An easy, one pot version of Chicken Chow Mein – loaded with peppers, cabbage, peas and carrots it’s an easy, healthy meal the whole family loves! You can say no to takeout and make this homemade Chicken Chow Mein in just 30 MINUTES! Includes step by step recipe video.
Can you believe it’s July already??
I feel like we will blink and it’ll be all crisp fall breezes and back to school and lunch prep. I’ll admit, I’ve always loved September for that reason — the routines are put back in place, the weather is beautiful, the foliage is beautiful, and fresh school supplies.
Now that I’m home with my girls and not returning to school, I sometimes feel a little left out without a good reason to stock up on post-its, colored pens and pretty highlighters. But one trip to the office supply store can fix that easily 😉
Either way, life is going to get crazy. My oldest is starting kindergarten (whaaaaat?!?), I’m expecting baby #3 in November, and I have a 2 year old with permanent ants in her pants. Easy, one pot meals are the way to go for us!
This recipe has been popular here on The Recipe Rebel since I first posted it September of 2015, but it needed a major facelift — I updated the recipe, photos and added a how-to video. You guys. The newer version is so, so good and — I think — definitely an improvement from the original.
There is really not that much that has changed, and if you’re not sure whether hoisin sauce is worth an extra purchase, just do it. It adds so much amazing flavor and you will find yourself using it over and over.
This was the fourth sample recipe that uses my Ultimate Mix and Match One Pot Pasta Guide! We love Asian food (or CanadiAsian as I like to call it), but especially Chow Mein. I just love the thin, skinny noodles!
What ingredients are in Chicken Chow Mein?
Now, traditionally Chow Mein is not likely made with Spaghettini (the skinny spaghetti), but it’s what I use every time because it’s so easy to find, and we love it. I always buy the kind with extra fiber, because why not?
I know they are not traditi0nal chow mein noodles, and some people will substitute with the authentic variety, and that’s okay. Just watch your liquid — maybe start with a little less than is called for and adjust as needed.
I will never profess to know anything about cooking authentic Asian food, but I do my best and this is one recipe we all love. I load it up with veggies and there are no fights at dinner time. My kids especially love getting to twirl their noodles! 😉
You might want to mix up the veggies and add bok choy, but I use snap peas, bell peppers, and carrot matchsticks because that’s what we enjoy!
I’m not a big fan of rules here, so you do your thang 😉
And if you’re into batch cooking or meal prep, I suggest making a big batch of this Instant Pot Shredded Chicken and setting some aside for this Chicken Chow Mein!
But these pots….
Friends, these things are amazing.
A few months ago (actually quite a long time ago), I was sent some of their The Rock cookware collection to try out and review. I asked specifically to be sent some from The Rock collection because I was so curious about whether they would live up to the hype.
THEY DO.
The first few times we cooked with them, even my husband commented on how fantastically no stick they are. Seriously nothing sticks to these pans. They are heavy and good quality, and the finish is tough and long lasting. We have been using them for months now, and you know I put my pots and pans to the test. I actually don’t know if I ever want to use another set of pots and pans to cook, they are so, so easy to clean — and the perfect size for a one pot pasta like this!
One Pot Chicken Chow Mein
Ingredients
- 1 tablespoon canola oil
- 3 boneless skinless chicken breasts, cubed
- 1 red pepper diced
- 1 cup stringless snap peas
- 3 cups shredded cabbage or coleslaw mix
- 2 large carrot peeled and shredded
- 1 teaspoon minced garlic
- 1/2 teaspoon minced ginger
- 1-2 pinches red pepper flakes
- 4 cups chicken broth
- 1/4 cup soy sauce
- 1/4 cup hoisin sauce
- 375 g box whole grain spaghettini pasta (or an equal amount of dried ramen or chow mein noodles)
- 2 tablespoons water optional
- 1 tablespooon corn starch optional
Instructions
- Add oil to a large pot and cook chicken over medium-high heat, just until mostly browned.
- Add pepper, peas, cabbage and carrot and cook for 2-3 minutes, until veggies are softened slightly.
- Add garlic, ginger, and pepper flakes and cook 1 minute.
- Stir in broth, soy sauce and hoisin sauce and bring to a boil over medium-high heat. Add pasta and reduce heat to medium.
