Name: Baked Crispy Chow Mein Noodles
Prep time: 30 min
Cook time: 40 min
Total time: 70 min
Ingredients: 450 grams chow mein noodles, (fresh noodles or dried egg noodles); 2 tablespoons neutral flavored oil ((see Note below regarding using oil spray)); 1/2 teaspoon salt; 400 grams thinly sliced beef ((hot pot beef, sliced steak)); 1/2 onion, (sliced cross-grain); 2 cloves garlic, (roughly minced); 150 grams sugar snap peas ((or leafy vegetables)); 1/2 medium carrot, (cut in half lengthwise and then sliced); 3/4 cup chicken broth ((beef or vegetable both okay)); 3 tablespoons oyster sauce; 1 tablespoon Chinese cooking wine; 1 teaspoon light soy sauce; 1/2 teaspoon honey; 1/2 teaspoon sesame oil; 1/4 teaspoon white pepper; 2 tablespoons water; 1 tablespoon tapioca starch ((cornstarch okay))

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These crispy chow mein noodles get their delicious crisp from the oven! No pan-frying the noodles in a lot of oil and they still turn out crispy crunchy delicious! Top the noodles with a savory gravy-coated meat and vegetables stirfry you've got a delicious Chinese meal you're going to love! It's a family favorite!

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Ingredients and Substitutions
Instructions
Serving Suggestions
More Chinese Recipes You Might Like
Commonly Asked Questions
Recipe
Comments and Reviews

This recipe was inspired by the crispy chow mein my dad would make for me when I was young. I LOVED the crispy noodles and it was one of my favorite dishes he'd make. He would pan-fry the noodles, which is the traditional method, but I wanted a simpler way to make the noodles crisp, especially when I wanted to make a large batch for my family. These noodles are baked, not fried and are just as delicious!

Ingredients and Substitutions

A square white bowl containing dried noodle bundles, a round white dish containing oil, a square black dish containing white salt.

Noodles (fresh steamed chow mein noodles or dried egg noodles)
Oil
Salt

Four white round dishes containing sliced carrots, green snap peas, sliced onions, and minced garlic, and a rectangular glass dish containing raw slices of beef.

Thinly sliced beef (or chicken, pork, shrimp, Chinese sausage)
Sugar snap peas (or snow peas, choy sum, Chinese kale/broccoli, napa cabbage, etc)
Sliced carrots
Sliced onions
Minced garlic

Various dishes and a metal measuring spoon containing light and dark liquids for sauce. A metal measuring spoon containing white pepper.

Chicken broth (or beef broth)
Oyster sauce
Chinese cooking wine
Light soy sauce
Honey (or sugar)
Sesame oil
White pepper

You will also need tapioca starch (cornstarch okay) to make a slurry for thickening the stirfry gravy.

Instructions

Preparing and Baking the Noodles:

Bundles of dried noodles in a pot of water.

Bring a pot of water to a boil and add the noodles. Reduce the heat to medium and use chopsticks to loosen the noodles.

Chopsticks stirring cooked noodles in water in a pot.

Cook until the noodles are completely separated and just cooked. Drain the noodles and rinse under cool water to stop the cooking process.

A hand holding a square black dish sprinkling white salt over cooked noodles in a pot.

Make 3-4 cuts through the noodles with food scissors. Mix the noodles with salt and oil. Note: You can use an oil spray to coat the baking dish/pan and to spray the top of the noodles instead of mixing them with oil.

Cooked noodles spread out in a black round baking pan.

Spread the noodles in an oven-safe dish or baking pan and bake in a preheated 425F/220C oven for 30 minutes until the noodles are browned and crisp. The noodles will not be completely crispy throughout, but that's okay! You'll have crispy noodles on top, bottom, and edges.

Crispy chow mein noodles in a round black pan.

