Chicken Chow Mein

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A quick, homemade chicken chow mein with tender chicken, crisp vegetables, and stir-fried noodles tossed in a savory soy-based sauce. Ready in under 30 minutes and better than takeout.

Prep Time15

Cook Time15

Total Time30

Course: dinner, lunch, Main Course

Cuisine: American, Asian, Chinese

Keyword: chicken chow mein, noodles, stir-fried

Servings: servings

Author: Dahn Boquist

Ingredients

Sauce

⅓ cup low-sodium soy sauce
2 tablespoons oyster sauce
1 tablespoon hoisin sauce
1 tablespoon brown sugar
1 tablespoon Chinese cooking wine or mirin
¼ cup chicken broth
1 ½ tablespoons cornstarch
¼ teaspoon ground white pepper or black pepper

Chow mein

10 to 12 ounces stir fry egg noodles or use yakisoba or ramen noodles
1 pound boneless skinless chicken breasts or chicken thighs, thinly sliced
3 tablespoons vegetable oil divided
1 small onion thinly sliced
1 teaspoon grated fresh ginger
2 garlic cloves minced
2 cups shredded green cabbage
1 carrot julienned or shredded
2 ribs celery thinly sliced
1 red bell pepper thinly sliced
8 ounces bean sprouts
3 green onions sliced (green parts only)
1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil

Instructions

Make the sauce: Whisk all sauce ingredients together until the cornstarch dissolves and the mixture looks smooth.
Velvet the chicken: Add sliced chicken to a bowl and toss with 2 to 3 tablespoons of the sauce until coated. Let it sit for 10 to 15 minutes while you prep the noodles and vegetables.
Cook the noodles: Cook the noodles according to the package directions. Drain, rinse briefly with cool water, and toss with a tiny drizzle of oil so they don’t stick.
Cook the chicken in batches: Heat a large wok or skillet over medium-high heat. Add 1 tablespoon oil. Add chicken in a single layer (work in batches so it browns instead of steaming). Cook until until browned and cooked through then transfer the chicken to a plate.
Stir-fry the veggies: Add a little more oil if needed. Add the onion, garlic, and ginger and cook for 1 to 2 minutes. Add the cabbage, carrot, celery, and bell pepper. Stir-fry for 2–3 minutes until tender-crisp. Transfer the veggies to the plate with the chicken.
Crisp the noodles: Add another drizzle of oil if the skillet looks dry. Add the noodles and spread them out so they have contact with the pan. Let them cook undisturbed for 30–60 seconds, then toss and repeat once or twice until you get a few lightly crisped spots.
Sauce the noodles: Whisk the sauce again to distribute the cornstarch, then pour it over the noodles. Toss constantly for 1–2 minutes until the sauce thickens and coats the noodles.
Combine and finish: Add the chicken and vegetables back to the pan and stir-fry just until warmed through.
Add bean sprouts and the green onion tops and cook 30 seconds, just until the sprouts begin to wilt. Finish with a small drizzle of toasted sesame oil and serve immediately.

Notes

Whisk the sauce again right before you pour it in. Cornstarch settles fast, and if you don’t re-whisk you’ll get watery sauce at first and a gluey blob at the end.

Cook the chicken in batches. If the pan is crowded, the chicken will steam instead of brown. One pound of chicken usually needs two batches in a 12-inch skillet.

Let the veggies cook fast and stay crisp-tender. Stir-fry just until the cabbage wilts and the carrots soften slightly.

Crisp the noodles in spots before adding sauce. Spread the noodles out in the pan and let them sit 30–60 seconds without stirring so they brown and get a little crisp in places. This adds that restaurant-style flavor.

Keep the heat high once the sauce hits the noodles. High heat thickens the sauce quickly so it coats instead of turning soupy.

If the sauce thickens too much, loosen it with liquid. Add 1 to 2 tablespoons broth or water and toss until glossy again. (Do this before adding the chicken and veggies back in.)

Nutrition