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:
- 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
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
- 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
*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
Filed Under
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Hi! I’m Natasha Kravchuk, a New York Times bestselling cookbook author, recipe developer, food photographer, and writer. Here you’ll find delicious, reliable recipes made with simple ingredients, plus easy step-by-step photos and videos to help you cook confidently at home. 
Did you get rid of the yakisoba recipe? It was my fave! Please let me know where I can find it if it’s still up! Thank you 💖
Hi there! I don’t have a yakisoba recipe yet just this one.
Tasted great but I like my chow mein saucier. Next time I will use 2 cups chicken broth. I added tsp of fresh grated ginger.
My husband is allergic to oysters
… is there a substitute for the oyster sauce?
Hi Asmara, the oyster sauce will give you the most authentic flavor, but most people would substitute oyster sauce with soy sauce (to taste) if the oyster sauce is left out. You can also mix equal parts of soy sauce and hoisin sauce to get that sweet and salty flavor you are looking for here. I hope this helps!
Hi Natasha,
I am just wondering if I am able to use free range chicken mince instead of the fillet?
Thank you!
I think that will be fine. We’d love to know how it turns out if you try that!
Amazing super easy, I did not use the sugar, but substituted 1/2 pkg sugar twin. I found I did not need all the sauce. I did not have cornstarch but substituted it with flour, it blended well. My family liked it and will definitely be making it again.
That’s just awesome! Thank you for sharing your wonderful review!
So easy and good and you are a pleasure to watch in the kitchen
Thank you for that wonderful compliment!
Very good! My husband said it was the best choe mein I’ve made (I’ve tried many recipes). Used the veggies I had on hand – turned out great! Thank you!
That’s wonderful, Gee Gee! Thank you for sharing.
I’d give this 10☆’s if I could! Well written recipe and is wayyyy better than the restaurants out there!
Thank you so much, Lina!
Definitely a repeat recipe. I used chicken thighs but other than that I made the recipe as written. So good!
Easy to make, provides every answer to every question and is delicious. What other rating can I give?
A favourite since the first time I made it! Delicious flavour and packed with veggies! Quick and so easy to put together, perfect for a busy weeknight. I now have chow mein noodles as a pantry staple!
Easy and delicious
Thanks for the recipe
I’m so glad you enjoyed it!
This recipe is very easy to make and delicious.
Excellent!! Prepared exactly as written and it was a hit. My husband loved it. Thank you!!
I’m so glad it was a hit. Thank you for the wonderful review.
This sounds yummy! What’s the reason for the chicken broth and cornstarch? Would love to make this tmw(Friday) night for dinner. Thanks!
It’s tastier with the chicken broth and cornstarch is used for thickening.
Pretty good, have to say that’s it’s not the best Chow Mein ever. The takeaway has a better more intense flavour. I feel this recipe isn’t an alternative to a takeaway.
really enjoyable midweek meal and easy to adapt what veggies you have spare
Loved it! It was delicious and came together exactly how I like it. Thank you.
You’re very welcome, Clare!
Soooo Delicious!!!!! The only thing I did different was I bought a bag of stir fry mix in the produce section and used a bag and a half instead of putting just the cabbage and carrots. Oh, and I had to use Lo mein noodles because my local store didn’t have the chow mein noodles. My family loved it. I had egg rolls and wontons as sides. It was as good or probably better than take out! I will definitely be making this again!!!
Fantastic Chow Mein recipe! Your family will love it.
Only change I would suggest is putting in only 1/2 tbsp of sugar instead of a full tbsp.