A great Chow Mein comes down to the sauce which is made with soy sauce, oyster sauce, sesame oil, sugar and cornstarch for thickening. Slippery noodles slick with the savoury Chow Mein Sauce is noodle heaven!
Chicken Chow Mein is firmly planted in the Noodle Hall of Fame as one of the all time most loved noodles, along with other favourites like Pad Thai, Pad See Ew and Singapore noodles. Quick and easy!
Chow Mein
I want to say that Chow Mein is my favourite noodle-child but I’m worried that I’ve said that in another recipe (or two… or three… 😂).
Because there is, after all, some heavy hitting noodle competition in this big wide world. Pad Thai, Pad See Ew (Thai Stir Fried Noodles), Singapore Noodles, Yakisoba (Japanese noodles) – to name just a few.
But Chow Mein is right up there and it’s not just because it’s noodle-slurpingly delicious, but also because of the following:
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Tons of hidden veggies– cabbage, carrot and bean sprouts, all in “noodle shapes” so they just meld right in there with the noodles so you have no idea how much you’re actually consuming (it’s like feeding a child);
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Faster to make that home delivery – 15 minutes from start to finish;
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Versatile– as all stir fries are. Switch the proteins and veg as you please;
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Charlie – Chow Mein Sauce can be made from scratch, or using Charlie, my all purpose Stir Fry Sauce that I always have on hand. Yes, I named him because I love him so much.
What noodles to use for Chow Mein
The thing that distinguishes Chow Mein from other stir fried noodles are the type of noodles used. Chow Mein noodles are thin crinkly looking noodles that are lightly coated in flour.
Here’s a close up of the noodles. The supermarket version by Fantastic Noodles is slightly more yellow than it should be but it’s just as tasty.
Can’t find Chow Mein Noodles?
Use Ramen Noodles or other instant noodles – just toss the packet seasoning! Or use thin spaghetti or other thin egg noodles (check ingredients on packet, should have egg listed).
What goes in Chow Mein
Other than noodles, Chow Mein almost always has cabbage, bean sprouts and carrot, then your choice of protein. I’m pretty sure chicken is by far the most popular, but I have no facts or figures to back that up. 😉
I like to use chicken thigh for stir fries because it’s juicier than breast and tenderloin. If I make this with chicken breast, I always tenderise it using a Chinese restaurant technique using baking soda (bi-carb). It’s super simple, see directions here: How to Velvet Chicken.
Chow Mein Sauce
Here’s what you need for the sauce. The Chinese cooking wine is the key ingredient that makes home cooking truly rival takeout – your local Chinese restaurant uses Chinese cooking wine in virtually everything!!
Difference between Lo Mein and Chow Mein
The difference lies in the noodles. Both are wheat noodles made with egg so they are yellow(ish). Lo Mein Noodles are wet and oily out of the packet, then boiled or soaked until soft before tossing with a sauce, vegetables and protein.
Chow Mein noodles are thinner, and kind of dry and crinkly out of the packet (see photo above). They can be used to make:
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soft noodles (this recipe) – soaked in boiling water until soft then tossed with a sauce, vegetables and meat; or
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Crispy Chow Mein – fried until crisp then served with a saucy stir fry on top – this is the traditional Chinese/Hong Kong way of serving Chow Mein noodles.
How to make Chow Mein
And here’s how to make it. Make sure you have everything ready to toss in because once you start cooking, you’ll be plating up in just over 5 minutes – I told you it’s fast!!
Wok NOT essential!
Totally fine to cook Chow Mein in a skillet instead of a wok. Just be sure to use a big one – so your noodles don’t go flying as you enthusiastically toss!
The fact of the matter is, no matter what protein you use, what vegetables and even what noodles, you’re going to end up with a bowl of slurp-worthy noodles as long as you use the Sauce recipe plus the same quantity of noodles + other stuff (veg, protein etc) so the flavour isn’t diluted.
So don’t get too hung up on the exact noodle type! Concentrate on the sauce. The sauce, the sauce!! – Nagi x
Watch how to make it
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Chow Mein
Ingredients
- 200g /6 oz chicken breast or thigh fillets , thinly sliced (Note 1 tenderise option)
- 4 cups green cabbage , finely shredded (Note 3)
- 1 1/2 tbsp peanut oil (or other cooking oil)
- 2 cloves garlic , finely chopped
- 200g /6 oz chow mein noodles (Note 2)
- 1 carrot , julienned
- 1 1/2 cups bean sprouts
- 3 green onions , cut into 5cm/2" pieces
- 1/4 cup (65 ml) water
Chow Mein Sauce:
- 2 tsp cornflour / cornstarch
- 1 1/2 tbsp soy sauce , all purpose or light (Note 4)
- 1 1/2 tbsp oyster sauce (sub Hoisin)
- 1 1/2 tbsp Chinese cooking wine OR Mirin (Note 5)
- 2 tsp sugar (reduce to 1 tsp if using Mirin)
- 1/2 tsp sesame oil
- White pepper (sub black)
Instructions
Sauce:
- Mix together cornflour and soy sauce, then mix in remaining ingredients.
