Chow Mein Noodles with Chicken is an easy recipe to get dinner on the table in minutes. So much better than take out in the same amount of time.
Do you rely on take out to get you through the week? No shame in admitting yes. We have all been there, probably more times than we want to admit. I think pizza and Chinese are probably the 2 easiest and most common things to pick up during the week. But with just a little bit of planning (going to the grocery store) you can get that Chinese meal on the table in the same amount of time it takes you to go pick it up.
Plus it is so much better for you, because you know what is going into it. You can bulk it up with more veggies and meat to fill up your family, and know that thy are going to eat it. We love to make homemade take out at home.
When I was little I remember my mom getting chow mein noodles when we would get Chinese food. Not always when we did take out, because my dad is a crazy picky eater, and would only eat the 1 thing he knew; Cashew Chicken.
But whenever my mom and I would go to the mall she would get chow mein from Panada Express. So I decided to make that at home. Our family loves an easy noodle dish with Asian flavors, so I knew it would be a hit.
What Is Chow Mein
Chow Mein is a Chinese stir-fry noodle dish that usually contains vegetables and some kind of meat or tofu. What vegetables and protein you use is entirely up to you. Look below for a list of great options.
How to Make Chow Mein
- You can really use whatever noodle you want. I used dried ramen noodles here (discarded the packet), but you can use spaghetti, fresh ramen noodles, or if your store carries actually chow mein noodles those are great!
- Use a large skillet that you can use over a high heat. This dish cooks very quickly!
- Heat the oil over medium high heat and then add your chicken. You want the chicken to be thinly sliced so it cooks nice and quickly.
- Once the chicken is browned you add the veggies and cook for just a minute or two until they are soft.
- Pour the sauce over everything and get it all nice and coated.
- Finally you toss with the noodles you are using until everything is mixed together.
- Nothing left to do but eat!
What’s The Difference Between Chow Mein and Lo Mein
It really has to do with how the noodles are cooked. Chow Mein means that the noodles are fried. Lo Mein means the noodles are tossed together. You will see chow mein as actual crispy fried noodles some places, but in dishes like this is means after they are cooked it is fried in the skillet with the sauce and the vegetables.
What to Add to Chow Mein Noodles
You can really add whatever you like to this recipe. But here are a few tasty ideas.
- Pork
- Tofu
- Shrimp
- Beef
- Broccoli
- Snap Peas
- Bell Peppers
- Bean Sprouts
- Mushrooms
Dinner on the table in 20 minutes can pretty much never be wrong! My husband loves the leftovers for lunch and reheating the leftovers is completely optional. You know you enjoy eating cold leftover Chinese food right out of the box, who why not these?
More Asian Dinner Recipes to Try
- Chicken Lo Mein
- Chicken Satay Stirfry
- Spicy Asian Noodle Bowls
- Honey Teriyaki Chicken
- Coconut Chicken Curry
- Egg Drop Soup
- General Tso’s Chicken
- Mongolian Beef
- Chicken Tikka Masala
Chow Mein Noodles with Chicken
Chow Mein Noodles with Chicken is an easy recipe to get dinner on the table in minutes. So much better than take out in the same amount of time.
Ingredients
- 5 packets of Ramen noodles, seasoning packet discarded
- 1 pound chicken breast, thinly sliced
- Salt and pepper
- 3 Tbls olive oil
- 1 small onion, diced
- 1 (10 oz) package shredded cabbage
- 2 cloves garlic, minced
- 2 tsp fresh ginger, grated
- 1/3 cup soy sauce
- 3 tsp sesame oil
Instructions
- Bring a large pot of water to boil and cook ramen according to the time on the package.
- Heat a large skillet over medium high heat. Add olive oil, swirling to coat.
- Season chicken with salt and pepper. Add to pan, and cook for 2-4 minutes until browned. Add onions and cabbage, mix together and cook
for 3-5 minutes. - In a bowl mix together garlic, ginger, soy sauce and sesame oil. Pour into skillet and cook for 3-5 minutes.
- Stir in cooked noodles and serve.
Nutrition Information
Yield
5Serving Size
1Amount Per Serving Calories 649Total Fat 29gSaturated Fat 9gTrans Fat 0gUnsaturated Fat 18gCholesterol 77mgSodium 2762mgCarbohydrates 56gFiber 4gSugar 2gProtein 40g
Nutrition Disclaimer: All information presented on this site is intended for informational purposes only. I am not a certified nutritionist and any nutritional information shared on dinnersdishesanddesserts.com should only be used as a general guideline.
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Medeja says
Quick and yummy meal! Love it!
Heidi says
Definitely going to try!
Bethany says
This looks great! Did you also add in a package of shredded carrots, because I don’t see any in your recipe, but they’re in all the photos?
Erin S says
Sorry Bethany, I will update the recipe – my shredded cabbage had shredded carrots in it as well. I would say about 1/2 cup of carrots.
Mandy says
Would omitting the sesame oil make a huge difference? My local grocer doesn’t carry it.
Erin S says
You will miss out on a tiny bit of flavor, but you can definitely leave it out if you can’t find it. Most grocery stores care it near the soy sauce these days. Enjoy!
Diane says
I made this delicious recipe for dinner last night. The carrots came from the pre-packaged shredded cabbage, aka cole slaw. It added a nice touch and a bit of color! 🙂 I also added sliced green onions. Delicious!
Norma OKeefe says
i have made it twice and once with dark soy sauce and once with light. We really loved it with the light soy sauce. I made it with snow peas and it was delicious. Its on my rotation now.My kids really loved it. Thank you for the recipe.
Tonya says
So what’s the ingredients in the cup thats poured over it?
Erin S says
Look above where you left this comment. There is a full printable recipe card that has all of the ingredients, measurements, and instructions.
Margaret says
Can I get the ingredients please
Erin S says
Look above where you left a comment Margaret, and there is a printable recipe card with all of the ingredients and instructions to make the recipe.
Danielle Bradley says
Can I have the recipe please and thank you
Erin S says
Look above where you left the comment. There is the full printable recipe there.
Jacki says
Does any one have the calorie for this. Very yummy
Amy P says
Made this tonight and my family now thinks I am the goddess of all things cooking – and I cook a lot! I used a bag of coleslaw mix and just threw away the dressing. I also used boneless, skinless chicken thighs because they were on sale It was so delicious and so easy!
Erin S says
So glad everyone loved it!
Denise says
Can you prep his for lunch the next day? Ha=ow does it hold up overnight?
Erin S says
I have only ever made the whole dish and reheated the leftovers. You could mix the sauce, chop the chicken and onions, and even cook the pasta – then just cook the chicken and mix everything together (to reheat the pasta) when it is time.
Brenda Pierce says
Does the recipe for Chow Mein Noodles with Chicken call for 5 packages of ramen noodles?
Erin S says
Yes, 5 (3oz) package of ramen noodles, seasoning packet discarded. You could use 1 pound of any pasta you want. I have also cut it down to 4 packets of noodles, and it worked fine.
Liz says
Are you suppose to drain the noodles before adding them to the chicken-veggie mixture?
And, why not use the Ramen Noodles, Seasoning packet?
Erin S says
Yes, cook and drain the noodles. I don’t use the seasoning packet because I make my own sauce. The seasoning packet is not a “chow mein” flavored packet. Plus the ingredients they use aren’t all that good for your in there, so I toss it. But if you want to try adding it you can.
Heather says
Hi!
I can’t wait to make this!
Can I use thinly sliced
beef instead of chicken? What cut of beef would you recommend?
Thank you so much!!!!!
Erin S says
Definitely you could use beef or even pork instead of chicken. I would probably use a flank or skirt steak and thinly slice it. Enjoy! You might also like this one if you want a beef noodle recipe – https://dinnersdishesanddesserts.com/garlic-beef-noodle-bowls/
RAMONA says
OMG..My whole family hated this. It all went into the trash after a few bites. I’m no beginner to cooking either. On the video for this recipe it looks like there’s a nice dark rich sauce that coats everything. It wasn’t like that at all.
Dawn says
This was delicious everyone loved it … my granddaughter said WOW taste like it came from P F Chang lol
Sara Welch says
I love when I can make my favorite take out recipes in the comfort of my own home! This looks delicious; can’t wait to enjoy this for dinner tomorrow!
Cathy says
Such a great way to give Ramen a makeover!!
katerina @ diethood.com says
I LOVE how easy and delicious this is! The perfect meal!
Jacque Hastert says
This came together quicker than if I ran to grab the take-out from the restaurant. The whole family loved it!
Catalina says
This is one of myfavorite dish! I will make it!
Vikki says
Tasty chow mein! Whole family loved this awesome dish
Rachel says
Have you tried freezing this?
Erin S says
I have not, but if you do let me know how it works!