Name: How To Make Chicken Chow Mein Like The Takeaway
Prep time: 10 min
Cook time: 10 min
Total time: 20 min
Ingredients: 300 g Egg Noodles (10½ oz); 300 g Chicken Breast (Two Pieces ); 50 g Beans Sprout (Big Handful); 50 g Shredded Cabbage (Big Handful); 2 Garlic Cloves; 2 Spring Onions; 1 tbsp Ginger and Garlic Paste; 1 tbsp Dark Soy Sauce; 1 tsp White Pepper (Or Black Pepper); 2 tbsp Oyster Sauce; 2 tbsp Dark Soy Sauce; 2 tbsp Vinegar; 1 tbsp Brown Sugar; 1 tbsp Sesame Oil; 1 tbsp Chilli Sauce; ½ tsp Salt

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Takeaway Style Chicken Chow Mein & Sauce Recipe

Put the takeaway menu down! This chicken chow mein recipe is tasty, delicious and very easy to make at home. This takeaway style recipe is made with the best homemade chicken chow mein sauce which is packed full of flavour.

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Every time I make chicken chow mein I have a WOW did I just make this moment; it tastes just like the takeaway! This easy recipe will leave you shocked because it tastes so good, and you can make it in only 20 minutes.

I don’t think I’ve ever ordered Chinese takeaway without ordering chicken chow mein, it’s a UK takeaway favourite and a great recipe.

Plus, it’s a total win-win. This Chinese takeaway style chicken chow mein recipe tastes so authentic and you can make a big batch of it.

Homemade chow mein with this Chinese style UK recipe

Why You’ll Love This Recipe

Great For Leftovers: Most authentic chicken chow mein recipes are filled with beansprouts, carrots and shredded cabbage.

You can completely customise this recipe by using leftover vegetables in the fridge and leftover chicken. You can work with what you’ve got or use your favourite vegetables.

Save Money: This recipe is way cheaper than buying chicken chow mein from your local takeaway, plus you’ll get enough for two big plates or 3 smaller plates!

Simple To Make: So uncomplicated and straightforward; this one-pan takeaway style chow mein is very simple to make.

Do I Need A Wok?

Using a wok is great for Chinese and stir-fry dishes, but you don’t need a wok for this chow mein recipe. Using a large pan is fine, just make sure it’s big enough for your ingredients.

Watch How To Make It

What Is Chow Mein Sauce Made Of?

Chow Mein sauce is made from a mixture of dark soy sauce, sesame oil, oyster sauce, vinegar, brown sugar, chilli sauce and salt.

What makes a good chow mein is the chow mein sauce! It’s tasty, full of umami flavour and the best combo of ingredients ever.

The homemade sauce is what gives this chicken chow mein recipe it’s Chinese style authentic taste.

TIP: Don’t skip any ingredient when making this homemade chow mein sauce recipe, the combo of ingredients are the best!

What Is The Difference Between Chicken Chow Mein And Chicken Lo Mein?

Chow mein and lo mein share many similarities, both are made with egg noodles and have a yellowish tint to them. The main difference between the two is down to how they are cooked and served.

Lo mein noodles are boiled and served tossed in a sauce, it’s also softer in texture. In comparison, authentic chow mein noodle recipes are traditionally fried until crispy before being served with a sauce.

How to make chicken chow mein like the takeaway with this recipe

Chicken Chow Mein & Sauce Recipe Ingredients

The main ingredients in chow mein (other than noodles) are vegetables, protein and homemade chow mein sauce.

Noodles: Noodles are the main ingredient in this dish which is coated in a homemade chow mein sauce.
Vegetables: This fakeaway chicken chow mein recipe has beansprouts and shredded cabbage. The addition of spring onions and garlic adds even more flavour.
Chicken Breast: Dice into long pieces or cubes. The chicken is marinated in a mixture containing ginger and garlic paste, white pepper and dark soy sauce.
Homemade Chow Mein Sauce: The ingredients to make chow mein sauce include dark soy sauce, sesame oil, oyster sauce, vinegar, brown sugar, chilli sauce and salt.

