Spicy Chicken Chow Mein

Printable Recipe


This can be made either in the crock pot or the stove top. It is very good. I will give the original recipe, and mark the changes I make in parentheses. I will give the stove top directions at the end. Be sure to read my notes at the end, too.

For the Crock Pot
1 tbsp vegetable oil
1 1/2 pounds boneless, skinless chicken breasts, about 3
4 carrots, thinly sliced (sometimes I use the prepackaged shredded carrots and add just a minute or so before serving - just long enough to heat through)
4 green onions, thinly sliced (sometimes I use regular onions, chpd)
3 stalks celery, thinly sliced
I add one chpd green bell pepper, though surprisingly, the original recipe didn't call for it
1 cup Swanson's low sodium chicken broth (I use 4 cups, which is 2 cans of the broth)
1 tbsp sugar (I use 2 tbsp)
1/3 cup soy sauce
1/4 tsp red pepper flakes
1/4 tsp ground ginger
1 (16-oz) can bean sprouts, drained
1 (8-oz) can water chestnuts, drained
1/4 cup cornstarch (I use between 5-6 tbsp)
1/4 cup water (I use between 5-6 tbsp)

In a large skillet, heat oil and brown the chicken pieces, in small batches, until meat is white. Place the chicken in a greased crock pot and add the remaining ingredients, except for the cornstarch and water. Stir to combine, cover, and cook on LOW for 6-8 hours. In a small bowl, combine the cornstarch and water and cook until thickened, about 15-30 minutes. If using shredded, instead of chpd carrots, add them about 10-15 minutes before the end of cooking time. Serve chow mein over rice and chow mein noodles.

NOTES: You don't have to add this if you don't want to... I just like this spicier than the original recipe. At the end of cooking time, and before adding the cornstarch/water, I add an additional:
1 tbsp sugar
1/4 tsp ground ginger
1 tbsp soy sauce
Then after it has thickened, I find the cornstarch/water mixture dilutes the flavors somewhat, so to kick it up and to have those flavors stand out all the more, I will add, to taste, additional:
sugar
ground ginger
soy sauce
red pepper flakes
I don't add a whole lot of it, I just lightly sprinkle it in, but it is totally up to you and your own tastes, whether you want to add all of the additional seasonings & sauces.

For the Stove Top
Brown the chicken as noted above, and drain the oil. Add the broth, onion, carrots (if using chpd carrots - otherwise, if using the shredded carrots, add them a few minutes before the end of cooking time), soy sauce, sugar, ginger, red pepper flakes, bean sprouts, and water chestnuts. Bring to a boil and turn down heat. Cover and simmer for about 10-12 minutes. Add the green pepper and celery and cook for another 5 minutes, or until vegetables are tender-crisp. Thicken with the cornstarch/water mixture and bring to a boil again. See my notes at the end of the recipe and follow, if you feel it needs more flavor.