Chicken Chow Mein with Best Chow Mein Sauce!
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.
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Hi there! My name is Natalya and I run the blog Momsdish. If you already follow me, you know I can’t get enough of easy meals that require simple ingredients and minimal clean-up. 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.
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.
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!
- 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.
- Hot tip: Hosting vegetarians also? Use vegetable broth and set some of your noodles aside to toss them with cubes of baked tofu.
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.
- Cook noodles according to package instructions, set aside.
- 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.
- 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.
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
Chicken chow mein is so much better than takeout! It is filled with chicken, veggies, classic chow mein noodles and the best homemade chow mein sauce. You will love this one pan dinner!
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 cornstarch
- 1 tbsp granulated sugar
Instructions
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In a small mixing bowl, use a whisk to combine oyster sauce, granulated sugar, sesame oil, soy sauce, chicken broth and cornstarch. Set aside.
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Cook your noodles according to package instructions then drain, rinse with cold water and set aside.
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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.
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Add carrots, cabbage and pressed garlic and saute for a few minutes until veggies are slightly softened and the cabbage is a bit translucent.
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Add chicken and noodles back into the pan. Pour sauce over the top and continue cooking all the ingredients together for another 2 minutes.
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Garnish your chow mein with chopped green onions and serve the noodles straight from the pan and piping hot!
Recipe Notes
Note: When using cooked Chow Mein Noodles, it should measure to about 1lb.
If you make this recipe, I’d love to see pics of your creations on Instagram, Facebook and Twitter! Hashtag them #natashaskitchen
Natalya Drozhzhin
Hi! I'm Natasha Kravchuk. Here you'll find delicious, trusted recipes with easy step-by-step photos and videos. 
My husband loved this! First time making it and I will make it again. Next time, to our liking, I will add more cabbage, carrots and chicken to make it a little more hardy! Thanks for a very good and healthy recipe!
You’re welcome! I’m so happy you enjoyed it, Elaine!
My first time making this and it was good and easy to make! Thanks for posting the recipe!
You’re welcome! I’m so happy you enjoyed it, Paul!
My whole family loved it. I will be saving this recipe. Thanks for sharing! Xx
Glad to hear that, Rachel! Thanks for the review and good feedback.
Oh my!!!! Yum Yum YUM!!! I used half the soy sauce, half a bag of plain ramen noodles…I red onions instead of garlic. Cooking is not my forte…but this recipe is a keeper! Also used tri-color coleslaw mix for shred cabbage. Thanks for your recipe and ideas!
Thanks for sharing that with us, Maureen. Good to know that the recipe turned out well using some of the substitutions you used!
What can you substitute the oysters sauce..fir allergies to shellfish?? In my family??
Hi Marlene, The oyster sauce will give you the most authentic flavor but most people would substitute oyster sauce with soy sauce, so I would suggest adding soy sauce to taste. It will taste better if you mix equal parts of soy sauce and hoisin sauce to get that sweet and salty flavor you are looking for here.
I just saw vegetarian “oyster” sauce at the asian supermart made from shiitake mushrooms
Tried it yesterday and was great. Family loved it. Will make it also for special family gatherings.
That’s wonderful!
Our new favourite dish. Tastes amazing, everyone loves it and always want more. Love your recipes
Hi Petra, thanks for the awesome feedback! I’m glad you love it.
hi natasha..i love all your recipes!!!..now as with some i can’t stomach oyster sauce..so using the ratio you described like 3 tlbs. soy and 3 tbls hoisen is that also going to be along with the soy sauce already in the recipe tia huggzz
HI Gail, I haven’t tried that but I hope you love it!
Simply wonderful, better than all our local Chinese restaurants.
Lots of left-overs.
Just an added note: ALL your recipes turn out perfectly, so many other sites do not, sometimes I am disappointed with the results.
Thank you so much, David! So glad you enjoy this recipe and my content. Thanks for the review.
We tried these yesterday and they were phenomenal loved it ! We want to make then again today !
I’m so happy you enjoyed that. Thank you for sharing that with us, Tarah!
Have made this a couple times now – it is excellent. The first time I followed the recipe exactly. The next time I substituted hoisin sauce for the oyster sauce, through in some chili peppers for some heat, and added some pineapple. It was excellent both ways! Thanks so much for the recipe.
Hello Patti, thank you for your detailed feedback, we appreciate it a lot!
Hi Natashas my name is Debbie what is Oyster Sauce? and any substitute?
Hi Debbie, Oyster sauce is a rich, syruplike sauce that is used in Chinese cuisine. The oyster sauce will give you the most authentic flavor but most people would substitute oyster sauce with soy sauce, so I would suggest adding soy sauce to taste. It will taste better if you mix equal parts of soy sauce and hoisin sauce to get that sweet and salty flavor you are looking for here.
My go to recipe for chow mein. It’s a regular in my house! I’ll sub the chicken for shrimp sometimes and to keep it really fast I’ll add in a bag of broccoli slaw. So good!
Shrimp sounds great too! Thank you for the good review!
I have an extreamly fussy husband, who doesnt like vege apart from cabbage and cauliflower, this is one of his favourites!!! And I sneak in other vege too, I use cabbage, bean sprouts, mushroom carrot.
Red Capsicum and spring onions. Its always a hit! Thank you soooo much for this beautiful recipe. Everyone Ive shared it with loves it too.
This is the perfect recipe to sneak veggies in! I’m so glad you both loved it, Mon! Thank you so much for sharing that with me.
Absolutely delicious! I didn’t have low sodium soy sauce on hand as the recipe called for so mine was a little salty. I will definitely add that to the shopping list as I will be making this again! Super yummy and sooooo easy!
