Quick dinners don’t come more delicious than this. It’s one of the few takeaways that actually takes less time to make than order! If you haven’t made it at home before you’ve got to give it a go. Follow me…
Chicken Chow Mein
I like using chicken thigh as it’s more fatty and flavoursome than breast. You’ll want to thinly slice the meat, just so it’s more evenly distributed throughout the noodles, as opposed to big chunks here and there.
Chicken Chow Mein Marinade
Whilst you prep the veg and sauce, you’ll want to marinate the chicken. Just to inject some flavour as it’s sitting waiting to be fried. The marinade consists of sesame oil, cornflour (cornstarch), white pepper and soy sauce. Nothing fancy, but it really helps the chicken hold its own in the noodles. The cornflour will help bind the marinade and also give the chicken a nice crust, which in turn helps it soak in the sauce. Process shots: add ingredients to small bowl (photo 1), mix then marinate (photo 2).
Chow Mein Sauce
The sauce is what really sets a chow mein apart from other types of noodle dishes and stir fries. It only requires simple ingredients, but each one plays their part in creates a delicious final product. I actually like my chow mein a little saucier than what you’d get from a takeaway, especially because I typically make it for dinner as a main. Having said that, the noodles shouldn’t be drowning in sauce – they should just be slippery and coated in a light glossy sauce. As such, I like to make the sauce with some chicken stock (which I forgot to add to the photo 😭). Alongside the cornflour, this will create a light glossy sauce for the noodles. Process shots: add ingredients to bowl (photo 1), whisk to combine (photo 2).
Chicken Chow Mein Stir Fry
The preparation takes longer than the cooking in this recipe. The cooking process is pretty quick so I recommend having everything ready to go beforehand.
What kind of noodles should I use?
Chow mein noodles are of course traditional, but since this is an easy homemade version, any type of dried egg noodle will do the trick. I use medium thickness, but you could use fine if you’d prefer. In all cases I recommend cooking them until al dente (a touch firm). Because there’s quite a lot of sauce in this recipe, the noodles will continue cooking in the wok as they soak up the sauce.
What veg should I add?
I’ve seen recipes range from just beansprouts, right up to adding peppers, mushrooms and the full works. I tend to keep it more minimal and mirror what you’re more likely to see from a takeaway. As such I use onion, carrot, cabbage, beansprouts and spring onion. I find this combo bulks out the noodles enough to qualify as a main for dinner, without turning into a ‘full works’ stir fry. Process shots: add chicken to hot oil (photo 1), fry then remove (photo 2), fry onion (photo 3), fry cabbage, carrot and white part of spring onion (photo 4), toss in noodles and sauce (photo 5), toss in beansprouts, chicken and remaining spring onion (photo 6).
Can I use chicken breast instead of thigh?
You can yes. It’ll just be slightly less flavoursome than thigh and it’ll cook more quickly.
Can I use different veg?
Yes, just stick to the rough quantities in the recipe below and keep in mind which ingredients will cook faster than others.
Can I make this ahead of time?
This is best served fresh but leftovers are lovely too! Just allow everything to completely cool then tightly store in the fridge. Reheat until piping hot again (namely the chicken).
Serving Chicken Chow Mein
You really don’t need anything to garnish this or serve alongside, it’s perfect as is! This will make 2 hefty portions or 3 modest. Alrighty, let’s tuck into the full recipe for this chicken chow mein shall we?!
How to make Chicken Chow Mein (Full Recipe & Video)
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