers in the fridge in an air-tight container for up to 5 days.
You can also freeze this Chicken Chow Mein for up to 3 months.
To reheat, use a pan or microwave, and you may need to add a little water or broth to revive the noodles.
★ More Recipes You'll Love ★
Are you a fan of chicken?
It's a great protein option for a hearty meal. Browse all my chicken recipes
Chicken Chow Mein
Ingredients
For the Sauce
- 4 tablespoon oyster sauce
- 4 tablespoon low-sodium soy sauce
- 2 tablespoon mirin (sweet cooking seasoning)
- 2 teaspoon sesame oil
- ½ cup low-sodium chicken broth or use water
- 2 tablespoon cornstarch
- 2-3 teaspoon sugar (or honey)
- ⅛ teaspoon white pepper
Main Ingredients
- 10 oz chow mein stir fry noodles
- 1 lb chicken cubed
- 3 tablespoon avocado oil divided
- 2 ½ cups cole slaw mix (shredded cabbage and carrot blend)
- 4 green onions sliced, divided
- 1 tablespoon garlic paste
- 2 teaspoon ginger paste
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Instructions
- In a bowl, whisk to combine oyster sauce, soy sauce, mirin, sesame oil, chicken broth, cornstarch, sugar, and white pepper. Set aside.
- Prepare noodles according to package directions. Drain and set aside.
- Cut chicken into cubes. Add avocado oil to a large skillet over medium heat. Once the oil is hot, add chicken. Cook for 3-5 minutes or until the chicken juice is clear.
- Move chicken from skillet to a bowl or plate and set aside.
- Add cabbage, carrots, and green onion (white part only), garlic, and ginger to skillet. Cook for 3-4 minutes.
- Return cooked chicken and noodles to the skillet and add sauce. Stir for 2 minutes or until the chicken and noodles are reheated and sauce is thickened. Garnish with remaining green onions. Serve immediately.
Notes
Equipment
- wok or skillet
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