Chicken Chow Mein

  • 15MINS
  • 20MINS
  • Serves 4
  • 359KCAL

This Chicken Chow Mein recipe is a slimming friendly treat for anyone counting calories or following plans like Weight Watchers!

  • Dairy Free pinchofnom.com
  • Everyday Light pinchofnom.com
  • Fakeaways pinchofnom.com

NutritionPer Serving

  • Calories359
  • Carbs45g
  • Protein33g
  • Fat2.7g
  • Saturates0.6g
  • Sugars15g

Chicken Chow Mein - Pinch of Nom Slimming Recipes

For the full list of ingredients and comprehensive instructions, please see the recipe card at the end of this post. Before you scroll, there’s important stuff to know in the blurb!

Chow Mein means ‘stir noodle’, or ‘stir-fried noodle’. This Chicken Chow Mein recipe uses egg noodles, chicken and vegetables like carrots, spring onion and mange tout. However, there’s nothing to stop you swapping or adding any meat or veg you want.

This Chicken Chow Mein is a quick and simple dish. Perfect after a busy day or just when you don’t fancy making anything too complicated.

You’ll need a few Oriental basics for this recipe, like dark soy sauce, rice vinegar, oyster sauce and Chinese five spice. But if you’re on a slimming plan and are a fan of our Chinese Fakeaways, you’ll have a cupboard full already!

If you’re a fan of Asian inspired dishes, it’s well worth checking out some of our other recipes!

What diets is this Chicken Chow Mein suitable for?

You can enjoy this Chicken Chow Mein if you’re dairy free.

Please make sure to double or triple check all of your ingredients if you’re cooking for people with allergies.

You can also make this dish vegetarian by swapping out the chicken for a meat substitute such as Quorn, and swapping the Oyster Sauce for a veggie alternative.

Do you need any special ingredients to make Chicken Chow Mein?

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You don’t really need anything special to make this Chicken Chow Mein. A few classic spices and sauces that are used in many of our Chinese recipes add the flavour to this dish.

Hints & Tips

Below we added some of our communities most common hints and tips. We hope you find them useful.

Swap This

Swap the chicken for another meat, or any veg you like.

NEW TIP
Change it up!
My family aren’t keen on egg noodles so we swapped out for vermicelli and it was just as delicious!
NEW TIP
Absolutely delicious!
When cooking chicken with soy sauce etc I found the liquid evaporated quickly so I added a few tbsp of water so it didn’t dry out.
NEW TIP
Hint:.
Chop up all the vegetables the night before so it’s even quicker to cook if your a full time working mamma!
NEW TIP
So easy to make and the result as good as a takeaway
Added a tsp of chilli flakes for an added kick.
Delicious will serve 6 easily.
I used straight to wok noodles to save cooking dried noodles.
chicken chow mein
I change the chicken to Quorn chicken pieces for vegetarian which will be lower in cals
No chicken chow mein
I swapped the chicken for salmon which works amazing with this chow mien a fave in our house
Great! Would have been happy if this was delivered
Add more oyster sauce and soy sauce if you prefer it a bit saucier
Fabulous treat, tastes just like take away 😋
As this is a stir fry I made sure I had all the ingredients pre prepared.
Had this before and it was so tasty.
We substituted Chicken for Pork as we had some to use up and it was just as tasty
Super simple and easy to make
I made this using sear/saute in my 9 in 1, and it was really quick and easy to make
So easy to make and delicious
Throw whatever veg you've got in. I bulked this out to make 6 portions
Gorgeous. One of my go to meals. Love it!
I think any meat could be used in this meal. The spices make it all taste soooo good! 💖
We swapped the normal noodles with low calorie noodles resulting in the total calories being so much lower but still tasting amazing!
This comes very close to the real thing but without the guilt. I always try and make it interesting for the kids so gave them chopsticks to eat the meal with. They had loads of fun watching YouTube videos on how to use them & eventually ate the lot.
I used Beef instead of chicken, added paprika
I used low calorie oil spray for half of the oil needed and sesame oil for the other half to give it the nutty taste. I add extra sliced peppers and mushrooms and whatever veg I have at the time to make plenty of extra portions & reheat the next day
Better than the Chinese takeaway!
I made this as my partner fancied a Chinese takeaway, I added water chestnuts for extra crunch and served with home made salt and chilli chips and curry sauce 585 cals for the lot!
Prawn Chow Mein
Quick & easy family favorite, so versatile, changed the chicken for prawns. Absolutely gorgeous.

We love hearing from you, submit any tips or tricks you have for this dish and we’ll review them and add some of them here. Just click here.

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‘Full of flavour. Have never used tinned bean sprouts before but they worked a treat. Nice little crunch to the noodles. Better than a takeaway and so quick to make. A winner all round’

Vicky Harman

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You’ll also need is a good wok. There are plenty like this one on Amazon.

