A great Chow Mein comes down to the sauce, made of soy sauce, oyster sauce, sesame oil, sugar and cornstarch for thickening. Slippery noodles slick with the savoury sauce is noodle heaven! One of my favourite noodles, up there with all time greats Pad Thai, Pad See Ew and Singapore noodles.
This is a reader-favourite recipe included by popular demand in my debut cookbook “Dinner”!
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:
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);
Faster to make that home delivery – 15 minutes from start to finish;
Versatile– as all stir fries are. Switch the proteins and veg as you please;
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:
- soft noodles (this recipe) – soaked in boiling water until soft then tossed with a sauce, vegetables and meat; or
- 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
This recipe features in my debut cookbook Dinner. The book is mostly new recipes, but this is a reader favourite included by popular demand!
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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!
Pad Thai and Pad See Ew (Thai Stir Fried noodles)
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 love this recipe, Nagi! But then again, all of your recipes ROCK! I could sure go for a big bowl of this right now – I seriously have an addiction issue with chow mein. And Charlie…. don’t tell Craig about my love affair with Charlie (the sauce, there is no dude name Charlie; just in case anyone is wondering what I’m talking about) 😛
Btw, thanks for the shout-out girl! I’m so glad Dozer loves the biscuits as much as Arlo and Otis! Great shot too 🙂
OMG Dozer is OBSESSED with your biscuits! Good thing it makes so many!! N x
It would be intrestering if you would make a demo video on julieaning the carrots. I have enjoyed your stir fry recipes with cooking instructions and have found them to be the be the best tasting ones I have tried at home. Especially the all purpose stir fry sauce. I use it all the time. Thank you for your wonderful recipes, paticuliarly the traditional Chinese ones.
Hi Stephen – happy to! 🙂 I’ve popped it on the list of “things to do”! 🙂
Hi Nagi, Oyster sauce is usually used 2:1 to soy sauce as it is the superior sauce. In fact you can add much more if you like it. But the real secret to Chow Mein is to use thin fresh egg noodles and fry them before you use them as taught to me by a Chinese chef. Good recipe and certainly tastier than any takeaway.
Ooh thanks for the tips Denise! I should probably have clarified that this is Chow Mein soft noodles, not the crispy noodles (which I LOVE and I figured out it works great baked!). Did you work in a restaurant??
Hi Nagi, I use your “Charlie” in my beef chow mein recipe, with just a little chili sauce to spice it up a notch. It’s delicious! Thanks for all of your recipe posts!
So glad you’re enjoying Charlie as much as I do Geoff! Thanks so much for coming back to let me know! N x
This looks so delicious! I have a handful of dishes I find truly comforting, and Chicken Chow Mein is definitely one of them! I cannot wait to try this recipe!!
xx
Neelam
http://patternsandprosecco.com/strawberry-shortcakes/
I hope you do Neelam!! N x
Hi Nagi,
Can’t wait to try this ? Could I use Tamari as one of the soy sauces please??
Hi Kristine! Yes this will work with Tamari 🙂
its my favorite!!! what kind of cabbage did you use?
Great question Dala! I use a green / savoy cabbage. But any green cabbage will do – even Chinese green cabbage!
I have tried this recipe several times and always comes out delicious. It’s easy to make and the ingredients seems to be always at hand. Every time I have the urge to order out, I just cook it myself. I always have your
“Special sauce handy” in my fridge so it’s a breeze to make a big plate of your scrumptious chow mein or lo mein as we call it here in NY.
WOO HOO! Thanks Delia, so glad you enjoy this – AND CHARLIE too!!! 🙂 PS I thought Lo Mein was a different type of noodle? 🙂 N x
https://davidrosengarten.com/blog/old-fashioned-chicken-chow-mein/
Nagi, believe me, your chow mein is thousand much better than the one I have tasted.
Not sure if you can open the website above but it will tell you the chow mein I’m talking about here in NYC from most take out places. Mushy veggie with white starchy sauce over rice with crunchy noodles on top. Tasted it once and that was it. Your recipe of chow mein changed my perception of the dish forever! Thanks!
