Chicken Shrimp Chow Mein. Crispy fried egg noodles in a savory gravy sauce, tender chicken and succulent shrimp with cabbage, carrots and mushrooms. Ready in 30 minutes!
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What is Chicken Shrimp Chow Mein?
Chicken Shrimp Chow Mein is a delicious noodle dish served at many Chinese Restaurants or for Chinese takeout. It's made of crispy pan-fried noodles covered in a savory sauce with chicken, shrimp, carrots, bean sprouts, mushrooms, and cabbage.
It's a popular Chinese dish that originates from Hong Kong and the difference between this main dish and other types of chow mein is that the noodles are crispy and pan-fried until golden brown and topped off with a thick glossy sauce. Whereas regular chow mein isn't crispy and everything is fried together in a lighter sauce.
This chow mein recipe is fantastic as a main dish for dinner or lunch and can easily be made at home. I love making this dish when I have some frozen shrimp in my freezer or a bag of these fresh egg noodles. It's quick and easy for a busy weeknight meal!
Ingredients
Please scroll down to below recipe card for exact measurements.
- Cantonese-style chow mein noodles: these fresh noodles are also called "steamed chow mein noodles". They are thin, yellow egg noodles that can be found at the Asian grocery store in the refrigerated section. I share an image of what they look like below in the FAQ section.
- You can also substitute with fresh wonton noodles as a last resort or dried egg noodles prepared according to package directions.
- Jumbo shrimp: get the easy peel pre-deveined kind to make it easier!
- Boneless skinless chicken thighs: or substitute with pork or beef
- Seafood mushrooms: or button mushrooms or shiitake mushrooms
- Green cabbage: or substitute with red cabbage, bok choy, yu choy sum or baby gai-lan.
- Carrots
- Low-sodium Chicken Stock: or beef stock or vegetable stock. As a last resort, you can use cold water.
- Neutral oil: like avocado oil, sunflower oil, peanut oil, vegetable oil or canola oil. Avoid olive oil or any heavy scented oils.
Chicken Marinade
- Regular soy sauce: or substitute with low sodium soy sauce or light soy sauce. If you’re gluten-free, substitute with tamari sauce, coconut aminos or a gluten-free soy sauce of your choice.
- Shaoxing wine: a Chinese rice wine. You may also substitute with Dry Sherry or rice vinegar.
- Cornstarch: or substitute with potato starch
- Sesame oil
Cornstarch Slurry
- Oyster sauce: or substitute with vegetarian stir fry sauce
- Cornstarch: or potato starch
- Cold water
Note: Most Asian grocery stores will carry most of the Asian specific ingredients.
How to make Chicken Shrimp Chow Mein
- In a large bowl, marinate sliced chicken with the marinade ingredients. Set aside.
- In a small bowl, combine cornstarch slurry ingredients and set aside. Note: You'll need to re-mix this again before simmering it later.
- Then in large wok or large pan filled with water set over high heat, bring to a boil. Blanch chow mein noodles just until loosened for 30 seconds. Strain immediately. Do not rinse off with cold water.
- Heat ¼ cup vegetable oil in a large pan on medium heat. Carefully lower strained egg noodles into the pan and spread them apart into a pancake shape. Fry until golden crispy brown. Then flip over and add the remaining ¼ cup vegetable oil. Once that side is brown and crispy, slice fried noodle pancake to a large serving plate.
- On medium-high heat, add 1 teaspoon vegetable oil and fry marinated chicken until 75% cooked. Add shrimp and fry until mostly pink.
- Toss in vegetables with 1 cup of chicken stock. Cook until cabbage is wilted and soft. There should be some liquid left which is normal.
- Mix cornstarch slurry again and pour into pan. Stirring the sauce until it becomes a thick gravy.
- Lastly pour everything over the crispy noodles and enjoy!
Storage & Reheating
Leftovers will last up to 4 days stored in an airtight container in the refrigerator. To reheat, microwave for 2-3 minutes until hot or reheat in a pan on medium heat.
