10 Minute Easy Chow Mein Recipe

10 Minute Easy Chow Mein Recipe

• February 06, 2020

Yep you read that right, this recipe literally takes 10 minutes from start to finish and will feed 2-3 people. It's one of those easy time saving weekday meals and if you make extras, that's lunchboxes sorted for the next day too.

Best of all, chow mein ('chow' meaning stir fried and 'mein' meaning noodles) is a brilliant way of using up any leftover bits of cooked meats and veggies left in the fridge. I've used frankfurter sausages in this recipe, but ham/bacon/cooked chicken are great choices too, and you can use any type of crunchy vegetables (peppers, carrots, broccoli, courgettes etc).

The key to making non-oily chow mein is to add a little water to the noodles. This loosens up the noodles and helps to steam cook everything. The water will evaporate as you cook, so you won't end up with soggy noodles, I promise! If you plan on making more and doubling the portions from this recipe, do cook them separately a batch at a time. Unless you have a humongous wok, there won't be enough space to fry the noodles evenly.

Good quality soya sauce and oyster sauce make a difference to the final taste too, so I highly recommend picking up the Chinese branded ones from a Chinese supermarket. I am so happy that Lai Loi Street has opened near me, not only are they an amazing Vietnamese takeaway (we've been ordering almost weekly!) but they are also a mini Asian supermarket with all the essentials like my regular condiments and Chinese vegetables. They also stock my favourite tofu dessert too. 

Essential condiments in my kitchen.

Chop frankfurters and pan fry until lightly browned.

Add in mixed veg and once it wilts, add in soya sauce, oyster sauce and sesame oil.

Throw in the fresh egg noodles and add 1/4 cup of water to loosen up the noodles. Mix everything together well and once the water has evaporated, turn off heat. You may need to add a little more water, just use a small amount at a time.

Ingredients:
5 frankfurter sausages
500g fresh egg noodles
x1 bag mixed vegetables (approx 300g)
2 tbsp oil
1 tbsp sesame oil
1 tbsp oyster sauce (or vegetarian oyster sauce made with shiitake mushrooms)
2 tbsp light soya sauce

1/4 cup of water

Directions:
1) Chop frankfurters thinly. Turn heat on high, put oil in the wok and fry frankfurters until lightly browned
2) Add in the mixed vegetables and as they start to wilt, add sesame oil, light soya sauce, oyster sauce and mix well 
3) Throw in the fresh egg noodles, give it a stir and add 1/4 cup of water to loosen up the noodles. Add a little more water if required
4) Mix the noodles, vegetables and frankfurters really well, and once most of the water has evaporated from the wok, turn off heat and tuck in!

Note
Bacon/ham/ready cooked chicken pieces are good alternatives, and any sort of crunchy vegetables are good too. Chow mein is great for using up random leftover cooked meat and veg in the fridge. I hope you enjoy this quick and tasty 10 Minute Easy Chow Mein Recipe!

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