I’m so happy you enjoyed that. Thank you for sharing that with us, Susan!
Very yummy, I found out I didn’t have noodles but it made a good seasoning anyway. I love how versatile this dish is! The only thing I did different was velveting the meat beforehand. #asian approved
Thank you so much for sharing that with me, Christina! We love this dish, and I’m happy you enjoyed it also!
You are definately my “Go To” for recipes. I am making your Chicken Chow Mein tonight for the fourth time and shared this recipe with friends and coworkers.
Love it! Thank you for sharing the recipe to others, I appreciate it.
This sounds wonderful! I’m allergic to oysters and all seafood. Is there anything that I can substitute?
Hi Sherry, I haven’t tried this, but I’m reading that by mixing soy sauce and hoisin sauce at a 1:1 ratio, the result will be close enough to the oyster sauce to get you by. I hope that helps.
We loved this recipe. I have made it twice and both times it the sauce was VERY spicy hot. The second time I made it I cut the Oyster sauce to one third and it was still hot. Am I doing something wrong? Love your recipes.
Hi Susan, I’m not sure why it turned out very spicy for you as it’s not supposed to be that way. Could it be the brand of sauce that you used had a spicy flavor in it?
Simple, excellent, quick, yummy! Thank you!
I’d love to look at your other recipes . Well done.
Thank you, I hope you’ll love all the recipes that you will try.
Love, love , love ….. added all the veggies that I had in the fridge and no one in the family realised it….. sauce is amazing ….
I’m so glad you enjoyed it, Claire!
SO GOOD. I didn’t have oyster sauce so I used 1/2 soy sauce & 1/2 hoisin sauce (3 Tbsp each) per Natasha’s suggestion in the comments and it turned out amazing. Also used broccoli instead of cabbage since that’s what I had on hand. This will be added to the regular rotation with the sauce as a base for whatever veggies I have on hand. Everything I make from this site is so easy and delicious!
Thank you so much for sharing that with me, Stefanie! I’m so glad you enjoyed it!
Excellent recipe,very easy!!
Please do one for pork sub gum chow mein no noodles.
Thank you for your great comments, Linda. I’ll take note of your suggestion.
Loved this recipe as I do many of your others. I did think that a 12 oz. package of of chow mein noodles was way too many, but since no one else seems to agree, I suspect it’s just me. I do want to thank you for the many great recipes even if I only use 6 oz. in the future.(just joking)(no I’m not)
Hi Dave, thanks for sharing your experience trying this recipe. Feel free to use fewer noodles next time, I’m happy to hear that you loved it!
I just made this tonight for my family and it turned out super delicious! It is so flavorful and easy to prepare! Thankful for the thorough recipe!! I just topped it off with some sriracha sauce for that extra kick.
Sounds great! I’m happy to know that you enjoyed the result.
Hi Natasha
Made your chicken chow Mein for the third time on Saturday it is my partner’s favourite Chinese meal, not mine, but we both love your recipe / dish it is brilliant. Also made Duck chow Mein with the recipe and it too was amazing. Thank You
I’m so glad you both enjoyed it! Thank you so much for sharing that with me!
Hi Natasha,
I was just wondering if the sauce (which is amazing btw) can be made 1-2 days in advance and stored in the fridge?
Hi Evelyn, I think that will be okay to make the sauce ahead. I hope you love and enjoy it!
Food was okay, but the amount of salt is obscene. Definitely make sure you get low sodium everything because I’m worried my hearts going to explode.
It tastes amazing and this is not a gimmick it really does take good ‼️
I’m so glad you enjoyed it! Thank you for the wonderful review!
Thanks for this review! It sounds honest and real, I’m going to try the recipe because of your review ! I have been searching for a good homemade chicken chow mein recipe and have been reading reviews. Yours stood out, thank you!
I hope you love this recipe, Deneen! 🙂
Added an extra clove of garlic, some thinly sliced red peps and peas. So very delish!!
I’m so glad you enjoyed it! Thank you for the wonderful review, Kate!
I like this, but it’s definitely not the kind of chow mein you get from a fast casual restaurant. This one is definitely more ”wet/saucy. Next time I make this, I think I’ll use a little less sauce and maybe add sesame oil half and half with the olive oil since I love the flavor of it so much. 😀
Sounds good Kirby. Feel free to make some adjustments according to your preference. Thanks for your review!
You are SO kind and diplomatic ! This is why I could Not have a food blog. My response would be , “ So? Make it with less sauce, this is how I make it, it’s my blog “. LOL!
Made this tonight. Both me and my husband loved it. I used a bag of leftover coleslaw mix and since I like hot added hot chili oil. Will definitely make again.
Yum! Thank you so much for sharing that with me, Barb! I’m so glad you enjoyed it!
I decided to give this recipe a try since I had most ingredients available except for the chow mein noodles and easily found them at supermarket. I had leftover filet mignon and sliced the filets very thin. Since they had been prepared medium rare, I just quickly sautéed the strips. I also added bean sprouts and broccoli to the vegetables. Additionally, I made a separate 1/2 batch for my adult son who doesn’t eat meat and used tofu for protein and just used water in place of chicken stock. My husband and I loved this dish and felt the sauce was perfectly balanced in flavor. My son loved his plate too and said it only needed a little bit more salt. This one is a keeper!!
I’m so happy this is a keeper, Nancy! Thank you so much for sharing that with me.
Can I use ramen noodles for this recipe? I can’t find chow mein noodles anywhere! Love all your other stuff!
