Chicken Chow Mein (Hong Kong Style)

5 from 11 votes
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Hong Kong Style Chicken Chow Mein Noodles is a classic Chinese dish consisting of crispy, pan-fried noodles and a rich gravy filled with fresh vegetables and chicken! The ultra crispy noodles is crispy around the edges and soft from the gravy in the middle – when mixed up it’s a perfect contrast of textures!

I have very fond memories eating this dish at the Chinese restaurant (complete with the lazy susan circular turntables!) with family growing up as a kid. It was one of my all-time favorite dishes and I’m excited to share my version with you!

Watch the Hong Kong Style Chicken Chow Mein Noodles Recipe Video Below!

chicken chow mein on a plate

Ingredients for Hong Kong Style Chicken Chow Mein Noodles

These Hong Kong Style Chicken Chow Mein Noodles recipe are just like they serve them at the Chinese restaurants and perfect for a weeknight meal! Here is what you’ll need for the recipe:

  • Chicken Thigh
  • Kosher Salt
  • White Pepper
  • Light soy sauce (low sodium)
  • Cornstarch
  • Chicken Stock – I always recommend Kettle & Fire – use code CJPINS for 20% off your order here!
  • Oyster Sauce
  • Sesame Oil
  • MSG (optional)
  • Sugar
  • Shaoxing Wine
  • Chow Mein Noodles

Fresh Vegetables

  • Baby bok choy
  • Mushrooms (I used Oyster, Seafood, and Beech mushrooms)
  • Onion
  • Scallions
  • Carrot
  • Garlic
  • Ginger
raw ingredients for chicken chow mein

INGREDIENTS TIPS

CHICKEN THIGH
I like to use chicken thigh in this recipe but you can really substitute chicken breast or any protein for this dish!

NEUTRAL OIL
My favorite neutral oil is avocado oil, but you can also use canola or vegetable oil! I don’t use olive oil when cooking Chinese food for two reasons: 1. It has a low burning point and 2. I find that the flavor profile does not usually go with the dish. 

CHOW MEIN NOODLES
If you’re looking for a good brand of chow mein noodles to use, I recommend the brand Golden World below. I can often find these at my locale Chinese supermarket. They are also labeled as “Steam Egg Noodle”

raw egg noodles in packaging
These are the chow mein noodles I always buy from my local 99 Ranch or Chinese supermarket – the brand is Golden World!

Hong Kong Style Chicken Chow Mein Noodles: Recipe Instructions

Marinate the Chicken

Cut the chicken thigh into about 2″ long pieces at an angle 1/4″ thick. Combine the chicken in a mixing bowl with salt, white pepper, soy sauce, and cornstarch.

marinated chicken thigh in a bowl

Next, mix the sauce by combining chicken stock (I always use Kettle & Fire – get 20% off your order when you use code CJPINS!), oyster sauce, soy sauce, sesame oil, white pepper, msg, sugar and shaoxing wine. I always like to premix my sauce to have it ready to go during the fast cooking process.

Once the sauce is mixed, blanch your chow mein noodles in boiling water for 30 seconds to remove the excess starch and rinse, drain, and pat them dry to remove any excess moisture. DO NOT SKIP THIS STEP! Otherwise, you may risk having soggy noodles!

blanching chow mein noodles

Pan fry the noodles

In a large nonstick pan, heat about 1/4 cup of neutral oil in the pan over medium high heat. Gently lay down your noodles as flat as possible, using tongs or chopsticks to evenly distribute them throughout the pan. Pan fry each side for 2-3 minutes, checking the bottom for a golden brown color. When flipping, it may be necessary to add more oil in order to crisp up the other side of the noodles.

pan frying egg noodles in a pan

When the noodles are done, they should have a deep golden brown color and crispy texture! Remove them and place them on a plate to drain.

pan fried noodles on a plate

Cook the Chicken and aromatics

In the same pan, add another tablespoon of neutral oil over medium high heat and sauté your garlic, ginger, and scallion for 30 seconds. Add the marinated chicken and cook for 1-2 minutes per side until about 75% cooked through (these will cook fully in the sauce).

cooking chicken with garlic and ginger and scallions

Remove the chicken and aromatics. Add another 1/2 tbsp of oil and sauté your vegetables for 2-3 minutes until crisp.

