Chicken chow mein is probably already one of your favorite Chinese takeout dishes. This one-pan dinner is so satisfying with chicken, vegetables, classic chow mein noodles, and the best homemade chow mein sauce. Also, it’s way healthier than ordering takeout.
This post may contain affiliate links. Read my disclosure policy.
I can’t wait to share this recipe for chicken chow mein with you because it hits all the marks!
Chicken Chow Mein
Chow mein is a traditional Chinese dish made with egg noodles and stir-fried veggies. We love adding a protein and our favorite is chicken, but you can try different meat or tofu. This dish is pan-fried so the noodles get a nice crisp to them and then tossed in a yummy sauce. Chow mein is perfect for those nights when you don’t want to dirty too many pans or make a big mess of the kitchen.Â
Chow mein gets its signature flavor from the thick, dark homemade sauce the noodles are tossed with. It’s the perfect balance of sweet and salty and makes putting down your chopsticks absolutely impossible.Â
Ingredients for Chow Mein:
- Chow Mein Noodles: Chow mein noodles are made with wheat and egg. They are very similar to Italian pasta noodles and have a wonderful bite to them. Most grocery stores carry dry chow mein noodles in the Asian aisle. But, if you are lucky, you will find pre-cooked chow mein noodles in the refrigerated section that can be thrown straight into your pan.
- Vegetables: Carrots, cabbage, green onions, and bean sprouts are the perfect combination of veggies to use for chow mein. However, they can easily be replaced with other veggies like bok choy, celery, broccoli, spinach, kale or baby corn. Feel free to get creative and use what you like or whatever you have hanging around in your fridge!Â
- Meats: Great quality chicken breasts are your best bet for slicing into chow mein-ready strips. If you like, feel free to swap chicken out for beef, shrimp or pork.Â
- Hot tip: Hosting vegetarians also? Use vegetable broth and set some of your noodles aside to toss them with cubes of baked tofu.Â
The BEST Chow Mein Sauce:
The homemade chow mein sauce is amazing in this recipe! 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.
How to Make Chow Mein:
- In a small mixing bowl, combine ingredients for chow mein sauce: oyster sauce, sesame oil, soy sauce, chicken broth, and cornstarch. Set aside.Â
- Cook noodles according to package instructions, set aside.Â
- Heat a large wok or pan. Add a bit of oil to the pan and cook chicken until it’s golden brown. Remove chicken and set aside.
- Add carrots, cabbage and pressed garlic and saute for a few minutes until veggies are slightly softened.Â
- Add chicken back to the pan, followed by cooked noodles and pour the sauce right on top. Cook for about 2 minutes, distributing all that saucy goodness around evenly.
- Add chopped green onions and remove from the heat. Serve hot!
We love recreating popular takeout recipes. Noodles are king in Chinese cooking! This Homemade Chow Mein Recipe is simple to make and oh-so-satisfying, these stir-fried noodles are sure to become a part of your weeknight dinner rotation.Â
More Quick Asian Recipes
- Chicken Stir Fry with Rice Noodles – Make this amazing dinner in just 30 minutes!
- Chicken Stir Fry– so much better than takeout.
- Beef Stir Fry Recipe with 3 Ingredient Sauce– So Easy- perfect weeknight dinner.
- Korean Stir-Fried Glass Noodles a.k.a Japchae– You will be going for seconds!
- Yakisoba Noodles Recipe– A Classic Yakisoba, made in one pan
Chicken Chow Mein with the Best Chow Mein Sauce
Ingredients
- 1 lb chicken breast, boneless, skinless
- 3 tbsp oil
- 12 oz chow mein noodles, (uncooked noodles)
- 2 cups cabbage
- 1 large carrot, julienned
- 1/2 batch green onions
- 2 garlic cloves
Chow Mein Sauce
- 6 tbsp oyster sauce
- 3 tbsp low sodium soy sauce
- 3 tbsp light sesame oil, (not toasted)
- 1/2 cup chicken broth
- 1 tbsp corn starch
- 1 tbsp granulated sugar
Instructions
- In a small mixing bowl, use a whisk to combine oyster sauce, granulated sugar, sesame oil, soy sauce, chicken broth and cornstarch. Set aside.
- Cook your noodles according to package instructions then drain, rinse with cold water and set aside.
- Heat a large wok or pan with olive oil over medium-heat. Cut your chicken breasts into bite-sized strips and cook them in the oil until golden brown. Remove strips and set aside.
- Add carrots, cabbage and pressed garlic and saute for a few minutes until veggies are slightly softened and the cabbage is a bit translucent.
- Add chicken and noodles back into the pan. Pour sauce over the top and continue cooking all the ingredients together for another 2 minutes.
- Garnish your chow mein with chopped green onions and serve the noodles straight from the pan and piping hot!
Notes
Nutrition Per Serving
Filed Under
If you make this recipe, I’d love to see pics of your creations on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter! Hashtag them #natashaskitchen
Hi! I'm Natasha Kravchuk. Here you'll find delicious, trusted recipes with easy step-by-step photos and videos. 
I made this tonight, accidentally used toasted sesame oil and may have incorrectly measured the oyster sauce. It tasted super salty and a little off. I think I did something wrong because everyone else loved this recipe. Is it because I used toasted sesame oil? Wondering if I should try it again in the future I usually love Natasha’s kitchen- the only recipes I use!
Hi Johanna! Be sure to use low sodium soy sauce or adjust as needed if you’re using regular. Toasted sesame oil is not recommended to cook with. It’s used as a garnishing oil to be drizzled on top when serving. I don’t think that would have made your dish salty, but it could have developed a burnt or bitter taste.
Googled Chow Mein and was excited to see the high ratings and high volume of ratings for this one! We tried it, so simple to make, and it’s easily become my favorite dish to make and just have throughout the week to snack on 🤣💜
17/10 reccomend to everyone (which I have been doing, good things should be shared)
Hi Destiny! Thank you so much. I’m glad you came across this recipe!
Natasha, all of your recipes are amazing on your website and in your cookbook. Thank you.
For this recipe do you use regular chow mein noodles or instant ones? I think there’s even steamed ones available.
There are so many types out there and I haven’t tried any of them.
I’m hoping to make this on Saturday for my family. Thanks !
Hey Barb! I use regular chow mein noodles for this recipe. I hope you’ll both love it!
Hi! Do you think I can make this in the slow cooker/crock pot with the sauce?
Hi Mahima! I haven’t tested that. I think you can make a version of chow main in a slow cooker, but it’s not the same. If you test it, I would make the meat, veggies, and sauce in the crockpot but make and add the noodles at the end.
Hi! Which oil would you recommend instead of sesame? My little one is allergic to sesame, but I’ve been craving a chow mein so much!
Many thanks
Hi Marisa. You can use another cooking oil, it will just lack the flavor of the sesame.
This was a hit tonight, really great sauce. I used noodles that looked like ramen noodles, although they were not ramen noodles. Hard to find good chow Mein noodles that are not made with bleached flour. Anyway these Chinese noodles worked really well.
This is the only recipe i use for stir fry. It is absolutely the best sauce ever. ! Made this with shrimp tonight. And have made it several times before with shrimp or chicken. Awesome recipe and easy as well .
Delicious and so easy to make! This is going to become a go-to recipe for me.
Love this recipe. My daughter’s favorite. Can I make ahead? Having company and don’t wanna be busy in kitchen.
Hi Jen! Yes, you can make this ahead and reheat it. The noodles will absorb some of the moisture from the sauce, if they are dry, you can add more as needed.