Name: Chicken chow mein with mushrooms
Total time: 60 min
Yield: 4 generous dinner portions
Ingredients: 1 lb boneless skinless chicken breast, thin strips; 3 tbsp neutral oil, divided; 12 oz dry chow mein noodles; 2 cups shredded cabbage; 1 large carrot, julienned; 4 scallions, sliced; 2 garlic cloves, minced; 8 oz mushrooms, sliced; 4 tbsp oyster sauce; 3 tbsp reduced-sodium soy sauce; 3 tbsp light sesame oil; 1/2 cup chicken broth; 1 tbsp cornstarch; 1 tbsp sugar

Chicken chow mein with mushrooms

Brown the mushrooms before adding the noodles so their moisture does not thin the sauce.

Published October 2, 2026 · Updated October 15, 2026

4 generous dinner portions · Estimated 1 hour

Ingredients & method

Before you start: Prepare: 20 minutes · Boil noodles and drain: 15 minutes · Stir-fry: 25 minutes

Equipment: Large wok or 6-quart sauté pan; noodle pot

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Method

Prepare the chicken as thin strips, slice the mushrooms, shred the cabbage, cut the carrot into fine matchsticks, slice the scallions and mince the garlic. Keep the vegetables and finishing scallions ready separately so they can go into the pan at the right stage.
Whisk the oyster sauce, reduced-sodium soy sauce, light sesame oil, chicken broth, cornstarch and sugar until no cornstarch lumps remain. Set the sauce aside; it will need another stir before it goes into the pan.
Cook the dry chow mein noodles according to the package, then drain thoroughly. Rinse only if the noodle package directs you to, and set the cooked noodles aside while you stir-fry the chicken and vegetables.
Heat 1 tbsp of the neutral oil in a large wok or 6-quart sauté pan over medium-high heat. Spread the chicken in an even layer and cook for 6–8 minutes, stirring, until it reaches 165°F; transfer it to a clean bowl.
Add the remaining 2 tbsp neutral oil and the sliced mushrooms to the same pan. Cook for 6–8 minutes, stirring, until the liquid the mushrooms release has evaporated and their surfaces begin to brown.
Add the cabbage, carrot and garlic. Stir-fry for 3–4 minutes, lifting and turning the vegetables until the cabbage begins to soften while the carrot retains a little bite.
Return the chicken and add the drained noodles. Stir the sauce again to lift the settled cornstarch, pour it into the pan and toss everything together so the noodles separate and the sauce reaches the bottom of the pan.
Cook, tossing over the heat, for 2–3 minutes, until the sauce thickens and coats the chicken, vegetables and noodles. Fold in the scallions and divide into 4 generous dinner portions.

Recipe note: Oyster sauce contains shellfish.

Drain the noodles and brown the mushrooms

Follow the chow mein noodle package for cooking and any rinsing instruction, then drain thoroughly. Excess noodle water would join the measured broth-based sauce, making its final consistency harder to judge. Whisk the sauce in advance and keep it within reach of the stove.

Cook the chicken first and move it to a clean bowl. Give the mushrooms their own stage afterward, waiting for their released liquid to evaporate and their surfaces to begin browning before adding the cabbage, carrot and garlic. That sequence is especially useful in a pan already holding several vegetables and noodles.

Stir the sauce again before it meets the noodles

Cornstarch can settle while the noodles and stir-fry components cook. Reach the bottom of the sauce bowl with the whisk before pouring it over the returned chicken and drained noodles.

Lift and turn the noodles so sauce reaches the bottom of the pan as well as coating the top strands. Finish when it has thickened around the chicken and vegetables, then fold in the scallions. Oyster sauce contains shellfish; the mushroom addition does not make this a shellfish-free dish.