Chow Mein The Best Recipe Online

Published Dec 02, 2020 Updated Aug 26, 2024

Chow Mein Recipe

What is Chow Mein? Chow Mein (sometimes spelled as chowmin) is one of the best Chinese recipes. It’s made of noodles, vegetables, protein such as chicken, shrimp, beef or pork. The ingredients are stir-fried with cooking oil, garlic and seasonings of soy sauce and oyster sauce in a wok. It’s different from Lo Mein, which is a similar Chinese noodles dish but without stir-frying.

Chow Mein Noodles

There are all kinds of fresh and dry noodles available in the market. There are also thin and thick noodles. For the best and most authentic homemade Chow Mein like Chinese restaurants or takeouts, I recommend thin, fresh egg noodles. The color of the noodles is slightly different but the texture is similar. There are eggs in both noodles. There is flour that coats every strand of the noodle. In Asian or Chinese grocery stores, you can find egg noodles in a clear plastic bag, like the picture above. They are available in the noodles section of the stores. If you use dry egg noodles, follow the package instructions to boil the noodles first before stir frying.

How To Make Chow Mein

To cook the classic Chinese noodles, first you have to decide on the list of fresh ingredients to use:

Protein – you can use chicken, shrimp, beef or pork. You can also use squid and scallop. Choose your main protein or combine a few ingredients together. Vegetables – you can use cabbage, bean sprouts, napa cabbage, carrot or scallion. I like the combinations of cabbage, carrot and scallion. Seasoning sauce – you can use oyster sauce, soy sauce or a combination of both sauces for the best flavors.

You can make the noodles on a skillet or traditional Chinese wok. First, cook the noodles on high heat with oil, garlic and stir fry the protein. Next, add the noodles and seasoning sauce, stir fry until all ingredients are cooked through.

Cooking Tips

For the best chow mein recipe, please follow my tips, techniques and secrets below:

If you use fresh egg noodles, run cold water over the noodles and rise them before using. This will get rid of the flour on the surface. Drain the noodles dry using a colander. This will ensure that your noodles are not soggy. Make the sauce in advance by mixing all the ingredients together. The best utensil for making Chinese noodles is a well-seasoned Chinese wok and a pair of long wooden chopsticks. You can use spatula but a pair of chopsticks will loosen up the noodles while stir-frying. This will avoid the noodles from clumping and sticking together. Be generous with the cooking oil. Check out my Perfect Stir-Frying Techniques for the best results.

What To Serve With Chow Mein

This meal is best served with a Chinese main dish (such as ginger scallion fish, ginger soy chicken) or side dishes (such as Chinese Tea Eggs). For a wholesome meal and Chinese restaurant style dinner at home, I recommend the following recipes: I hope you enjoy this post as much as I do. If you try my recipe, please leave a comment and consider giving it a 5-star rating. For more easy and delicious recipes, explore my Recipe Index, and stay updated by subscribing to my newsletter and following me on Facebook, Pinterest, and Instagram for new updates.