This Easy Chicken Chow Mein tastes just like takeout – all you need is a skillet and 30 minutes to whip up this easy dinner!
Ingredients and substitutions
- Chicken breasts – diced boneless skinless chicken thighs would also work. You could also make this dish with beef, pork or tofu.
- Salt & pepper – to taste.
- Cornstarch – use flour, arrow root or potato starch to coat the chicken instead.
- Sesame oil – you can use a neutral cooking oil like olive oil instead, but your sauce won’t have the same sesame flavour.
- Mushrooms – use any type of mushrooms of your choice. Just make sure they’re cut small enough to cook quickly.
- Carrot – swap out for another veggie of your choice like julienned bell peppers, broccoli, bok choy, water chestnuts or zucchini.
- Yellow onion – white onion would also be good here.
- Green cabbage – Chinese cabbage offers a more authentic spin on chow mein. Napa cabbage would be tasty too.
- Chow mein noodles – swap out for rice noodles or lo mein instead, just keep in mind that the cooking time and flavour will be different.
- Chicken broth – vegetable broth is the best substitute here.
- Green onions – leave these off if you’re not a fan.
- Sesame seeds – black or white sesame seeds can both be used to garnish.
Chow mein sauce
- Soy sauce – coconut aminos and tamari are great soy sauce substitutes.
- Honey – agave or brown sugar will also add a bit of sweetness to the sauce.
- Garlic – freshly minced garlic is best but jarred minced garlic can be used in a pinch.
- Sesame oil – you can use a neutral cooking oil like olive oil instead, but your sauce won’t have the same sesame flavour.
How to make chicken chow mein
Step 1: Coat the chicken.
In a large bowl, season chicken with salt & pepper, then toss with cornstarch. Meanwhile, mix the chow mein sauce ingredients in a small bowl and set aside.
Step 2: Sauté the veggies.
Heat oil in a large skillet or wok over med-high heat. Add carrots and mushrooms to skillet, cooking for 5 minutes until carrots soften and mushrooms release juices.
Step 3: Brown the chicken.
Add chicken and saute for another 5 minutes until browned, stirring often.
Step 4: Add the cabbage and noodles.
Add onion, green cabbage and chow mein noodles to the skillet, sauteeing another 2-3 minutes.
Step 5: Stir in the sauce.
Add broth and chow mein sauce, cooking for 2-3 more minutes until sauce thickens.
Step 6: Garnish and serve!
Stir in green onions and remove from heat. Serve garnished with sesame seeds (optional), and enjoy!
chow mein variations
Here are a few different ways you can customize this easy chicken chow mein recipe:
- Veggies: Add in more veggies like bok choy, bell peppers, bean sprouts, snap peas, snow peas, water chestnuts, broccoli florets, baby corn and more.
- Protein: Swap out the chicken for beef, shrimp or tofu.
- Sauce: Add extra flavor to the sauce by mixing in some oyster sauce or hoisin sauce. If you want this dish to be spicy, add in some chili garlic sauce and/or red pepper flakes.
- Noodles: If you can't find any chow mein noodles, you can use rice noodles or lo mein (cooking time will vary).
Frequently Asked Questions
You can use Yakisoba noodles, dry or fresh chow mein noodles, or even dry spaghetti. You can also get super adventurous and make homemade chow mein noodles! There are videos on YouTube to show how it’s done. It takes about an hour to make egg noodles from scratch.
Absolutely! Like a lot of stir fries, this recipe is great for using up any veggies you have on hand. Feel fry to add in any vegetables of your choice like bell peppers, bean sprouts, peas, broccoli, bok choy and more.
I actually didn't include oyster sauce in my chow mein sauce, so if you have a shellfish allergy, this recipe is totally safe for you to enjoy.
Lo mein and chicken chow mein are both made with wheat flour and eggs, so they’re both egg noodles. However, chow mein are pan-fried noodles that are boiled in water then pan fried or stir-fried in a wok until crispy. Lo mein noodles are softer and chewier, since they're simple boiled and aren't fried.
Storing and reheating
If you have any leftovers of this chicken chow mein, let them cool to room temperature. Then, refrigerate them in an airtight container and enjoy within 5 days.
Reheating is easy! You can either microwave the leftovers on high power for a couple of minutes, or toss everything into a wok or skillet and reheat over medium-high heat. I recommend sprinkling some water over top before reheating so your noodles don't dry out.
Can you freeze chow mein?
This chicken chow mein recipe freezes well, so it’s a great meal prep idea! Before you freeze it, be sure to allow it to cool to room temperature first. This helps to prevent freezer burn. Once it has cooled, transfer the cool chicken chow mein to freezer-safe meal prep containers or Ziploc bags and freeze it for up to 3 months.
To reheat, defrost in the fridge overnight then proceed as normal by reheating in the microwave or in a wok/skillet.
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Easy Chicken Chow Mein {Just Like Takeout!}
Ingredients
- 2 chicken breasts, diced
- Salt & pepper, to taste
- 1 tbsp cornstarch
- 1 tbsp sesame oil
- 1 cup mushrooms, cut in half
- 1 carrot, julienned
- 1 yellow onion, sliced
- 1 cup green cabbage, sliced
- 1 (454g) package chow mein noodles
- 1/3 cup chicken broth
- 1 bunch green onions, sliced
- Sesame seeds, for garnish
Chow mein sauce
- 3 tbsp soy sauce
- 2 tbsp honey
- 4 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 tbsp sesame oil
Instructions
- In a large bowl, season chicken with salt & pepper, then toss with cornstarch. Meanwhile, mix the chow mein sauce ingredients in a small bowl and set aside.
- Heat oil in a large skillet or wok over med-high heat. Add carrots and mushrooms to skillet, cooking for 5 minutes until carrots soften and mushrooms release juices. Add chicken and saute for another 5 minutes until browned, stirring often.
- Add onion, green cabbage and chow mein noodles to the skillet, sauteeing another 2-3 minutes, then add broth and chow mein sauce, cooking for 2-3 more minutes until sauce thickens.
- Stir in green onions and remove from heat. Serve garnished with sesame seeds (optional), and enjoy!
Comments & Reviews
Jo Ann says
Look’s delicious! Can’t wait to try it!
Amy Lyn MacDonald says
Delicious- How many servings is the nutritional info for?
Taylor Stinson says
Hi Amy! This recipe serves 6 so you’ll want to divide it all up into 6 portions and then each one represents the nutritional value listed.
Christina says
Which Chow Mein noodles did you use? The ones at my local store look alot thicker. the ones in the video look alot more like vermicelli noodles?
Taylor Stinson says
You can use the thicker kind as well! Mine were labelled chow mein noodles in the refrigerated section near the salad dressings, prepared foods and wonton wrappers. I can’t remember the brand unfortunately. The ones I used were not vermicelli noodles, they were a thinner chow mein. You can use thick or thin and the result will be the same.
LooC says
Awesome. I struggle to find recipes the whole family can agree on. This one was a big hit all around. It’s going to be one of my ‘go to’s. Thanks Taylor.!
Taylor Stinson says
I’m so happy you enjoyed! 🙂