Easy Chicken Chow Mein
Takeaway-style chicken chow mein made with tender cornflour-coated chicken, egg noodles, cabbage, carrots, scrambled egg and spring onions. Everything is tossed in a savoury sauce made with light soy, dark soy, oyster sauce, sugar and sesame oil.
Takeaway-style chicken chow mein made with tender cornflour-coated chicken, egg noodles, cabbage, carrots, scrambled egg and spring onions. Everything is tossed in a savoury sauce made with light soy, dark soy, oyster sauce, sugar and sesame oil.
Ingredients
19 ingredients- 300g egg noodles
- 450g chicken breast, thinly sliced
- 1/2 medium cabbage, thinly shredded
- 2 medium carrots, cut into thin matchsticks
- 6 spring onions, whites and greens separated
- 1/2 tbsp fresh ginger, finely minced
- 1 tbsp garlic, finely minced
- 2 large eggs, beaten
- 2 tbsp cornflour
- 1 tbsp light soy sauce, divided between the marinade and sauce
- 1 1/2 tbsp dark soy sauce
- 2 tbsp oyster sauce
- 1 tsp sugar
- 1 tbsp water, divided between the marinade and sauce
- 1/2 tsp sesame oil
- 1/4 tsp MSG, optional
- 3–4 tbsp neutral cooking oil, as needed
- Salt, to taste
- Freshly ground black pepper, to taste
Equipment
- Wok or large frying pan
- Large saucepan
- Colander
- Wok spatula or heatproof spatula
- Mixing bowl
- Small bowl
- Clean plate or bowl for cooked ingredients
- Sharp knife
- Chopping board
- Measuring spoons
Substitutions
Egg noodlesWheat noodles or another stir-fry noodle
Cook them slightly less than the packet instructions before adding them to the wok.
Chicken breastBoneless chicken thigh
Slice it thinly and cook until fully cooked throughout.
ChickenFirm tofu, prawns or thinly sliced beef
Adjust the cooking time to suit the chosen protein.
Oyster sauceVegetarian mushroom stir-fry sauce
This provides a similar savoury quality without oyster ingredients.
MSGOmit it
MSG is optional; taste the noodles and adjust the other seasoning if necessary.
Cabbage and carrotsBean sprouts, peppers, mangetout or other quick-cooking vegetables
Slice vegetables thinly so they cook quickly in the wok.
Method
27 steps- Place the sliced chicken in a mixing bowl. Add approximately half of the light soy sauce and half of the water, then mix thoroughly.
- Leave the chicken to marinate for 10 minutes.
- Add the cornflour to the marinated chicken and toss until every strip is lightly and evenly coated.
- Thinly shred the cabbage and cut the carrots into fine matchsticks.
- Slice the spring onions into approximately 5cm pieces. Separate the white parts from the green parts, then finely chop the spring onion whites.
- Finely mince the ginger and garlic.
- In a small bowl, combine the remaining light soy sauce and water with the dark soy sauce, oyster sauce and sugar. Stir until the sugar dissolves.
- Bring a large saucepan of water to the boil. Cook the noodles for approximately 2 minutes less than the packet instructions so they remain slightly firm.
- Drain the noodles, rinse them briefly with cold water and drain them thoroughly again.
- Toss the drained noodles with a small amount of cooking oil to prevent them sticking together.
- Heat a wok or large frying pan over medium-high heat. Add a little cooking oil.
- Pour in the beaten eggs and stir until softly scrambled. Transfer the eggs to a clean plate and set aside.
- Increase the heat to high and add a little more oil if needed.
- Add the coated chicken in a single layer. Leave it briefly to sear, then stir-fry until cooked through and lightly browned.
- Transfer the cooked chicken to a clean bowl and set aside.
- Add the ginger, garlic and chopped spring onion whites to the wok. Stir-fry for about 1 minute, until fragrant.
- Add the carrots and stir-fry for approximately 2 minutes.
- Add the shredded cabbage and continue stir-frying until it has softened slightly and developed a little colour while still retaining some bite.
- Transfer the cooked vegetables to the bowl containing the chicken.
- Add another small amount of oil to the wok if it looks dry.
- Add the drained noodles and stir-fry for approximately 2 minutes, lifting and tossing them so they begin to fry rather than steam.
- Return the chicken and vegetables to the wok.
- Pour over the prepared sauce and toss thoroughly until the noodles, chicken and vegetables are evenly coated.
- Season with black pepper and the optional MSG. Taste before adding any additional salt because the soy and oyster sauces are already salty.
- Add the sesame oil, scrambled eggs and spring onion greens.
- Stir-fry everything together for another 2–3 minutes, until piping hot and evenly combined.
- Taste and adjust the seasoning if necessary, then serve immediately.
Helpful tips
- Slice the chicken thinly and evenly so it cooks quickly without drying out.
- Coat the chicken with cornflour after marinating to help it remain tender during stir-frying.
- Cook the noodles slightly less than the packet instructions because they will cook again in the wok.
- Drain the noodles thoroughly and coat them with a little oil to prevent clumping.
- Prepare every ingredient before heating the wok because chow mein cooks very quickly.
- Cook the chicken, egg and vegetables separately before combining them so the wok does not become overcrowded.
- Use high heat and keep the ingredients moving to encourage frying rather than steaming.
- Do not overcook the cabbage; it should retain a little texture.
- Taste the finished chow mein before adding salt because the sauces already contain considerable seasoning.
Storage
Cool leftovers promptly and refrigerate them in an airtight container for up to 2 days. Reheat only once in a hot wok, frying pan or microwave until the chicken and noodles are piping hot throughout. Add a small splash of water while reheating if the noodles appear dry.
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