Cooking vegetables in a pan

Add the sauce

Once the vegetables are sautéed, add the premixed sauce along with the chicken and aromatics you cooked earlier. Bring to a boil and let the sauce reduce slightly (about 2 minutes).

adding cornstarch slurry to gravy in pan

Add the cornstarch slurry to the gravy and mix well over high heat until the sauce has thickened (refer to video and photos below for gravy consistency!)

chicken chow mein gravy in pan

Once the gravy is done, ladle the sauce and toppings over the pan fried noodles and enjoy! I love the contrasting textures of the crispy edges with the softened middle when the noodles are soaked in the gravy – it’s a contrasting textural delight!

If you liked this Hong Kong Style Chicken Chow Mein Noodles recipe, check out some of the most popular Chinese Take-Out recipes on the blog!

Chicken Chow Mein on a plate

RECIPE TIPS

PREMIX YOUR SAUCE
The cooking process for the sauce is FAST so it’s a great idea to premix your sauce together, then add it straight into the pan! The corn starch will help thicken the sauce into that velvety texture that Chinese restaurants made so famous.

SUCCESS IS IN THE PREP
For a recipe that comes together extremely quickly, the key to pulling this recipe off successfully is having your ingredients prepped and in bowls right next to your wok or pan! Have your premixed sauce, chicken, and vegetables ready and easily accessible during the cooking process.

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5 from 11 votes

Chicken Chow Mein (Hong Kong Style)

Servings: 4
Prep: 20 minutes
Cook: 15 minutes
Chicken Chow Mein on a plate
This restaurant style Chicken Chow Mein with the crispy Hong Kong style egg noodles is a Cantonese classic! It's so good you'll never need to order it from the restaurant again!

Ingredients 

Vegetables & Noodles

  • 1 lb fresh chow mein noodles, 12 oz if using dry noodles
  • 2 cups baby bok choy
  • 5 oz mushrooms, I used oyster, seafood, and beech
  • 1/4 cup onion, sliced
  • 2 scallions, cut to 2" pieces
  • 3 oz carrot, cut into 1" disks
  • 5 cloves garlic, minced
  • 1 inch ginger, minced

Sauce

Cornstarch slurry

Instructions 

  • Slice chicken thigh into 1/4" thick slices about 2" long. Marinate with soy sauce, white pepper, kosher salt, and cornstarch for 20 minutes.
  • Chop the other vegetables and set aside.
  • Mix sauce by combining chicken stock, oyster sauce, light soy sauce, sesame oil, white pepper, MSG, sugar, and shaoxing wine. Separately, mix the cornstarch slurry in a small bowl and set aside.
  • Blanch the chow mein noodles in boiling water for about 10 seconds then drain, rinse and pat dry.
  • In a large pan, add 3 tbsp of neutral oil over medium high heat and evenly spread the noodles across the pan. Pan fry for 2-3 minutes per side until golden brown, adding more oil as necessary. Remove and drain excess oil on a paper towel.
  • Add 1 tbsp of oil to the pan on high, then saute the chicken thigh for 2 minutes per side until golden brown. Add the garlic, ginger, and scallions and saute for 30 seconds and remove.
  • Add 1 tbsp of oil to the pan on high, then saute vegetables for 2 minutes. Add the mixed sauce, the chicken & aromatics, and mix. Bring to a boil then add the cornstarch slurry and mix until sauce has thickened.
  • Serve over the crispy chow mein noodles and enjoy!

Additional Info

Course: Main Course
Cuisine: Chinese
Tried this recipe?Mention @cj.eats_ or tag #cjeatsrecipes!

About CJ

I’m a third generation Chinese-American home cook who has always loved cooking & eating! Welcome to my food blog, where you can find trusted, tested, easy & approachable recipes for the everyday home cook that taste delicious! I am so glad you're here!

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Recipe Rating




11 Comments

  1. 5 stars
    this is the very first dish i made from this blog. i love that it’s crispy yet it’s not dunked in oil (like most restaurants do). anyone that knows me knows i always order this dish at every chinese restaurant!

  2. 5 stars
    This was delicious! I had crimini mushrooms on hand, so tossed those in instead. I’ll gladly try it again with the oyster mushrooms. Many thanks, CJ!

  3. Hi! I just wanted to point out that you forgot to list the amount of ginger and noodles needed in the Ingredients list! 🤗