Chicken chow mein is a healthy and quick dish. It takes less than 20 minutes and is suitable for the whole family. This dish is perfect for a quick dinner after a busy day. I want to show you how easy it’s to make this soy sauce and chicken flavored chow mein. Even newbies can learn it right away.
Chow Mein recipe
For this recipe, I use cooked yellow noodles, which are slightly thicker than the regular packaged chow mein noodles. These are the noodles used for authentic Taiwanese chow mein, just like the Panda Express chow mein. Although the chow mein noodles came to the United States, they became thinner yellow noodles. You can use any Chinese yellow noodles, chow mein noodles or egg noodles from the supermarket or Amazon.
The secret of this delicious dish is marinated chicken and another tip is to toss the noodles with the sauce before you add the other ingredients These are the secrets of Chinese Chow Mein. If you know these tips, you can make chow mein just as delicious as you’d at a Chinese restaurant, Panda Express, or take-out.
Ingredients
- Scallions – The scallion smells better if it’s fried in the last step. If it’s fried too early, it’s too rotten and has no scallion flavor.
- Cabbage – This is the vegetable that’s often added to Chinese fried noodles in most Chinese restaurants or in China and Taiwan. However, you can use any other vegetable you like.
- Carrot – Since it doesn’t soften easily, it needs to be pan fried first.
- Onion – Cut the onion along the grain so it’ll be sweeter when fried. They need to be sautéed with the carrot at the beginning to release their flavor.
- Chow mein noodles – In this recipe I use the thick yellow noodles on the left picture below, but you can also use the two types of yellow noodles on the right picture. To learn how to use the thin yellow noodles for Panda Express Chow Mein, see my other article Dry Chow Mein Noodles (Vegan).
Marinade Chicken
Chicken marinade consists of chicken breast, soy sauce, beaten egg, cornstarch and oil. I use chicken breast because it’s low carb, but you can use chicken drumsticks if you like. The reason for adding beaten egg and cornstarch is to make the chicken breast tender and juicy. This is the PRO TIP, which Chinese restaurants use for chicken stir fry and chicken chow mein. To learn how to cut the chicken breast is another important tip to tenderize the chicken, see Tenderizing Chicken for Stir-Fry.
How to cook
- Marinade chicken – Slice the chicken and put it in a bowl, add soy sauce, beaten egg and cornstarch mix them well. Marinate them for at least 10 to 15 minutes or you can also prepare them the day before. To learn how to cut the chicken breasts so they're tender, see Tenderize Chicken For Stir Fry.
- Mix chow mein sauce- mix soy sauce, oyster sauce, sesame oil, and water in a medium bowl. Set aside.
- Cook the noodles according to the instructions on the noodles package. Drain them and toss them in a bowl with sesame oil to coat them. Set aside. PRO TIP: Add oil to the cooked noodles. This will keep the noodles from sticking together and make them easy to sauté with other ingredients later.If you use freshly cooked yellow noodles you don't have to do this process. You can get them at any Asian supermarket or on Amazon, it's easy and quick.
- Cook chicken- Add chicken to skillet over high heat, turning only after 1 minute to get a nice golden brown color. Then stir fry for about 2 minutes. PRO TIP: If you turn the chicken right away, it gets watery and doesn't get a nice golden brown color. It will taste less delicious.
- In the same pan add onions and carrots and fry them along with the chicken for about 1 minute. Take them to a plate and set them aside.
- Bring the sauce to a boil in the same pan, add the noodles and toss for 1 minute. PRO TIP: The noodles must be mixed with the sauce before adding the other ingredients. This allows the noodles to absorb the sauce and become tasty.
- Add the chicken back in with the vegetables, scallions and cabbage and stir-fry for 2 minutes.
More Chinese Stir fry noodles
SHIRATAKI NOODLES – KETO & LOW CARB
RICE VERMICELLI STIR FRY (RICE NOODLES)
BEEF STIR FRY WITH NOODLES
LO MEIN
Ingredients
MARINADE CHICKEN:
- 200g 0.45lb chicken breasts, boneless and skinless ,thinly sliced
- 1 tablespoons soy sauce
- 1 tablespoon beaten egg
- 1 teaspoon cornstarch
STIR FRY:
- 300 g chow mein noodles or egg noodles
- 1 cup cabbage ,sliced
- half onion ,sliced
- 1/4 cup carrot ,sliced
- 3 scallions ,cut into 1 1/2-inch (4-cm) pieces
CHOW MEIN SAUCE:
- 1 tablespoon oyster sauce
- 1.5 tablespoons soy sauce
- 1 teaspoon sesame oil
- 60 ml water or chicken broth
Instructions
PREPARE AND MARINADE CHICKEN
- Slice the chicken and put it in a bowl, add soy sauce, beaten egg and cornstarch. Mix them well with the chicken breast. Marinate them for at least 10 to 15 minutes, you can also prepare them the day before. (Note 1)To learn how to cut the chicken breasts so they're tender, see Tenderize Chicken For Stir Fry.
- PREPARE VEGETABLES – be sure to slice them.
- MIX CHOWMEIN SAUCE- mix soy sauce, oyster sauce, sesame oil, and water in a medium bowl. Set aside.
COOK CHOW MEIN NOODLES
- Cook the noodles according to the instructions on the noodles package. Drain them and toss them in a bowl with sesame oil to coat them. Set aside. (Note 2)
- I used freshly cooked yellow noodles in this recipe, so I don't have to do this process. You can get them at any Asian supermarket or on Amazon.
STIR FRY
- Cook chicken- Add chicken to skillet over high heat, turning only after 1 minute to get a nice golden brown color. Then stir fry for about 2 minutes. (Note 3)
- Add onions and carrots and fry them along with the chicken for about 1 minute. Take them to a plate and set them aside.
- Bring the sauce to a boil in the same pan, add the noodles and toss for 1 minute. (Note 4)
- Add the chicken back in with the vegetables, scallions and cabbage and stir-fry for 2 minutes.
- Serve hot as a main dish or side dish.
Video
Tips & Notes:
- The main purpose of adding beaten egg and cornstarch is to make the chicken breast tender & smooth.
- Add oil to the cooked noodles to mix it evenly. This will keep the noodles from sticking together and make them easy to sauté with other ingredients later.
- If you turn the chicken immediately, it becomes watery and doesn’t get a nice golden brown color. It’ll taste less delicious. Another important tip to get the chicken a nice golden brown color is to heat the pan to medium high before you put the chicken in.
- The noodles must be mixed with the sauce before adding the other ingredients. This allows the noodles to absorb the sauce and become tasty. This is a PRO TIP from Chinese restaurants and this secret applies to all fried noodles. The sauce must be cooked before you add the noodles.
Hi, just wanted to mention, I liked this blog post. Francisco Corgiat
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