This easy chicken chow mein recipe is full of seasoned chicken, veggies and noodles, all tossed together in a savory sauce. It’s so much better than take out!
When I’m craving Chinese food, I make this dish along with veggie fried rice and homemade egg rolls. It’s all the great flavors of your favorite restaurant, but in the comfort of your own home.
Chow mein is a classic Chinese dish found on almost every Chinese restaurant menu. There’s something about noodles, veggies and chicken in a savory sauce makes for an amazing dinner. While I like to order chow mein at the restaurant, I also love to make this delicious dish at home! You can too, with this easy recipe!
Chicken Chow Mein Ingredients
When you make chicken chow mein you will need vegetable oil, chicken breast, chow mein noodles, yellow onion, carrots, celery, garlic, cabbage, soy sauce, honey, sesame oil, green onion, salt and black pepper.
How do you make chicken chow mein?
You can cook chicken chow mein by sauteing chicken with a little salt and black pepper. While the chicken is cooking, boil the noodles. When the chicken is done, add onions, carrots and celery to the pan and cook until they are softened. Cook garlic in the pan and add the noodles and shredded cabbage. Toss everything with a sauce that contains honey, soy sauce and sesame oil. Add green onions and serve!
Tips for chicken chow mein
- You probably already have most of the ingredients for this recipe except for the chow mein noodles. I found dried chow mein noodles in the international aisle of my grocery store, they come in 6 ounce packages and cook very quickly.
- If you can’t find chow mein noodles, refrigerated yaki soba noodles are a great substitute, I use them in my shrimp chow mein recipe, and as a bonus you don’t even have to boil them! You can also try similarly shaped egg noodles or lo mein noodles.
- I use a mandoline to cut my vegetables thin so that they cook quickly.
Have your chicken and vegetables all cut up and ready to go before you start the cooking process.
RECIPE FAQS
Chicken chow mien is made of cooked chicken breast, chopped up veggies and boiled chow mein noodles all pan cooked in a savory sauce.
Chow mein is a thinner noodle that often is sold dried and then boiled. Lo mein are thicker, chewier noodles that are often sold cooked and refrigerated. Since lo mein noodles are thicker than chow mein noodles, they tend to absorb more sauce.
The choice between chow mein and lo mein is really personal preference. Chow mein dishes tend to be saucier as the chow mein absorbs less liquid than lo mein. Since chow mein noodles are smaller, the meat and vegetables are more featured in the dish. Lo mein is great for when you want a thicker, chewier noodle to focus more on the noodles in your meal.
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Flavor Variations
This dish is so easy to make, and I love that it’s easy to customize too.
- Veggies: You can change up the veggies by adding bell peppers, mushrooms, snow peas, baby corn or other favorites.
- Meat: You can use chicken thighs instead of breasts for a more tender meat. You can even add other protein like shrimp, pork or beef. My local Chinese restaurant makes a ten ingredient chow mein that’s loaded with every type of add-in you can imagine, maybe I’ll try making that one at home next time.
- Tofu: For a vegetarian version feel free to substitute extra firm tofu for the chicken.
- Toppings: You can garnish the dish with sesame seeds or bean sprouts.
- Flavorings: You can cook a little minced ginger with the garlic or add a little oyster sauce or hoisin sauce to the recipe for some different flavors.
The next time you’re about to pick up the phone and call for take out, hang up and make your own chicken chow mein instead! It’s done in about the time it would take you to drive to the restaurant to pick up your order, so keep a package of chow mein noodles in the pantry for when the craving strikes.
More Asian food favorites
Chicken Chow Mein Video
Chicken Chow Mein
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
- 3/4 pound boneless skinless chicken breasts cut into 1 inch pieces
- 6 ounces dry chow mein noodles
- 1/2 cup thinly sliced yellow onion
- 1/2 cup shredded or julienned carrots
- 1/4 cup thinly sliced celery
- 1 teaspoon minced garlic
- 1 cup shredded cabbage
- 1/4 cup soy sauce
- 2 teaspoons honey
- 1 tablespoon sesame oil
- 1/4 cup sliced green onion tops (only the dark green part)
- salt and pepper to taste
Instructions
- Bring a pot of water to a boil; add the chow mein noodles and cook according to package instructions.
- Preheat the oil in a large pan over medium high heat.
- Add the chicken and season with salt and pepper to taste. Cook for 3-4 minutes per side or until golden brown.
- Add the onions, carrots and celery to the pan and cook for 3-4 minutes or until just softened.
- Add the garlic and cook for 30 seconds.
- Add the noodles to the pan, along with the cabbage. Toss to combine.
- In a small bowl, whisk together the soy sauce, honey and sesame oil. Pour the soy sauce mixture into the pan.
- Stir until sauce evenly coats the noodles. Add the green onion tops and cook for 1-2 more minutes, until green onions and cabbage are wilted. Serve immediately.
Notes
- You probably already have most of the ingredients for this recipe except for the chow mein noodles. I found dried chow mein noodles in the international aisle of my grocery store, they come in 6 ounce packages and cook very quickly.
- I use a mandoline to cut my vegetables thin so that they cook quickly.
- Cut your vegetable and chicken before you start cooking to save time.
The recipe is easy to follow and the end result is so tasty. It was such a filling meal for the whole family. Thank you!!
A recipe with a burst of sauce flavors. A combination of veggies and meats too. A yummy meal by itself. My family;s favorite too.
I Just tried this recipe and my family loved it. It was so easy and the flavors were fantastic.
This looks and sounds so much better than take-out. I can’t wait to make this.
Looks delicious! Such a great idea for a weeknight meal.
I love all your chinese recipes! Don’t ever completely stop with them please! They are so easy! Thanks again.
My daughter and I made this recipe. It was way to salty for us, what would u recommend to cut down on the salt? Other than that it was easy to cook and presented really nicely
You can use low sodium soy sauce!
Yum! My hubby asked we put this recipe into the rotation. We are on a gluten free diet and I used vermicelli noodles. Sooo good!!! Thank you for sharing.
This dinner was just what we needed to switch things up a little. I used red bell pepper because I did not have celery. Both kids and hubby loved it. Thank you for the recipe!!
Did this with top ramen noodles and a bag of coleslaw mix it came out great thank you
I make this and add water chestnuts, mushrooms,babycorn cayenne pepper ( for a.little spice), red and green bell peppers. Its so absolutely amazing!!!
Can I use beef instead of chicken
Yes that’s fine!
Is there a specific honey I should buy?
I just use regular clover honey!
‘‘This was great… made it with rice noodles . I had no cabbage so I shredded spinach leaves. Yum … definitely will make again.
So glad you enjoyed it, thanks for reporting back!
Maid this with low mein noodles as that is what my store had. I also made the big mistake of draining my noodles and not putting in cold water. Even With the big mistake it tasted fabulous! My family loved it, mushy noodles and all!
Where can you find chow me in noodles? I’ve seen ramen and the crunchy chow mein noodles but that’s it.
In the ethnic foods section of my grocery store. If you can’t find the dried noodles, you can look for fresh noodles (ramen, lo mein, chow mein) in the refrigerated area in the produce section.
I can’t find any noodles except the dry chow main noodles that go in a salad
You can substitute a thin pasta like spaghetti or a different type of Asian noodle like yakisoba noodles which are found in the refrigerated section in the produce area.
I love the Chow Mein recipe! It would be fun to make good Chow Mein at home.
When the noodles are cooked do you remove Them from the water while you wait for the rest to be ready?
Yes, that’s correct!
I love water chestnuts in it too.
J’aimerais avoir la recette en français Merci