Chicken Chow Mein
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Stir-fried noodles mingling with onions, celery, cabbage, and succulent chicken, all tossed in a delicious sauce—restaurant-style chicken chow mein is a cinch to make at home!
Navigating the world of chow mein within American Chinese restaurants can be confusing. “Chow mein” translates to “stir-fried noodles,” which are typically tossed with vegetables and sometimes meat or tofu. When ordering from a Chinese restaurant, you’ll encounter two main styles. Some restaurants serve Hong Kong-style chow mein, which features deep-fried crispy noodles served over veggies and proteins in a thick sauce. Alternatively, there’s the stir-fried version, popularized by chains like Panda Express, where soft stir-fried noodles mingle with onions, celery, cabbage, and your chosen protein, all tossed in a delicious sauce (similar to Japanese yakisoba).
My chicken chow mein recipe is a nod to the Panda Express version, loved by many. Yes, it’s tailor-made to appeal to the vast masses strolling through the mall food court, but there’s something about its simplicity that’s undeniably delicious.
Table of Contents
“Made this last night for my family – it was a total hit. Both my kids have had and enjoyed the Panda Express version and said this one was even better!”
What You’ll Need To Make Chicken Chow Mein
- Chow mein noodles: These noodles form the base of the dish. Opt for “stir-fry” style noodles instead of the deep-fried crispy variety. I use Wel-pac chow mein noodles, which cook in just a few minutes—you can find them at Target, Amazon, and many large supermarkets. But if you’re in a pinch or can’t locate them, feel free to use yakisoba noodles, ramen, or even spaghetti.
- Soy sauce: Adds salty depth and the quintessential umami flavor.
- Oyster sauce: Contributes a rich, slightly sweet and savory flavor.
- Asian sesame oil: Imparts a nutty aroma and taste, lending distinct Asian flavor.
- Chicken tenderloins or chicken breasts: The main protein, offering lean texture and flavor that absorbs the sauce.
- Cornstarch: Aids in browning and thickening the sauce.
- Vegetable oil: Used for stir-frying.
- Green cabbage, celery, carrots: Add crunch, color, and nutritional value, contributing to the varied texture and freshness of the dish.
- Scallions and garlic: These aromatics enhance the flavor profile with their sharp, savory notes. The scallions also add a burst of color.
- Jump to the printable recipe for precise measurements
Step-by-Step Instructions
Step 1: Boil the Noodles
Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Cook the noodles until very al dente. (The noodles I use call for 3 minutes of boiling; I cook them for 2½ minutes. If the timing is different on your package, reduce the time accordingly.) Drain and rinse with cold water to stop the cooking process.
Step 2: Make the Sauce
In a medium bowl, whisk the soy sauce, oyster sauce, sesame oil, and water until well combined.
Step 3: Prep the Chicken
In a medium bowl, combine the chicken with 1½ tablespoons of the sauce, the cornstarch, and salt.
Stir until the chicken is evenly coated.
Heat 1½ tablespoons of the oil in a 12-inch nonstick skillet over medium-high heat until shimmering. Add the chicken.
Cook, stirring frequently, until just cooked through, about 3 minutes. Transfer the chicken to a plate.
Add the remaining ¼ cup oil to the skillet, then add the cabbage, celery, carrots, scallions, and garlic. Cook, stirring frequently, until softened and starting to brown, about 8 minutes.
Add the noodles, chicken, and sauce.
Stir-fry for about one minute, until well combined and the noodles have absorbed the sauce.
Taste and adjust seasoning, if necessary. Serve.
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Chicken Chow Mein
Stir-fried noodles mingling with onions, celery, cabbage, and succulent chicken, all tossed in a delicious sauce—restaurant-style chicken chow mein is a cinch to make at home!
Ingredients
For the Noodles
- 12 oz chow mein stir-fry noodles (see note)
For the Sauce
- 2 tablespoons soy sauce
- 2 tablespoons oyster sauce
- 1 tablespoon Asian sesame oil
- ½ cup water
For the Chicken
- 1 pound chicken tenderloins or chicken breasts, thinly sliced into bite-sized pieces
- 2 teaspoons cornstarch
- ⅛ teaspoon salt
For Cooking
- 1½ tablespoons + ¼ cup vegetable oil, divided
- 3 cups (8 oz) thinly sliced green cabbage, from 1 small cabbage
- 2 stalks celery, very thinly sliced
- 2 cups shredded carrots
- 6 scallions, dark and light green parts, cut into 1-inch pieces
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
Instructions
- Boil the noodles: Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Cook the noodles until very al dente. (The noodles I use call for 3 minutes of boiling; I cook them for 2½ minutes. If the timing is different on your package, reduce the time accordingly.) Drain and rinse with cold water to stop the cooking process.
