Chinese Chow Mein with Chicken and Vegetables
Noodles stick and ball up in the pan. The fix: boil them a minute short, rinse them cold, and toss them in oil before they go anywhere near the wok. And the wok must be smoking hot before anything touches it.
- Prep
- 15 min
- Cook
- 15 min
- Total
- 30 min
- Calories
- 440
Chow mein literally means fried noodles. It is an everyday Chinese dish made with whatever vegetables and protein are around — its secret is not the ingredients but the heat of the pan and the speed of the tossing.
Method
-
1
The noodles
Boil them one minute short of the packet time, rinse under cold water immediately, and toss in the sesame oil.
⏱ 8 min -
2
The chicken
Toss the chicken slices with the soy sauce and cornflour and leave for 10 minutes.
⏱ 11 min -
3
The sauce
Mix all the sauce ingredients in a cup and keep it beside the stove.
⏱ 2 min -
4
Sear the chicken
Heat the wok over the highest heat until it smokes, add the oil and the chicken spread flat. A minute undisturbed, then toss for a minute. Remove it.
⏱ 3 min -
5
The vegetables
Add another tablespoon of oil, then the garlic, carrot and peppers for a minute, then the cabbage for a minute. They must stay crisp.
⏱ 3 min -
6
Noodles and sauce
Add the noodles and the sauce and toss with a lifting motion rather than stirring in circles, so the sauce reaches everything without breaking the noodles. Two minutes.
⏱ 3 min -
7
Finish
Return the chicken and add the bean sprouts and spring onion, toss for 30 seconds and kill the heat. The sprouts must stay crunchy.
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Tips that actually matter
- Boil the noodles a minute short — they finish cooking in the wok.
- The wok must smoke before anything goes in; that heat is what wok flavour is.
- Toss by lifting rather than stirring in circles — circular stirring shreds the noodles.
- Dark soy is for colour and light soy is for flavour; they are not interchangeable.
People also ask
What is the difference between chow mein and lo mein?
Chow mein means fried noodles with a small amount of sauce that coats them. Lo mein means boiled noodles with more sauce poured over, and the texture is softer.
Can I use spaghetti?
Yes, and it works well. Boil it two minutes short since it is thicker, and follow the rest of the steps unchanged.
Why did my vegetables go soggy?
The pan was not hot enough or it was overcrowded. Very high heat and small batches — Chinese stir-fried vegetables should always stay crisp.
Cook mode
Chinese Chow Mein with Chicken and Vegetables
-
1
The noodles
Boil them one minute short of the packet time, rinse under cold water immediately, and toss in the sesame oil.
-
2
The chicken
Toss the chicken slices with the soy sauce and cornflour and leave for 10 minutes.
-
3
The sauce
Mix all the sauce ingredients in a cup and keep it beside the stove.
-
4
Sear the chicken
Heat the wok over the highest heat until it smokes, add the oil and the chicken spread flat. A minute undisturbed, then toss for a minute. Remove it.
-
5
The vegetables
Add another tablespoon of oil, then the garlic, carrot and peppers for a minute, then the cabbage for a minute. They must stay crisp.
-
6
Noodles and sauce
Add the noodles and the sauce and toss with a lifting motion rather than stirring in circles, so the sauce reaches everything without breaking the noodles. Two minutes.
-
7
Finish
Return the chicken and add the bean sprouts and spring onion, toss for 30 seconds and kill the heat. The sprouts must stay crunchy.
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