You could even buy a few takeaway containers from Amazon for that authentic takeaway experience (although we have a fair few leftover from our pre slimming days!).

How many Calories are in this Chicken Chow Mein?

Each portion of this Chicken Chow Mein is 359 calories. This means it falls into our Everyday Light recipe category. You can find all of our other Everyday Light recipes here.

This Chicken Chow Mein is a great alternative to the oily takeaway version if you’re following a calorie controlled diet. Just 1 portion from the takeaway can be as many as 1100 calories! It also fits well with any one of the major diet plans such as Weight Watchers.

As a guide, an average man needs around 2,500kcal (10,500kJ) a day to maintain a healthy body weight. For an average woman, that figure is around 2,000kcal (8,400kJ) a day. Obviously, if your goal is to lose weight then you might want to adjust these slightly! You can read more about these recommendations on the NHS website.

Step 1

Mist a wok with low calorie cooking spray and fry the onion, ginger and garlic and carrots until you can smell the aromatics.

Step 1 pinchofnom.com

Step 2

Add the chicken breast and continue to cook on high until the chicken begins to brown. This should take around 5 minutes.

Step 3

Add in the soy sauce, oyster sauce, rice vinegar, sweetener, black pepper and Chinese five spice and stir well. Continue to cook the chicken on high for 8-10 minutes whilst you cook the noodles.

Step 4

Cook the noodles according to the packet instructions. Drain and set aside.

Step 5

Add the peppers, mange tout, spring onions, and water chestnuts and turn down to a simmer. Cook for another 3-5 minutes depending on how crunchy you like your veg.

Step 6

Stir through the noodles, and beansprouts and serve!

Chicken Chow Mein - Pinch of Nom Slimming RecipesWhat should you serve with Chicken Chow Mein?

This recipe is a full meal on it’s own, it doesn’t need to be served with anything! However, you could make a few different dishes and have a little from each for a fakeaway feast!

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Whatever you choose, don’t forget to account for any extra calories and/or other nutritional values.

How do you know when Chicken Chow Mein is cooked?

The chicken pieces will be browned on the outside and white all the way through. The vegetables will be softened but will still have a little bit of bite. There shouldn’t be lots of liquid, but the veg and chicken will be coated.

This should take approx 20 minutes on the hob on a high – medium heat.

Standard advice here in the UK is to cook food until it has reached 70°C and stayed at that temperature for 2 minutes. This is to keep your family safe.

How long can you keep Chicken Chow Mein in the fridge?

Once you’ve put it out, ideally you should eat it within 4 hours.

If you allow any left overs to cool, make sure to refrigerate in a container with a lid and chill.  You can keep leftovers of Chicken Chow Mein in the fridge for approximately 3 days or so.

Can I freeze Chicken Chow Mein?

Yes you can! This recipe can be frozen, but please remember to do the following;

  • Freeze it as soon as it is cold enough.
  • Use a container or bag that is suitable for freezing.

Don’t forget to add a label with what it is, and on what date you put it in the freezer!

How do I reheat Chicken Chow Mein?

From chilled: Place in a microwave proof container with loosely fitting lid and heat for 4-7 minutes until piping hot.

From frozen: Allow to defrost, and heat covered in the microwave for 3-5 minutes then stir. Cook for a further 5-7 minutes until piping hot.

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Chicken Chow Mein

This Chicken Chow Mein recipe is a slimming friendly treat for anyone counting calories or following plans like Weight Watchers!
  • Prep Time
    15 MINS
  • Cook Time
    20 MINS
  • KCals 359
  • Carbs 45G

Ingredients

  • 3 chicken breasts cut into chunks
  • 4 nests egg noodles
  • 1 tsp fresh ginger minced
  • 1 tsp garlic minced
  • 1 large onion sliced
  • 1 red pepper cut into slices
  • 1 green pepper cut into slices
  • 1 large carrot cut into slim batons
  • 150 g mange tout chopped in half
  • 200 g tinned water chestnuts
  • 200 g tinned beansprouts
  • 3 tbsp dark soy sauce
  • 2 tbsp oyster sauce
  • 2 tbsp rice vinegar or the juice of a lime
  • 1 tsp granulated sweetener or sugar
  • ½ tsp ground black pepper
  • ½ tsp Chinese five spice
  • 1 bunch spring onions chopped finely
  • low calorie cooking spray

We use a fan assisted oven for all of our recipes. Check out our oven temperature conversion guide.

