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Chow Mein
October 3, 2022
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Make amazing Chow Mein in 15 minutes! These noodles are highly adaptable and you can make them sweet or spicy, however, you like! I love this recipe along with the rest of my Asian-inspired recipes!
Quick and Easy Chow Mein!
I like Chow Mein from takeout places just fine. But when I make them myself, I can add in as much flavor as I want and eat a whole pan of them for maybe $2. I’m a cheap date, ya’ll. Also, I’m all about lazy fast recipes and this one does not disappoint. You can make these Asian-y inspired noodles as salty, sweet, spicy, or gingery as you’d like….and all in 15 minutes!
But First, What is Chow Mein?
Chow Mein is made up of stir-fried noodles with vegetables and/or meat. It’s a popular dish in most American Chinese restaurants and now in your home too!
I made this recipe so it could be a customizable base for your dinner needs, add meat, different vegetables, and even a different type of noodle if you want.
How to Make Chow Mein
When I say easy and quick Chow Mein I mean it! For full recipe details, check out the recipe card below! Here is what you can expect when making this recipe:
Cook Chow Mein Noodles
Cook ramen noodles in boiling water until chewy and *just* cooked. Drain and set aside.
*Chow Mein Noodles* – AKA ramen noodles. I used the cheap packaged ramen that comes with little seasoning packets. However, you are welcome to buy and use store bought fresh ramen or yakisoba noodles.
Sauté Cabbage, Onions + Ginger
In a large skillet, heat olive oil. Sauté onion, cabbage, salt, pepper, and ginger together until tender.
Toss Together with Flavorings
Toss together with cooked noodles, sugar, garlic, soy sauce, and sesame oil until heated through. Serve hot!
Storing Chow Mein
Any leftover Chow Mein can be stored in the fridge, in an airtight container, for up to 3 days. After that, things start to get a little too mushy!
Freezing Instructions
Chow Mein actually freezes really well! Let cool then transfer to a freezer-safe airtight container. Freeze for up to 3 months!
To reheat, thaw in the fridge overnight then do a quick stir fry to warm things up!
Side Dishes
If you feel like you need some protein with this meal check out my Korean Beef Recipe or Better Than Take-Out Crispy Sesame Beef. Chicken or shrimp would be super good too.
You could also serve this alongside some more vegetables or pot stickers!
More Asian Inspired Recipes to Try!
- Ramen Stir Fry
- Kung Pao Chicken (Family Favorite!)
- Chicken Pad Thai Recipe
- Bang Bang Chicken
- Easy Fried Rice Recipe
Give this Chow Mein Recipe a try tonight and see if you like them as much as my family does.
Printable recipe is below! Enjoy, friends.
Chow Mein Recipe
Make amazing Chow Mein in 15 minutes! These noodles are highly adaptable and you can make them sweet or spicy, however, you like! Love this recipe.
Ingredients
Instructions
- Cook ramen noodles in boiling water until chewy and *just* cooked. Drain and set aside.
- In a large skillet, heat olive oil over medium-high heat. Sauté onion, cabbage, salt, pepper, ginger together until tender.
- Toss together with cooked noodles, sugar, garlic, soy sauce, and sesame oil until heated through.
- Serve hot.
Video
Notes
*You are welcome to use fresh ramen or yakisoba noodles in place of the cheap ramen.
Nutrition
Calories: 128kcal | Carbohydrates: 9g | Protein: 2g | Fat: 9g | Saturated Fat: 1g | Sodium: 844mg | Potassium: 190mg | Fiber: 2g | Sugar: 5g | Vitamin A: 70IU | Vitamin C: 27mg | Calcium: 34mg | Iron: 0.8mg
Thanks for sharing..sounds like a fast and good tasting recipe for week night meal
The add is covering the recipe
do you use toasted sesame oil at the end or plain?
Either will work fine. I used toasted sesame oil because it has more flavor.
Can I leave cabbage out??
You could but then you’re just mostly left with noodles.
I know EXACTLY what you’re saying about your 2-year-old. When my son (now 46) was two I really thought that he would grow up with his head coming to a unicorn-type point because of all the bashing he did on his forehead! And I laughed too. So don’t feel bad!
