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
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, 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. 
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!