Cantonese Chow Mein (Printable)

Crispy pan-fried noodles topped with stir-fried chicken, shrimp, and fresh vegetables in an authentic Cantonese-style savory sauce.

# What You'll Need:

→ Noodles

01 - 14 oz fresh egg noodles or thin Chinese wheat noodles
02 - 2 tbsp vegetable oil

→ Protein

03 - 5 oz boneless chicken breast, thinly sliced
04 - 3.5 oz shrimp, peeled and deveined
05 - 3.5 oz char siu (Chinese BBQ pork), sliced

→ Vegetables

06 - 1 small carrot, julienned
07 - 0.5 red bell pepper, thinly sliced
08 - 3.5 oz bean sprouts
09 - 2 spring onions, sliced
10 - 3.5 oz snow peas, trimmed

→ Sauce

11 - 2 tbsp light soy sauce
12 - 1 tbsp oyster sauce
13 - 1 tbsp Shaoxing wine or dry sherry
14 - 1 tsp sugar
15 - 1 tsp sesame oil
16 - 0.5 cup chicken stock
17 - 1 tsp cornstarch mixed with 2 tbsp water

→ Marinade

18 - 1 tsp soy sauce
19 - 0.5 tsp cornstarch
20 - Pinch of white pepper

# Directions:

01 - Combine chicken and shrimp with marinade ingredients. Let sit for 10 minutes to absorb flavors.
02 - Bring a large pot of water to a boil. Blanch fresh noodles for 1-2 minutes, then drain thoroughly to remove excess moisture.
03 - Heat 1 tbsp oil in a large nonstick skillet or wok over medium-high heat. Spread noodles evenly and cook undisturbed for 3-4 minutes until golden and crisp. Flip and repeat on the other side. Transfer to serving platter.
04 - Add remaining 1 tbsp oil to wok. Stir-fry chicken for 1-2 minutes until nearly cooked. Add shrimp and cook until pink. Add char siu, carrot, bell pepper, and snow peas; stir-fry for 2-3 minutes.
05 - Add bean sprouts and spring onions to the wok. Stir-fry for 1 minute until just tender.
06 - Combine all sauce ingredients except cornstarch mixture. Pour into wok and bring to a simmer.
07 - Stir in cornstarch slurry and cook for 1-2 minutes until sauce thickens and coats the back of a spoon.
08 - Pour stir-fried topping and thickened sauce over the crispy noodles. Serve immediately while noodles remain crisp.

# Expert Advice:

01 -
  • The contrast between crispy noodles and tender toppings is absolutely addictive
  • Ready in under an hour but tastes like it came from your favorite restaurant
  • Endlessly adaptable based on what's in your fridge or crisper drawer
02 -
  • Getting the noodles crispy requires patience and medium-high heat, don't try to rush this step
  • The sauce will continue thickening off the heat, so pull it slightly earlier than you think
03 -
  • Dry your noodles thoroughly after blanching, water is the enemy of crispiness
  • Cut all your vegetables to similar sizes so they cook evenly

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