Easy Chicken Chow Mein Recipe: A Flavourful Stir-Fry You’ll Love
Living in a mixed-culture community has its advantages. One of the best? Food. We get to enjoy an incredible variety of dishes from all over the world—not just different corners of Europe, but also Asia, North America, and South America.
One of the most popular Chinese dishes that pops up in almost every town is chow mein. And when it comes to comfort food that’s quick, customisable, and packed with flavour, nothing beats a homemade chow mein. This easy chicken chow mein recipe is better than takeaway—and healthier too.
But did you know that the taste of Chinese food can vary dramatically depending on where you eat it? Whether you’re in China, England, or Slovakia, the difference comes from local ingredients, cooking techniques, and cultural preferences.
Before moving to the UK, I already enjoyed Chinese and Asian food. But my culinary experience truly expanded when I visited a Chinese restaurant in Southampton. Besides chow mein, the menu included a wide variety of Chinese stir-fry noodles and flavourful side dishes. It was eye-opening to see how each culture adapts these dishes to their local palate.
A little personal twist—my first date with my future husband was in a Chinese restaurant! So yes, homemade chow mein holds some sweet memories.
What do you need to make this homemade chow mein
Although the history of chow mein is unclear, the name could have originated from Mandarin chǎo-miàn (stir-fried noodles).
Chicken chow mein is an easy dish; you don’t need a special sauce. All you need is a good soy sauce and the right spices.
I like to cook chow mein with chicken, but beef, turkey or prawns are excellent choices.
Unlike other meat, if you make your chow mein with raw prawns, add them just a few minutes before the end, as they don’t need long to cook. For already pre-cooked prawns, you need to warm them, say, 1-2 minutes before you finish cooking.
NOTE:
I prefer chicken thighs for their juicy texture and deeper flavour, but this chicken chow mein also works well with beef, turkey, or prawns.
- For raw prawns, add them just a few minutes before the end.
- For cooked prawns, stir them in 1–2 minutes before serving.
Want a vegetarian chow mein? Omit the meat, add all the spices and veg, and toss in tofu. Skip the oyster and fish sauce to make it vegan-friendly.
Ingredients:
- Chicken breast or chicken thighs. See the Note above for more options
- Sesame oil
- Big bag of frozen or fresh stir-fry vegetables, or see the Note below
- Beansprouts
- Chinese five spices
- Tamari soy sauce
- Oyster or Fish sauce (optional)
- Vegetable stock
- Fresh ginger
- Garlic cloves
- Erythritol or honey if needed
- Nigella or sesame seeds (optional)
NOTE:
Optional Vegetables (if not using a stir-fry mix):
- White cabbage
- Mushrooms
- Carrots
- Bell pepper
- Magnetout or snow peas
- Baby corn
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How to cook these Chinese stir-fry noodles
1./ Prep your ingredients. Cut up the meat, and if you don’t use prepackaged stir-fry veg, then slice the cabbage, carrots, mushrooms, and peppers.
2./ Grate the flavour. Peel and grate the ginger. Chop the garlic.
3./ Sear the meat. Heat the oil in the pan. Add the meat (don’t add prawns in this step if using) and Chinese five-spice, and stir-fry for a few minutes on high heat until light brown, 2- 3 minutes.
4./ Add the vegetables. Toss in your the sliced vegetables, ginger, and garlic, and stir on high heat for 5 minutes. If the mixture is sticking to the bottom, add a bit of vegetable stock.
5./ Build the sauce. Pour in tamari soy sauce, oyster sauce if using, the rest of the vegetable stock.dd erythritol or honey if you want a hint of sweetness. Stir fry for 2- 3 minutes.
6./ Finish it off. Add bean sprouts and stir fry for 5 min, until cooked. If you are using raw prawns, add them at this step. However, if you use cooked prawns, add them couple of minutes after the bean sprouts and cook for 2-3 minutes.
7./ Serve and top. Divide chicken (or vegetable) chow mein between two plates and sprinkle with sesame or nigella seeds, if you like.
8/ Bonus tip: For a more filling meal, add EASY HIGH-FIBRE PASTA , it’s ready in 10 minutes and make this healthy chow mein recipe even better.
Whether you’re after a quick Chinese dinner, something family-friendly, or a low-carb chow mein alternative, this dish ticks all the boxes. It’s versatile, speedy, and full of flavour. Even better? You can make it entirely your own.
Ready to ditch the takeaway? Try this easy chicken chow mein recipe and taste the difference of homemade.
Curious to explore more recipes like this?
👉 Browse through other flavour-packed meals and find your next favourite dish!
🍴 Made This Recipe?
✍️ Leave a comment below and tell me how your chow mein turned out! Did you go for tofu, prawns, or chicken? Add your own twist?
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EASY CHICKEN CHOW MEIN RECIPE YOU CAN MAKE AT HOME
Cooking Tools
- Wok or large frying pan
- Knife
- Wood spoon
Ingredients
- 2 tbsp Sesame oil - or olive oil
- 300 g Chicken thighs - Boneless and skinless (or one large chicken breast)
- 1/2 tsp Chinese five-spice
- 400 g Frozen or fresh stir fry veg mix by your choice - or us the fresh vegetable option mentioned in the article
- 1 pack Beansprouts
- 1-2 tbsp Tamari soy sauce - (low carb soy sauce)
- 1 tsp Ginger - fresh
- 2 Garlic cloves
- 1 tsp Oyster sauce - optional
- 1/4 cup Vegetable stock - or chicken stock (use as needed)
- 1 tsp Erythritol - or other sweetener
- 1 tsp Nigella seeds - (or sesame seeds) optional
Instructions
- First, cut up the meat, grate the ginger and crush the garlic.
- Heat the oil in the pan. Add the meat and Chinese five-spice, and stir fry for a few minutes on high heat until light brown 2-3min.2 tbsp Sesame oil, 300 g Chicken thighs, 1/2 tsp Chinese five-spice
- Add sliced vegetables, ginger and garlic Keep stirring on the high heat for 5 minutes. Add a bit of vegetable stock if it's sticking to the bottom.400 g Frozen or fresh stir fry veg mix by your choice, 1 tsp Ginger, 2 Garlic cloves
- Add tamari soy sauce, oyster sauce if using, the rest of veg stockpot and erythritol if using. Stir fry for 2-3min.1-2 tbsp Tamari soy sauce, 1 tsp Oyster sauce , 1 tsp Erythritol, 1/4 cup Vegetable stock
- Add bean sprouts, and stir fry for 5 min, until cooked.1 pack Beansprouts
- Divide chow mein between the plates and sprinkle with sesame or nigella seeds if you like.1 tsp Nigella seeds
Nutrition
Nutritional facts in this recipe are only informative. The calculation might slightly vary, depending on the exact ingredients you use. For accuracy, enter your specific ingredients into a nutrition calculator like MyFitnessPal or Calorieking.
To calculate net carb use this method:
Carbohydrates – Fiber – Sugar alcohols = Net carb
Beyond the Recipe…
There’s more than recipes here: personal stories, favourite spots, and a few food myths I’ve challenged.
