Chicken Chow Mein
Glossy wok noodles with tender chicken and crisp vegetables, ready in 25 minutes.
- Preparation
- 15 min
- Cook/bake time
- 10 min
- Total
- 25 min
- Difficulty
- Easy
- Calories
Glossy wok noodles with tender chicken and crisp vegetables, ready in 25 minutes. The chicken is briefly marinated in starch and soy sauce beforehand, a technique called velveting that makes it incredibly tender. Together with the salty-sweet sauce, it creates a dish that tastes like takeout but is significantly fresher.
Step-by-step instructions
- 1
Marinate the chicken
Thoroughly mix the chicken strips in a bowl with cornstarch, soy sauce, and sesame oil until each piece is coated with a thin film. Let the whole thing sit for at least ten minutes while you cut the vegetables. This starch layer seals in the juices during frying and is the reason why chicken stays so tender in restaurants and often gets dry at home.
- 2
Cook the noodles
Cook the Mie noodles in plenty of water for about one minute less than indicated on the package, because they will continue to cook in the wok. Drain them, rinse them briefly with cold water, and let them drain well. Toss them with a teaspoon of oil so they do not stick together while you continue working.
- 3
Mix the sauce
Whisk all the ingredients for the sauce in a small bowl until the sugar has completely dissolved. Place it within reach next to the stove. Everything happens very quickly in the wok later, and if you are still looking for bottles then, you will already have burnt vegetables in the pan.
- 4
Fry the chicken and vegetables
Heat 2 tablespoons of oil in the wok over high heat and fry the chicken in a single layer for about three minutes until browned on the outside and just cooked through. Remove it. Add the remaining oil and fry the carrots and white cabbage for two to three minutes, stirring constantly, until the cabbage wilts but still has a bite. The garlic and the white parts of the scallions are added at the end and fry for only thirty seconds.
- 5
Combine everything
Return the noodles and chicken to the wok and pour the sauce over them. Gently fold everything from bottom to top with two spatulas or tongs until every noodle is evenly glossy brown. This takes about one minute. Finally, fold in the green scallion pieces and serve immediately, because Chow Mein tastes best hot.
