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30-Minute Chicken Chow Mein Recipe - this chow mein is better than takeout!
5 from 7 votes
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Servings: 4
Author: Lisa Lin

30-Minute Chicken Chow Mein

This simple chicken chow mein recipe is a delicious meal that’s ready in 30 minutes. It is much less greasy than Chinese takeout! You can also customize this recipe by substituting your favorite protein and vegetables.
Prep Time15 minutes
Cook Time15 minutes
Total Time30 minutes

Ingredients

  • 8 ounces (225g) chow mein noodles
  • 2 tablespoons canola oil, divided
  • 8 ounces (225g) chicken breast, chopped into 1-inch chunks
  • pinch of salt
  • 1/2 medium yellow onion, thinly sliced
  • 1/2 large red pepper, thinly sliced
  • 1 large carrot, julienned
  • 3 cups sliced green cabbage
  • 2 stalks of scallions/green onion/spring onion, sliced

Sauce

  • 1 1/2 tablespoons oyster sauce
  • 1 tablespoon soy sauce
  • 1 teaspoon sesame oil
  • 1/4 teaspoon white pepper (optional)

Instructions

  • Cook the noodles: In a pot, bring about 6 cups of water to boil. Add the chow mein and cook them according to the package instructions. I cooked mine for about 5 minutes. Drain the water and rinse the noodles under cold water.
  • Cook the chicken: Heat a wok or large sauté pan over high heat. Swirl in 1 tablespoon of canola oil. Sauté the chicken pieces for about 5 minutes, until they are nearly cooked. Season with a tiny pinch of salt, and turn off the heat. Transfer the chicken to a dish and wipe off the wok.
  • Cook the vegetables: Get the wok on high heat again and add the remaining tablespoon of oil. Add the onions and cook them for a minute. Next, add the sliced pepper, carrots, and cabbage and cook them for 2 minutes.
  • Combine remaining ingredients: Get the chicken back to the wok and sauté with the vegetables for another minute. (See note 1) Finally, add the noodles and the sauce, and toss everything together. Taste the noodles and adjust the seasoning to your liking. Serve immediately.

Notes

  1. The cooked chicken will release more juices as it rests. When you add the chicken back to the wok, leave out the juice.
  2. Mama Lin typically adds a bit of five-spice powder for more flavor. You can add a 1/2 teaspoon of it to the sauce if you want to give it a go.
  3. The original recipe used gai lan (Chinese broccoli) instead of cabbage. Because the stalks are quite thick, you need to cook the vegetables a little longer, about another minute or so.

Nutrition

Serving: 1serving | Calories: 480kcal | Carbohydrates: 53.2g | Protein: 19.5g | Fat: 20.5g | Saturated Fat: 2.5g | Cholesterol: 41mg | Sodium: 1169mg | Fiber: 5.2g | Sugar: 8.2g
Did you make this recipe?Tag @hellolisalin or leave a star rating and comment on the blog!
Cuisine: Chinese
Category: Noodles