Hi Sarah, I haven’t tried that yet to advise but I think that will work. If you do an experiment, please share with us how it goes!
Hi Natasha,
I was just wondering how should the cabbage be cut? Chunks, slices, or shredded like cole slaw?
Thanks!
Hi Tami, both will work it will just depend on your preference.
Thanks so much! I’m making it right now, decided to do large shreds, and my kitchen smells divine! My adult kids are never moving out now… they just informed me. Lol
Haha, that’s good news too, more time to spend with them. Lol
What the heck???? The sauce was so hot (as in spicy) I could not eat it! What ingredient makes it that way, as I followed recipe to the T. Looked beautiful, but unfortunately I could not eat
Hi Linda, I’m not sure why it turned out very spicy for you as it’s not supposed to be that way. Could it be the brand of sauce that you used had a spicy flavor in it?
Did you possibly use Sesame Oil with Hot Chili Oil added, kind of a reddish color and usually a smaller bottle, instead of just regular Sesame Oil? It’s very common and many times it’s right next to the Sesame Oil on the shelf. It’s DEFINITELY QUITE HOT! Otherwise, none of the ingredients that are included in the sauce mixture have any level of spice/heat whatsoever. The only possible way of the sauce being spicy would be if an incorrect ingredient used in the sauce.
Natasha, I love your recipes, everything I have ever cooked has been delicious and easy to follow.
Thank you for that wonderful compliment, Isabel!
Pumped for grilling season. Excited to start grilling. Just bought a new smoker! Can’t wait to get out there and give this a shot. {Appreciate the post. Thank you. This looks amazing|.
Sounds fun! I hope you love all the recipes that you will try.
Proper chow mein has crispy noodles. Crispy noodles need more sauce. Otherwise a structurally sound recipe. Less oyster sauce, more stock, 1/2 to 1 tsp of fragrant sesame oil. pinch of white pepper is good. You wont taste the pepper but you will taste the difference. No need for plain sesame oil in sauce because noodles are fried. Best to fry everything in pork fat or liquid lard(pork) for authentic flavor.
Thank you so much for sharing that with us.
I stand by my previous comment….😉
Aaaaaaaaanyway,
LOVED THIS !
Thanks for perfecting this and doing the thinking FOR me, it’s a great recipe and it was ON.POINT!
( which is WHY I specifically search BLOGS for recipes and not generally just random food product’s sites.)
Made this with a fried rice recipe I make From another bloggers site ( I found that one two years ago and magically IT worked perfectly too!) and dinner was great!
Thanks Hun!
Hugs,
Deneen 💛
I’m so glad you tried and loved it Deneen! Sounds like you found the perfect rice to go with this recipe!
I used Insta-potted chicken from a different recipe my wife made and lo mein noodles (not a huge difference, although I didn’t get to fry them as much as I’d like). I’ll use fewer noodles and more cabbage next time, as well as a bit more garlic (or add garlic later). I’ll also need to fry up the noodles a little bit before, although I’ve no complaints about the recipe. It’s what I’ll be eating for lunch this week at work!
Sounds good and I’m glad you liked it!
IS there something I could substitute for the oyster sauce. I can’t find that in the grocery store.
Hello Betty, I haven’t tried this, but I’m reading that by mixing soy sauce and hoisin sauce at a 1:1 ratio, the result will be close enough to the oyster sauce to get you by. I hope this helps.
How is Natalya related to Natasha’s kitchen? Is she a relative? I’m confused since I came from instagram to your site but then read greeting from Natalya.
Hi Nancy, Natalya is a guest blogger, and she shared her recipe with us! See this note in the recipe: “Hi there! My name is Natalya, and I run the blog Momsdish.” 🙂
Hi Betty, I haven’t tried this, but I’m reading that by mixing soy sauce and hoisin sauce at a 1:1 ratio, the result will be close enough to the oyster sauce to get you by. I hope this helps.
I apologize to all for my multiple comments of the same question! I didn’t see my 1st or 2nd comment after I posted, and now just saw it posted multiple times!!! Sorry! 🙂
Hi Natasha! I can’t wait to make this recipe tomorrow night! However, I couldn’t find the light sesame oil, or the chow mein noodles in the Asian Food aisle, and I went to a couple different stores! Do you have any suggestions on where I can find it? I did find Egg Noodles in the Asian Food Aisle…would that work? And if I can’t find the light sesame oil, should I just put on the toasted sesame oil at the end, right before serving? If you could help that would be appreciated! Sincerely, Stacey P.S. I love your recipes! Actually, made your Teriyaki Salmon tonight and it was delish!
Hi Stacey, You can also try purchasing it only. I found that local Asian stores usually have them in stock.
This was soooo good. I didn’t want to go to the store for the noodles so I used spaghetti. I think it’s the sauce that makes it so wonderful.
Thank you for your wonderful review, Becky! I’m so happy you enjoyed that!
my family rated this “better than the local take away” I am so glad i tried the recipe.
That’s just awesome! Thank you for sharing your wonderful review, Claire!
Very tasty. Definitely better than take out. Two things. I would add more cabbage next time and wait to add the garlic until I add chicken and noodles. Too easy to burn the garlic and no one likes burnt garlic.
Hi Sue, that sounds like a good plan. Glad you enjoyed the recipe, thank you for the review!
Love the recipe …great way to do an end of the week clean the fridge recipe..I actually make about 6 times the sauce recipe and freeze in small jars then pull one out the morning before I want to use …makes a really fast dinner if you prep everything the night before…
Thank you so much for sharing that with me, Lynda! We love fast dinners also, and this recipe is so perfect for that!