Maybe just get your son a helmet for a few years? I am not fond of ramon noodles but I am very fond of chowmein! lol Must try this!
I love this recipe when I need something for dinner quickly. I always keep some ramen noodles in the pantry. Thanks!
Want a great meal? Cook raman noodles, add in frozen broccoli florets and cook until noodles are done, not mushy. (I bring to boil and turn heat off, cover and let steam). Sprinkle with lemon juice and enjoy. You can also add any vegetable you like, but I like broccoli. This is my standby when I can’t think of anything else and want it quick.
Hubby will not even get close to cooked cabbage but I LOVE it. What can I substitute in his portion instead of cabbage?
What is 11/2 teaspoon mean please
Yum. That recipe sounds good!
I just made this, added in some broccoli & it was SO good. Next time I am going to make it a complete meal with even more veggies & some kind of protein such as teriyaki chicken. Delish!
These were amazing! Thank you for the recipe!
Made this for late dinner tonight. Next time I would cook the noodles for maybe two minutes, as they became too soft after cooking for four minutes, then heating through with the rest of the veggies. We also thought it was missing something, so I sprinkled a bit of the chicken seasoning packet on top, and that did the trick. Next time I’d mix it with a little water and add to the pan. Overall, a great starting point. Would be good with chicken or shrimp, and more veggies.
This looks like a good recipe for when I am in a hurry. I had 3 girls. So I am not qualified to speak, but when my girls ran into walls, I usually measured their height. With every little change, they got clumsy and forgot where their edges were.
I hope I can do this seems so simple. Let you know how it goes.
Get his ears checked…
thank you very much for very simple recipe, my whole family love it including the fussy child.
Thanks
P.S try it without the sesame oil it tastes fantastic also
Tried this last night. Very pleased with it. only thing my boyfriend would like to add is some sort of protein. He was leaning towards shrimp or chicken cooked in the seasoning first then combined with the rest of the ingredients after. Loved this! 🙂
Just made this for dinner,the kids love it. Next time will have to cut the sugar in half. Added fresh ginger, and green onions. Definitely making again
I eat Ramen on our families pick night (when everyone gets to pick what they want to eat themselves), so this work great for me to try something different. My two boys didn’t run into walls very often, but when they did, we laughed and said they pulled a Justin (my friend’s boy) because he did it all the time. (the boy could trip on air). But, he did grow out of it.
What other noodles could you use instead of the ramen ones?
Yum – thank you.
Can you add a protein to it hamburger, chicken, etc.
Hi thanks for the memories(long ago College days) …only additionwill be either prawns or chicken…. again thanks for the memory….
I made this tonight…I used fresh ginger, chopped up some baby carrots, zested a key lime plus the juice, and added some cooked chicken breast. It was great! I love cooked cabbage.
This looks yummy! And I’m 27 and I still walk into door frames and walls (and chairs and tables and the corners of kitchen counters) if I’m not paying attention or distracted. So he’ll probably grow out of it, but maybe not, and it’s not just a boy thing 😉
Very cool, Lauren! I’m sure the flavors are just right!
We made this for lunch today with some leftover cabbage from earlier in the week. First thing my hubby said was, “oh, it’s got a little kick.” Even using the ground ginger, there still is enough spice there to make this really tasty. Thanks!
This would be perfect for dinner tomorrow night! I run into walls all the time and I’m a 24 year old female. Hahaha. Some of us at just born clumsy
Lol!! Glad my little boy is not alone! Ha!
Please take your son to a doc and tell him how much he runs into things. It may be nothing more than he isn’t paying attention or it could be something else. I don’t want to scare you but running into walls was a symptom of a serious problem that a grandson of a friend of mine had. Also have his eyes checked… Better to rule all that out and give yourself peace of mind than to have ??? in the back of your mind.
Phew. I’m just glad to read that my son isn’t alone in his habit of walking into walls, posts, chairs, doors, the counter, etc etc etc. (Noodles look good too. 🙂 )
Looks so delicious. I hate using the packets anyway, I love chow mein noodles. 🙂
It’s a boy thing. My 7 year old gave himself a black eye at Disneyland, walking into a lamppost. I am used to watching where he is going in order to yell in a vain hope of him looking in front of him. It usually fails.
Awww, boys 🙂 Gotta love ’em! I have a 6 year old and an 8 year old and can totally relate. But gosh are they FUN! These noodles are the bomb Lauren! Can’t wait to give them a try!
This sounds delicious! I was wondering if I could use a different oil besides sesame oil since my son is allergic to sesame.
15 minutes?? SOLD! Looks so good, Lauren!
Oh my gosh – how is he almost TWO?!? And I want a bowl of these noodles and just to sit back while I hang out with that crazy kid!!
This recipe sounds good! A great way to use up the noodles from the chicken flavor packages that my daughters don’t particularly care for. I am curious what you mean by granulated garlic? Is that garlic salt? Also, did you know that you can freeze fresh ginger? I just peel it and freeze in a small container or freezer bag. That way I always have some on hand when I need it. Thanks for all the great recipes!
No, its NOT garlic salt! It’s like garlic salt without the salt. Yes, I knew about the frozen ginger. Fabulous tip 🙂
My hubby is 68yrs old and he still walks into doorframes & walls !!! lol Looking forward to trying your recipe 🙂
Definitely a boy thing, my grandson is nearly 5 & he throws himself around the place, I nearly have heart failure lol
Is there a way to use meat to
sure! Just add it into the pan with the cabbage and onion. You might need more seasoning because it’s more food, but besides that, it should be just fine.
Is there an alternative to using ramen?
Instead of using the dried cheap-o ramen, you can use refrigerated yaki soba noodles.
It is truly the first sign that he is all male… he is displaying the male trait of being single minded. Ha ha! As a mom to 3 boys (who are now actually young adults) with 3 COMPLETELY different personalities… well ALL 3 of them ran into stuff on a regular basis. Serious goose eggs followed. and it was too funny. we did take after pictures (i know i’m such a bad mom but we had to have some evidence to show them later in life when they wouldn’t believe us.) Yes he will quit running into things at some point in time, and there will be no lasting damage. 🙂
What a fantastic idea for a quick and easy vegetarian meal!! Can’t wait to try this the next time I get a noodle craving 🙂
Mmmmm. I love Asian noodles.
Yes, it is a boy thing. Eventually he will notice more things in his way (not all things) as he goes 90 mph through life. My husband who is 41 doesn’t run into things so at some point boys do get some sense. However, that boy gene always has that ‘go go go’ to it. It’s one of the things we love about them.
“at some point boys do get some sense” –HAHAHAHA!!! 😀 😀 😀
This might be a dumb question, but for the ramen noodles, you’re talking about the kind that come with the little seasoning packets, right? I’ve heard of some ramen that’s in the refrigerated section at the grocery store, so I just wanted to make sure.
Yes, the 15 cent ramen noodles that are dried and come with the flavor packets. I mean, you could probably get a better result by using the fresh noodles in the refrigerated section, but my kids like the cheap-o kind. They have such refined palates.
What if you don’t have sesame seed oil at the minute
I make this too! I usually just use 1 packet of ramen seasoning and soy sauce, but will try your sauce! Sounds yummy! I roast my sliced cabbage, onions and celery in the oven! 🙂
And I’ll have to try YOUR version!! Sounds awesome.
This sounds tasty but ground ginger in no way substitutes for fresh ginger – they are two different animals entirely. You will get a much better flavor overall if you just use some grated fresh ginger. This is a quickie recipe I am going to definitely try, as my girl is a bottomless pit when it comes to ramen noodles.
You’re right. Fresh ginger would have been better, but I didn’t have any on hand. Either would be great.
FYI, When you buy fresh ginger buy enough to put the rest in the freezer. You can scrape/peel it frozen and use what you need. Grating is easy when it’s frozen. Then you’ll always have fresh ginger to use in your recipes.
Ramen noodles have proven to be dangerous to our digestive system made of bad stuff
You can purchase brown rice organic ramen…I get it in bulk at costco…the company is Lotus. Its delish.
It’s a boy thing. My son is almost six and still walks into posts or walls when out in public.
Hahahaha!! So, I should get used to it then. Lol!
My son did that also found out he needed glasses please get his eyes checked out and nice recipe 🙂
We JUST did that and his eyes are fine!! He’s just clumsy.