Guyanese Style Chicken Chow Mein

Guyanese Style Chicken Chow Mein is a delicious fusion of Chinese and Caribbean flavors; tender marinated chicken tossed with fresh veggies, chewy noodles, and a savory sauce. This well-balanced meal comes together in just 40 minutes, for a deliciously satisfying dinner.

Guyanese Chicken Chow Mein

Chicken chow mein is one of those dishes that most Guyanese people make on special occasions (holidays, birthday parties, etc) or for lunch on Sundays. But in my house, it’s an “any day you don’t feel like cooking too much but want something delicious” kind of meal to prepare.

That’s probably why I have so many variations like these Whole 30 Compliant Ground Beef Chow Mein and Guyanese Style Chicken Chowmein recipes.

Why You’ll Love This Guyanese Style Chicken Chow Mein Recipe

• Quick & Easy: It’s quick and perfect for lazy days. We have it so often that it’s become a family favorite. And it’s ready in less than one hour.
• Healthier Than Takeout: If you’ve ever had Chinese takeout then you know how delicious it can be, in all its greasy glory. But when you make it at home, you control the amount of sodium, and oil, and can use fresher ingredients.
• A Delicious Fusion: This may not be authentic chicken chow mein in the traditional sense but making this Guyanese style is super yummy!

What is Chow Mein?

Chow mein is a Chinese-American dish traditionally made with egg noodles and stir-fried veggies in a wok.

Ingredients for Chicken Chow Mein

As you can see this easy chow mein recipe has elements of Chinese, American and Guyanese cuisine. It’s a fun tasty twist that makes for an excellent infusion of flavors from all over the world.

• Dried chow mein noodles: You can usually find this in the Asian aisle at your local grocery store.
• Oil: Use your cooking oil of choice.
• Chicken: Boneless, skinless chicken thighs provide a rich flavor. But you can use chicken breasts or bone-in chicken cut up into 1 to 2-inch chunks.
• Onion: Thinly sliced.
• Seasoning: I use Chinese 5 spice and garlic powder.

Vegetables

• Green Cabbage: Thinly shredded.
• Green onions: Finely chopped.
• Carrots: Julienned.
• Broccoli spears: About 1 cup.
• Petite green beans: Cut them into 2 Inch pieces. This is a substitute for Chinese long beans (bora beans). If you have access to bora beans, use those instead.
• Baby bell peppers: This adds a color and little bit of spice.

Chicken Seasoning

• Dried thyme: This adds herby flavor.
• Cassareep: This a thick brown syrup made from boiling down cassava and enhancing it with sugar and spices. Use soy sauce as an alternative if necessary. Substitute with coconut aminos for a soy and sugar-free option
• Garlic cloves: grated
• Brown sugar: If you end up using coconut aminos in this chicken chow mein recipe, skip this.
• Seasoning: The chicken is seasoned with onion powder, salt, black pepper, and Chinese 5 spice.
• Brown mustard: This helps the spices stick to the chicken. It is a bit spicier than dijon mustard.
• Ketchup: For a hint of sweet tomato flavor.

Optional Chow Mein Sauce

• Coconut aminos garlic sauce: Use this or another Chinese garlic sauce.
• Red pepper flakes: This adds some heat.
• Sesame oil: For a deep, toasted flavor.

See recipe card for quantities.

How to Make Guyanese Chicken Chow Mein

Season the Chicken

I always prep and season my chicken before doing anything else. This way it marinates while I am prepping my vegetables.

Prep the Vegetables

Julienne your bell peppers (or baby bell pepper in my case), julienne your carrots, blanch your vegetables if you are using those, and have everything ready to go before you start cooking.

I also measure out my seasoning ingredients ahead of time if I am following a recipe. You don’t want to be hunting for a particular spice while you are stir-frying on high heat! No one likes burnt food, especially burnt chow mein.

Cook the chicken

I love cooking my meat separately from my vegetables. When I first started cooking, I prepared chicken then added all of the vegetables into the pot with the chicken and stir-fry them all together. It is simple and produces a really delicious chow mein.

But all the color of the vegetables would get washed away by the sauce from the chicken, so I started sautéing them separately, then adding everything back together. The flavor was so much better this way and it’s how I’ve been making chow mein ever since.

Sauté the veggies

Assemble Guyanese Chicken Chow Mein

I cook my chow mein noodles while I am cooking my other ingredients. I don’t boil it, drain it and let it sit while I am cooking. The best chow mein I make is when I put the pot of water on to boil when I put the skillet on to sauté the chicken. Then I cook the noodles about 1-2 minutes shorter than the instructions on the packet.

The noodles are usually done cooking right when I need to add them to my meat and veggies.  I drain the noodles and transfer them immediately to my pot with the meat and veggies. I don’t have to run them with cold water to separate them or anything.

To take the flavor of my chow mein up a notch I serve it with a garlicky sesame oil sauce. I love serving the sauce on the side and then dinners can pour it over the chow mein and mix it together for a real hands-on dining experience. And by diners, I mean my husband and children!

Substitutions & Variations

• Vegetarian Chow Mein. Add pre-cooked tofu instead of chicken.
• Noodle. Use dry spaghetti, rice noodles, or yakisoba as a substitute for chow mein noodles.
• Vegetables. Consider adding bok choy, wiri wiri peppers, bean sprouts, spinach, or kale.
• Chicken Lo Mein. Instead of pan-fried noodles, try soft lo mein noodles.

Equipment

• Large skillet or wok: This cooks each element of the recipe. Woks are preferred because they are deep and retain heat well.
• Large bowl: This contains the cooked chicken as you prepare the other elements of the dish.

Storage

After it has completely cooled, store leftover chow mein in an airtight container in the fridge. Consume within 5 days. Add a splash of water and reheat over medium heat in a skillet until warmed through.

Frequently Asked Questions