This chicken chow mein recipe is a healthier and tastier version of the classic takeaway dish, and it’s ready in just 30 minutes. It’s perfect for when you’re craving delicious Chinese food but want to avoid the extra calories and oil found in typical takeaway versions.
What Is Chow Mein?
Chow Mein is a popular Chinese dish, especially in takeaways in the UK and US. It consists of stir-fried noodles with vegetables, a savory sauce, and sometimes protein. The name “chow mein” translates to “stir-fried noodles,” and it’s known for its quick cooking time, making it perfect for busy weeknights. This homemade version features a balanced mix of protein, fresh vegetables, and a flavorful sauce, offering a delicious takeaway version but with fewer calories and less oil.
Ingredients
- Dried Noodles: Use dried egg noodles or chow mein noodles. Cook them until fully tender, but not overcooked. They won’t cook further in the wok, so make sure they’re soft but not mushy.
- Peanut Oil: Peanut oil is perfect for stir-frying due to its high smoke point. If unavailable, you can substitute with vegetable or canola oil.
- Meat: This recipe calls for chicken breast, but you can substitute it with chicken thighs, beef, shrimp, or even tofu if preferred.
- Vegetables: This recipe uses garlic, ginger, bean sprouts, spring onions, and onions. However, feel free to add other vegetables such as carrots, bell peppers, bok choy, broccoli and snap peas. These additional vegetables can bring more crunch, color, and nutrients to your chow mein. Customize the dish based on what you enjoy or have on hand!
- Chow Mein Sauce: This flavorful sauce is a blend of Thai ginger sauce, dark soy sauce, oyster sauce, fish sauce, and sesame oil. The combination of these sauces adds richness, umami, and depth to the dish.
Expert Tips
Use a Well-Seasoned Wok: For the best flavor and to achieve the elusive “wok hay” (the slightly smoky, charred taste unique to stir-frying), cook your chow mein in a well-seasoned wok. A properly seasoned wok adds depth to your dish and enhances the overall flavor.
Stir-Fry on High Heat: Stir-frying on high heat is essential to lock in flavor and maintain the crispness of the vegetables. Keep the ingredients moving in the wok by stirring constantly—this helps everything cook quickly and evenly without burning.
Prep Everything Before Cooking: Make sure all your ingredients—noodles, vegetables, meat, and sauce—are prepped and ready before you start stir-frying. Having everything ready will help you not overcook or burn any ingredients of the dish.
Add Your Favorite Vegetables: Feel free to customize the dish by adding or swapping in your favorite vegetables. Bell peppers, broccoli and snap peas work well.
Don’t Overcrowd the Wok: To avoid steaming your ingredients and losing that delicious stir-fried texture, avoid overcrowding the wok. If needed, cook the meat and vegetables in batches to ensure everything gets the proper high-heat stir-fry treatment.
How to Make Chicken Chow Mein Like the Takeaway:
1) In a large bowl, combine the sliced chicken breast with the light soy sauce. Optionally, marinate in the fridge for 30-60 minutes.
2) In a separate bowl, whisk together Thai ginger sauce, dark soy sauce, oyster sauce, fish sauce, and sesame oil. Set the sauce aside.
3) Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook the dried noodles according to the package instructions until just tender. Drain and set aside.
4) Heat 1 tablespoon of peanut oil in a large wok over medium-high heat. Add the marinated chicken and stir-fry for 4 to 5 minutes, or until fully cooked. Remove the chicken from the wok and set aside.
5) Add the remaining tablespoon of peanut oil to the wok. Add the minced garlic and ginger, stir-frying for about 30 seconds or until fragrant.
6) Add the sliced onion and stir-fry for 3-4 minutes until just tender.
7) Add the bean sprouts and stir-fry for 1 minute until they are crisp-tender.
8) Add the cooked noodles and chicken back into the wok. Stir-fry for 2 minutes, keeping the ingredients moving to ensure everything heats through evenly.
9) Push the ingredients to the sides of the wok, creating a space in the center. Pour the prepared chow mein sauce into the center and bring it to a simmer.
10) Once the sauce is simmering, stir everything together, making sure the noodles, chicken, and vegetables are coated with the sauce.
11) Serve the chicken chow mein hot, garnished with the spring onions for extra freshness and crunch.
Storage and Leftovers
Chicken chow mein is best enjoyed fresh, but if you have leftovers, you can store them in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3 days.
If you’d like to freeze it, place the cooled chow mein in an airtight, freezer-safe container and freeze for up to 3 months. When you’re ready to enjoy it again, thaw the chow mein in the refrigerator overnight.
To reheat, simply warm the chow mein in a hot pan or wok over medium heat, stirring frequently to heat everything evenly. If the noodles seem dry, add a splash of water to bring back some moisture.
For microwave reheating, cover the dish and heat for 2 minutes, then stir. Continue heating in 30-60 second intervals, stirring between each, until the chow mein is hot throughout.
Chicken Chow Mein
Equipment
- Large Pot
Ingredients
- 5 ounces Dried noodles
- 2 tablespoons Peanut oil divided
- 7 ounces Chicken breast sliced
- 1 tablespoon Light soy sauce
- 1 Onion finely sliced
- 2 cloves Garlic minced
- 0.2 ounces Ginger minced (about 1 teaspoon of minced garlic)
- 2 ½ ounces Bean sprouts
- 1 bunch Spring onions sliced
Chow Mein Sauce
- 1 ½ ounces Thai ginger sauce (about 3 tablespoons)
- 3 teaspoons Dark soy sauce
- 1 ½ teaspoon Oyster sauce
- 1 teaspoon Fish sauce
- ½ teaspoon Sesame oil
Instructions
Marinate the Chicken:
- In a large bowl, combine the sliced chicken breast with the light soy sauce. Optionally, marinate in the fridge for 30-60 minutes.
Prepare the Chow Mein Sauce:
- In a separate bowl, whisk together Thai ginger sauce, dark soy sauce, oyster sauce, fish sauce, and sesame oil. Set the sauce aside.
Cook the Noodles:
- Bring a large pot of salted water to a boil. Cook the dried noodles according to the package instructions until just tender. Drain and set aside.
Stir-Fry the Chicken:
- Heat 1 tablespoon of peanut oil in a large wok over medium-high heat. Add the marinated chicken and stir-fry for 4 to 5 minutes, or until fully cooked. Remove the chicken from the wok and set aside.
Cook the Vegetables:
- Add the remaining tablespoon of peanut oil to the wok. Add the minced garlic and ginger, stir-frying for about 30 seconds, or until fragrant.
- Add the sliced onion and stir-fry for 3-4 minutes until just tender.
- Add the bean sprouts and stir-fry for 1 minute until they are crisp-tender.
Combine and Cook:
- Add the cooked noodles and chicken back into the wok. Stir-fry for 2 minutes, keeping the ingredients moving to ensure everything heats through evenly.
- Push the ingredients to the sides of the wok, creating a space in the center. Pour the prepared chow mein sauce into the center and bring it to a simmer.
- Once the sauce is simmering, stir everything together, making sure the noodles, chicken, and vegetables are coated with the sauce.
- Serve the chicken chow mein hot, garnished with the spring onions for extra freshness and crunch.
Notes
Nutrition
More Recipes You May Like:
If you’re looking for more chicken recipes, try this chicken fried rice or ruth chris stuffed chicken, they’re both delicious! Or if you’re looking for more tasty Asian recipes check these out: