Chicken Chow Mein

This is the chow mein you actually want on a weeknight: slippery egg noodles, quick-fried chicken and crunchy beansprouts coated in a savoury soy and sesame sauce. Everything hits the wok fast and hot, so the whole thing lands on the table in under half an hour.

Chow mein is all about high heat and speed, so have everything chopped and to hand before the wok goes on. The trick is a light, glossy sauce that clings to the noodles rather than drowning them, plus beansprouts added right at the end for that signature fresh crunch. Fast, savoury and endlessly adaptable.

Ingredients

• 300 g medium egg noodles — dried; roughly 3 nests
• 400 g chicken breast or thigh — sliced into thin strips
• 2 tbsp vegetable or groundnut oil
• 3 cloves garlic — finely chopped
• 2 cm fresh ginger — peeled and grated
• 1 carrot — cut into fine matchsticks
• 150 g beansprouts
• 4 spring onions — sliced on the diagonal
• 0.5 white cabbage or pak choi — small, finely shredded
• 3 tbsp light soy sauce
• 1 tbsp dark soy sauce — for colour
• 1 tbsp oyster sauce
• 1 tsp toasted sesame oil
• 1 tsp cornflour — mixed with 2 tbsp cold water

Method

1. Cook the egg noodles in boiling water for a minute less than the packet says, so they keep a little bite. Drain, rinse briefly under cold water to stop them cooking, then toss with a splash of oil to stop clumping.
2. In a small bowl, stir together the light soy, dark soy, oyster sauce, sesame oil and the cornflour slurry. Set this sauce aside within reach of the hob.
3. Heat a wok or large frying pan over the highest heat until just smoking, then add half the oil. Add the chicken in a single layer and stir-fry for 3-4 minutes until golden and cooked through with no pink in the middle. Tip onto a plate.
4. Add the remaining oil, then the garlic and ginger, and stir-fry for 20 seconds until fragrant but not browned. Add the carrot and cabbage and stir-fry for 2 minutes until just starting to soften but still crisp.
5. Return the chicken to the wok along with the drained noodles. Toss and lift with tongs or two spatulas for a minute so everything mixes and the noodles heat through.
6. Pour in the sauce and keep tossing for 1-2 minutes until it thickens slightly and coats every strand with a glossy sheen.
7. Throw in the beansprouts and most of the spring onions, then toss for a final 30-60 seconds so they stay crisp and fresh. Serve at once, scattered with the reserved spring onions.

Serve it with

• Prawn crackers
• A drizzle of chilli oil or sriracha
• Steamed pak choi in garlic
• Vegetable spring rolls
• A cold Tsingtao or jasmine tea

Why this works

Undercooking the noodles and rinsing them keeps them springy rather than soggy when they hit the hot wok, while the cornflour slurry turns the soy and oyster sauce into a glossy coating that clings instead of pooling.

Common swaps

• Swap chicken for strips of pork, beef, king prawns or firm tofu
• Use rice noodles for a gluten-free version, softening them per the packet
• No oyster sauce? Use hoisin, or extra soy plus a pinch of sugar for a vegetarian version
• Add sliced mushrooms, mangetout or baby corn with the carrot
• Groundnut oil gives the most authentic flavour, but any neutral oil works

Common mistakes to avoid

• Crowding a lukewarm pan, which steams the chicken instead of searing it - work hot and in batches if needed
• Fully cooking the noodles first, so they turn to mush once tossed in the wok
• Adding beansprouts too early, which makes them limp and watery instead of crunchy
• Drowning the dish in sauce; you want a light glossy coating, not a puddle

Storage, freezing & reheating

Storage: Cool leftovers quickly and keep in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 2 days.

Reheating: Reheat in a hot wok or frying pan with a splash of water until piping hot throughout, which revives the noodles better than a microwave.

Allergen notes: contains Gluten, Egg, Soya, Sesame, Molluscs. Always check individual product labels.

Estimated nutrition

Per serving, estimated from typical ingredient values — not a substitute for precise dietary calculation.