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This easy chicken chow mein is ready in under 30 minutes and tastes even better than takeout. Tender chicken, crisp vegetables, and springy noodles are tossed in a rich, savory sauce for the ultimate comfort food.
Whether you’re new to how to make chow mein or want a quick weeknight dinner, this chow mein noodles recipe delivers classic flavors with fresh, wholesome ingredients the whole family will love.
What Makes This Chicken Chow Mein Work
This Chicken Chow Mein delivers all the bold, savory flavors you love from your favorite Chinese takeout, but made fresh at home. Lean chicken breast, crisp vegetables, and springy noodles come together in a rich, flavorful sauce that coats every bite.
What makes this chow mein noodles recipe stand out is how quickly it comes together—just one pan and under 30 minutes from start to finish. It’s light yet satisfying, perfect for busy weeknights when you still want that authentic, restaurant-quality taste.
What Goes Into Chicken Chow Mein
A good Chicken Chow Mein starts with fresh, flavorful ingredients that cook quickly for the best texture and taste. Here’s what makes this recipe shine:
- Chicken Breast: Lean, tender strips of chicken soak up the marinade, giving every bite a juicy, savory flavor.
- Chow Mein Noodles: The heart of this chow mein noodles recipe—springy, chewy noodles that hold the sauce perfectly.
- Cabbage Mix: A colorful combination of green and red cabbage adds crunch, sweetness, and plenty of nutrients.
- Savory Sauce: A blend of soy sauce, oyster sauce, sesame oil, and aromatics creates that classic takeaway taste in every bite.
Note: Please see recipe card at the bottom for a full list of ingredients with measurements.
How To Make Chicken Chow Mein
- Marinate the Chicken: In a bowl, combine sliced chicken, garlic, ginger, soy sauce, cornstarch, and sesame oil; toss to coat.
- Cook the Noodles: Boil chow mein noodles per package directions, drain well, and set aside.
- Make the Sauce: Whisk chicken stock, oyster sauce, soy sauce, and cornstarch until smooth; set aside.
- Sear the Chicken: Heat wok over high heat, add oil, and fry chicken until cooked through, about 3 minutes; transfer to a plate.
- Sauté Aromatics: Return wok to high heat, add oil, then add garlic and ginger; cook for 15 seconds until fragrant.
- Cook the Veg: Add green cabbage, onion, and carrots; stir fry about 2 minutes until tender-crisp.
- Sauce the Noodles: Add noodles and the sauce; toss for about 1 minute until the sauce thickens and coats.
- Finish and Serve: Add cabbage, bean sprouts, and green onions; return chicken, toss 1 minute to warm through, then serve hot.
Pair this Chicken Chow Mein with sides that complement its bold, savory flavors. Try Garlic Browned Butter Baked Asparagus for a crisp, buttery bite, Crispy Broccoli Parmesan Fritters for a fun, cheesy crunch, or Beef Stuffed Eggplants for a hearty, flavor-packed addition to the table.
Recipe FAQ’s
Yes! Chicken thighs stay extra juicy and tender, making them a great choice for easy chicken chow mein.
Chow mein noodles recipes use stir-fried noodles that are slightly crisp, while lo mein features soft, tossed noodles.
Absolutely. A large, heavy skillet works well when learning how to make chow mein at home.
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Chicken Chow Mein
Ingredients
Chicken-
- 8 ounces boneless skinless chicken breast cut into ½-inch thick slices
- 1 teaspoon garlic minced
- 1 teaspoon ginger minced
- 1 teaspoon soy sauce
- ½ teaspoon cornstarch
- ½ teaspoon sesame oil
- 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
Chow Mein-
- 6 ounces dried chow mein noodles
- ¼ cup unsalted chicken stock
- 3 tablespoons oyster sauce
- 1 tablespoon soy sauce
- 1 teaspoon cornstarch
- 1 tablespoon vegetable oil
- 1 teaspoon garlic minced
- 1 teaspoon ginger minced
- 1 cup green cabbage ¼-inch thick slices
- ½ cup yellow onion ¼-inch thick slices
- ¼ cup carrots ⅛-inch slices
- 1 cup red cabbage ¼-inch thick slices
- 1 cup bean sprouts
- ¼ cup green onion 1 1/2 -inch long pieces
Instructions
Chicken
- In a medium-sized bowl combine sliced chicken, garlic, ginger, soy sauce, cornstarch, and sesame oil.
- Heat a wok or large saute pan over medium-high heat.
- Add the oil, once hot add the chicken.
- Stir-fry the chicken until lightly browned and cooked through, about 3 minutes.
- Transfer chicken to a clean plate and reserve.
Chow Mein
- Cook the chow mein noodles according to manufacturer’s direction.
- Drain and reserve the noodles.
- In a small bowl whisk together the chicken stock, soy sauce, and cornstarch. Set aside.
- Heat the wok over high heat.
- Add the oil, then once hot add the garlic and ginger. Saute for 15 seconds until fragrant but not browned.
- Add the green cabbage, onion and carrots, stir-fry until tender, about 2 minutes.
- Add the cooked noodles and sauce. Stir to combine and cook until the sauce has thickened, about 1 minute.
- Add the purple cabbage, bean sprouts, and green onions, stir-fry until just tender, 1 minute.
- Add the chicken back to the wok, stir to combine until warm.
- Serve chicken chow mein immediately.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
Love it my bf is obsessed with chow mein and I am celiac and make mine with gluten free noodles and he says it’s better than glutenized. Only thing it calls for oyster sauce but doesn’t say where to put it so I put in the sauce and I like a bit more on top of the whole thing. Thanks!
I just made this for dinner tonight, we couldn’t be more happy with the out come. Absolutely loved it. Only thing I did was add some mushrooms to it. I used another’s suggestion and bought a bag of coleslaw mix and used that, didn’t have to do any chopping then. Your ingredient are spot on. I will be making this very often, thank you so much for posting…..
This was awesome and super fast. Cheated and just used a bagged coleslaw mix because honestly I ain’t got time but it turned out great
The chow mein ingredients ask for Oyster sauce but in the instructions it doesn’t say where and when to use for the chow mein part – could you please clarify? Thanks.
I don’t have any green cabbage, or bean sprouts, can I still make??
Yes. Vegetables of your choice. I add bell peppers, mushrooms and broccoli and they all go along well.
Amazing flavour. A terrific recipe – it’s a keeper for sure!
By Gordon
Lady this is the best chicken chow me in I have ever had. I made this tonight and I’m definitely doing this again. So far every single recipe on that I have tried came out really well. Please keep posting
This was an excellent chow mein recipe….delicious
Best Kung Pao Chicken i ever had !!!
WAHOO!! That is a huge compliment! Thank you so much for sharing!