- Cook the pasta, stirring frequently, for 5 minutes until pasta is separated (we don’t want no clumps!) most of the liquid has been absorbed. Cover and cook for 3-4 more minutes until pasta is al dente or cooked to your preference.
- If desired, combine corn starch and water and stir into pasta to thicken sauce. Serve.
Notes
**NOTE: Nutrition information is estimated and will vary depending on exact serving size, types and brands of products used.
Nutrition Information
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Kristin says
hello! this might be a dumb question, but should i be adding the noodles raw or cooked?
Thanks!
Renee Brown says
Raw! 🙂
Kate says
I tried this recipe tonight. Followed it to the letter (except subbed fresh vegetables for frozen) and it was so quick and easy to make but it turned out so salty that it burned to eat it. Perhaps it was the mix of chicken broth, soy sauce, and hoisin, which all include salt. But at least the kids ate it.
Ashley Fehr says
Hi Kate — you definitely need to use low sodium soy sauce and chicken broth, and if you don’t it will be very salty.
Melissa Doerksen says
Made this tonight and it was an instant hit! So delicious!
Ashley Fehr says
Yay! Thanks Melissa!
Shannon says
This was so quick, easy & delicious!
I omitted snap peas
I added: celery, onion, peas, broccoli (microwaved frozen peas & broccoli separately & added at the end before serving)
Next time I’ll add edamame!
I also used a little more hoisin & soy sauce since I added so many more veggies.
The store was out of regular hoisin, so I bought garlic hoisin and omitted the garlic from the recipe.
Everyone loved it and I’ll definitely make it again! Thank you so much!
Ashley Fehr says
I’m so glad to hear that! Thanks for filling us in on your swaps!
Liz says
YES to one pot meals. This is a perfect weeknight staple. Thanks for making such yummy recipes!
Ashley Fehr says
Thanks Liz!
Chantal says
I’m trying this partly because I too had my 3rd baby in Nov, have a crazy 2 year old and my big girl is off to Kindy in Sept! I’m a teacher too and while I’ll still be on mat leave in Sept, I start my masters in September!! lol. It’s officially in the meal plan!
Ashley Fehr says
That is so ironic Chantal! We have so much in common 🙂 I hope you enjoy it!
Chantal says
Ok I’m back because it’s back in the meal plan! Super yummy! And I had to comment because we just bought a new pan and my hubby grabbed The Rock and is so in love. Goodness I think it’s funny the weird things we have in common
Ashley Fehr says
That is too awesome! I love that you’re loving the pans as much as we do!
Treasa says
I’ve never tried a one-pot pasta dish before because I’m gluten free and I was unsure how they would work with GF noodles. I finally took the plunge and attempted your recipe with GF spaghetti noodles and it worked beautifully! I’m sure I had to adjust the cooking time for the noodles a little bit, but I didn’t keep track of that. I just kept an eye on the noodles (instead of a timer) and cooked them until al dente. I will definitely be making this again! Thank you!
Ashley Fehr says
Yay, I’m so glad to hear that! Thanks for coming back and letting us know how it turned out!
Robin says
I would love to try this in a instant pot….have you ever adapted it to the instant pot?
Ashley Fehr says
I haven’t sorry! Great idea!
Heidi says
could regular spaghetti be used? 🙂
Ashley Fehr says
Yes, that should work you will just cook it until al dente 🙂
Laura Froese says
Just wondering if you have a suggestion to use instead of the hoisin sauce? Husband is allergic to sesame and it was it every sauce I looked at in the grocery store.
Ashley Fehr says
I don’t really, but I think you could leave it out and adjust the flavors as needed at the end. Let me know if you do try it!
Adina says
Search on google how to make your own
Hoisin sauce and just exclude the sesame oil.
I didn’t had the sauce neither and I made my own and it was very good. I used the recipe from livestrong.com from the article “How to substitute sesame oil for hoisin sauce”. And in your case, you just skip the sesame oil and mix the rest of ingredients with some water.
Hope this helps. 🙂
Heather says
Family loved the old recipe but just came back to make it again and saw it has changed. Any way you could send me the old one?
