15-Minute Chicken Chow Mein with Vegetables Recipe | Foodal (2024)

There’s no need for takeout when you have this chicken chow mein recipe in hand.

15-Minute Chicken Chow Mein with Vegetables Recipe | Foodal (1)

It’s one of those takeout-fakeout recipes that I love to whip up, especially on a weeknight when I am tempted to order delivery.

When I’m not going all out to make Kung Pao Chicken, this is one of the most popular stir fried noodle dishes at our house, and my husband asked me to make it again three days after I made it for the first time. He is absolutely obsessed, and I don’t blame him.

All the flavors in this dish are so savory and delightful. Personally, my favorite aspect of this dish is that it’s made with chicken sausage.

Since the sausage is already cooked, you are essentially just warming it up and browning it lightly in the skillet – no raw poultry to deal with, no raw messes to clean up, and this cuts down on the total cook time significantly.

That’s right, you can prepare this meal in just 15 minutes flat. How easy is that?

15-Minute Chicken Chow Mein with Vegetables Recipe | Foodal (2)

There’s just the right amount of spice from the red chili pepper, and the crisp snow peas burst with flavor in each mouthful.

The Asian-style sauce is made with hoisin so it’s sweet and savory, with a hit of soy sauce that’s added at the end.

Honestly, you probably already have most of the ingredients for this recipe in your pantry, aside from the chow mein noodles.

Now, let’s talk about these noodles. I found dry chow mein noodles in the Asian section of my local grocery store that came in a 16-ounce package. They cook really quickly, so you don’t have to worry about taking a big chunk of your time to do this step either.

15-Minute Chicken Chow Mein with Vegetables Recipe | Foodal (3)

I don’t have any brand loyalty when it comes to this kind of noodles – you can honestly grab whatever looks best from the shelves. You can also head to your local Asian supermarket if your local grocery store doesn’t carry enough of a variety of Asian ingredients.

If you can’t find chow mein noodles, there are other options you can use. Yakisoba noodles are a great substitute, plus they are usually available fresh in the refrigerator section, so you don’t even have to boil them.

After you make this recipe once, you are going to want to add it to your weekly rotation because it’s so flavorful and so stinking simple to prepare. Honestly, there aren’t that many 15-minute meals out there that are truly delicious and satisfying, but this one has everything you could ever want.

15-Minute Chicken Chow Mein with Vegetables Recipe | Foodal (4)

And with all that extra time, you could even try your hand at making homemade egg rolls to serve as a side. It will be the ultimate takeout meal, prepped all at home!

If you have any leftovers, I think these noodles are outstanding straight out of the refrigerator without reheating them.

I know that might sound weird, but I was in a rush for lunch and had to eat something. Then I made this discovery, and I’ll stand by my claim that the chilled noodles are actually fantastic.

It’s just what you need if you are in a hurry, or if you’ve had a particularly rowdy night. It’s even better than cold pizza. Trust me, I’ve tested this, and all of the above is 100% accurate.

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15-Minute Chicken Chow Mein with Vegetables Recipe | Foodal (5)

Chicken Chow Mein

★★2 from 1 review
  • Author: Meghan Yager
  • Total Time: 15 minutes
  • Yield: 4 servings 1x
Print Recipe

Description

This chicken chow mein is just like the dish you’d get from your favorite Chinese restaurant, and you can make it in 15 minutes.

Ingredients

Scale

  • 1 cup homemade or low-sodium chicken stock
  • 3 tablespoons hoisin sauce
  • 2 tablespoons cornstarch
  • 4 tablespoons canola oil, divided
  • 1 lb cooked chicken sausage, cut into 1/2-inch pieces
  • 3 large cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 1/2 inches fresh ginger root, peeled and grated
  • 1 cup snow peas
  • 1 red chili pepper, seeded and diced
  • 1/4 cup orange juice
  • 8 ounces Chinese egg noodles, yakisoba, or gluten-free angel hair noodles, cooked
  • 1 tablespoon soy sauce, gluten-free tamari, or Bragg’s Liquid Aminos
  • 1/2 cup fresh basil leaves, chopped

Instructions

  1. In a small bowl, whisk together chicken stock, hoisin sauce, and cornstarch. Set aside.
  2. Heat 2 tablespoons oil in a 12-inch skillet over medium-high heat. Add chicken sausage and use a wooden spoon to break it up into small pieces. Cook until heated through, then transfer to a plate and set aside.
  3. Heat the remaining oil in the same skillet and add the garlic and ginger. Cook until fragrant, about 1 minute. Add snow peas and chili pepper and continue cooking for 1 minute. Add orange juice and stir for 30 seconds.
  4. Stir in the chicken sausage, noodles, and chicken stock mixture. Continue to cook while stirring occasionally until ingredients are warmed through and sauce has thickened slightly. Add soy sauce, and stir to combine.
  5. Remove from heat and stir in basil. Pile onto a plate and serve.
  • Prep Time: 5 minutes
  • Cook Time: 10 minutes
  • Category: Noodles
  • Method: Stovetop
  • Cuisine: Chinese

Keywords: chicken sausage, ginger, egg noodles, snow peas, garlic

Cooking By the Numbers…

Step 1 – Prep and Measure Ingredients

15-Minute Chicken Chow Mein with Vegetables Recipe | Foodal (6)

Cut the chicken sausages into 1/2-inch pieces.