- Alternative: Use 1/3 cup Chinese All Purpose Stir Fry Sauce, if you have some in stock.
Chicken & Noodles
- Marinate Chicken: Pour 1 tbsp of Sauce over the chicken, mix to coat, set aside to marinate for 10 minutes.
- Noodles: Prepare the noodles according to the packet instructions (my pack says soak in boiled water for 1 minute), then drain.
Cooking:
- Heat oil in wok or large fry pan over high heat.
- Add garlic and stir fry for 10 seconds or until it starts to turn golden - don't let it burn!
- Add chicken and stir fry until the surface gets a tinge of browning but inside is still raw - about 1 minute.
- Add the cabbage, carrot, and the white pieces of shallots (i.e. from the base of the stalk). Stir fry for 1 1/2 minutes until the cabbage is mostly wilted.
- Add the noodles, Sauce and water*. Stir fry for 1 minute, tossing constantly.
- Add bean sprouts and remaining shallots/scallions. Toss through for 30 seconds or until the bean sprouts just start to wilt.
- Remove from heat and serve immediately.
Recipe Notes:
- Garlic - don't use mincer/garlic press or jarred garlic, they burn too quickly. Finely chop it.
- Skillet is fine, just use a big one so the noodles don't go flying when you toss.
Nutrition Information:
Originally published 2014, updated over the years with improved photos, process photos, and video!
Love Chow Mein? Here’s more noodles to try!
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Pad Thai and Pad See Ew (Thai Stir Fried noodles)
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Browse the Noodle recipes collection!
Life of Dozer
Throw stick, dashes after it, plonks down and eats it.
Someone needs to teach this Golden Retriever how to retrieve. (I failed)
I made this for dinner last night (along with egg rolls and steamed bbq pork bun). I pimped out the recipe by adding shrimp, char siu, red peppers, mushrooms, and bok choy. Frikkin’ DELICIOUS!! This is definitely a “must make again” dish.
very clear, very easy to apply, wonderful to have substitutes for components that are sometimes hard to find on our markets, in Beirut, Lebanon, where Ilive
Love this recipe! I couldn’t put bean sprouts in due to the shops not having any stock but it was just as delicious without it. Yummy recipe be using again for sure! ( : Thanks
Hi Nagi
Thank you for your recipes. I love them.
I made this tonight. It was delicious but turned out a bit stodgy. I used pre cooked egg noodles. Do I use less water if it’s pre cooked noodles bought from store ??
I’ll give you a tip that I use, which is I’ll use proper chow mein noodles, and cook them for what the packet says. In my case, 3 min and no longer.
Drain them thoroughly, and rather than adding them to the wok as you cook, I put them in a decent sized dish, and put the filling on top.
Similar effect to mixing it all, but less mess, still tastes good, and can save you a bit of time too.
Hope this helps.
Cheers
Ben
Make it the first time EXACTLY like Nagi suggests. Then tweak it afterwards. For those who say the chicken lacks flavour, I salt ours a bit. I also double the amount of chicken, but, add an extra half tablespoon of oyster sauce and Chinese cooking wine. This is great comfort style food, so perfect when the weather cools down. You can even slip in some celery etc. that might be just about finished.
Hello! This is the second time i try to do a recipe but it doesn’t work the chicken doesn’t have flavor at all… i think the sauce has to be doble I don’t know… love how you make it so simple and tasty but for me didn’t work at all… so disappointed because sincerely you make a lot of effort on all you do and I appreciate it.
I have cooked this numerous times and have added a little bit more sauce with a smidge of sambal oelek for that little hit. Love it.
I love all your recipes I’ve actually made a few of them…I love when you do your demonstration on how to cook them you make it look so easy…and that there isn’t many ingredients…
Hey Susie, I totally agree. I think most people who like take-out Asian food will think this is fabulous. Better than most take-out at a fraction of the price.
This was the first of your recipes I made, and it was fabulous! I couldn’t not believe that something that tasted like real Chinese food came out of my kitchen!
I’m looking forward to making it again and to trying more of your recipes.
I’m so glad you enjoyed it, Sharon. N x
I made double the recipe and only used the 4 cups (purple) cabbage and it was perfect so id say half the cabbage but I also used broccoli, celery, carrots and onions. Also didn’t have any rice wine so I used vinegar and it was perfect.
How much is 4 cups of cabbage in grams? Another commenter said they used too much cabbage and it was bland, so I don’t want to overdo it!
Looking forward to trying this with your char siu pork recipe (which is already a favourite in my house!). Thank you
I use a loosely packed cup which is about 60-70 grams but Wombuk (Chinese cabbage) weighs less than purple or green cabbage so that can vary a bit. N x
I was surprised at how much I enjoyed this recipe. I’m not usually one for Chinese dishes, but I figured I’d go outside my comfort zone on this one. It was delicious!