A deliciously easy version of a Chinese Takeaway favourite! This Easy Chicken Chow Mein is not only quick and simple to make, it’s also healthier than a standard takeaway version… and cheaper too! What’s not to like?
This blog post contains affiliate links. This means if you click on a link and go on to buy the product I recommend, I will get a small commission, but you will not be charged a penny more – thanks in advance!
Chicken Chow Mein – just like your favourite Chinese takeaway!
Love takeaway Chicken Chow Mein, but think it’s too difficult to make at home?
Not so! Chicken Chow Mein is actually surprisingly easy to make… and takes just 20 minutes from start to finish!
Better still, Homemade Chicken Chow Mein is also healthier than a standard takeaway version… and cheaper too!
What’s in Chicken Chow Mein?
The exact recipe for Chicken Chow Mein of course varies from takeaway to takeaway, but it always contains a mix of chicken, noodles and chow mein sauce. It also usually contains some additional veggies.
In my easy peasy version of Chicken Chow Mein I have used onions, carrots, red pepper and cabbage as the additional vegetables. It’s a combination that works really well, but of course you can adapt this to suit your own preferences and/or what you have in the fridge. (See below for ideas on how to adapt this recipe.)
How to make homemade Chicken Chow Mein
This Chicken Chow Mein recipe really is so easy to make!
First make the simple, flavour packed, homemade chow mein sauce.
Next fry the chicken until nicely browned on the outside, but still a little bit pink in the middle. Then, fry the sliced onion, carrot, red pepper and cabbage.
Add the chow mein sauce to the pan and simmer for 1 minute, before adding the chicken back to the pan together with cooked noodles, beansprouts and sliced spring onions. Stir together thoroughly then turn off the heat.
Serve immediately, garnished with more sliced spring onions.
The whole thing takes just 20 minutes from start to finish (quicker than getting a takeaway delivered where I live!) and produces delicious results every time.
(Full recipe given in the recipe card below.)
What to serve with Chicken Chow Mein
This Chicken Chow Mein really is a complete meal in its own right – and that’s exactly how I like to serve it on a busy weekday evening.
But, of course, you can serve this as part of a bigger Chinese-themed spread, featuring other Chinese fakeaway dishes, such as Egg Fried Rice or Sweet and Sour Pork.
Easy Sweet and Sour Pork
What to drink with Chicken Chow Mein
As with most Chinese-style dishes, Chicken Chow Mein is best paired with aromatic whites like Riesling, Pinot Gris, Viognier or Gewurztraminer. Another great option is a fruity rosé, but I’d steer clear of red wine as it tends to clash with the flavours here.
Love easy Chinese fakeaway recipes?
Then you are going to love these:
- Easy Sweet and Sour Chicken
- Crispy Sweet Chilli Chicken
- Easy Sesame Chicken
- Beef Chow Mein
- Special Chow Mein
- Special Fried Rice
Crispy Sweet Chilli Chicken
How to get that smoky taste in Chow Mein at home
One of the key features of a classic chow mein is that slightly smoky taste. Restaurant chefs achieve that smoky taste (called ‘wok hei’) by using specialist equipment: a well seasoned carbon steel wok and restaurant burners which cook food at a much higher temperature.
Well, unless you happen to have a professional kitchen at home, that’s not going to be possible… but what I found is, if you stir fry the veggies, especially the cabbage, over a high heat and don’t use too much oil, you can lightly ‘char’ the veggies and this will give you a hint of that smoky flavour. Don’t go too far, though or you’ll end up burning the veggies!
Tips for making the perfect chicken chow mein at home
I have 4 tips for making the perfect chicken chow mein at home:
1. Prep everything first, then cook
Once you start cooking, you need to work fast. That means you need everything prepped before you start cooking. If you don’t, something will almost certainly get overcooked!
2. Don’t fully cook your noodles
If you are using dried noodles, you will need to cook them in boiling water first before adding to the wok. Since they will cook a little more when you add them to the wok, I recommend slightly undercooking your noodles in the boiling water. The brand I use, cooks to perfection in 4 minutes, so I cook them for 3½ minutes in the boiling water.
3. Toss your noodles in sesame oil
If you work fast, you may be able to get away with not bothering with this step. But if you are leaving the noodles to stand for more than a minute, toss with a teaspoon or two of sesame oil to stop the noodles sticking together.
4. Don’t fully cook your chicken… the first time
For the same reason, when you stir fry your chicken, only stir fry it for about 3 minutes. At that point the chicken won’t be fully cooked inside, but it will be nicely browned on the outside. When you add the chicken back to the wok at the end, it will finish cooking – resulting in perfectly cooked, juicy chicken.
5. Check your chicken!
Cooked as per the instructions in the recipe card, the chicken should be fully cooked all the way through. However, if you are at all unsure, check the chicken is cooked through by cutting open the largest piece you can find. There should be no pink meat. If you do find pink meat, return the pan to the heat and continue cooking for a further minute, then check again.