Which Noodles Are Best To Use For Chow Mein?

On most occasions I like to use fresh egg noodles brought in the chilled section of the supermarket (near the stir-fry sauces and veggies).

They are pre-cooked and can be re-heated by frying for a few minutes. It’s the easiest and quickest way to make chow mein.

Egg noodles are commonly used in Chinese takeaways, they’re the preferred choice and the best noodles to use for a chicken chow mein takeaway style recipe.

I’ve tried this recipe using no-egg dried noodles (that are white in colour). It needs to boil in hot water for around 5 minutes to soften it.

Making chow mein with this type of noodle took a little longer to make. The overall look of the chow mein was not as brown as using egg noodles (but they were cheaper, and I still enjoyed eating it).

How Do You Make Chicken Chow Mein From Scratch?

Here’s a step-by-step guide on how to make Chinese chicken chow mein and chow mein sauce with this recipe. Full instructions are on the recipe card below.

Find out how to make this chicken chow mein (a UK takeaway favourite) below with this fakeaway recipe.

Step One:

Cut the chicken breast into long strips or cubes and place in a mixing bowl.

Add the marinade ingredients: ginger and garlic paste, white pepper and dark soy sauce into the mixing bowl. Mix until evenly distributed and the chicken is fully coated in the marinade.

Set the chicken aside and chop the vegetables (cabbage, garlic and spring onions) for later use.

Step Two:

Homemade chow mein sauce made of oyster sauce, soy sauce, vinegar, brown sugar, sesame oil and chilli sauce

Make the homemade chow mein sauce by mixing together oyster sauce, soy sauce, vinegar, brown sugar, sesame oil, chilli sauce and salt in a small bowl.

Step Three:

Heat a wok or frying pan on a medium to high heat and add a tablespoon of oil. Fry the chicken breast for 2 to 3 minutes or until cooked on the outside.

Step Four:

Add the beansprouts and shredded cabbage and fry for 1 to 2 minutes or until softened.

Step Five:

Add chopped spring onions and diced garlic and fry for an extra minute.

Step Six

Pour the egg noodles into the wok and stir fry for 1 to 2 minutes. Finish by drizzling the homemade chow mein sauce on top and mix until evenly distributed.

And it’s done! That’s how to make chicken chow mein just like the takeaway. You can also use this chow mein sauce recipe for other noodles dishes!

Variations – Make A Plain Chow Mein

The steps to making chow mein pretty much stay the same despite which ingredients you take-out or add-in. If you want to make a plain chow mein, simply omit the chicken breast and marinade ingredients from this recipe.

Also, feel free to play around with the vegetables! You don’t have to stick with just beansprouts and cabbage. Though it’s not traditional, you can always add more ingredients if you like.

Check out my plain chow mein recipe for full instructions or go the complete opposite and make a special chow mein with both prawns and chicken!

What Vegetables To Use In Chow Mein

Chow mein is an incredibly versatile recipe, you can use a wide range of vegetables. I chose beansprouts, cabbage, garlic and spring onions. You can add other stir-fry vegetables like baby sweetcorn, carrots, ginger and water chestnuts.

My Top Tips

Here are my top tips for this recipe:

If you’re buying your ingredients in a supermarket, go to the worlds’ food aisle. It’s likely that section will have authentic products which are cheaper in price.

Use fresh egg noodles to make chow mein that taste just like the takeaway!

This recipe is super quick; dinner in 20 minutes sounds crazy right? It’s the perfect quick and tasty meal; buying dried noodles will add time as you have to pre-cook it.

How To Store Leftover Chow Mein

If you end up with leftovers, you can save it for later. Leave the chow mein to cool down before placing in an airtight container. Store in the fridge for up to 3 days. When reheating, place in a microwaveable container with the lid loosely fitted. Microwave until piping hot throughout.

More Chinese Recipes

Go all out with a Chinese feast with these Chinese fakeaway recipes below: