I am so thrilled to be sharing this recipe with you! I worked on the sauce for hours until it was absolutely perfect, and I’ve gotta say, this tastes just like the real deal chow mein that I remember from my Chinese takeout days. This recipe may taste just like the original, but it’s a whole lot healthier and loaded with tons of veggies, and none of the cornstarch, soy or gluten!
Don’t be afraid of zoodles if you aren’t a zucchini fan, they really transform into something entirely different, and they simply take on the taste of this delicious sauce. I truly hope you love this recipe as much as my family does, it’s pretty incredible, and as always, super easy to make. Happy cooking!
Chicken Chow Mein
Equipment
- Stovetop
Ingredients
For the Pasta:
- 1 tablespoon coconut oil
- 3 medium zuccini, made into “zoodles” with either a julienne peeler or spiralizer
- 1 small yellow onion, sliced
- 1-1.5 pounds boneless, skinless chicken thighs, cut into bite sized pieces
- 1 bell pepper, sliced thin
- 2 cups green cabbage, sliced thin into 1” pieces
- 1/3 cup green onions, chopped
- sea salt & pepper, to taste
- 1 tablespoon toasted sesame seeds (optional)
For the Sauce:
- 3-4 cloves garlic, minced
- 1 cup coconut aminos
- 1/2 teaspoon chili flakes
- 1 teaspoon sea salt
- 2 teaspoons rice vinegar
- 1/2 teaspoon fish sauce
- 1 teaspoon fresh ginger, minced
- 2 tablespoons arrowroot flour/starch
- 1/4 cup toasted sesame oil
Instructions
- It’s totally up to you, and what you want to do with your zoodles, but I typically prefer the salting method. This gets the moisture out, so that they don’t become a watery mess when heated with the sauce. To do this, place your zoodles on top of paper towels and salt them generously. Set aside for at least 20 minutes, while they release their moisture.
- In a small bowl mix together the garlic, coconut aminos, chili flakes, salt, rice vinegar, fish sauce, and ginger. Set aside.
- Melt the coconut oil in a large pan over medium-high heat. Once the oil has melted, add the onion to the pan and sauté until softened. Add the diced chicken to the pan and sauté until cooked through. Add the bell pepper and cabbage to the pan and sauté for 2 minutes. Place the onions, chicken, bell pepper, and cabbage in a clean bowl and set aside.
- Reduce the heat to medium-low, and pour the coconut amino mixture into the pan. Slowly whisk in the arrowroot starch until the sauce has thickened.
- Back to the zoodles! Gently squeeze the salted zoodles between dry paper towels, or a clean dishrag, to remove the excess moisture.
- Add the zoodles, chicken, onions, bell pepper and cabbage to the pan with the sauce. Stir well and cook until the zoodles are cooked to your liking. Turn off the heat and stir in the sesame oil. Enjoy!
Notes
The zoodles may release more water into the pan, but it will evaporate and thicken as it cooks. If necessary, you can always whisk in more arrowroot starch. 2 tbsp was perfect for me to create a thick sauce.
Tried this recipe?Let us know how it was!
So excited about this! I bought a zoodler and haven’t used it! This will be perfect! Thank you!
Hope you love this, Mindy! It’s Mikes new favorite!
Amazing recipe i cannot wait to stock my pantry with these condiments….its a work in progress
Thank you!! Mine is always a work in progress too, I stock as I need items 😉
can’t wait to try this! i need some of that fish sauce 🙂
Hope you love it, Meg! I used to think fish sauce was so weird, now it’s a staple! Bonus, one bottle lasts soooo long 🙂
This sounds so good! I managed to find fish sauce, but no luck on the coconut aminos. Apparently they aren’t a thing here in Mexico…. going on the “mom send me this pretty please” list 🙂
Ahhh, bummer! Hope your mom sends you a nice care package 😉
We have just had this for supper. Soooo tasty, amazing fragrances in sauce. I added a little touch of ‘SoGo 5 Chinese spice’ – but it’s definitely on our menu to stay!!! Thank you!$?
I’m so glad you liked it, Ingrid!! I love Chinese 5 Spice, great idea to add it!
I tried this recipe with my family and it was delicious but I think the coconut aminos made some of us a little sick. Is 1 cup a healthy serving for a recipe?
Hi Rachel! So sorry to hear that you think the coconut aminos is what made you feel ill. I’ve never heard of this myself, although each body is so unique and individual, so different things work for different people. Since this recipe serves 4, it’s only really 1/4 cup per person, so I don’t personally see that as an issue at all. You could always reduce the amount of coconut aminos you use, and hopefully that will work for you 🙂
Hi again! I had one more thought, as I actually made this dish for my mother-in-laws birthday last night 🙂 I do know of a few people that aren’t able to tolerate arrowroot starch, so perhaps that’s worth looking into? Hope you’re all feeling much better! xoxo
This recipe is awesome! The sauce is delicious. I used a mixture of zucchini and carrot noodles and I didn’t have any cabbage on hand so I used some fresh mixed stir fry veg.
Love the changes you made, Monique! Carrot noodles sound awesome in this dish 🙂
Made this tonight and my hubby said it was very good. Keeping it on the menu rotation!!!
So glad you and your hubby liked it, Elena!
just made this recipe and my vegetable hating family LOVES it!! i paired with the cauliflower fried rice and they didn’t even know it was veggies 🙂
Love that, Ashley!!