Make it your own…
I have spent a long time working on my homemade version of Chicken Chow Mein, trying to come up with the ‘perfect’ recipe that is both easy AND delicious… but of course you can adapt this recipe to suit your own personal preferences and/or what you have in your fridge. Here are some ideas…
- Use leftover roast chicken, instead of freshly cooked chicken.
- Use chicken mince or thigh, instead of chicken breast.
- Use pork, lamb or turkey, instead of the chicken.
- Use steak, instead of the chicken, as per my Beef Chow Mein.
- Use a mix of proteins, as per my Special Chow Mein.
- Use a different type of cabbage, instead of savoy cabbage.
- Use different vegetables, such as mushrooms, tenderstem broccoli, mangetouts or baby corn.
- Add a sprinkle of chilli flakes or some fresh chillies – not traditional, but it really works!
I’d love to hear how you’ve adapted my recipe! Let me know in the comments section 😀
Can you reheat leftover Chicken Chow Mein?
No – this is a dish that’s best served fresh!
Can you freeze leftover Chicken Chow Mein?
No – this is a dish that’s best served fresh!
If you like this recipe…
…you might also like:
- Easy Homemade Chow Mein Sauce
- Easy Teriyaki Chicken
- Plain Egg Fried Rice (Chinese Takeaway Copycat)
- Chicken Fried Rice
- Turkey Mince Fried Rice
Chicken Fried Rice
Easy Chicken Chow Mein (Chinese Takeaway Copycat)
Ingredients
Easy Chow Mein Sauce
- 3 tablespoons oyster sauce (I use Lee Kum Kee Premium Oyster Sauce)
- 4 tablespoons dark soy sauce (I use Kikkoman Naturally Brewed Soy Sauce)
- 1 tablespoon apple cider vinegar (or white wine vinegar)
- 2 tablespoons sesame oil
- 1 tablespoon cornflour
- 3 tablespoons cold water
Chicken Chow Mein Stir Fry
- 600 g chicken breast cut into bitesize pieces (roughly 2cm / ¾ inch cubes)
- 1 small onion thinly sliced
- 1 medium carrot peeled and cut into matchsticks
- 1 small red pepper cut into matchsticks
- ½ small savoy cabbage thinly sliced
- 150 g beansprouts
- 4 spring onions thinly sliced
- 225 g dried medium egg noodles (I use Sharwoods Medium Egg Noodles)
- 1 tablespoon oil (See Note 1)
Instructions
- Mix all the Chow Mein Sauce ingredients in a jam jar (or similar). Screw the lid on tightly and give it a good shake.
- Place the diced chicken in a large bowl and drizzle over 2 tablespoons of the sauce. Stir well so all the chicken is coated in the sauce.
- Prepare all the vegetables as above. (This is important because you will need to work fast afterwards!)
- Place the dried noodles in a saucepan. Cover with plenty of boiling water. Bring back to the boil and cook for 3½ minutes or until nearly (but not quite) done to your liking. Use a fork to separate the noodles during cooking to ensure they don’t all clump together. Drain immediately when cooked. (See Note 2.)
- Meanwhile, in a wok (or very large frying pan), heat the oil over a high heat for 1 minute. Add the chicken pieces and fry until light golden brown on all sides, stirring regularly. (Approximately 3 minutes – do not overcook!) Remove the chicken to a plate. (See Note 3.)
- Put the wok back over a high heat and add the sliced onion, carrot, red pepper and cabbage. Fry for 2 minutes, stirring regularly.
- Add the chicken back to the pan, along with the rest of the sauce. Turn the heat down to medium and cook for 2 minutes, stirring regularly. The sauce should thicken and the chicken will cook through fully. (See Note 4.)
- Add the drained noodles, beansprouts and HALF the sliced spring onions. Stir together thoroughly for 1 minute, then turn off the heat.
- Serve immediately garnished with the remaining sliced spring onions.
Notes
- Use a neutral oil such as rapeseed, vegetable or sunflower. Alternatively, if you prefer cooking with olive oil, use a mild olive oil.
- If you are leaving the noodles to stand for more than a minute, toss with a tablespoon of sesame oil to stop the noodles sticking together. Don’t quite fully cook your noodles at this point, as they will cook a little more in the wok.
- Depending on the size of your wok, you may prefer to fry the chicken in two batches, to ensure all the chicken gets cooked evenly.
- Cooked as per the above instructions, the chicken should be fully cooked all the way through. However, if you are at all unsure, check the chicken is cooked through by cutting open the largest piece you can find. There should be no pink meat. If you do find pink meat, return the pan to the heat and continue cooking for a further minute, then check again.
- Not suitable for freezing.
- Nutrition information is approximate and meant as a guideline only.
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This blog post contains affiliate links, this means if you click on a link and go on to buy the product I recommend, I will get a small commission, but you will not be charged a penny more – thanks in advance!
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