Note: the noodles will become soggy with time so these are best consumed same day.
Expert Tips
- Use Cantonese style chow mein egg noodles for the best texture and taste. I would avoid using thicker noodles for this recipe as they won't get crispy.
- Cut your veggies and chicken lengthwise into thin pieces so they integrate better with the noodles.
- Prepare ingredients in advance as the cooking process is fast!
- Only blanch your egg noodles just until loosened. Do not boil them or it’ll result in soggy noodles.
- Shallow fry chow mein noodles on medium heat until golden crispy brown. Do not raise the heat any higher or they will get burned.
- To flip the noodles, slide the fried noodles onto a plate and then flip the noodles back into the hot pan.
- Make sure to re-mix the cornstarch slurry again as the cornstarch will fall to the bottom of the bowl.
- Bring the sauce to a boil to allow it to thicken and reduce. It should be thick and smooth.
FAQ
Cantonese-style chow mein noodles are thin noodles with a yellow color and are made of eggs, wheat flour, and water. They are found at most Asian markets in the refrigerated noodle section and look like the below in their packaging.
Chow mein is when the noodles are served crispy after being deep fried or shallow fried and served with a delicious sauce on the side or on top. Lo mein is when the veggies and proteins are tossed into the mein as it’s being cooked.
Other recipes you may like!
If you enjoyed this Cantonese chow mein, then you may enjoy these other recipes:
- Crispy Chow Mein Noodles
- Chicken Tofu Vegetable Chow Mein
- Cantonese Vegetable Chow Mein
- Tofu Vegetable Chow Mein
- Chinese Lo Mein
📖 Recipe
Quick & Easy Chicken Shrimp Chow Mein
Ingredients
- 1 lb Chow Mein Noodles fresh kind
- 3 skinless boneless chicken thighs thinly sliced
- 1 cup jumbo shrimp peeled and deveined
- 1 cup seafood mushrooms with ends cut off and washed
- 2 cups cabbage thinly chopped
- ½ cup carrot sliced into matchsticks
- 1 cup chicken stock or vegetable stock or cold water
- ½ cup vegetable oil for frying noodles
- 1 tsp vegetable oil for stir-frying
Chicken marinade
- 1 teaspoon regular soy sauce
- 1 teaspoon Shaoxing Cooking Wine or rice vinegar
- ½ teaspoon cornstarch or potato starch
- 1 teaspoon sesame oil
Cornstarch slurry:
- 3 tablespoon oyster sauce or vegetable stir fry sauce
- 1 tablespoon cornstarch or potato starch
- 1 cup water cold
Instructions
- In a large bowl, marinate sliced chicken with the marinade ingredients. Set aside.
- In a small bowl, combine cornstarch slurry ingredients and set aside. Note: You'll need to re-mix this again before simmering it later.
- Then in large wok or large pan filled with water set over high heat, bring to a boil. Blanch chow mein noodles just until loosened for 30 seconds. Strain immediately. Do not rinse off with cold water.
- Heat ¼ cup vegetable oil in a large pan on medium heat. Carefully lower strained egg noodles into the pan and spread them apart into a pancake shape. Fry until golden crispy brown. Then flip over and add the remaining ¼ cup vegetable oil. Once that side is brown and crispy, slice fried noodle pancake to a large serving plate.
- On medium-high heat, add 1 teaspoon vegetable oil and fry marinated chicken until 75% cooked. Add shrimp and fry until mostly pink.
- Toss in vegetables with 1 cup of chicken stock. Cook until cabbage is wilted and soft. There should be some liquid left which is normal.
- Mix cornstarch slurry again and pour into pan. Stirring the sauce until it becomes a thick gravy.
- Lastly pour everything over the crispy noodles and enjoy!
Heidi | The Frugal Girls
What a totally fun Chow Mein upgrade you've created! Adding crispy noodles and shrimp to your Chow Mein introduces some really fun textures.