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Instructions

  1. Mist a wok with low calorie cooking spray and fry the onion, ginger and garlic and carrots until you can smell the aromatics.
  2. Add the chicken breast and continue to cook on high until the chicken begins to brown. This should take around 5 minutes.
  3. Add in the soy sauce, oyster sauce, rice vinegar, sweetener, black pepper and Chinese five spice and stir well. Continue to cook the chicken on high for 8-10 minutes whilst you cook the noodles.
  4. Cook the noodles according to the packet instructions. Drain and set aside.
  5. Add the peppers, mange tout, spring onions, and water chestnuts and turn down to a simmer. Cook for another 3-5 minutes depending on how crunchy you like your veg.
  6. Stir through the noodles, and beansprouts and serve!

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30 comments

See what others have to say

JordanWednesday 12th May 2021

Hi can I put spring rolls and prawn crackers with it if I wanted to??

Reply

    HollyFriday 14th May 2021

    Hey Jordan, prawn crackers and spring rolls would be great served alongside the Chicken Chow Mein!

    Reply

TracySunday 4th April 2021

This dish was absolutely delicious and I really enjoyed making it. The hubby nommed away at it giving his seal of approval – result 🙂 Froze half, which when reheated tasted even better as all the flavours had infused. Will definitely be making this one again!

Reply

    HollyTuesday 6th April 2021

    Hey Tracy, thanks so much for your message, we are so glad to hear you enjoyed making and tasting this recipe!

    Reply

Katharina ArcherFriday 13th November 2020

I made the chow Mein without the chicken and thoroughly enjoyed it. I would definitely make again with or without chicken.

Reply

    HollyMonday 16th November 2020

    Hi Katharina, so glad you enjoyed the Chicken Chow Mein!

    Reply

SallyThursday 27th August 2020

Can I swap chicken for beef in this recipe

Reply

    SharonFriday 28th August 2020

    Hi Sally, yes, you could use beef instead of chicken in this recipe, it would work well. Hope you enjoy the recipe!

    Reply

Peter ColebrookThursday 14th May 2020

Is the noodles in the chow Mein dry ones please ?

Reply

    Steve CowderoyFriday 15th May 2020

    Hi Peter, thank you for getting in touch with us, we do use dried noodles in this recipe. Hope this helps.

    Reply

BreegeMonday 13th January 2020

I made this for dinner yesterday and It was really delicious had it again for lunch today – not quite as nice today but still tasty. I did add a splash of boiling water to add a bit more liquid. Thank you for sending to my inbox on Sunday. P.S. I tried to share on twitter but it didn’t seem to work.

Reply

    Holly LevellTuesday 26th May 2020

    Hey Breege, so glad you enjoyed the Chicken Chow Mein it’s one of my favourites too! Glad to see you get inspiration from the emails on a Sunday too!

    Reply

LaurenThursday 30th May 2019

Will this not be dry? I don’t understand either what would be simmering? Sorry if i am m being silly.

Reply

    Emma TThursday 20th June 2019

    Hi Lauren,

    There are various “sauce” ingredients which go in to give this some sauce to simmer, plus there will be liquid released as the vegetables cook ????

    Reply

Hannah CollinsMonday 25th March 2019

Will this work with beef also?.

Reply

    LisaMonday 8th April 2019

    Hi Hannah
    Yes, this recipe works well with beef. Just make sure you use a cut that is suitable for quick cooking. Rump steak would be ideal.
    Hope this helps.

    Reply

AnnaFriday 1st March 2019

hi can you eat this cold….????

Reply

KatieWednesday 12th September 2018

Sorry if this is a daft question but is rice wine vinegar and rice vinegar different? I tried googling it but got mixed messages…

Reply

SamTuesday 28th August 2018

hiya, would this last for a few days in the fridge? Thinking of having it for dinner and then lunches the next few days. Thanks 🙂

Reply

KarenSaturday 18th August 2018

Very interested
Thank yiu

Reply

JulieMonday 28th May 2018

I made this for dinner tonight and it was absolutely gorgeous. I put mushrooms in too, as they are my favourite veg. Thank you so much for sharing this recipe, I will definitely make this again!

Reply

DorothyTuesday 27th March 2018

Hi could you tell me if this can be frozen. Thank you.

Reply

KellySunday 15th October 2017

Can you freeze this ?

Reply

KateSaturday 25th March 2017

Hi Jo
Yes they are

Reply

Kate dowlingSaturday 18th March 2017

I made this fab dish this evening – and it was really delicious. It was full of flavour and not too spicy. I will definitely make it again. Thank you 🙂

Reply

    KateThursday 23rd March 2017

    Hi Kate
    Glad you like it

    Reply

LauraSunday 5th March 2017

Loved this, easy to do so long as you prepare EVERYTHING first. Really tasty and plenty to fill you up. I had to do without beansprouts as sainsbury’s didn’t have any but I added extra water chestnuts which were lovely and crunchy. I will definitely make this again! Nom nom!

Reply

    KateMonday 6th March 2017

    Hi Laura
    Glad you like it

    Reply

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