Peel 3 cloves of garlic and mince them.

Peel a 1 1/2-inch piece of fresh ginger and grate it.

Remove the seeds from a red chili pepper and dice it. I used a red jalapeno pepper, but you could also use a Fresno chili for a more mild flavor.

Cook 8 ounces of chow mein noodles in boiling water. Egg noodles, yakisoba, gluten-free angel hair, or your choice of long, thin pasta can also be used.

There’s some difference in what you might think of as “chow mein” depending on what part of the world you live in, so you do you. If a thicker noodle makes you think more of “lo mein,” (hello, East Coasters!) choose a thinner one for this dish.

If you’re using fresh, refrigerated noodles, you don’t have to boil them. Just remember to give them a little longer to come up to temp when you add them to the pan.

Chop enough basil leaves until you have 1/2 cup total.

Step 2 – Make the Sauce

15-Minute Chicken Chow Mein with Vegetables Recipe | Foodal (7)

Add the chicken stock, hoisin sauce, and cornstarch to a small bowl. Whisk together until combined, and set aside. The cornstarch will act as a thickener for the sauce.

Step 3 – Heat Sausage Through

15-Minute Chicken Chow Mein with Vegetables Recipe | Foodal (8)

Heat 2 tablespoons of oil in a 12-inch skillet or wok over medium-high heat.

Once it’s hot, add the sausage and cook until it’s heated through and lightly browned in some places. Stirring occasionally, break it up into small pieces.

Transfer to a plate and set aside.

Step 4 – Finish Dish and Serve

15-Minute Chicken Chow Mein with Vegetables Recipe | Foodal (9)

Add the remaining oil to the skillet. There’s no need to wipe it out or anything first.

15-Minute Chicken Chow Mein with Vegetables Recipe | Foodal (10)

Once it’s hot, add the garlic and ginger. This is the part where your kitchen will fill with a delicious aroma, and your housemates and family members will come running! Cook, stirring frequently until fragrant, for about 1 minute.

Stir in the snow peas and chili pepper. Cook for another minute while stirring occasionally, then stir in the orange juice and cook for an additional 30 seconds.

15-Minute Chicken Chow Mein with Vegetables Recipe | Foodal (11)

Add the sausage, noodles, and chicken stock mixture to the pan. Stir occasionally, coating everything with the sauce and cooking for another minute or so, or until the ingredients are warmed through and the sauce has thickened slightly. Stir in the soy sauce.

15-Minute Chicken Chow Mein with Vegetables Recipe | Foodal (12)

Remove the pan from the heat and stir in the basil. Serve immediately.

What Kind of Chicken Sausage Should I Use?

Chicken sausage obviously comes in many types, and there are all kinds of exciting flavor combos out there. But which one should you use to make this recipe?

First, make sure it is the pre-cooked variety and not raw. This will speed up the cooking time.

Personally, I like garlic chicken sausage because it has a fantastic flavor to it. You can also choose one that has basil in it, for an extra oomph of herbal flavor that will be complemented by the fresh chopped herbs added to the dish just before serving.

15-Minute Chicken Chow Mein with Vegetables Recipe | Foodal (13)

Another option is to select an Asian flavored sausage to match the dish, and Chinese style chicken sausage in particular is a sure winner. But again, remember to read packages carefully and cook the chicken fully if it is not pre-cooked.

As an alternative, if you happen to have some leftover cooked chicken in the fridge, or some leftover sweet and sour pork, you could also use that in lieu of the sausage. Just make sure to chop it up first. Still working through that large batch ofMongolian Beefyou made the other night? Those meaty chunks would be perfect in this dish!

Do you need more Chinese recipe options to make at home when you’re craving takeout? Try these Foodal favorites:

  • Spicy Ground Beef Lettuce Wraps
  • Lightened Up Baked General Tso’s Chicken
  • Pan-Fried Chicken Pot Stickers

What’s your favorite dish to order at your local Chinese restaurant? Tell us in the comments below, and be sure to rate the recipe after you’ve tried it!

Photos by Meghan Yager, © Ask the Experts, LLC. ALL RIGHTS RESERVED. See our TOS for more details. Originally published on December 25, 2011. Last updated February 27, 2020. With additional writing and editing by Allison Sidhu.

Nutritional information derived from a database of known generic and branded foods and ingredients and was not compiled by a registered dietitian or submitted for lab testing. It should be viewed as an approximation.

15-Minute Chicken Chow Mein with Vegetables Recipe | Foodal (14)

About Meghan Yager

Meghan Yager is a food addict turned food and travel writer with a love for creating uncomplicated, gourmet recipes and devouring anything the world serves up. As the author of the food and travel blog Cake 'n Knife, Meghan focuses on unique foodie experiences from around the world to right at home in your own kitchen.