- Make the sauce: In a medium bowl, whisk the soy sauce, oyster sauce, sesame oil, and water until well combined.
- Prep the chicken: In a medium bowl, combine the chicken with 1½ tablespoons of the sauce, the cornstarch, and salt. Stir until the chicken is evenly coated.
- Heat 1½ tablespoons of the oil in a 12-inch nonstick skillet over medium-high heat until shimmering. Add the chicken and cook, stirring frequently, until just cooked through, about 3 minutes. Transfer the chicken to a plate. Add the remaining ¼ cup oil to the skillet, then add the cabbage, celery, carrots, scallions, and garlic. Cook, stirring frequently, until softened and starting to brown, about 8 minutes. Add the noodles, chicken, and sauce and stir-fry for about one minute, until well combined and the noodles have absorbed the sauce. Taste and adjust seasoning, if necessary. Serve.
- Note: When shopping for chow mein noodles, opt for "stir-fry" style noodles instead of the deep-fried crispy variety. I use Wel-pac chow mein noodles, which cook in just a few minutes—you can find them at Target, Amazon, and many large supermarkets. But if you're in a pinch or can't locate them, feel free to use yakisoba noodles, ramen, or even spaghetti.
Nutrition Information
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- Per serving (4 servings)
- Calories: 890
- Fat: 45 g
- Saturated fat: 7 g
- Carbohydrates: 92 g
- Sugar: 8 g
- Fiber: 8 g
- Protein: 31 g
- Sodium: 1287 mg
- Cholesterol: 118 mg
This website is written and produced for informational purposes only. I am not a certified nutritionist and the nutritional data on this site has not been evaluated or approved by a nutritionist or the Food and Drug Administration. Nutritional information is offered as a courtesy and should not be construed as a guarantee. The data is calculated through an online nutritional calculator, Edamam.com. Although I do my best to provide accurate nutritional information, these figures should be considered estimates only. Varying factors such as product types or brands purchased, natural fluctuations in fresh produce, and the way ingredients are processed change the effective nutritional information in any given recipe. Furthermore, different online calculators provide different results depending on their own nutrition fact sources and algorithms. To obtain the most accurate nutritional information in a given recipe, you should calculate the nutritional information with the actual ingredients used in your recipe, using your preferred nutrition calculator.
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It can be challenging to land on a good recipe when it comes to Asian foods. In my experience, a lot of them seem to lack the texture and depth of flavor produced by local eateries. However, Jenn’s got us more than covered with another delicious Asian recipe!! This chow mein went by quick in our home. I used non-refrigerated Wel-Pac chow mein noodles and boiled them for a couple minutes before adding them to the skillet with the cooked chicken. Thanks, Jenn!! 🥳
We have a sesame allergy. What would you use in place of sesame oil? Thanks so much!
Hi Anisha, you can replace it with more vegetable oil. Hope you enjoy!
My son has a sesame allergy and I like to substitute walnut oil to get the nutty flavor!
The Wel-pak noodles come in 6 oz at my Target, so I bought 2 packs since the recipe calls for 12 oz, but it seems like too much. Wondering if that is a typo. We really enjoyed the recipe, but it seemed like not enough sauce for the noodles. Should I just be using 1 6oz package?
Hi SK, Sorry you found it didn’t have enough sauce. 12 ounces is the correct amount. If you choose to make this again, you could omit an ounce or 2 of the noodles to make it a bit saucier.
Made this for supper …. the flavor is so yummy! I doubled the sauce… and it was perfect… next time I’ll add additional veggies… we just about polished off the whole batch! Definitely a 5 star!
This was hit! Wife loved it. We’ll be adding it to our rotation. I’ll also try it with Hoisin sauce, for variation. Thanks for your dedication.
My husband loved it – the picky kids loved it too … my husband said “damn this makes me want to bring home all the bacon ” 🥴😩 which I don’t know how I feel about that but the fact that he loved it makes me want to add this to the dinner rotation ….
Simple and delicious. I love amount of veggies in this meal, too.
Chef Jenn,
Wow! Thank you!
We just had your chicken chow mein and my husband and i absolutely loved it! (i always give you credit for your delicious recipes.) I had double the veggies, noodles and chicken..so doubled the sauce. And, had two pans with equal portions. (Also, i used the Cuisinart to chop veggies.) Thank you, again! -Carrie
Wow! Absolutely making this a staple in our home. My 4 year old even at it!!
Another 5 star recipe, Jenn! Thank you!!
Incredibly easy when using store bought shredded carrots and shredded cabbage (@TJ’s). After that, all you need to slice are the celery, green onion, and chicken. The sauce couldn’t be easier – 4 very simple ingredients.
Next time, I will try full sodium soy sauce. I used low sodium, as that’s what I keep on hand. We ended up adding just a bit more soy sauce and a slight drizzle of sriracha to the plated chow mein.
All in all, it was incredibly delicious!! I can’t wait to have leftovers for lunch tomorrow!
I really thought we would love this. I made it as written and it lacked flavor. We all were able to doctor it to eat it. I probably will adjust the sauce if I make it again. This is the first recipe here that I wouldn’t rate 5 stars.
Very tasty & easy, perfect for a week night. Our family really enjoyed it & will definitely make again.
This was so good and so easy to make. Family loved it and I was thrilled as I’ve been looking for a receipe for a long time. I might make more sauce next time as it was really good and I wanted more sauce but with the recipe as written, it was great!
Thanks!!
Can this be made gluten free and if so what type of noodles?
Hi Susan, It won’t be quite the same but you can use rice noodles; just be sure all of the sauces are gluten-free.
This was delicious and so easy to make! I know it’s a hit when my husband says “Do NOT lose this recipe!” I halved the ingredients (except the sauce) since it’s just the two of us and am glad I did. It still made 4 servings. I did not use the full amount of sauce so next time I will adjust to 1.5 the amount. Also looking forward to tossing in different veggie combinations. I found the Wel Pac noodles at Target as Jenn suggested. Enjoy!
hello
Thank you for this recipe for chicken chow mein. I have tried many recipes over the years for chow mein and this was exactly what I was looking for-simple, readily available ingredients and delicious! This is the closest chow mein to any I’ve had in Chinese restaurants. I will definitely be making this often-so healthy and tasty. Thanks for sharing your wonderful recipe with us all.Have a great day
My family loved this – even my husband who doesn’t like “Chinese” style food! It’s a lot of prep work but not a lot of time. Next time I would double the sauce, add mushrooms (because I like them) and chopped water chestnuts. Otherwise, a winner and I’ll be making it again as soon as I buy more oyster sauce.
If you enjoy chicken chow mein, this one’s for you! Easy to make, simple ingredients, & packed with flavor! Another outstanding recipe, Jenn!
I agree that this was a little bland & that is with doubling the sauce as we like things a little saucier. We added more low sodium soy sauce when we served it & that helped. It also makes a lot, must be 4 people with really big appetites! Not that I am complaining, love the leftovers. We topped it with toasted slivered almonds & both of us enjoyed it & will make it again.
Hi Kathy, glad to hear you enjoyed it but sorry you found it a little bland. I suspect that using the low sodium soy sauce would have caused that as the salt in the soy sauce definitely contributes to the flavor.
This was soooooo good. I omitted the celery as I’m not much of a fan. Everything was absolutely delicious and even better the next day!
I followed the recipe exactly. I felt like it was very bland so I made more sauce. I felt like it was still missing something. What oyster sauce did you use? The sauce I used was “oyster flavored”, was that the reason? Also, next time I would add more chicken. This is the first recipe from your site that didn’t work for me. Thank you for your support in advance!
Sonia, Sorry to hear you found it to be a little bland! I use Lee Kim Lee oyster sauce. I’m not familiar with oyster flavored sauce and not sure if it’s different than typical oyster sauce. If it is, that may have contributed.
This was really delicious – I followed the recipe – but also added a little diced up chinese bbq pork. I may add a few almonds next time for crunch but this recipe as written if very good. I always have good luck with Jenn’s recipes.
Thank you for this wonderful recipe! We made it for dinner tonight, and my husband was chomping in delight the entire time!
For us, the chicken chow main satisfies our craving for Panda Express.
