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This easy Chinese-inspired Chow Mein recipe includes noodles, vegetables and chicken with a simple chow mein sauce. It's healthy and quick to make from home.
If you like to make take-out inspired dishes from home, check out Kung Pao Shrimp, Lettuce Wraps, or General Tso's Chicken.
Why I love this recipe:
- 30 Minute Meal – You can have this fresh chow mein on the table in less than 30 minutes!
- Fresh – This easy chow mein recipe hits the spot every time, and I love how it includes veggies and protein.
- Easy to Customize – I often use this recipe to help use up any vegetables lying in my fridge. You can adapt it to your liking by tossing in your favorite vegetables. See some of my favorites in the variation section below.
What is Chow Mein?
Chow mein is a stir-fry noodle dish that is made in many different variations, but typically made with noodles, cabbage, celery, green onions, and garlic. Traditional chow mein is made with fried noodles but often it is prepared with boiled lo mein, chow mein, or yaki-soba noodles. Then it is added to a vegetable stir fry with chicken or beef and a simple sauce.
I can't call this Chow Mein recipe authentic! This is just the version I like to make from home, to mimic the flavors I love from take-out. For a more authentic version, try this recipe.
How to make Chow Mein:
Cook Chicken: Heat a large pan or wok on high heat then pour in 1 tablespoon oil. Season chicken with salt and pepper and add to hot pan. Sauté until cooked through then remove to a plate. Whisk sauce ingredients together and set aside.
Add Vegetables: Add another tablespoon of oil. Once hot, add cabbage, carrots, celery, and the whites of the chopped green onion. Stir fry over high heat for 1-2 minutes. Add the garlic and ginger and cook for 30 seconds, then remove everything to a plate.
Combine: Add last tablespoon of oil to the pan and add the noodles. Cook for 1 minute. Add the sauce and cook, tossing to coat then return veggies and chicken to the pan, along with fresh bean sprouts.
Serve immediately, garnished with green onion.
What's the difference between lo mein and chow mein?
Lo Mein and Chow Mein are two popular Chinese-American dishes that are very similar and often even used interchangeably. The main difference between these two Chinese dishes is in the noodles. Lo Mein is typically made with thicker noodles where Chow Mein is made with thinner noodles that are traditionally fried and crispy.
Recipe Variations:
- Cabbage and Carrots: If you’re in a hurry, you could use bagged coleslaw mix that has shredded cabbage and carrots.
- Vegetables: Try adding more veggies like Bok choy, bell peppers, mushrooms, snap peas, broccoli, and water chestnuts would all work well.
- Protein: Substitute beef, tofu, or shrimp.
- Vegetarian: Leave out the chicken, or swap with tofu or your favorite vegetarian protein source.
- Vegan: Leave out the chicken, or swap with your favorite vegan protein source. Substitute hoisin sauce instead of the oyster sauce.
- Chow Mein Noodles: I often use Yakisoba noodles because I can get them at my local grocery stores (discard the seasoning packet), but for the most authentic noodles, use fresh chow mein noodles from a local Asian foods market, or Dry chow mein noodles that are labeled as “hong kong” or “pan fried” noodles, which have already been par-boiled and can be added right to the pan. You could also use dry wonton noodles or lo mein noodles, but cook according to package instructions, drain well, and remove excess moisture from them before adding to stir-fry.
More Chinese-Inspired Recipes:
- Kung Pao Shrimp
- Lettuce Wraps
- General Tso's Chicken
- Sweet and Sour Chicken
- Ham Fried Rice
- Mongolian Beef
- Kung Pao Chicken
Chow Mein
Ingredients
- 14 oz yakisoba refrigerated noodles, , or 16 oz chow mein noodles*
- 1 lb boneless skinless chicken breasts
- salt and pepper
- 3 Tablespoon vegetable oil, , or canola oil, divided
- 2 cups finely shredded cabbage*, *
- 1 large carrot, , shredded
- 2 ribs celery, , chopped
- 4 green onions, , chopped, white and green separated
- 3 cloves garlic, , minced
- 2 teaspoons freshly grated ginger
- 1 cup fresh bean sprouts, (optional)
Sauce:
- 1/4 cup oyster sauce
- 1/3 cup low-sodium soy sauce
- 2 Tablespoons sesame oil
- 1 Tablespoon rice vinegar
- 1 teaspoon cornstarch
- 1 Tablespoon light brown sugar
- 1-2 teaspoons Asian Garlic Chili Sauce, , for spice, optional
Instructions
- Chow mein sauce: In a small bowl, whisk the sauce ingredients together and set aside.
- Cook chicken: Heat a large pan or wok on high heat. Add 1 tablespoon oil. Season chicken with salt and pepper and add to hot pan. Sauté until cooked through, then remove to a plate.
- Cook Veggies: Add another tablespoon of oil. Once hot add cabbage, carrots, celery, and the whites of the chopped green onion. Stir fry over high heat for 1-2 minutes. Add the garlic and ginger and cook for 30 seconds, then remove everything to a plate.
- Noodles: Add last tablespoon of oil to the pan and add the noodles. Cook for 1 minute. Add the sauce and cook, tossing to coat. Return veggies and chicken to the pan, along with fresh bean sprouts.
- Serve immediately, garnished with green onion.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
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I originally shared this recipe March 2019. Updated July 2022 and January 2024.
Sorry you guys are all crazy chow mein has made for 100 years in New York and San Francisco and Chicago does not have any pasta noodles whatsoever .
in the last 10 years or so every Chinese restaurant I go into has to either tell me or I have to ask if they have pasta and they’re so called chow mein.
If you want Chinese noodles that are like Italian than you want lo mein. Low mein traditionally has very few vegetables in it. Please stop confusing people
I’m just wondering how this recipe can be considered authentic Chinese when it says to use Japanese noodles? Is like using Canton style noodles to make Ramen.
There are several authentic Chinese noodles available in the markets.
This Chow Mein is absolutely marvelous. It is fresh, full of aromas, and my daughters absolutely love it.
We loved this recipe. After we got all the veges chopped and the sauce ready, everything cooked up super fast and tasted so good.
Super yummy chow mein ever! My husband, who is not a foodie said it was one of the best meal I’ve ever made. So good!
Very good blog you have here but I was wanting to know if you knew of any forums that cover the same topics talked about here? I’d really like to be a part of group where I can get feedback from other knowledgeable people that share the same interest. If you have any suggestions, please let me know. Many thanks!
I have a Facebook group for just that purpose. It’s called, “From Scratch Food Lovers.”
Thank You for all the help in the kitchen,
Very much appreciated
Thank You
This was amazingly good. My husband absolutely loved it! He says this is a make again recipe.
WOW! It turned out so good and tasty. I used all ingredients. I can’t wait to make it with shrimp next time
This was delicious. I didn’t have everything on hand so I used spaghetti noodles for the Yaki-Soba noodles and Hoisin Sauce for the oyster sauce, a small amount of ground ginger instead of freshly grated ginger. It turned out great – my husband loved it. We’re having the leftovers for lunch! This recipe will go into our rotation.