Oh my…..really??? Noooo….. And that sauce! It’s all wrong, all wrong! ?
I have wanted a recipe like this for years, i can’t wait to try it!!! thanks Nagi!
I hope you enjoy it Lori! N x
Will definitely try this! We have a version of this here in the Philippines called Pancit Canton and it has sliced squid balls or orlian. I want mine to have more of its authentic Asian taste (not that I don’t like the Filipino take) so I always use sesame oil and imported soy sauce. 🙂
I haven’t heard about Pancit Canton before!!! I must look it up! 🙂
This is, by far, the BEST Chow Mein recipe ever! I mean EVER! I find myself making this very often. Such a time saver, yet very delicious. Thank you so much for the recipe!! ?
Thanks Sue! So glad you enjoyed it, thanks for coming back to let me know! N x
Hi. I just want to ask if there is a replacement for the wine in the sauce because I don’t use alcohol in food. Thank you
Hi there Nada! Thanks for the question, I’ve now added a note in Note 3 to say to use chicken stock/broth if you can’t use alcohol in food!
The best chow mein recipe ever! So delicious and I can’t believe it’s so simple!
Awesome! So glad you enjoyed it Mel, thanks so much for trying my recipe and coming back to let me know! N x
Oops… missed that. Thank you ?
Hi Nagi. Is Mirin a good rice wine to use in this recipe? I haven’t been able to find any other rice wines.
Hi Sophia! Yup, it will work ok with Mirin but please reduce the sugar to 1 tsp 🙂 I added a note 3 in the recipe about this! N x
I made this recipe last night. It was delicious. My husband and I both enjoyed it. He is looking forward to the leftovers. The sauce was right on. Thank you for a wonderful dinner.
That’s wonderful Carol! I’m so glad you enjoyed this and thank you for coming back to let me know! 🙂 N x
hi we are going to try this recipe but a curious about the noodle we go to Kroger by our house they have a limited section for Asian noodle the have rice or wheat would you be able to recommend on or could we use a different style that would taste similar such as spaghetti or angel hair as an example
Hi Neal! Asian wheat noodles are usually egg noodles which chow mein noodles use. The thinest wheat noodles will be best, otherwise, even rice noodles will still give you a tasty stir fried noodles, it just won’t quite be chow mein! Definitely not spaghetti, the flavour and texture is very different 🙂
Hi Nagi! Just wanted to say thanks for the great recipe. Not long ago my husband asked me to try and find a good Chow Mein recipe. I came across your blog and this recipe, so I decided to give it a try. Well, everyone loved it and it was very easy to make. My husband says this recipe is a keeper! So thank you so much for the wonderful recipe!
Thank you so much for your wonderful feedback Debbie! I’m so glad you and your husband enjoyed it! 🙂 N x
OMG Nagi, I want to rate your recipe with 10 stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
I have died and gone to Chow Mein heaven. The last time I had Chow Mein that was similar to your recipe was more than 30 years ago at Madam Wu’s in Santa Monica, CA before it closed. I always have loved Chow Mein but have been sorely disappointed so many times that I have given up ordering it from restaurants or Chippies (take outs). Until now I have not found a satisfactory recipe and I have searched high and low with each trial being so disappointing, always missing something in taste. Your recipe for Chow Mein sauce / Charlie Brown is fabulous and along with the hidden-secret chicken baking soda marinade makes the most fabulous tasting Chow Mein I have ever made. Since we love a large quantity of various vegetables in our Chow Mein I only altered your recipe by adding more than you did and just doubled the sauce to compensate. Everyone was so impressed. We will never be looking for any other recipe. Thank you. I look forward to trying your other recipes.
Karen!! I am giggling over your enthusiasm but TOTALLY GET IT!!! I have that with particular foods too!!! 🙂 Thank you so much for your wonderful feedback and I’m so glad you enjoyed it so much!! N x
This is the ONLY authentic Chow Mein sauce recipe I have been able to find, forever! Thanks, my family went ballistic over how yummy this dinner was!!
YEE HA! Thank you Tiarn! 🙂 So glad you enjoyed it!!