Ashley Fehr says
I will email you 🙂
Stephanie Blackwell says
Can you please send me the original recipe as well? Thank you!
Ashley Fehr says
Have you tried it? There’s a reason it was updated — because this one is much better 🙂
Fay says
I will be trying the new version, but can you send me the old one as well?
Ashley Fehr says
Done 🙂
pedro says
Just wanned to say the pictures are not even near the discribed recipe
Ashley Fehr says
I realize that! Updates are coming.
Kathy says
The post talks about apricot jam but the recipe posted doesn’t call for it?
Ashley Fehr says
Sorry Kathy! I’m in the process of redoing the recipe and I guess I didn’t adjust the post. I remade it with more authentic chow mein flavors and I actually like the new version better! Feel free to add a scoop of apricot jam in for additional sweetness if you think you would like it.
Amy says
I love fast and easy meals! Thanks for sharing.
Ashley Fehr says
Thanks Amy!
Jane says
I made this for dinner last night. Unfortuately, I had the same experience as the above reviewer. The angel hair pasta didn’t have a chance even before the pot came to a simmer on med high as instructed. It all stuck together and then turned to big balls and clumps of mush. i had to pick them all out of the meal. The taste was amazing, so we just ate the chicken and veggies. I’m going to try again with a thicker, more durable asian noodle or regular spaghetti because other than the pasta issue it’s a really nice recipe!
Ashley Fehr says
Hi Jane! No, I definitely wouldn’t ever use angel hair pasta and that’s not what is called for. It’s a very thin noodle and won’t work well in one pot pasta recipes because it cooks so quickly! Let me know how it works out next time.
Jane says
That’s what happens when I assume Angel hair pasta must be similar to spaghettini! Cook, live and learn! ?
Ashley Fehr says
No worries! I would love to hear how you like it if you try it again!
Jane says
Will do!??
Lisa FW says
I made this with rice noodles. I place them in a bowl of warm water for 15-20 min and drained well before adding them . I also marinate the chicken in housing sauce for 30 min before cooking. Easy and delish!
Ashley Fehr says
Yum!
Darlene Skinner says
Here in Texas we don’t measure grams of pasta. Could you convert to ounces? Thanks y’all.
Ashley Fehr says
Google tells me it is about 11-12 ounces
Caitlin says
I made this recipe last night & am sad to say ($10+ of ingredients later) that it ended up in the trash! I followed the directions perfectly, but the result was still an overly starchy pile of mush. The apricot added a flavor that didn’t remind me of chow mein either. Both my fiance and I couldn’t stomach the texture/taste so it got dumped in the trash 🙁 It’s too bad because we normally love one-pot pasta dishes. I think the thin spaghetti was just too thing and soaked up too much liquid too fast or something. It was a bummer!
Ashley Fehr says
I’m sorry to hear that! It sounds like the pasta was overcooked. It cooks so quickly!
Nancy says
Love delicious and easy! My kind of recipe! Thanks.
Celina Loyer says
Just made your chow mein recipe and it turned out quite well.
I used coleslaw, fresh bean sprouts and water chestnuts for my veggies.
I substituted Teriyaki sauce for the apricot jam.
I used leftover steak, turkey and rotisserie chicken for my protein.
What an awesome recipe to use up leftovers.
Ashley Fehr says
Thanks Celina! It is the perfect way to use up extras in the fridge!
LaTrice says
Hello, Ashley! I found your recipe on Pintrest, and honestly, I’m a HUGE fan of chow mein noodles. According to your recipe, you used spaghettini that has fiber in it. Is it possible that I can use whole wheat spaghetti, or whole wheat angel hair pasta? Thanks!!
Ashley Fehr says
Hi LaTrice! I just use spaghettini because it’s easier for me to find, but you can definitely use whole wheat spaghetti or angel hair pasta. The spaghetti would cook slightly longer and the angel hair likely quite a bit less, though I’ve actually never cooked angel hair pasta so I can’t say exactly how long. I hope that helps!
Rachael Yerkes says
Ashley! This looks so good. I think my kids would love it. And as always, beautiful photos.
Ashley Fehr says
Thanks so much Rachael!
Alice @ Hip Foodie Mom says
Chow mein is one of my faves .. I have to try this! yummmm!