Pro Tip #1: The noodles may stick to the bottom of your baking dish or pan. If you are not confident about the baked noodles releasing easily from your dish or pan, line it with either foil or parchment paper before adding the noodles. Greasing the dish or pan can also help.

Making the Stirfry:

Start when there is about 15 minutes remaining to the noodles baking time.

In a bowl or measuring cup, combine the chicken broth, oyster sauce, Chinese cooking wine, light soy sauce, honey, sesame oil, and white pepper. Mix well and set aside.

Sliced onions and minced garlic in a gray skillet.

Heat a skillet over medium-high heat. Spray a light coating of oil in the pan. Add the onions and garlic and fry for about 2 minutes to soften.

Raw sliced of meat and sliced onions in a gray skillet.

Add the beef to the skillet and fry for about 1-2 minutes, until it is partially cooked.

A skillet containing sliced onions, thin slices of beef, sliced carrots, and green pea pods.

Add the sugar snap peas and carrots and stir-fry for about 1 minute.

Brown liquid being poured into a skillet containing pea pods, sliced carrots, sliced onions, and beef.

Stir the gravy ingredients and add it to the skillet. Mix well.

White liquid being poured into a skillet containing green pea pods, sliced carrots, meat, and onions in sauce.

Mix the tapioca starch and water together to make a slurry and add to the skillet. Mix well and bring to a boil.

Green onions on top of meat and vegetables in a skillet with sauce.

Add green onions and stir. Ladle over the crispy chow mein noodles and serve immediately.

Pro Tip #2: If the noodles are not done yet, turn the heat down to low for the stirfry to not overcook the vegetables. It is better to err on the side of the crispy noodles waiting for the stirfry than the other way around.

Browned crispy chow mein noodles topped with cooked green pea pods, chunks of onion, and sliced beef.

Serving Suggestions

Obviously, you can top these crispy chow mein noodles with your favorite stirfry ingredients. Use chicken or pork instead of beef, use other Chinese quick-cooking vegetables like show peas, choy sum, bok choy, napa cabbage, or Chinese kale/broccoli (gai lan). You can also do this with bell peppers and mushrooms are always a great addition for flavor and texture.

My dad always made it with Chinese sausage (lop cheng) and Chinese kale (gai lan). The sausage added an added layer of salty and sweet that balanced the bitterness from the gai lan. It was my favorite and I would always get excited anticipating when I could devour this meal!

Pro Tip #3: Make It For One! This recipe can easily made for just one or two individual plates, just like my dad used to do! If you use the dried egg noodles, simply use one bundle of noodles for each serving. Bake in individual dishes or separated portions on one baking sheet. Transfer the noodles to a plate and top with the stirfry and gravy!

A blue round dish containing browned crispy chow mein noodles topped with cooked meat and onions and sugar snap peas.

More Chinese Recipes You Might Like

If you want to try cooking other Chinese recipes at home, these recipes that are inspired by some dishes my parents made when I was a kid and that I really enjoyed.

Commonly Asked Questions

Where do I buy the chow mein noodles?

Fresh chow mein noodles can be found in the refrigerator section of your Asian supermarket and are sometimes called Hong Kong chow mein noodles. You can also use dried egg noodles which are usually sold in noodle bundles in packages and found with other dry noodles.

What proteins can I use besides beef?

Chicken, pork, shrimp, and Chinese sausage (lop cheng)...even a combination of these..make great toppings to the chow mein. Use meaty rehydrated Chinese mushrooms for a vegetarian version.

What vegetable work best?

Vegetables that cook quickly work best. I like the crunch of sugar snap peas, but snow peas would also work, or any Chinese leafy green (Chinese kale, choi sum, bok choy). Carrots slices should be no thicker than ¼-inch. Bean sprouts can also be used.

Can this be made with gluten-free noodles?

No, this recipe does not work well with gluten-free noodles (like rice noodles). They do not brown or have the same texture as the regular chow mein or egg noodles. I do not recommend using them if you want crispy noodles.