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    Chicken Chow Mein

    September 19, 2024

    Our chicken chow mein recipe features easy stir-fried noodles studded with bites of chicken and veggies, in a savory sweet sauce.

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    homemade chicken chow mein with carrots, cabbage, celery and green onion on a plate

    Homemade Chicken Chow Mein

    If you were ordering Chicken Chow Mein for delivery, you probably would add a few more classics like Orange Chicken, Fried Rice, Cumin Beef and Chinese Dry-Fried Green Beans and Vegetable Stir Fry or Chicken Stir Fry to round out the tasting menu. Don’t forget a pot of fluffy White Rice, too! We like to do this at home too, so everyone gets a few bites of their favorite dishes. Whether it’s part of a feast of many dishes, or just an easy weeknight dinner, chicken chow mein is an easy recipe to make at home.

    raw chicken, chow mein noodles, soy sauce, oil, cabbage, celery, noodles, garlic, green onions and bell peppers.
    raw chicken breast pieces velveted in a bowl with cornstarch and soy sauce
    chicken pieces in a bowl that has been tossed in salt, soy sauce and cornstarch and then poached
    poached chicken pieces and garlic cooking in a large skillet

    What Is Chow Mein?

    And, while we’re on the topic, what’s the difference between chow mein and lo mein? And is chow mein authentically Chinese, or is it American-style Chinese food? You’ve got so many chow mein questions, and luckily, we’ve read up, so we’ve got so many chow mein answers! Let’s dive in:

    • What is chicken chow mein? Chow mein falls solidly into the category of Chinese-American cuisine—it is not an authentic Chinese dish. It’s likely derived from a few different authentic stir-fried noodle dishes, but was created in American Chinese restaurants to cater to Western palates. To sum it up, takeout-style chicken chow mien is just a totally retro, deeply inauthentic, much beloved dish that we crave on the regular. You too? Read on for our super easy chow mein recipe!
    • What’s the difference between lo mein and chow mein? We’ve done a lot of reading on this topic, and in all honestly, a lot of people in America seem to use these two terms nearly interchangeably, but the primary, most consistent differences seem to be the type of noodles used and the order in which things are cooked. Chow mein is usually made from dried noodles, whereas most lo mein recipes call for fresh egg noodles (the kind you’d find in a refrigerated section of a grocery store). Chow mein recipes (like ours) call for the noodles, veggies and chicken to all be stir-fried together, while many lo mein recipes have the noodles tossed in right at the end or even call for the veggies and / or meat to be served on top of a pile of cooked noodles.
    • Will I like this chow mein recipe? Uh, YEAH. These stir-fried noodles are extremely tasty. You can just recycle all those takeout menus now.
    shredded cabbage, sliced bell peppers, chopped celery, shaved carrots, garlic and ginger being cooked in a large skillet
    oyster sauce, soy sauce, rice vinegar, brown sugar and chili sauce stirred together in a bowl
    fresh chow mein noodles cooked in sauce in a large skillet
    chicken, chow mein noodles and stir fried veggies being tossed in sauce in a skillet

    The Ingredients You’ll Need To Make Chow Mein

    • Chicken breast
    • Cornstarch
    • Soy sauce
    • Dried chow mein noodles
    • Garlic
    • Ginger
    • Oyster sauce. If you’re not familiar with oyster sauce, it’s time to get familiar! This classic Chinese sauce is indeed made from oysters (just like it sounds like it is) and is the key to the super savory goodness of chow mein (and lots of other beloved takeout classics).
    • Rice vinegar
    • Brown sugar
    • Chili sauce
    • Sesame oil
    • Canola oil
    • Veggies: carrots, celery and cabbage
    homemade chicken chow mein with bell peppers, celery, carrots and a sauce in a skillet

    How To Make Chow Mein

    There’s a lot of “into the pan, then out of the pan, then back into the pan, then back out of the pan” work to do here, so it’s helpful to have a few plates set near the stovetop while you work. Other than that, this easy chow mein recipe is just that—easy! Here’s how to make it:

    1. Season the chicken—salt, soy sauce, cornstarch.
    2. Boil the chicken piece (4 minutes) and the dried chow mein noodles (about 3 minutes) separately.
    3. Stir-fry the chicken. Stir-fry the boiled chicken pieces for a few minutes in a combo of sesame and canola oil.
    4. Stir-fry the veggies. Stir-fry the veggies in that same sesame-and-canola oil mixture.
    5. Make a sauce. Whisk together oyster sauce, soy sauce, brown sugar, chili sauce and rice vinegar to make a sauce.
    6. Stir-fry the noodles! Fry the cooked chow mein noodles with that yummy sauce until the noodles are a bit caramelized and even crispy in places.
    7. Stir-fry it all together! Add the chicken and veggies and toss it all together.
    8. Eat up!
    homemade chicken chow mein with bell peppers, celery, carrots and a sauce in a skillet
    homemade chicken chow mein with bell peppers, celery, carrots and a sauce in a skillet

    Tools You’ll Need

    More Better-Than-Takeout Recipes To Try

    homemade chicken chow mein with bell peppers, celery, carrots on a serving plate
    homemade chicken chow mein with bell peppers, celery, carrots on a serving plate

    Toss Those Takeout Menus!

    Because you’re a chow mein-making pro now! When you make this recipe, we’d love to hear about it! Share a photo and tag us on Instagram using @themodernproper and #themodernproper so that we can see your stuff! Happy eating!

    Toss Those Takeout Menus!

    For more recipe inspiration, follow us on Facebook, Instagram, TikTok and Pinterest or order our cookbook. We love when you share your meals. Tag us on Instagram using #themodernproper. Happy cooking!

