Easy Chicken Chow Mein Recipe

Chicken Chow Mein is simple and easy to make at home and is better than takeout. The chow mein noodles are savory, salty, and spicy, with loads of veggies, and are delicious! This recipe is similar to the Indian restaurant-style Chow Mein noodles, which are more towards the spicier side. You can use chilly sauce or experiment with the Sriracha sauce, depending on how spicy you want your noodles. Chow Mein is the best weeknight dinner, and the leftovers are great for lunches. It is irresistibly delicious and packed with flavor. Your family will love this every time you make it!

In India, Chinese food especially, fried rice, and noodles are a thing. It is popular street food. Roadside eateries and food trucks selling Indo-Chinese food are a common sight. Spicy Veg Chow Mein noodles go well with vegetable Manchurian, chilly chicken, Gobi Manchurian, etc. You could even make a filling meal with this recipe by adding a protein of your choice. Feel free to substitute the vegetables with whatever you have. Sesame oil, garlic, chilly sauce, soy sauce, and the oyster sauce adds flavor and taste to the noodles. Combine these ingredients and make your simple sauce to flavor the chow mein.

How to make restaurant-style Chow Mein at home
If you are using chicken, it is good to marinate it for half an hour before stir-frying. As with all stir-fries, once you start cooking, it moves super fast, so be sure to have everything ready, cooked and drained noodles, the chopped vegetables, and the sauce ready to be tossed in. So do the prep before you start cooking!
Noodles- Chow Mein is pan-fried noodles that are slightly crispy. The best noodle to use is the Chow Mein egg noodles or Hakka noodles if you prefer vegetarian noodle. It is best to under cook the noodles. You can also refrigerate and use chilled noodles. Just like in fried rice, chilled noodles will ensure a perfect texture. Rinse the noodles well with cold water and drain. It is always a good idea to fry noodles with little oil. Add the noodles in a thin, even layer and let them fry a get slightly crispy. If you prefer more crispy pan-fry in batches, till the noodles change color to golden brown and crispy, adding oil as needed.
Protein – you can use chicken, shrimp, beef, or pork. You can also use eggs. Choose your main protein or make a combo. Chicken, shrimp, eggs are few ingredients that go well together.
Seasoning sauce – you can use chilly sauce, oyster sauce, soy sauce for the best flavors. In a bowl, combine pepper powder, soy sauce, light sesame oil, oyster sauce, sugar, chicken broth, and corn starch to make your own amazing homemade chow mein sauce. Oyster sauce adds complex flavors and richness to the sauce. If you want a lighter sauce go with light soya sauce and chilly sauce. Ching’s green chilly sauce or Sriracha sauce is great if you like it spicy. Adding chilly oil towards the end of the cooking process, kick it up a notch higher.
Vegetables – To make the street food style chow mein, it is best to use carrots, beans, green onions, bell pepper, and red onions. You can also use cabbage, bean sprouts, napa cabbage, bok choy mushrooms, or scallion.

Easy Chicken Chow Mein Recipe

Ingredients
Chow mein noodles or hakka noodles- 12 oz.
Chicken- 250 gram
Corn Starch - 2 tsp
Medium Sized Onion- 1
Colored Bell pepper thinly sliced (green + red)- 1 cup
Green beans thinly sliced- 1/2 cup
Carrots- thinly sliced- 1
( you can also add cabbage or bean sprouts)
Green onions- chopped - 1/2 cup
Garlic- 3 pods
Dry chilly flakes- 1/2 tsp
Soya sauce- 2 tsp
Dark soya sauce- 1 tsp
Sugar- 1/2 tsp
Oyster sauce- 1/2 tsp
Chilly garlic sauce- 1 tsp
Sriracha- 1 tsp
Chicken broth- 1/4 cup
Pepper - 1/8 tsp
Vinegar- 1 tsp
Sesame oil- 2 tbs
Salt to taste

In a bowl, marinate the chicken pieces with half tsp soy sauce, salt, pepper powder, and corn starch. Set this aside for half an hour.
In a bowl, mix soya sauce, dark soya sauce, oyster sauce, chilly garlic sauce, sriracha, vinegar, sugar, and a pinch of salt. Add 1/4 cup of chicken broth and 1/2 tsp of corn starch, mix well, and set aside.
Cook noodles according to package instruction, drain, and set aside. Drizzle two tsp of oil (preferable sesame oil) and set aside to cool while you prep the vegetables. Cut vegetables into thin long strips.
Heat sesame oil in a pan or wok and add the noodles. Fry in high heat, mix and toss for two to three minutes till slightly crispy and set aside.
In the same pan, add the marinated chicken, cooking on high. Let brown and sear, and when it is slightly golden, remove from the pan. Add more oil if needed, and saute minced garlic followed by thinly sliced onion. Stir fry in high for a minute and add the sliced vegetables and saute in high heat. After two minutes, add the cooked noodles, and drizzle the sauce on top. Stir fry in high for one more minute. Finally, add the stirfried chicken and mix. Taste and adjust seasonings. Serve noodles with chilly chicken, crispy orange sesame chicken, or vegetable Manchurian. Enjoy!