Chicken Chow Mein with Crispy Noodles (VIDEO)
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Chicken Chow Mein with Crispy Noodles is a classic Chinese restaurant dish – crispy, pan-fried noodles are topped with a glossy, rich gravy filled with fresh vegetables and chicken!
Watch the Chicken Chow Mein with Crispy Noodles Recipe Video!
A Note from CJ
Make Chicken Chow Mein Hong Kong Style!
Growing up, I have the best memories of eating Chicken Chow Mein Hong Kong Style with my family! It has the best of all worlds – the noodles are crispy, soft, and saucy, covered with a delicious mixture of chicken and vegetables in a rich, glossy sauce!
I also have a Shrimp Chow Mein recipe – if you love noodles, make sure to also try Soy Sauce Pan Fried Noodles, Garlic Noodles, Shanghai Fried Noodles, Chicken Lo Mein, Panda Express Chow Mein, or Dan Dan Noodles!
Ingredient Tips
Refer to the recipe card for the full list of ingredients and measurements.
- chicken thighs – I used boneless, skinless chicken thighs but you can also use chicken breast.
- MSG – I use msg in moderation as an optional flavor enhancer.
- Shaoxing wine – if you don’t have Shaoxing wine, you can substitute with sherry, mirin, or chicken stock.
- chow mein noodles – I recommend the brand Golden World, which I find in the refrigerated section of my local Chinese supermarket. They are sometimes also labeled as “Steam Egg Noodle”.
- mushrooms – You can use any combination of mushrooms you prefer; I used oyster, seafood, and beech mushrooms in the photos/video.
How to make Chicken Chow Mein with Crispy Noodles
Marinate Chicken and Mix Sauce – Slice chicken thigh into 1/4″ thick slices about 2″ long. Marinate with soy sauce, white pepper, kosher salt, and cornstarch for 20 minutes. 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.
Cook and Pan Fry Noodles – In a large pot of boiling water, blanch the fresh chow mein noodles for about 10 seconds then drain, rinse and pat as dry as possible with paper towels. If using dried chow mein noodles, cook to package directions and 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.
Saute Chicken and Aromatics – Add 1 tbsp of oil to the pan on high, then saute the chicken thigh for 2 minutes per side until golden brown. To the chicken add the garlic, ginger, and scallions and saute for 30 seconds and remove everything to a bowl.
Stir-Fry Vegetables, Sauce, Aromatics, and Chicken – Add 1 tbsp of oil to the pan over high heat, then add the bok choy, mushrooms, onion, and carrot and stir fry for 2 minutes until the carrots are softened. Add the sauce, the chicken & aromatics, and mix. Bring to a boil then add the cornstarch slurry and mix until sauce has thickened. Ladle the sauce, chicken, and vegetables over the the crispy chow mein noodles and enjoy!
My Pro Tip
CJ’s Recipe & Storage Tips
Noodle Tips:
- Drain and dry the noodles after blanching to remove any excess moisture. Any excess moisture will prevent the noodles from crisping up when fried.
- When frying the noodles, keep a close eye on them to make sure they do not burn! Once blanched, the noodles will fry quickly and can burn if you’re not careful. When flipping, you might need to add more oil in order to crisp up the other side of the noodles.
Storage – Store any leftovers in an airtight container in the refrigerator for up to 3-4 days. The noodles will continue to soak up the sauce and become soggy as they sit – this is normal (and a large reason why I don’t prefer leftovers). Reheat until warmed through in the microwave.
If you tried this Hong Kong Style Chicken Chow Mein or any other recipe on my website, please leave a 🌟 star rating and let me know how it went in the comments below!
Chicken Chow Mein (Crispy Noodles – Hong Kong Style)
Video
Ingredients
- 1 lb chicken thigh, cut into 2" long thin slices (1/4" thick)
- 1/2 tbsp light soy sauce, low sodium
- 1/4 tsp white pepper
- 1/2 tsp kosher salt
- 1/2 tbsp cornstarch
Chow Mein Sauce (Gravy)
- 2 cups chicken stock
- 1 tbsp oyster sauce
- 1 tbsp light soy sauce, low sodium
- 1 tsp sesame oil
- 1/2 tsp white pepper
- 1/2 tsp MSG, optional
- 1 tsp sugar
- 1 tbsp shaoxing wine
Cornstarch slurry
- 1 tbsp cornstarch
- 1/2 cup water
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.
- 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.
- In a large pot of boiling water, blanch the fresh chow mein noodles for about 10 seconds then drain, rinse and pat as dry as possible with paper towels. If using dried chow mein noodles, cook to package directions and 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. To the chicken add the garlic, ginger, and scallions and saute for 30 seconds and remove everything to a bowl.
- Add 1 tbsp of oil to the pan over high heat, then add the bok choy, mushrooms, onion, and carrot and stir fry for 2 minutes until the carrots are softened. Add the sauce, the chicken & aromatics, and mix. Bring to a boil then add the cornstarch slurry and mix until sauce has thickened.
- Ladle the sauce, chicken, and vegetables over the the crispy chow mein noodles and enjoy!
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
This Chicken Chow Mein with Crispy Noodles recipe was originally published in November 2022, and updated in April 2026.
Love, love this how simple this recipe is!
Like the technique of getting noodles crispy!
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!
Love this! I make it all the time. Super quick, easy and authentic!
Yum! So good!
So easy & SO TASTY
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!
Thank you RB! I’m glad you enjoyed it!
Hi! I just wanted to point out that you forgot to list the amount of ginger and noodles needed in the Ingredients list! 🤗
Thank you LC! This has been updated, sorry about that!
Can you please do egg foo young
I’ll add it to the list!
Love this simple tasty recipe! Thanks a million! 😍