Ashley Fehr says
My version is probably (definitely) not at a1ll authentic! I’m just a faker 😉
Nora says
I once drove around half the country to get soba noodles. And I’m sure I’d do the same for any other variety of Asian noodles, so I’m loving the use of Spaghettini here! Also, one pot and all of those flavors? Definitely something I need to keep in mind!
Ashley Fehr says
Haha, thanks Nora! I am kind of a one stop shopper — the thought of dragging the 3 year old and 9 month old around looking for perfect noodles scares me a little! Lol
Alyssa @ My Sequined Life says
This is so my kind of dish Ashley! Love this take-out at home recipe. And the fact that it only takes 30 minutes. 🙂
Ashley Fehr says
Thanks Alyssa!
Liz @ Floating Kitchen says
I love this take out, fake out. And your Ultimate Guide is pretty brilliant. I’ve been spying it floating all over the interwebs the past couple of days!
Ashley Fehr says
Thanks Liz!
Rachelle @ Beer Girl Cooks says
I’m all about a one pot meal, but make it in 30 minutes? YES! This chicken chow mein looks fast, easy, and totally yummy! P.S. I love skinny noodles too.
Ashley Fehr says
Haha, they’re the best! Thanks Rachelle 🙂
Katie says
What a yummy dinner 🙂 I need to make this soon, I love that you used whole wheat skinny spaghetti!
Danielle says
All of your one pot dishes look so fantastic, Ashley! I’m obsessed with your guide and this chicken cow mein. This looks perfect for a quick and easy dinner!
Izzy says
Asian food is one of my favorite foods that I never cook at home! I’m always so intimidated by it! I love your Canadiasian take, haha! Now I’m wishing I had this for dinner tonight 🙂
Denise | Sweet Peas & Saffron says
This is like the best of all my favorite dinners: one pot, 30 minutes, and noodly (who doesn’t love noodles!?) It looks so easy and delicious!
Ashley Fehr says
I love all things noodly! 😉 Thanks Denise!
Cheyanne @ No Spoon Necessary says
I am STILL loving your mix and match pasta guide and I love that this is another stellar use of it! Your SO clever, girlfriend! This chicken chow mein looks sensational! I love that this is a 30 minute, one pot meal! PLUS I toe-ts dig that you used Spaghettini! LOVE that substitution! Pinned! Cheers, Ashley!
marcie says
I love chicken chow mein, Ashley! Being able to make this in 30 minutes will be way quicker than doing take out, and this looks WAY better!
Cyndi - My Kitchen Craze says
I heart chow mein, but I suck at cooking it. Every time I make it, it never turns out right. This Canadian-asian 🙂 looks awesome! And 30 minutes…Score!!
Stacey @ Bake Eat Repeat says
I love chow mein, and this one looks amazing! I’ve never added apricot jam to mine though, I’ll have to try that! Pinned!
Mariah @ Mariah's Pleasing Plates says
I LOVE your one pot series! And this chow mein looks amazing!!! Pinned!
Julie @ Julie's Eats & Treats says
And now I want to rush home and make chow mein! This looks fabulous!
Kelly - Life Made Sweeter says
This chicken chow mein looks perfect, Ashley It’s one of our favorite dishes and I love how quickly this comes together in one pot! With the red pepper flakes and apricot jam this is totally better than takeout!
[email protected] says
Love 30 minute meals!! This chow mein looks so good!
Kristine | Kristine's Kitchen says
We always order chow mein when we go out for Chinese food, but now I think I’ll stick to making it at home! This recipe looks so easy, Ashley, and I love that you added a little apricot jam! A perfect secret ingredient! 😉
Medha @ Whisk & Shout says
30 minutes is faster than calling and waiting for takeout! Love this easy dish 🙂
Sarah @Whole and Heavenly Oven says
Yeaaa for more one-pot awesomeness! You totally nailed this chow mein, Ashley! I mean, I seriously cannot stop drooling and I don’t think I’m gonna be able to stop until this is on the dinner table. Must try!
Gayle @ Pumpkin 'N Spice says
Now you’ve totally got me craving chicken chow mein! This is one of my favorite chinese sides, so I love that it’s made in one pot. Sounds delicious!