It’s delicious and super easy to make. I feel like this is more of a lo mein style dish since the noodles aren’t actually fried. Super yummy cross between lo mein and chow mein.
I’m so happy you enjoyed that. Thank you for sharing that with us, Brandie!
Really good- highly recommend! Added about 2 tsp grated fresh ginger, otherwise made as written. This is a keeper!
Thanks for the review and for sharing that with us, Julie!
What type of cabbage do you recommend for this dish? Green cabbage or chinese cabbage/Napa.
Hi Barbara, we used regular green cabbage. I bet it could work with another kind, but I haven’t tested that myself to provide feedback. I hope you love this recipe!
Excellent. I used 1 chicken breast and 3 eggs instead of 1 pound chicken breast. I also used 2 TBSP sesame oil and 1 TBSP chili/sesame oil. It gave is just the right amount of heat. Delicious dish, my son said it was his favorite out of all the stir frys I’ve ever made.
Wow, that’s a great compliment from your son. Thank you for the review and for sharing that with us!
Sorry Natashas, I still don’t know if I can make the sauce up ahead to take with me this weekend.
Hi Sharon, I think that will be okay to make the sauce ahead. I hope you love and enjoy it!
We had this for supper last night and loved it, much better than takeout. I’m going to my daughter’s this coming weekend and I was wondering if I can make the sauce (just the sauce) up ahead to take…we are doing a Chinese style meal. Thanks for sharing your recipes.
I’m so glad this recipe was a hit, Sharon! Thank you so much for sharing that with me.
This was sooooo good. I did mine with Shrimp and put in also straw mushrooms and baby corn. This is so good cold also. I’m obsessed with it. Next time I make it I’m going to use scallops.
Hi Denise, I’m glad you loved it! Thank you for the review.
Hi Natasha, I really want to make this recipe but my husband is allergic to shellfish. Is there any way that I can substitute the oyster sauce with something else?
Hi Tungalag, I haven’t tried this, but I’m reading that by mixing soy sauce and hoisin sauce at a 1:1 ratio, the result will be close enough to oyster sauce to get you by. I hope this helps.
Made the chicken chow me in tonight it was delicious. Family loved it. Thank you
Hello Elsa, good to know that you all enjoyed this recipe! Thanks for your good comments and feedback.
Hi is there any adjustment to the recipe if you use pre cooked chow me in noodles?
How many servings are in the chicken chow mein and how much is a serving size?
Hi Erin, this recipe serves 8 people. So 1/8th of the recipe.
NEVER, Repeat NEVER use Olive oil in a Chinese recipe of ANY kind, it will taste wrong (Chinese cuisine most definitely would not use it as it cant be used at such high temperatures required & would taste burnt).
Only ever use Vegetable oil for frying and only Sesame oil as a seasoning.
Thank you for the reminder and suggestion, Jezza.
We feed about 50-60 people at our home every sunday. I made this for the crew in Aug. 2021. it was a huge hit! Very delicious!! The computer did the math on how to mulpitply the ingredients :). I too added more veggies, broccoli,purple cabbage, celery etc. It is a favorite now. Thank you
I’ve been cooking asian cuisine for 16 years in a restaurant, and I must say her technique is quite good. Granted you’re cooking at home so certain things would be different than cooking in a restaurant but every step is correct. I thought we were gonna have a Gordon Ramsey situation.
Thank you for your good comments and feedback!
I have to say, when I first mixed the sauce and tasted it, I was skeptical, but after mixed in with everything it turned out so DELICIOUS! This was amazing and got the vote as a keeper from the family. We will definitely put this in our rotation. I did add fresh ginger to the sauce and loaded it up with veggies.. celery, cabbage, carrots, water chestnuts and baby corn. Yum, thank you! I just deleted all my other chow main recipies!
Thank you for trying the recipe, Janene. I’m happy to know that you enjoyed it!
Everything you have made looks so great. I would love to make all of them. Thank you.
Thanks so much! I hope you’ll love all the recipes that you will try from my website, Sharon.
You’ve just given me inspiration for tomorrow’s dinner!
Sounds good, Mark. Hope you love it!
Made this the other day and I have to say it was delicious. Thank you for recipe it’s definitely a keeper
I’m so glad you enjoyed the recipe.😊. Thanks for the great review!
Allergic to anything with shellfish, what can you substitute for oyster juice?
Hi Barbara, I haven’t tried this, but I’m reading that by mixing soy sauce and hoisin sauce at a 1:1 ratio, the result will be close enough to oyster sauce to get you by. I hope this helps.
Hi Natasha I loved The taste Of this Chow mien and I followed your directions to a T ,However my sauce really thickened up .Do you think I could leave out the cornstarch ?
Hi Cynthia, it sounds like it was either cooked down too much or too much cornstarch was added. It needs cornstarch, but maybe try adding less of it.
Natasha I just added That the 2nd day it was great .Not sure what difference overnight made LOL
That’s just awesome! Thank you for sharing your wonderful review, Cynthia!
Hi! I love your recipes! The chicken chow mein recipe sounds delicious. Instead of cutting up the chicken in pieces, could I cook it ahead of time and use shredded chicken? Would it affect the taste of the recipe? Thank you!
Hi Kathy, we prefer to precut it, so each piece gets more flavor but cooking one big piece pays work. If you experiment, let me know how you liked the recipe.
Hi Natasha. I made this dish last weekend and it was AMAZING. It was so easy to make too. One thing, I have been unable to find “light” sesame oil. Could you share the brand that you used?? I have looked everywhere and none are labeled “light”. I did use regular sesame oil but would love to find what you listed in recipe. It will then be AMAZINGLY PERFECT.
