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One Pot Chicken Chow Mein Recipe + VIDEO

written by Ashley Fehr

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5 from 4 votes
Prep Time 10 mins
Total Time 30 mins
Servings 6 servings

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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.

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one pot chicken chow mein overhead on grey background with red towel on the side

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 😉

one pot chicken chow mein in large grey pan with metal tongs pulling some out

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.

one pot chicken chow mein on white plate with snap peas and peppers

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!

one pot chicken chow mein in grey pot with red towel in the background

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!

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One Pot Chicken Chow Mein

written by Ashley Fehr

5 from 4 votes
An easy, one pot Chicken Chow Mein loaded with vegetables and ready in 30 minutes!
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! Say no to takeout ;) Includes step by step recipe video. | one pot pasta | one pot meal | one pan meal | easy dinner recipe | healthy dinner recipe | family friendly | takeout | Chinese | Asian
Review
Print Recipe
Prep Time 10 mins
Cook Time 20 mins
Total Time 30 mins
Cuisine American
Course Main Course
Servings 6 servings
Calories 392cal

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

You can easily start with raw chicken! Just chop up your chicken breasts, and brown them completely in the pan (use a non stick pan or spray with a little non stick spray) before adding the rest of your ingredients.
**NOTE: Nutrition information is estimated and will vary depending on exact serving size, types and brands of products used.

Nutrition Information

Calories: 392cal | Carbohydrates: 59g | Protein: 24g | Fat: 5g | Cholesterol: 36mg | Sodium: 1975mg | Potassium: 647mg | Fiber: 4g | Sugar: 8g | Vitamin A: 4245IU | Vitamin C: 50.1mg | Calcium: 57mg | Iron: 2.5mg

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Published on July 2, 2017 / Last updated on June 3, 2020

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Meet Ashley

My name is Ashley Fehr and I love creating easy meals my family loves. I also like to do things my way, which means improvising and breaking the rules when necessary. Here you will find creative twists on old favorites and some of my favorite family recipes, passed down from generations!

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Comments

  2. 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.

    Reply

  4. 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!

    Reply

  6. 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!

    Reply

  7. 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!

    Reply

  9. 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.

    Reply

    • 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. 🙂

      Reply

  10. 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?

    Reply

    • 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.

      Reply

  14. 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!

    Reply

  16. 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!

    Reply

  18. 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.

    Reply

  19. 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!!

    Reply

    • 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!

      Reply

  22. 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!

    Reply

  27. 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!

    Reply

  28. 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 🙂

    Reply

  30. 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!

    Reply

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