This bbq pork chow mein is delicious, comforting, and easy to make! Anyone who loves Chinese style noodles is going to love this perfectly savory and slightly sweet chow mein that totally hits the spot with every bite! It's way better than takeout!
Course dinner, Main Course
Cuisine Asian, Chinese
Keyword cha siu, easy Chinese cooking, noodles, one-pan meal
Make sure the carrots, onions, bean sprouts, green onions, and bbq pork are all cut/prepared and ready before you start cooking.
Combine light soy sauce, honey, salt, sesame oil, and white pepper in a small bowl and stir. Set aside.
Fill a medium pot with water and bring to a boil. At the same time, heat a wok (or large skillet) over medium-high heat.
Add the chow mein noodles to the pot of boiling water, reduce heat to medium, and stir with chopsticks to loosen, about 1 minute.
To the wok, add the oil, then add sliced onions and carrots. Stir-fry for about 1 minute until fragrant.
Add the BBQ pork to the pan and cook about 1 minute.
Drain the noodles in a colander and quickly rinse with cold water to stop the cooking and to prevent the noodles from sticking together. Using kitchen shears, make 2-3 cuts through the noodles.
Stir the reserved sauce and add to the wok, mixing with all the ingredients. Add the bean sprouts.
Add the chow mein noodles and green onions to the wok.
Using two spatulas or two cooking spoons, lift and toss all the ingredients in the wok to mix.
Continue to mix until noodles are heated through and ingredients are well combined. No liquid should remain at the bottom of the wok.
Notes
Make sure to buy egg noodles that are dried and wrapped up in bundles or "nests". They might be called Hong Kong egg noodles.
If you can find them, steamed chow mein noodles are also perfect for this dish. They can be found at Asian supermarkets in the refrigerator section and might be called "steamed chow mein", "chow mein pan fried noodles", "Hong Kong style pan fried noodles", "Chinese style chow mein noodles", etc.
Boil the noodles until they are just loosened. They will continue to cook more once added to the wok/pan with the other ingredients.
Substitute the BBQ pork with chicken, beef, or shrimp.
If you substitute the BBQ pork with a different protein or with vegetables, you may have to adjust the sauce to compensate for the flavor you would be missing from the pork. You could also marinate the chicken, beef, or shrimp before cooking it with the noodles.
For a vegetarian version, substitute the bbq pork with Chinese/shiitake mushrooms and other vegetables like sliced bell peppers, celery, etc.
For a vegan version, substitute the chow mein noodles with vermicelli pasta. It won't be exactly the same, but it will suffice.
For a gluten-free version, use tamari or liquid aminos in place of the light soy sauce and substitute rice noodles for the chow mein noodles.
The chow mein freezes well! Store in a resealable freezer bag and defrost before heating up in the microwave or giving a quick stir-fry in a wok.