Whole30 Guyanese Style Chicken Chow Mein

Whole30 Guyanese Style Chicken Chow Mein has all the traditional flavors of the popular Chinese-American dish but it is way healthier. Swap fried noodles for spiralized squash and this is a nutritious way to enjoy a classic takeout meal.

a pot full of Whole30 compliant Chicken Chow Mein

Whole30 Chicken Chow Mein

It’s no secret that I love chow mein, so naturally while on Whole30 I would want to enjoy some compliant chow mein. Truth is, this recipe is how I make chow mien for myself even when I am not on a round because I live a gluten-free life.

If you are new to my blog welcome and check out this traditional chow mein recipe where I explain why chow mein is part of Guyanese cuisine (disclaimer: it is not a whole30 recipe). If you’ve been enjoying my recipes for some time and are not sure what all this Whole30 talk is about, please read this post about my Whole30 journey.

Table of Contents[Show All]

Whole30 Chicken Chow Mein
Why You’ll Love This Whole30 Chicken Chow Mein Recipe
Ingredients for Whole30 Chow Mein
What makes this Guyanese Style Chicken and Chowmein Whole30?
How to Make Whole30 Chicken Chow Mein
- Season, Marinate & Sauté Chicken
Bring on the veggies!
Storage
Tips for the Best Whole30 Chicken Chow Mein
Variations
Frequently Asked Questions
Whole30 Guyanese Style Chicken Chow Mein

Why You’ll Love This Whole30 Chicken Chow Mein Recipe

Healthy Alternative: Chicken chow mein is a grain-free, wholesome way to enjoy your favorite takeout order.
Easy One Pan Meal: After marinating the chicken, everything gets tossed around in a single wok for easy prep and clean up.
Customizable: Feel free to swap spices, sauces, and protein to make this dish your own.

overhead view of a pot full of Whole30 chicken chow mein

Ingredients for Whole30 Chow Mein

Feel free to swap the veggies used in this recipe for whichever you prefer.

Chicken: When I’m making chicken chowmein I prefer boneless, skinless chicken thighs cut into 1-inch cubes. It cooks up relatively quickly and there is little chance it will overcook and become dry which is a win-win for me.
Veggies: Typically when I make chicken chowmein I like to keep the vegetables simple, just some julienne carrots, scallions, and bell peppers will do for me, but you can make it your own.
Seasoning: I use salt, onion powder, Chinese 5 spice, and a pinch of cayenne pepper.
Coconut Aminos: This is a gluten-free alternative to soy sauce. You get that deep umami flavor while remaining Whole30 compliant.
Tomato paste: Ensure it is Whole30 compliant.
Aromatics: Grated fresh ginger and garlic cloves are a delicious flavor base.
Olive oil: For the sauté.

See recipe card for quantities.

What makes this Guyanese Style Chicken and Chowmein Whole30?

Chowmein is a noodle dish, but in this version I am using yellow (summer) squash as the noodles. I used the Vegetti Spiralizer to turn my squash into spirals. I’ve had this simple spiralizer for many years and it is so easy to use and clean up. I bought it from our local pharmacy during one of my whole30 rounds. Check it out here on my amazon affiliate link. To learn more about the amazon affiliate program, check out Shop My Favs.

How to Make Whole30 Chicken Chow Mein

Season, Marinate & Sauté Chicken

In a large bowl combine chicken, onion powder, grated garlic, grated ginger, coconut aminos, tomato paste, salt, Chinese 5 spice and cayenne pepper. Allow it to marinate for at least 30 minutes. Heat oil on high heat in a wok, large frying pan or pot suitable for stir-frying.

Sauté the seasoned/marinated chicken until it’s fully cooked and all the juices cook down. Then add the veggies and cook for about another minute or two. Cooking on high heat brings this dish together quickly.

Bring on the veggies!

a vegetable peeler being used to julienne veggies on a cutting board

Add the julienned veggies reserving a handful of green onions for garnish. Sauté for about 2 minutes.

chicken and veggies for whole30 Guyanese style chicken chow mein

The final step is adding the spiralized noodles. After I add the noodles, I sauté for about 1 minute then I remove the pan from the heat. If you are using a cast iron pot like I am in the picture above, the noodles will continue to cook even after you remove the pot from the heat and it will become soggy and your dish will be watery and mushy. I garnish my Whole30 chicken chow mein with lots of fresh scallions. I love the flavor and slight crunch that it adds to the dish.

Storage

Tips for the Best Whole30 Chicken Chow Mein

Put all the flavor in the chicken. Since this dish is made with squash noodles it is important to add all your marinades, seasoning and flavor to the chicken. I like to season my chicken with dried and fresh herbs and let it marinate for at least 30 minutes before I start cooking.
A wok or Kaharee (Guyanese word for a type of wok) is perfect for this dish.
Add spiralized noodles in the last few minutes of cooking. This prevents the noodles from getting soggy.

Variations

More Veggies: I have my Whole30 chow mein with a side salad. So really maybe I should just start putting the veggies in the chow mein. The more veggies the better, right? Add some bora (Chinese long bean –they are whole30 compliant), some pok choy / bok choy, mushrooms, or other compliant vegetables.
Vegan: Make this meal meatless by excluding the chicken.
Protein: Swap the chicken thighs for chicken breasts, beef, or shrimp.