If there's one dish that never fails to satisfy hungry taste buds and bring smiles to faces, it's the ever-delightful Chicken Chow Mein. Bursting with flavors, colorful veggies, and tender chicken, this classic Chinese stir-fry dish has become a favorite among food enthusiasts worldwide.
Cook the chow mein noodles according to the package directions and set aside.
Drizzle some olive oil in a medium sized pan or skillet over medium heat. Once the oil has been heated, add the chicken and cook until the meat is no longer pink in the middle.
Add half of the minced garlic and cook for an additional 2 minutes to help release the flavor of the garlic.
Add the sliced bell pepper and shredded carrots to the pan. Allow the veggies to cook for about five minutes, or until soft. Stir the ingredients occasionally to keep them from sticking to the pan.
As the veggies are cooking, prepare your sauce by whisking together the soy sauce, rice vinegar, ground ginger, red pepper flakes, and remaining garlic in a small bowl.
Once the bell pepper and carrots are soft, turn off the heat and remove the pan from the burner. Add the cabbage and sauce to the pan. Use a spoon, spatula, or tongs to fold the ingredients together until everything is evenly coated in the sauce.
Add the noodles and toss again.
Top your chow mein with diced green onion, serve, and enjoy!
Notes
For some extra heat, try adding a drizzle of sriracha sauce to your noodles.
For a sweeter chow mein, you can use 1 ½ tablespoons of soy sauce and 1 ½ tablespoons of oyster sauce. Oyster sauce is a little bit sweeter than soy sauce so it will add another level of flavor. However, it is also thicker than soy sauce so you may need to add a teaspoon or two of water to thin the sauce.
A little bit of this sauce goes a long way, but if you find yourself craving more, it is easy to double or 1.5x the recipe.
I like the sweetness from the red bell pepper, but you can really use any bell pepper.
We like to make this dish using Costco rotisserie chicken. We shred all of the chicken and use about a fourth of it in this dish.
Any leftovers can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days. They can be reheated in the microwave for about 1 ½ minutes.
This chow mein is also great topped with a drizzle of sesame oil and a sprinkle of sesame seeds.