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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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:

1. In a small mixing bowl, combine ingredients for chow mein sauce: oyster sauce, sesame oil, soy sauce, chicken broth, and cornstarch. Set aside. 
2. Cook noodles according to package instructions, set aside. 
3. 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.
4. Add carrots, cabbage and pressed garlic and saute for a few minutes until veggies are slightly softened. 
5. 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.
6. 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

4.96 from 1195 votes

Author: Natalya Drozhzhin

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!

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Prep Time: 15 minutes mins

Cook Time: 20 minutes mins

Total Time: 35 minutes mins

Ingredients 

US CustomaryMetric

Servings: 8 servings

• 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

• 4 Tbsp oyster sauce, or added to taste*
• 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

Note: When using cooked Chow Mein Noodles, it should measure to about 1lb.
*Oyster sauce can vary in salt content and if you use regular soy sauce rather than reduced, you will want to adjust the oyster sauce to taste. 

Nutrition Per Serving

340kcal Calories36g Carbs19g Protein13g Fat1g Saturated Fat36mg Cholesterol500mg Sodium295mg Potassium3g Fiber3g Sugar1315IU Vitamin A8mg Vitamin C18mg Calcium2mg Iron

• Full Nutrition Label
• Nutrition Disclosure

Nutrition Facts

Chicken Chow Mein with the Best Chow Mein Sauce

Amount per Serving

Calories

340

% Daily Value*

Fat

 

13

g

20

%

Saturated Fat

 

1

g

6

%

Cholesterol

 

36

mg

12

%

Sodium

 

500

mg

22

%

Potassium

 

295

mg

8

%

Carbohydrates

 

36

g

12

%

Fiber

 

3

g

13

%

Sugar

 

3

g

3

%

Protein

 

19

g

38

%

Vitamin A

 

1315

IU

26

%

Vitamin C

 

8

mg

10

%

Calcium

 

18

mg

2

%

Iron

 

2

mg

11

%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2000 calorie diet.

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: Asian, Chinese

Keyword: chicken chow mein, chow mein

Skill Level: Easy/Medium

Cost to Make: $$

Calories: 340