I’m so happy to hear that! Thank you for sharing your great review, Susan!
I’ve been trying to make this dish but the sauce was never right. Finally this is it! Thank you!
Hi Darlene, great to hear that you finally found this recipe that you liked! Thanks for your review.
Could avocado oil be substituted for the sesame oil
Hi Anne, it will alter the flavor profile a bit but it may work. We preferred it with sesame oil
For chicken chow mein, what can I substitute for the soy sauce? Thanks so much. I love all your recipes! You are a blessing! I thank God for you!
Hi Connie, I haven’t tested any substitutes but you might try Coconut Aminos (a soy sauce substitute) but you would need to season to taste since coconut aminos is a little sweeter and less salt than soy sauce.
Chicken chow Mein was amazing I am excited to try other recipes
I’m so happy you loved this recipe, Theressa! That’s so great!
Absolutely amazing recipe! It is fast, easy and very tasty….I normally do not like cold, but it is great cold too! Thank you!!
Thanks for your review, glad you enjoyed this recipe!
This was a winner! I did a smaller portion for just 2 people so decreased the sauces and added 1 Splenda packet instead of the sugar. I also added chopped cashews. Husband loved it, there wasn’t any leftovers!
That’s great to hear, Julie! Thanks for your review, I’m glad your husband this recipe!
I plan to make this tomorrow night for my family. My grocery store didn’t have light sesame oil, only roasted sesame oil which you said not to use. So I didn’t get it. I will have to go to another store tomorrow if I have time. Is extra virgin olive oil a good substitute? That’s all I have until I go to another store.
Hi Gail, toasted sesame oil is intended to be used in salads and not in cooked recipes. It’s a tough one to replace since olive oil doesn’t even come close in flavor. If you had the toasted one, I would probably drizzle it over the finished dish and toss to combine.
Could not find light sesame oil only 100 percent. Is that ok to use
Hi Cathy, so long as it is not “toasted” it should work fine. Toasted is intended more for finishing rather than cooking.
Wasn’t for me. We found this really really sweet. I used olive oil instead of light sesame (couldn’t find it) and then drizzled a bit of toasted sesame oil on top. The sesame oil helped balance it a bit but it was still very sweet. I’d advise against using a full tablespoon of sugar as oyster sauce is already very sweet but wanted to give it a shot based on reviews. Shame as I really wanted to like it but I think this recipe is perhaps suited more for the American palate or those who like sweet American style Chinese food. That being said, I like Natasha’s Kitchen so will try some other recipes next.
Hi Rupa, thank you for your review. The sauce only has 1 Tbsp of sugar in it so it shouldn’t be overly sweet. Did you possibly add more?
Oyster Sauce is salty, not sweet.
WOW! Amazing flavour. Would do a few things personally, I made some veges a little too big but that’s preference. Will be making this again and again. Thank You!
We LOVE this recipe, and I’m so glad you do too! Thank you so much for sharing that with me.
What can I substitute for light sesame oil? I only have toasted, olive or sunflower.
Hi Rupa, I don’t recommend the toasted sesame oil. Make sure it’s light sesame oil which is intended for cooking whereas toasted sesame oil is meant more for seasoning and not cooking. It’s hard to imagine a substitute for Sesame oil since that makes it more authentic. If you test out a substitute I would love to know how you like it.
My goodness this was good ! ! … I made this for lunch today, Took exactly 30 minutes !…Fantastic Recipe !…. Thanks Natasha !. Now I have to go burn of 340 calories !
That’s just awesome! Thank you for sharing your wonderful review, Johnny!
This dish appeared very simplistic but after reading the raving comments, I decided to try it. I underestimated it’s flavor!!!! It was amazing and the aroma was lovely. The only variation I did was to add bell peppers and ginger but the sauce was fantastic! A definite hit with the kids and hubby! Thank you for this recipe.
I’m so happy to hear that, Michelle! We love flavorful dishes, and I’m so glad this was a hit!
Hey Natasha love all your recipes…did you ever consider adding a bit of Chinese wine or dry sherry to you sauce…it is what Asians add to there sauces that give it that authentic Chinese flavour.So good! l😆
OH yum! That sounds amazing! I’ll give that a try. Thank you for sharing that, Chantal! We’ve added it to other pasta/ meat dishes, but I bet that would be so good here for that authentic flavor.
Overall a nice easy recipe. However it needs WAY more veg. Double the carrots, add baby corn and some thinly sliced peppers, now that’s a meal. The sauce is very nice and I appreciate that it’s a one pot meal.
The absolutely best chicken chow mein recipe ever! My family and loved it and will make it again! I can’t wait to try your other recipes! Great job and many thanks! ❤️
Love it! Thanks for your wonderful review, Brenda.
Made this tonight, I loved it. However I made too much. Will it freeze ok? Also I blanched too many noodles. Can they be frozen?
Hi Pauline, I haven’t tried freezing this for a long period of time, please let us know how it goes if you try it!
Made this tonight and it my husband loved it. I added broccoli and red, yellow and orange peppers to the carrots and the sauce was lovely and there were no leftovers.
I’m so glad you both enjoyed it, Jackie! Thank you so much for sharing that with me.
Excellent. I love this recipe, it’s the basic good chow mein. Easy to follow too. Added bok choy and just a few pieces of broccoli. Sooo good.
I’m so glad you enjoyed it, Nicola!
This looks amazing. What kind of meat can I make on the side with this dish? My family are big on more than one dish on their plate lol.
Alicia, I recommend pairing with these delicious Asian recipes HERE. In that link, you’ll find Kung Pao Chicken, General Tso’s, etc. I hope that helps!
Can you use low mein noodles instead of chow mein noodles Or is there no differenc?
Hi Frank, I haven’t tried this with low mein, but I think it could work well to add cooked low mein noodles in step 5 instead of chow mein.
I’m going to make this tonight, and use ramen noodles without flavor packets…easy, peasy; just add them in with the sauce ingred.
I suggest holding out the sesame oil until the end, then add only one tblspn near the end of cooking.
Thank you so much for sharing that with us, Patricia!
I have never tasted Chow Mein this good! Love love loved it!! The noodles and oyster sauce were a little hard to find but worth the trouble!! Thanks for this great recipe👍
You’re welcome, Jenny! It sounds like you have a new favorite, Jenny!
My family all loved this–Even my son who hardly ever eats anything we all eat–. Can you make this over rice noodles?
Thank you for sharing, Lynn. Hi Pam, rice noodles won’t’ work the same way and may soak up too much of the sauce. The preparation of the noodles is also very different. Here is another great recipe for Chicken stir fry with rice noodles you might enjoy.
Absolutely incredible! I’ve made it twice now and it’s been a hit with the family each time. And I use the left over cabbage, celery and carrot to make an sweet chili coleslaw to compliment. Thanks so much!
That’s nice! I’m happy to know that you enjoyed it, Ethan. Thanks for your great review!
Hi. I was wondering if this would be okay made the day before and reheated for my girls card group the next day? Or does it need to be fresh?
Hi KC, we always enjoy this fresh; we found it’s best that way. But if I were to reheat, one of our readers tried is saying this: ” I put in an oven proof dish added some chicken broth to keep moist. Heated in the oven for twenty-five minutes at 350. Just as good as if freshly made.” I hope this helps.
Very good recipe overall. I recommend to add a bit of black pepper and salt when you fry the chicken and about a teaspoon of fresh ground ginger to the vegetables along with some fresh beansprouts.
Thank you for your good comments and recommendation! We appreciate it.
The sauce was very easy to make and was absolutely delicious! The family loved it. I’ve made chow mein a few times but always with store bought sauce…never again. I will be using this sauce all the time. Thank you!
That’s so great! It sounds like you have a new favorite!
Great recipe – very easy to assemble – couldn’t find oyster sauce so used same amount of fish sauce and used thin spaghetti instead of chow mein noodles and it came out great – going to experiment with adding bok choy, napa cabbage, spinach, celery, and onion in the future –
I’m happy you enjoyed that! Thank you for your wonderful review!
Sooo yummy! I made for friends and they thought it was takeout! Definitely a keeper…Thank you!
(that sauce is to die for)
Glad you loved it, Anne. Thank you so much for your wonderful review!
I made this recipe yesterday. It was delicious, better than takeout. I had all the ingredients at home, so I followed the recipe as it was. It tasted very authentic.
Hi Louise, that’s great to hear! Thank you so much for sharing that with us, we appreciate your good feedback.
Hi, Another great recipe, so tasty and quick and easy to make. Will be making this again for sure
I’m glad you enjoyed this recipe, Mark. Thank you for sharing!
Made this several times, such a good recipe. My whole family loves it! It also prints perfectly 🙂
Love it, Kimi! I’m happy that you have this recipe as one of your favorites and that your family likes it too.
Complete BS, that I jump to recipe to print out, and get 30 pages of useless rhetoric. This makes me never wanting to pull any of your recipes again. Thank you for the ink I wasted.
Did you click on PRINT before actually printing it out? I just tried it for myself and it worked just fine, I was able to save 2 pages of the recipe. Make sure to click PRINT after Jump to recipe, then save as PDF.
When you click “print”, it all comes out on one page and no ads. And I’m not computer saavy.
Amazing recipe and so easy to make! We loved it so much that I made twice in one week, just replaced chicken with shrimp the second time for some variety 😜
Wow, looks like you found a new favorite! Thank you for your great review and feedback, Oxana.
I made this yesterday .
Very delicious . Loved the sauce .
I’m so glad you enjoyed it!
This chow-mein sauce was amazing.
To make the recipe even easier, I used pre-bagged broccoli coleslaw (broccoli, cabbage, carrots) as the vegetables, and the pre-steamed noodles from the produce section. Healthy home-cooked meal in ~15 mins.
10/10 recipe.
I’m so glad you loved it! Thank you for the tips and wonderful review!
Excellent! Perfect! I have been searching for a good Cantonese chow mein recipe for ever and was ready to give up. This was absolutely delicious. We eat a lot of spicy food and this was pure comfort food. Thank you so much. I almost doubled the sauce as I had a larger package of noodles and it worked out beautifully. I’m off to have a look at your other recipes 😉
Hi Sarah, that’s awesome! I’m so happy to be reading your comments and feedback. Thank you so much for sharing!
Delicious!!
Thank you, Julie. Glad you liked it!
Interesting that this is another online recipe with noodles in it. Where I live this is called lo mein. Chow mein has no noodles here. All the Chinese restaurants I go to never have noodles in their chow mein. No rating because I haven’t made it yet but it does look good.
Thanks for your input, Barry. Please let us know how it goes if you give this a try!
Delicious! Fast and easy to make! Will definitely make often. Added water chestnuts and celery.
I’m so happy you enjoyed that. Thank you for sharing that with us!
Chicken chowmein tastes so much better than eating at restaurants.
Will keep making it .
Sounds great, Sally. Good to know that you loved this recipe!
Could of been better if there were quantity for the recipe. Measurements are not mentioned. Must have been an oversight.
Hi Carolina, the measurements are all on the recipe card. When you are at the recipe click Jump to recipe to quickly go there. You can also click Metric to convert the ingredients to grams.
Can I use fish sauce instead of oyster sauce?
Hi Tracey, I haven’t tried that substitution. If you happen to experiment, I would love to know how you like that.
I have made this recipe on three occasions; it is delicious. We used to buy this meal at a Thai restaurant; it is not inexpensive. Now, I make this recipe at home and we love it! It is easy to make, which I appreciate.
Thank you so much!
Homemade is always best, I say! I’m happy you’re enjoying this recipe, Debra!
I added shrimp and snow peas and my family devoured it! This chow mein recipe is excellent!! Thank you Natasha!
Hi Tina, my pleasure! I’m glad they enjoyed it too with shrimp and snow peas. Thanks for sharing!
I made this dish last Wednesday night for dinner and I’ll be damned if it wasn’t better than my local Chinese restaurant. This was a fantastic recipe and I’ll be making it again. The only adjustment I’d make is to go a little lighter on the soy sauce. Other than that…absolute perfection!!!
I’m so glad you enjoyed it!
Hi Natasha! I use your recipes all the time, my whole family knows your name 🙂
Wanted to see if there is an alternative to Oyster sauce in this recipe? I’m the complete opposite of a seafood fan. Can I omit it? or sub it for anything else? or do you suggest skipping this recipe? Thanks!!!
Hi Connie,a substitution may work, others shared this “I follow the recipe As it is but instead oyster sauce used Worcestershire and 1 tbsp of vinegar. It turned out well.” I hope this helps.
Connie, don’t be fooled by the name “oyster sauce”. It doesn’t taste anything like an oyster. Initially, I was turned of at the idea of using it. But boy oh boy am I glad I did. Trust me, you’ll absolutely love this recipe.
You may want to give the oyster sauce try. It has nothing in common with seafood the way you may be thinking (also have a look at the ingredients in worcestershire and you will see the main flovour is anchovy:)
Love this chow mein, the sauce is amazing. I have added extra vegies,including baby corn and mushrooms. I was easily able to make this recipe vegan by using tofu instead of chicken. For once it’s something all the family love. Definitely adding to my list of go to meals
That is awesome! I am happy to hear that, thanks for your wonderful review, Jill.
Made this tonight with some homemade sweet & sour chicken and it was amazing- a total crowd pleaser for my family of 5. Way better than takeout too- so good! Thank you!!
You are very welcome, Victoria. I’m so glad you enjoyed this recipe!
I made this last night for my family. Everyone loved it! I doubled the recipe and sauce. I also added fresh bean sprouts and sesame seeds to chicken while cooking. So easy and the best we’ve ever had! Will definitely make again <3 I am a huge Natasha fan. Love your recipes and videos!
Hi Nicole, I’m so happy to you are enjoying my recipes. I hope you’ll love every recipe that you will try!
Can I use Rice noodle’s?
Hi Pam, rice noodles won’t’ work the same way and may soak up too much of the sauce. The preparation of the noodles is also very different. Here is another great recipe for Chicken stir fry with rice noodles you might enjoy.
From a flavor standpoint this was spot on. Delish!! Hubby even asked to put this in a regular rotation! I made it exactly as specified but it seemed weak on veggies so I added broccoli, baby corn, water chestnuts and celery, and doubled the chicken. Next time I might half the noodles and double all veggies. Truly delish. Thank you!!!
Sounds great, Paige! I’m glad you and your hubby enjoyed it!
Delicious 🥰
Best recipe for Chow Mein EVER !!! Who needs a chines restaurant? This was the best .
Love it! I’m glad you loved the recipe, Kathleen. Thank you for your great review and feedback.
This is the second time I’ve made Chicken Chow Mein recipe . I’ve tried a few others but Natasha’s is by far the best. Better than take out.
thank you Natasha, love your blog
That’s so awesome, Pat. Thank you for your wonderful comments and feedback! Love it.
Was ok, definitely was not the results that you come to expect from so many wonderful “spot on” recipes 🙁
But.. peoples palettes are different and differ from dish to dish. This one, just not for us. Thanks Natasha
I agree.: I found it very heavy in the sesame oil to the point I could not enjoy it.
Hi Alita, are you possibly using a toasted sesame oil? Make sure it’s light sesame oil which is intended for cooking whereas toasted sesame oil is meant more for seasoning and not cooking.
This is fantastic! I made it as written and it turned out SO good. For my family of 6 (that includes two teenage boys) this only served us with no leftovers.
It sounds like you found a family favorite!
Perfect!!!!!!! I bought uncooked egg rolls from my Chinese restaurant and fried them in my airfryer. Thank you for the great recipe!
Oh my! This is the Best recipe! Both my husband and I couldn’t quit saying. Wow! Yum!
Thank you!
Awesome! Thanks to you both for giving this recipe a try and a great review!
Omg this recipe was so good. Better than the restaurant. Thanks for another great recipe Natasha.
I’m so glad you enjoyed it!
Love this recipe but is there someway to make rthis gluten free with less sodium?
Hi Sue, if you prefer less salt, I would highly recommend using low sodium soy sauce. I haven’t tried this with gluten-free noodles to advise. If you find some that works great, please let me know.
Hi Sue,
I make this GF with Millet & Brown Rice Ramen noodles which are gluten free and low sodium GF soy sauce. Made it tonight the family loved it!
Oh and Kikkoman GF Oyster flavored sauce
I am allergic to oysters. What can I use instead? Or can I leave it out!
