Chicken Chow Mein with Bean Sprouts and Cabbage
Inspired by techniques from America's Test Kitchen, Serious Eats and NYT Cooking.
This version follows the classic chow mein method but uses juicy chicken thigh, fries the noodles loose rather than pressing them into a cake, and tosses everything in a thin soy-oyster glaze with cabbage, carrot and bean sprouts.
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Method
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Equipment
- large pot (at least 4 litres)
- colander
- rimmed baking tray
- wok (35 cm) or large non-stick frying pan (30 cm)
- wok spatula or tongs
- small bowls for the prepared ingredients
Nutrition per serving (estimated values)
| Per serving | Amount |
|---|---|
| Energy | 515 kcal |
| Protein | 33.7 g |
| Carbohydrate | 53.3 g |
| of which sugars | 5.4 g |
| of which free sugars | 1 g |
| Fat | 18.6 g |
| of which saturates | 2.5 g |
| Fibre | 2.9 g |
| Salt | 2.05 g |
Protein per 100 kcal
6.5 g High Protein needs ≥ 10 g
Calculated from USDA FoodData Central ingredient values
Metric · 4 servings
Noodles
- 300 g fresh thin egg noodles (chow mein or Hong Kong-style)
- 3 tbsp neutral oil (rapeseed, sunflower or vegetable)
Chicken
- 450 g skinless chicken thigh fillets, thinly sliced
- 2 tsp light soy sauce
- 2 tsp cornflour
Sauce
- 1½ tbsp oyster sauce
- 1 tbsp light soy sauce
- 2 tsp dark soy sauce
- 4 g sugar about 1 tsp
- 1 tsp toasted sesame oil
- 3 tbsp water
Stir-fry
- 1 tbsp neutral oil (rapeseed, sunflower or vegetable)
- 2 garlic cloves, finely chopped
- 10 g fresh ginger, finely grated
- 150 g white cabbage, finely shredded
- 1 carrot, cut into matchsticks
- 150 g bean sprouts
- 4 spring onions, cut into 4 cm lengths
- 1
Cook and dry the noodles. This chicken thigh version follows the same noodle and stir-fry method as the crispy chow mein, but the noodles are fried loose and tossed through everything rather than pressed into a cake. Bring 3 litres of unsalted water to the boil, add the noodles, loosen with chopsticks and cook for just 1 minute until flexible. Drain, rinse under cold water until cool, shake dry, toss with 1 tsp of the oil and spread on a tray for 10 minutes so the surface dries out before frying.
- 2
Marinate the chicken. Toss the sliced chicken thigh with the soy sauce and cornflour and set aside. Thigh meat has more fat running through it than breast, so it stays juicy even with the quick, high-heat cooking ahead, and the cornflour coating adds a little extra protection.
- 3
Mix the sauce. Stir together the oyster sauce, light and dark soy sauces, sugar, sesame oil and water in a small bowl or jug. Because this sauce isn't thickened with cornflour, it stays thin and is meant to coat the noodles lightly rather than cling thickly.
- 4
Stir-fry the chicken. Heat 1 tbsp of oil in the wok over high heat and stir-fry the chicken for 4-5 minutes until well browned with no pink remaining — check the thickest slice reaches 74°C. Lift it out and set aside while you fry the noodles.
- 5
Fry the noodles loose. Add 2 tbsp of oil to the wok, then the noodles. Spread them out and leave undisturbed for 1 minute before tossing, then repeat this spread-and-toss pattern for 3-4 minutes until the noodles are crisp in places. Short undisturbed spells like this let patches of noodle brown and catch, rather than being pushed around before they get the chance.
- 6
Stir-fry cabbage and carrot. Push the noodles to one side of the wok, add the remaining oil, garlic, ginger, cabbage and carrot, and stir-fry for 2 minutes until the cabbage softens slightly but still has some bite.
- 7
Glaze everything together. Return the chicken to the wok, pour in the sauce and toss for 1 minute until every strand of noodle has taken on an even brown colour from the sauce. Because the sauce is thin, it's designed to coat rather than pool, so keep tossing until no liquid is left sitting at the base.
- 8
Add sprouts and spring onion. Scatter in the bean sprouts and spring onions and toss for a final 30 seconds, just long enough to warm them through while they keep their crunch. Serve immediately while the noodles are still hot and glossy.
Storage
Keep in a covered container in the fridge for up to 2 days. Reheat in a hot wok or microwave until piping hot throughout (at least 74°C). Not suitable for freezing, as the bean sprouts and cabbage turn watery once thawed. Cool leftovers in a shallow container and refrigerate within 2 hours (within 1 hour on a day above 32°C).