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15-Minute Chicken Chow Mein with Vegetables Recipe | Foodal (2024)

FAQs

What is the sauce in chow mein made of? ›

A great Chow Mein comes down to the sauce, made of soy sauce, oyster sauce, sesame oil, sugar and cornstarch for thickening. Slippery noodles slick with the savoury sauce is noodle heaven!

Do you have to boil chow mein noodles before frying? ›

Firstly, instead of boiling the noodles before frying, Chinese chefs usually steam the noodles, so that they are more 筋道 (pronounced as “jīn dao”) or “al dente” in Italian (“to the teeth”).

How do you make chow mein not soggy? ›

An expert chef's tip for perfect chow mein

Before frying them, it's best to steam the noodles rather than boil them, then dunk them in the hot water for just a minute. Remember to let the noodles cool down. When you're pan frying the noodles, let them cook and crisp up, and don't move them around too much.

What's the difference between lo mein and chow mein? ›

The biggest difference between chow mein and lo mein lies in the translations of their names: chow mein is fried, and lo mein is tossed. The experience is somewhat different between the two. Lo mein tends to be saucier and more toothsome, with a texture some describe as “slippery” because of the noodles' softness.

What is the brown sauce in Chinese food called? ›

Oyster sauce is commonly used in Chinese food and adds a savory, salty, umami flavor. Both can be found in most grocery stores. If you like, you can add grated or minced ginger or garlic. Serve your homemade brown sauce with a beef, chicken, or pork stir-fry or chow mein dish.

What makes chow mein taste like chow mein? ›

Simple sauce: While chow mein sauce is unbelievably easy to make, it still brings a complexity of flavors to the dish. The careful combination of ingredients like soy sauce, sesame oil, oyster sauce and sugar results in a chow mein sauce that has hints of both savory and sweet notes.

Can you use regular spaghetti noodles for chow mein? ›

If you can't find authentic Chinese chow mein noodles (see picture below) at your local grocery store, spaghetti could be used as a perfect substitution to make Chinese style stir fry noodles. Use Chow Mein stir fry noodles if you have them.

What is Chicago style chow mein? ›

CHICAGO CHOW MEIN: Slices of vegetables in a dark sauce with mushrooms, water chestnuts, and pea pods.

How long to soak noodles before stir fry? ›

Soak the dried rice noodles in cool or lukewarm water for 30 minutes, or until they're limp but still firm to the touch; later cooking in the wok will soften them more. Drain the noodles thoroughly in a colander and set aside while preparing the other ingredients.

Why do we add vinegar to chow mein? ›

All you need is soy sauce, black vinegar, sugar, oyster sauce, black pepper, and sesame oil. The flavor that is often missing in homemade chow mein is the tanginess. Black Vinegar is less harsh than regular vinegar, which gives the chow mein a subtle hint of tanginess that brings the dish together.

What is the crunchy stuff in chow mein? ›

At my local Chinese, they call this Crispy Chow Mein Noodles. It's a Hong Kong / Cantonese style dish, and there are a lot of variations but the core of it is a bed of deep fried crunchy noodles topped with a saucy stir fry.

Can you buy chow mein sauce? ›

Tesco Chow Mein Stir Fry Sauce 165g - Tesco Groceries.

What is the best Chinese dish to order? ›

The 15 Most Popular Chinese Dishes, Tasty Chinese Food
  • Beijing Roasted Duck.
  • Kung Pao Chicken.
  • Sweet and Sour Pork.
  • Hot Pot.
  • Cantonese Dim Sum.
  • Dumplings.
  • Ma Po Tofu.
  • Cantonese Char Siu.

Why does lo mein taste so good? ›

The sauce is what makes this dish so addictive. It's a simple umami filled mix of light and dark soy sauce, toasted sesame oil, sugar, and a hint of ginger. It's super easy to make a batch of lo mein sauce and keep it in the fridge so you can easily make lo mein whenever the craving hits.

What is a good substitute for lo mein noodles? ›

These long strands are particularly good at soaking up the favors of whatever they are cooked with, making them excellent substitutes in a dish that is covered in thick sauce — like lo mein. Vermicelli and rice-based noodles such as those that go into pad Thai are other alternatives that can work in a pinch.

What is the sauce in lo mein made of? ›

Lo mein sauce

It's a simple umami filled mix of light and dark soy sauce, toasted sesame oil, sugar, and a hint of ginger. It's super easy to make a batch of lo mein sauce and keep it in the fridge so you can easily make lo mein whenever the craving hits.

What is authentic Chinese chow mein? ›

What is Chow Mein? Chow mein is a stir-fry noodle dish that is made in many different variations, but typically made with noodles, cabbage, celery, green onions, and garlic. Traditional chow mein is made with fried noodles but often it is prepared with boiled lo mein, chow mein, or yaki-soba noodles.

What to use instead of oyster sauce? ›

  • Fish sauce. Although it's not a perfect substitute, you can use fish sauce in place of oyster sauce in some recipes. ...
  • Soy sauce. Soy sauce is an easy substitute for oyster sauce since it's a common pantry staple. ...
  • Hoisin sauce. ...
  • Worcestershire sauce with soy sauce. ...
  • Teriyaki sauce. ...
  • Vegan mushroom sauce.
Jul 12, 2021

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