I imagine you can leave it out, it would still taste great!
D Lish I used chicken,shrimp cabbage, carrots, broccoli,snow peas, greeno nions and tossed in a handful of cat shoes (cashews) used the Yaki-soba noodles D Lish!!!
Yummy! I’m glad you loved this recipe, Erik.
What is this chicken broth is it stock of chicken
The terms “broth” and “stock” are often used interchangeably… Stock is made from bones, while broth is made mostly from meat or vegetables.
Made this for my family, it was super delicious. My only recommendation is that you make sure to buy the right skinny noodles. I made the mistake of buying noodles that were a little too thick, so the ratio with veggies and sauce was a little off. My mistake! Still delicious and authentic!
I’m so happy you enjoyed that. Thank you for sharing that with us!
I made this for supper and my parents absolutely loved it. They even went back for seconds! Thank you for the delicious recipe!
I’m so happy to hear that! Thank you for sharing your great review, Celine.
We love this! First try followed the recipe exactly and it was a hit. Got a little braver and have added more veggies. It’s also a great use for leftover meats. I just add thinly-sliced cooked pork roast, steak, chicken and/or shrimp to the veggies to heat through. My husband likes me to toss the meat in a little hoisin or soy sauce first. Thanks for a delicious new recipe to add to my collection.
I’m so happy to hear that! Thank you for sharing your great review.
This wasn’t a horrible recipe but I do think it has too much oyster sauce in the recipe. It just tasted different than the chicken lo mein we usually eat. I probably won’t make this again
Hi Nancy, that’s alright and thanks for your feedback. Next time, feel free to adjust the recipe according to your personal preference. I hope you will still try it again in the future!
Hi Natasha,
We as well tried this recipe and found it a little fishy tasting. Disappointed as we were quite excited to try it! Would have to adjust the ingredients perhaps. But, we have positively enjoyed all of your other recipes that we have tried! The videos are a great tool! Colin n’ Dar
Hi Colin, I’ve never had anyone report this being “fishy tasting” Maybe one of your ingredients had gone bad? That is very unusual.
Natasha – we really want to try this but I am allergic to Oyster Sauce any thoughts on substitutions? Your blog is my go to. Happy Canadian – Midge
Hi Midge, a substitution may work, others shared this “I follow the recipe As it is but instead oyster sauce used Worcestershire and 1 tbsp of vinegar. It turned out well.” I hope this helps.
Thanks Natasha. This is great I will make it as noted.
Yum! Made this for our Christmas Eve buffet. Easy and raved about by all. Will be adding to meal rotation. Thanks Natasha!
That’s so great! It sounds like you have a new favorite!
Made this last night and it was amazing. The family loved it. Its going into the rotation. Might try it with Shrimp next.
That’s so great! It sounds like you have a new favorite!
Are you sure this calls for 6 Tablespoons of sesame oil? That seems like way too much sesame oil.
Hi Joyce, the recipe calls for 3 Tbsp of sesame oil.
Are you are this calls for 6 Tablespoons of sesame oil? That seems like way too much sesame oil.
Hi Joyce, you may try using just half of the sesame oil, I saw that someone else commented and did the same and liked it too.
Love your recipes!
My daughter has a sesame seed allergy so I would have to omit the sesame oil. What can I use in place of it?
Hi Marisol, It’s hard to imagine a substitute for Sesame oil since that makes it more authentic. If you test out a substitute I would love to know how you like it.
I made your chicken chow mein recipie for dinner tonight and it was a huge hit! I added white onion and snow peas also and it was yummy! The SAUCE is what really makes it so good! I posted a picture on my Instagram and hashtaged you, so hope you see it! Also, your neighbor, Christine, is my daughter!
Thanks for sharing your awesome feedback, Debbie. I’m happy to know that you loved it and thanks for tagging me too!
We have enjoyed looking at your blog. Tonight we tried your chicken chow mein recipe and it was absolutely fabulous. We are looking forward to trying many more of your recipes.
We have enjoyed looking at your blog. Tonight we tried your chicken chow mein recipe and it was absolutely fabulous We are looking forward to trying many more of your recipes.
Thank you for sharing that wonderful review with me, Michael! I’m so glad you enjoyed this recipe!
That’s just awesome, Michael! Thank you for sharing your wonderful review!
I am a different chow mein eater. I grew up with chow mein with crunchy noodles. Do you have a mixture recipe to put on top of crunchy noodles????
Hi Judith, I haven’t tried this with crunchy noodles, but I recommend reading the package instructions to see if it will work with this recipe.
I just made it, can’t wait to try it!
I hope you love it!
Just made for dinner and it was a hit. Soooo good. Thank you Natasha for yet another delicious recipe 🙂
You’re welcome! I’m so glad you enjoyed this recipe, Lori!
This is the chow mein recipe I’ve been searching for! Thank you. Turned out great.
I’m happy you enjoyed that, Reshania! Thank you for that wonderful review!
I doubled this recipe because I have a big family. Everyone loved it and ate a second serving. You are my favorite cook and baker!❤️
Awww that’s the best! Thank you so much for sharing that with me.
Wow this is soooo delicious. And cooked in short time. Its gonna ge one of our fav dishes ☆☆☆☆☆
Thank you for the wonderful review, Nicole!
I cannot even explain how ridiculously delicious this is! I’m truly in love with this recipe and it is definitely going in our lost of favorites. Next time I will add double the amount of veggies though, I felt like there were way more noodles than veggies, but I probably grabbed the wrong size pack of noodles. Anyway, sauce was on point.
I’m so glad you enjoyed it, Elizabeth! Thank you for the wonderful review!