There’s something deeply satisfying about a good chow mein — glossy noodles, tender strips of chicken, a proper salty-sweet sauce, and just enough crunch from the veg. Its one of my favourite takeaways. You don’t need to call the local takeaway to get that flavour. This is a campervan-friendly, one-pan chicken chow mein fakeaway — no delivery fee, no faff, and absoloutly no compromise on the taste.
I knocked this up on the road using a single frying pan, a small chopping board, and less than 30 minutes of my life. The key is in a quick marinade for the chicken, a silky oyster-soy sauce, and letting those noodles soak up every last bit of it. You get the full takeaway experience, but it’s cheaper, fresher, and a damn sight more satisfying when it’s cooked so fresh.
So grab your pan, fire up the hob, and let’s make a proper fakeaway chow mein — Vanlife Eats style.
Chicken Chow Mein Fakeaway
Equipment
- Wok or large frying pan
- Knife & chopping board
- Tongs or spatula
- Small bowl (for slurry/ sauce)
Ingredients
Chicken & Marinade
- 250 g chicken breast thinly sliced (about 1 large breast)
- 1 Tbsp cornflour for dusting
- 1 Tbsp light soy sauce
- 1 Tbsp oyster sauce
- Pinch of MSG optional but authentic
Aromatics
- 1 tsp ginger purée
- 1 tsp garlic purée
- 1 Tbsp neutral oil rapeseed/groundnut
- Veg use what you’ve got; this is the classic mix
- 1 small onion sliced
- 1 small carrot julienned
- ½ red pepper sliced
Sauce
- 60 ml cold water ¼ cup
- 1 tsp cornflour
- 1 Tbsp oyster sauce
- 1 Tbsp dark soy sauce
- 1 Tbsp runny honey local if you’ve got it
Noodles & Finish
- 200 g cooked egg noodles or ~120 g dried, cooked & drained
- 75 g bean sprouts large handful
- 2 spring onions sliced (reserve some for garnish)
- 1 tsp sesame seeds for topping
Instructions
- Thinly slice the chicken breast. Dust with 1 Tbsp cornflour so it’s lightly coated.
- Add light soy, oyster sauce, and a pinch of MSG. Mix well and marinate 30 minutes (or as long as you can).
- Slice onion, carrot, pepper, and cabbage. Slice spring onions, keeping a little back for garnish.
- Make the slurry & sauce. In a small bowl, whisk cornflour into cold water until smooth. Stir in oyster sauce, dark soy, and honey. Set aside.
- Get a wok/frying pan hot. Add oil.
- Add the chicken in a single layer. Sear 1–2 minutes, then stir-fry until just turning opaque.
- Add ginger purée and garlic purée. Toss for 30 seconds until fragrant.
- Add onion, carrot and pepper. Stir-fry 2–3 minutes until crisp-tender.
- Toss in bean sprouts and egg noodles. Loosen everything together.
- Pour in the prepared sauce. Stir-fry 1–2 minutes until it turns silky and glossy and coats the noodles.
- Stir through most of the spring onions. Serve in bowls, top with remaining spring onions and sesame seeds.
Video
Notes
Veg swaps: Use any quick-cook veg (mangetout, beansprouts extra, tenderstem, pak choi). Keep total volume roughly the same.
MSG: Optional, but that proper takeaway depth comes from a pinch.
Gluten-free: Swap soy for tamari and use GF noodles; check oyster sauce label.
Sweetness & colour: Honey balances the soy and helps that takeaway “sheen.” Reduce to 2 tsp if you prefer it less sweet.
Protein swap: Pork, prawns, firm tofu, or mixed veg all work — keep pieces thin for fast cooking. Vanlife Cooking Tip: Pre-slice chicken and veg into containers before travel. Make the sauce in a screw-top jar — shake, pour, done. One pan, zero stress.
