Chicken Lo Mein

February 27, 2013

Author: KatieChin

What is the difference between chow mein and lo mein you ask? The main difference is that lo mein noodles tend to be softer while chow mein noodles can be crispier. Both types of noodle dishes are usually made with Chinese egg noodles. For this easy Chicken Lo Mein recipe, I’m using dried spaghetti because I know that’s what most of you have in your pantries right now! Use whole wheat pasta for added nutrition if you’d like. This dish is so simple and my kids just love it. It’s a complete one-dish meal because it’s chock full of protein from the chicken, crisp and colorful veggies and carbs from the noodles. This is my go-to dish on a busy week night because all of the sauce ingredients are something I have in my pantry at all times and you can use any veggies or protein you’d like. I recently made these noodles for a Chinese New Year party I had a couple of weeks ago (hence the festive photo!) but they will bring good fortune to your dinner table any time of year. As you may have noticed, most Chinese recipes call for white pepper instead of black pepper. White pepper has a sharper bite and enhances traditional Chinese flavors (plus your stir-fry and noodle dishes won’t have black pepper specks all over it). It’s a good idea to keep some white pepper in your pantry for all types of Asian cooking. You can find white pepper and all sorts of Asian spices in the gourmet section at Cost Plus World Market.

Ingredients

8 ounces (1/2 box) spaghetti or linguine

12 ounces boneless, skinless chicken breast, cut into bite size pieces

1 teaspoon cornstarch

1/2 teaspoon salt

1/8 teaspoon white pepper

3 tablespoons canola oil, divided

1 garlic clove, minced

3/4 cup thinly sliced red bell pepper

1/2 cup bean sprouts

3/4 cup snow peas, blanched and thinly sliced

1/2 cup carrots, julienned

1/4 cup soy sauce

1 teaspoon oyster sauce

1 teaspoon sesame oil

1/4 teaspoon white pepper

1/8 teaspoon sugar

Instructions

Prepare noodles according to package directions. Rinse, drain and set aside.
Toss the chicken pieces with the cornstarch, salt and white pepper. Cover and refrigerate for 10 minutes.
Heat a wok or large skillet over medium high heat. Add 1 tablespoon of the oil and swirl to coat. Add garlic and stir-fry until fragrant, about 30 seconds. Add the chicken and stir-fry until it turns white.
Add the remaining 2 tablespoons oil. Add the red pepper and stir-fry for 1 minute. Add the bean sprouts, snow peas and carrots and stir-fry for 1 minute. Add the soy sauce, oyster sauce, sesame oil, white pepper and sugar and stir-fry until blended, about 1 minute. Add the reserve noodles and toss until coated. Transfer to a platter and serve immediately.