Fabulous recipe, will definitely be making again. Question on the noodles. I noticed as I was cooking that the recommended noodles I bought was a 6 oz package rather than 12 oz. Since I only had one package of noodles, I just cooked half of the vegetables that I had chopped, went ahead with all the chicken, and then just added half of the remaining sauce with the vegetables. After stirring everything together I ended up using all the sauce because thought it could use some more. So basically ended up with the recipe with 1/2 of the vegetables. Just wondering if the recipe is intended for a 6 oz package of noodles rather than a 12 oz? It was very good but personally would have been fine with more vegetables.
Hi Jen, Glad you liked it! The 12 oz package is correct. Feel free to make 1.5 times the sauce next time if you’d like it a bit saucier (with all the veggies).
Mine seems to be missing something in the flavor. Needed more salt or sweet or spicy. It was good and filling and will make again. I’ll add hoisin or more oyster sauce next time.
I haven’t yet made it, but is there a reason you don’t make it in a wok?
Hi Susan, You could definitely use a wok here. I typically show the recipes in a skillet since that’s what most people have at home.
Absolutely the best recipe for Chicken Chow Mein I have ever used. Everyone in the family loved it!
Can’t wait to try this recipe! Can you let me know what pan (brand/type) you used for this recipe? I know you mentioned using a non-stick but I was wondering if this is an enamel cast iron pan, I am looking for one and yours caught my eye! Thank you!
Hi Glenda, It’s a Caraway pan. Hope that helps!
This was so good!! I replaced the oyster sauce with hoisen sauce ( I even a little more of than the recipe called for). It was perfect!
Made this last night, loved it. Ate the leftovers cold today, loved those too. I will be making this again very soon. Thank you for the recipe! I really appreciate the simplicity of the ingredients and directions.
Made this last night for my family – it was a total hit. Both my kids have had and enjoyed the Panda Express version and said this one was even better!! We loved the combination of noodles, veggies and chicken as it was a meal on a plate. The chicken was tender and the sauce was incredibly flavorful. This is one that will be in our rotation for the long haul — thanks for another winner Jenn!
Looks delicious! Can this be prepared ahead of time, and how long for storage?
Thank you!
Deborah, Montreal
Hi Deborah, This is best made right before serving, but leftovers keep well for up to 3 days and reheat very well in the microwave.
I made this tonight for my family. The only thing I changed was using lower sodium soy sauce. We all agreed the dish was lacking flavor. Would the change in soy sauce be the cause of this? There were leftovers, so I will try using a little something to give it more flavor. Also wondering if using more sesame oil while cooking the vegetables would have helped or would that flavor them be too strong?
It’s VERY infrequent that I find a recipe of yours that I don’t love.
Sorry you found this bland! I do think using low-sodium soy sauce was the culprit. And if you want to use a bit more sesame oil, use it sparingly as a little goes a long way flavor-wise.
Very good! Sauce had amazing flavor and the ratio to chicken to noodles to veggies was perfect! Thank you! I served this with the Szechuan Green Beans from Jenn too!
Hi!
This looks delicious but what causes the high fat content? It says it is 45g of fat per serving.
Thanks!
Hi Anna, the fat comes primarily from the vegetable and sesame oils. Hope you enjoy if you make it!
Making it as I write this comment. (I had to send for the sesame oil and oyster sauce) Looks and smells delicious. Let you know how it tastes. 😘
Yummy. Easier than I thought. Hubby said to put it in the rotation.
This looks delicious.. what can I use instead of OYSTER SAUCE and HOISEN SAUCE. Hoping you can suggest something for me !
Hi Naomi, You can use more soy sauce in place of both — just keep in mind that both oyster and hoisin sauce have a little bit of sweetness, so without them, you won’t have that hint of sweetness.
My husband is on dialysis. I would like to make this. If I reduced the ingredients in the sauce would it still taste good? He has to watch his sodium and potassium intake. I have done this with your recipes with good results. I just use smaller portions of all the ingredients. The recipes for people with CKD are so tasteless.
Hi Rebecca, it will obviously be a little less saucy, but should still taste good. Hope both you and your husband enjoy!
Glad to hear we can substitute Hoisen sauce for the oyster!
Jenn, I want to make the Chicken Chow Mein but my husband has a shellfish allergy and I can’t use oyster sauce. Is there a substitute? I make something from your website or cookbooks nearly everyday- your recipes are “no fail”, delicious and family friendly. Many, many thanks!
So glad you enjoy the recipes, Chris! You can use hoisin sauce – it will work well. Please let me know how it turns out!
Thanks Jenn, I have hoisin sauce so I will try that. Heading to Target for the noodles!