Name: Chicken chow mein
Prep time: 25 min
Cook time: 6 min
Total time: 1 h 5 min
Yield: 2 servings
Ingredients: 2 Chicken breasts, or thighs; Pinch of Salt; ¼ tsp Bicarbonate of soda; 1 tsp Garlic powder; 15 g Cornflour; 10 ml Light soy sauce; 2 Small onions (or 1 large), thinly sliced; 1 Carrot, cut into matchsticks; 4 Spring onions, white and green parts separated; 150 g Bean sprouts; 40 ml Light soy sauce; 30 ml Dark soy sauce; 40 ml Chinese cooking wine, Shaohsing wine; 200 g Egg noodles, thin, medium, or thick; 30 ml Vegetable oil for stir-frying

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The recipe

Chicken chow mein

This chicken chow mein is a proper winner. Juicy chicken, crunchy veg, and noodles tossed in a rich, flavourful sauce.

Serves 2
25 min prep
6 min cooking
34 min hands-off
Takes a bit of care

Times and difficulty are our estimates from the method, not stopwatch figures.

Scale

2 servings

Measurements

Method

Prepare the chicken

Step 1
Slice the chicken thinly and place in a bowl.
Step 2
To velvet the chicken (make it tender and juicy), add a pinch of salt, bicarb, garlic powder (1 tsp), cornflour (15 g), and light soy sauce (10 ml). Mix to coat thoroughly.
Step 3
Cover and chill in the fridge for 20-30 minutes.

Prep the vegetables

Step 1
Peel and thinly slice the onions (2 large)).
Step 2
Peel and cut the carrot (1) into thin matchsticks.
Step 3
Trim the roots from the spring onions (2 large)), then cut into batons and slice in half lengthways. Keep the white parts separate from the green parts.

Make the sauce

Step 1
In a small bowl, mix together light soy sauce (10 ml), dark soy sauce (30 ml), and Chinese cooking wine (40 ml). Set aside.

Cook the noodles

Step 1
Bring a pan of water to the boil and cook the egg noodles (200 g) for 3½-4 minutes.
Step 2
Drain and rinse under cold water to stop cooking and remove excess starch. Drain thoroughly.

Cook the chicken and vegetables

Step 1
Heat a large frying (30 ml) pan or wok over high heat and add the oil.
Step 2
Spread the chicken in the pan and allow it to sear without moving, until cooked and lightly golden.
Step 3
Add the onions (2 large)), carrots (1), and white parts of the spring onions with a pinch of salt. Stir-fry for 2-3 minutes until softened.

Combine noodles and sauce

Step 1
Add the drained noodles (200 g) to the pan and toss with the chicken and vegetables.
Step 2
Pour in the sauce and allow it to bubble and coat everything evenly.

Finish the dish

Step 1
Stir in the bean sprouts (150 g) and the green parts of the spring onions (2 large)). Cook for a further 2 minutes.
Step 2
Remove from the heat and serve immediately.

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Questions people ask

How long does chicken chow mein take?

About 1 hour 5 min from start to finish: 25 min of prep, 6 min of cooking, and 34 min hands-off while it waits. That figure is worked out from the method rather than timed with a stopwatch, so give yourself a little more the first time.

How many does it serve, and can I change that?

As written it serves 2. Use the scale control on the recipe card to change it: every quantity in the ingredients and inside the method steps updates with it. Seasoning, and anything measured in pinches or splashes, is deliberately left alone.

Can I see the ingredients in ounces and pints?

Yes. The metric and imperial switch on the recipe card converts every quantity, rounded to amounts you can actually weigh or measure rather than to four decimal places. Your choice is remembered for every recipe on the site.

Chicken chow mein

Chicken chow mein

Ingredients

For the chicken

For the vegetables

For the sauce