Chinese Take-Out Chicken Chow Mein With Crispy Noodles Recipe - Chinese.Food.com (2024)

FAQs

Does chicken chow mein come with crunchy noodles? ›

In both styles of chow mein recipes, the noodles are the true star of the dish. Any extra vegetables or protein ingredients are kept to a minimum so they do not distract from the crunchy noodles.

Crispy chow mein is usually topped with a thick brown sauce, while steamed chow mein is mixed with soy sauce before being served. There is a regional difference in the US between the East and West Coast use of the term "chow mein". On the East Coast, "chow mein" is always the crispy kind.

At my local Chinese, they call this Crispy Chow Mein Noodles. It's a Hong Kong / Cantonese style dish, and there are a lot of variations but the core of it is a bed of deep fried crunchy noodles topped with a saucy stir fry.

Use them as a crunchy topping on manchow soup, hot and sour soup or even a wonton soup, or as a mix in when you toss together a crunchy chinese chicken salad for lunch. Or make your favorite chinese dish and use these as a base instead of regular noodles.

They're basically deep-fried egg noodles (or fried wonton wrappers or egg roll wrappers). Golden brown and crunchy, they're often served in little wooden bowls as a restaurant appetizer with duck sauce and Chinese hot mustard on the side.

The main difference is that noodles labeled "Hong Kong" or "pan-fried noodles" are par-cooked in boiling water, which makes them ready to stir-fry. Use this variety for dry stir-fried noodle dishes, like this stir-fried chow mein with four vegetables and whenever you want the noodles to be slightly (or very) crispy.

The biggest difference between chow mein and lo mein lies in the translations of their names: chow mein is fried, and lo mein is tossed. The experience is somewhat different between the two. Lo mein tends to be saucier and more toothsome, with a texture some describe as “slippery” because of the noodles' softness.

“Lo mein usually uses the fat, chewy noodles, while chow mein uses the thin type of noodles that sometimes contain egg.” Lo mein uses fresh noodles that are boiled for a few minutes, while chow mein uses dried noodles that are parboiled for five to six minutes. Then there's the difference in cooking method.

Largely this is a matter of personal taste since both dishes can be made to your preference. If you prefer lightly sauced noodles with some crunch and vegetables with some snap, chow mein might be the way to go. If you like a more comforting noodle with richly flavored sauce, lo mein may be the better option.

What are those crunchy things in your stir-fry? They're water chestnuts, and they're surprisingly good for you! You probably already know a few things about water chestnuts. They're white and crunchy, and you'll find them in a ton of Asian-style stir fry dishes.

What is the white stuff in Chinese food? ›

MSG, or monosodium glutamate, is a flavor-enhancing food additive used in Asian cooking, fast foods, and commercially packaged food products. It is a white powder derived from a natural glutamic acid found in seaweed, sugar beets, and certain vegetables.

noun. ˈchau̇-ˈmān. : a seasoned stew of shredded or diced meat, mushrooms, and vegetables that is usually served with fried noodles.

The secret behind the delicious Chinese takeaway plain noodles is the' Msg '. So if you wish to taste your chow mein like takeaway, you will need to add msg or chicken powder. Vegetable/vegetarian seasoning powder can be also used.

Both dishes are flavorful and satisfying, but chow mein tends to be lighter and more noodle-focused, while chop suey is heartier and more sauce-focused. When it comes to choosing between the two, it ultimately comes down to personal preference and what you're in the mood for.

Noodles are simply strands or ribbons of a flour/water dough, sometimes with other things like eggs or milk added. Chow mein is a dish that is prepared with particular types of noodles, stir-fried with various ingredients. It's a main dish that includes protein and vegetables, not just carbohydrates.

While chow mein with thin crisp noodles is a staple of many Chinese take-out restaurants, more authentic versions of chao mian have soft noodles. The main difference between the two comes down to frying time: for dryer, crisper noodles, add more oil and increase the frying time.

The difference is the texture. Crispy chow mein is when the noodles are shallow or deep fried in oil and covered in the saucy topping. Soft chow mein is when the soft noodles are pan fried with the sauce and other ingredients.

Hong Kong Style chow mein noodles are pan fried on a wok. Fried until nicely brown. The topping goes on top. If ordered dry, the noodles will crunch.

Technically, both could be classified as stir-fry dishes that can be served with noodles — but unlike chop suey, chow mein's deep-fried noodles are purely an American convention. Unlike in the U.S., the noodles for chow mein in China are pan-fired so that they are still soft and pliable when served (via Taste Atlas).