Quick 30-minute Chicken Chow Mein Recipe with chicken, veggies, and a delicious sauce, better than takeout.
Why You’ll Love This Chicken Chow Mein
- Family favorite: Even picky eaters clear their plates (just like my quick Spaghetti Bolognese).
- Veggie-packed: Shredded cabbage, carrots, and celery sneak in color and nutrition without feeling “healthy.”
- Weeknight-easy: One skillet, everyday pantry items, and no long marinating time.
Ingredients
| Ingredient | Quick Swap / Tip |
|---|---|
| Chicken (tossed with baking soda) | Boneless thighs stay juicier than breasts. Short on time? Skip the baking soda soak; simply cook a little less. |
| Chow Mein Noodles | Fresh yakisoba, dried ramen, or thin spaghetti work. Gluten-free? Use rice noodles and rinse well. |
| Oyster Sauce | Mix 1 Tbsp hoisin with 1 tsp soy sauce for a fast stand-in. |
| Soy Sauce | Coconut aminos lower sodium; add a pinch of salt if needed. |
| Brown Sugar | Honey or maple syrup in the same amount. |
| Cornstarch | Arrowroot or potato starch thickens just as well. |
| Cabbage | Bagged coleslaw mix saves slicing. |
| Fresh Ginger & Garlic | Use 1 tsp jarred paste of each when fresh isn’t handy. |
How To Make Chicken Chow Mein
- Chicken Prep: Cut chicken, toss with baking soda, refrigerate 15 mins, rinse, dry.
- Veggie Prep: Shred cabbage, julienne carrots, slice celery and green onions, mince ginger and garlic.
- Sauce: Mix cornstarch, soy sauce, oyster sauce, chicken stock, brown sugar, sesame oil, pepper.
- Noodles: Cook, rinse, set aside.
- Cooking: Sauté onion whites, garlic, ginger, add chicken, then veggies, and noodles.
- Final Step: Add sauce, toss until evenly coated and heated.
Pro Tips For Success
- Ultra-tender chicken: Keep pieces small (½-inch) so they cook fast and stay juicy.
- Even veggies: Uniform cuts mean quick, even stir-frying—no mushy bits in this chicken chow mein recipe.
- High heat: A hot pan gives the noodles that classic, lightly charred “wok hei” flavor.
More Delicious Chicken Dinners:
Chicken Chow Mein
With chicken, veggies, and a delicious sauce, this simple Chicken Chow Mein is better than takeout.
Equipment
Ingredients
- 1/2 pound boneless, skinless chicken breasts or thighs
- 3/4 teaspoon baking soda
- 3 cups shredded green cabbage
- 1-1/2 teaspoons minced ginger
- 1-1/2 teaspoons minced garlic
- 3/4 cup julienned carrots
- 3/4 cup thinly sliced celery
- 1/4 cup green onions
- 1-1/2 tablespoons vegetable oil
- 1 (6-ounce) package chow mein noodles
- 1/2 tablespoon cornstarch
- 1-1/2 tablespoons reduced-sodium soy sauce
- 1-1/2 tablespoons oyster sauce
- 1/3 cup chicken stock or chicken broth
- 1 tablespoon light brown sugar lightly packed
- 1/2 teaspoon toasted sesame oil or plain
- 1/2 teaspoon pepper
Instructions
- Cut the chicken into small bite-size pieces. Place in a small bowl and toss with baking soda. Place in the fridge, covered, for 15 minutes. This will make the chicken super tender! After 15 minutes, place chicken in a fine mesh sieve and rinse thoroughly. Pat dry with paper towels. This step is optional; you can simply chop the chicken and use it like that.
- Have all the ingredients ready before beginning—cooking goes fast! Finely shred the cabbage, coarsely mince the ginger and garlic. Peel the carrot and then julienne into very small and thin pieces. I cut it into rounds and then matchsticks. Very thinly slice the celery. Thinly slice the green onions and separate the white root from the green. You should get about 1/4 cup thinly sliced white roots. Reserve the thinly sliced green part for later.
- In a small bowl, whisk the cornstarch and soy sauce with a fork until completely smooth. Stir in the oyster sauce, chicken stock, brown sugar, sesame oil, and pepper. Whisk until smooth. Reserve for later.
- Follow package directions to prepare the chow mein noodles. Rinse in cold water and set aside.
- Heat vegetable oil over high heat in a large pan. Add the white roots of the onion for a minute or two and then the garlic and ginger. Only cook for about 20 seconds and be very careful to make sure they don’t burn. Add chicken and stir constantly for about 1 minute or until both sides are lightly browned.
- Add shredded cabbage, julienned carrots, and thinly sliced celery to the pan. Stir continuously for about 1–2 minutes, until the vegetables are crisp on the outside and tender inside, with the cabbage wilted. Then, stir in the cooked noodles and sauce mixture, tossing with tongs for 1 minute until the sauce thickens. Finally, add the thinly sliced tops of the green onions.
Video
Recipe Notes
Nutrition Note: The nutritional information includes chow mein noodles, but using a different type will affect the calculations.
Storage: Let the chow mein cool to room temperature, then transfer it to an airtight container and refrigerate for 3–4 days.
Nutrition
Serving: 1serving | Calories: 351kcal | Carbohydrates: 25g | Protein: 29g | Fat: 15g | Saturated Fat: 10g | Cholesterol: 74mg | Sodium: 1812mg | Potassium: 955mg | Fiber: 5g | Sugar: 13g | Vitamin A: 8450IU | Vitamin C: 47mg | Calcium: 88mg | Iron: 2mg
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
This was yummy! I kept eating it out of the wok as I was doing my clean up! The whole family loved it, went together quickly after I did the prep.
I am so thrilled to hear this! Thanks Terri!
The link in the recipe is for crispy chow mein noodles and the chart above the recipe specifies noodles that are boiled. Pictures feature boiled noodles.
Omg how weird! Thank you so much for pointing that out Lorna; that’s the wrong link. It’s boiled noodles; I’ve updated it; thanks!
This is an outstanding recipe! I even had to sub fish sauce for oyster since they were out at the store, and it turned out just great. Prep work does take time, but it’s totally worth it and evens out with the fast cooking time. Also that baking soda tip blew my mind! Always cool to pick up new cooking techniques from new recipes. Will definitely be adding this to the rotation – thank you!
I am so happy to hear all of this! So glad you loved this Chicken Chow Mein! Thanks so much Rachel! 🙂
Luv the recipes
Thank you! 🙂
This was fantastic I thought I was at China King eating mmmmm
Glad you enjoyed Debora! 🙂
This truly is the best recipe chow mien recipe. ????
I like to double the chicken and veggies so this makes enough for my husband and I for 2 big dinners, so 4 generous servings. Making this for the 3rd time for dinner tonight so will have the leftovers on Saturday night … love having a night off from cooking!
The baking soda/velveting step for the chicken is an absolute must.
Thanks. ????
I am so happy to hear you guys love this so much! Thanks so much for taking the time to write this comment Lori! 🙂
I am an experienced cook, prep time unrealistic, needed more sauce as well. I did toss the chopped chicken with baking soda as directed and not sure what the point was? But tasted good and filling.
Tenderizes the chicken 🙂 Sauce can certainly be doubled; I also find sometimes a really good pinch of salt takes it to the finish 🙂 Thanks for the comment Chris!
WOW! Delicious, it was a huge it for my four boys lol. ? thank you
*hit
Yay!! I am soo glad you guys all loved this! Thanks for your comment!!