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    Chicken Chow Mein

    Updated on September 19, 2024

    • Serves:  6
    • Prep Time:  25 min
    • Cook Time:  35 min
    • Calories:  649
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    Ingredients

    • 1 ½ pounds chicken, thinly sliced
    • 1 tsp salt
    • 2 tbsp cornstarch
    • 5 tbsp soy sauce, divided
    • 1 (12 oz package) dried chow mein noodle
    • 3 tbsp sesame oil, divided
    • 6 tbsps vegetable or canola oil, divided
    • 2 tsp minced garlic
    • 2 tsp minced fresh ginger
    • ¼ cup oyster sauce
    • 1 tbsp rice vinegar
    • 1 tbsp brown sugar
    • 1 -2 tsp chili sauce
    • 1 cup Carrots or bell peppers, julienned
    • 2 cups cabbage, thinly sliced
    • 1 ½ cups Celery, 1/2-inch chopped
    • Green onions, thinly sliced, optional

    Method

    1. In a medium bowl, toss the chicken with the salt and cornstarch until evenly coated. Add 2 tablespoons of the soy sauce and mix until evenly coated.

    2. Bring a medium pot of water to a boil. Once the water is boiling, add the coated chicken and cook until no longer pink, about 4 minutes. Drain and set aside.

    3. Meanwhile, bring a large pot of water to a boil. Once the water is boiling, cook the noodles according to the package directions. Drain and set aside.

    4. Heat 1 tablespoon of the sesame oil and 2 tablespoons of the vegetable oil in a large wok or skillet over medium-high heat. Once the oil is glistening, add the chicken and cook, stirring, until cooked through, about 2 minutes. Transfer to a plate. Add another tablespoon of the sesame oil and 2 tablespoons of the vegetable oil to the wok. Add the carrots, cabbage, celery, garlic, and ginger and cook, stirring, until softened and fragrant, 4 minutes more.

    5. In a small bowl, combine the oyster sauce, rice vinegar, brown sugar, chili sauce, and the remaining 3 tablespoons of soy sauce until fully combined.

    6. Increase the heat to high and add the remaining 1 tablespoon of sesame oil and the remaining 2 tablespoons of vegetable oil to the wok. Add the noodles and sauce and cook, stirring, until combined and caramelized, 5 minutes. Return the veggies and chicken to the wok and toss to combine.

    7. Sprinkle with green onions and serve warm.

    Nutrition Info

    • Per Serving
    • Amount
    • Calories 649
    • Protein 46 g
    • Carbohydrates 65 g
    • Total Fat 26 g
    • Dietary Fiber 2 g
    • Cholesterol 66 mg
    • sodium 1803 mg
    • Total Sugars 8 g

    Chicken Chow Mein

    Questions & Reviews

    Join the discussion below.

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    • Angela

      I’m having a hard time finding the type of chow Mein noodles you call for where I live. What brands do you suggest?

      You can get La Choy and Sun Luck on amazon. Any brand you can find will work. Kroger makes some too. Hope you can find some Angela!

    • Karen

      Recipe shares to cook noodles as pkg indicates...yet my can of chow mein does not...they are crunchy

      The package should list instructions. Depending on the brand the cooking instructions might differ.

    • Sandra

      Why am I coating the chicken in cornstarch and soy sauce just to then "wash it off" again when I put the chicken in a pot of boiling water for 4mins? Am I missing something here?

      The cornstarch does not wash off. This is a technique called "Velveting." When you coat the meat in the cornstarch mixture and then blanch it you create a coating that seals in all of the juices so that those small thin pieces of chicken don't get dried out. It also creates a coating of velvet texture on the chicken. Hope this helps!

    • Candy

      What is oyster sauce

      It is a rich, syrup like sauce that is used in Chinese cuisine made from oyster extract.

    • Shaylen

      How many people does it serve?

      Serves 6!

    • Lucy

      Fabulous 👌

      Thanks Lucy!

    • Lisa

      Holly and Natalie, This was a huge winner with my husband! I was telling him this evening how every recipe I've tried on your site turns out good. I can tell that you have a culinary background and you're not cutting and pasting off other websites. It was very labor intensive and I didn't like the process, but my husband said he can tell by the taste a lot of care was put into it. We both love healthy, easy foods, and although this wasn't easy, it will be a part of our rotation.
      Thank you so much,
      Lisa and Brett
      Alexandria, Virginia

      Thank you so much Lisa. We are so happy that you and your husband loved this and many of our other recipes.

    • Christene

      LOVED IT! Like Kelly, I make a lot of online recipes and never leave reviews and never mind taking a picture! So...we have already sent it out to a few friends!

      I prepped everything earlier in the day and would recommend prepping in advance. It did make a large recipe and was delicious out of the fridge today!

      Thank you Christene, we are so glad you loved it! Thanks for taking time to leave a review we love to hear the feedback!

    • Joanne

      I have made this recipe twice now and it is the best we have ever had, it truly is delicious. The only comment I have is, that for me, I found the recipe a little cumbersome to follow, as it requires lots of scrolling up and down (I have it saved on my laptop) to see each measurement, for each ingredient, at the time it is needed/added. Anyway, maybe it is just me and I do love the recipe.

      Thanks Joanne, so happy you loved it!

    • RockinRic

      I just made this for dinner tonight and it was awesome. I did add sprouts, bok choy and canned chestnuts and of course baby corn on the cob to your recipe and it was amazing. There is enough for at least another dinner and a lunch as I’m a single person but no matter I will enjoy the left overs. I find meals like this are much taster the next day. Thank you so much for such an easy meal and so tasty. It does take a while to prep all the ingredients but once you’ve done this it goes together in a flash. I highly recommend making this recipe. Cheers everyone and enjoy.

      Thanks Rick, we are so happy that you loved it!