UK vs US Chicken Chow Mein – Which One Wins?
Right, this one’s been a long time coming. I’ve eaten more chow mein than I’d ever admit publicly — it’s my go-to order from any Chinese takeaway — but this was actually the first time I’ve ever made a homemade UK version. And because I can’t resist a bit of food chaos, I decided to compare it against the American version at the same time.
You can watch both being made and taste tested in the video above, or here on YouTube if you prefer.
UK Chicken Chow Mein – The Takeaway Classic, Done Properly
For the British version, I started with the noodles — cooked for a few minutes in boiling water until just tender, drained, cooled under the tap, and tossed in sesame oil to stop them sticking. Easy.
Next up, I poached the chicken breast in gently simmering water until cooked through, shredded it with forks, then marinated it in a simple mix of soy sauce, Shaoxing wine, sesame oil, white pepper, and salt. Straight away it smelled like a proper takeaway kitchen.
While the chicken soaked up flavour, I got the wok roaring hot and added groundnut oil. In went chopped garlic and mangetout sliced into long, thin ribbons — just enough to soften and pick up a bit of colour. Then the noodles joined the party, along with light soy, dark soy, Shaoxing rice wine, sugar, MSG, a little white pepper, and spring onions. That dark soy gives it the deep brown sheen that makes a chow mein look right.
After a couple of minutes of tossing, I added the shredded chicken and a handful of beansprouts, gave it a final stir-fry to heat everything through, then finished with a drizzle of sesame oil. Glossy, rich, savoury, a little salty — and completely addictive.
Honestly, it blew every takeaway I’ve ever had out of the water. Drier, yes, but full of flavour and that proper wok-fried taste you can’t fake.
American Chow Mein – Crispy, Saucy, and Comforting
The American version couldn’t be more different — this one’s all about the crispy noodles with a glossy chicken-and-veg sauce poured over the top.
It starts the same way: blanch your noodles briefly, drain them, then fry them in a shallow layer of oil until they’re golden and crisp. I may have got a bit carried away and basically deep-fried mine, but it worked — they crisped right through without needing to flip.
For the topping, I marinated slices of chicken thigh in soy, salt, pepper, and cornflour. Then it was straight into the wok with oil, where they cooked quickly until golden. In went minced garlic, ginger, and spring onions for a quick blast of flavour.
The sauce came together in seconds: chicken stock, oyster sauce, soy sauce, sesame oil, Shaoxing rice wine, sugar, MSG, and a bit of white pepper. Once it came to a boil, I stirred in a cornflour slurry to thicken it into that proper glossy consistency. The chicken and veg went back in, and the whole lot got poured over the crispy noodles.
What’s magic about it is how the sauce soaks in — the noodles start out crunchy but quickly soften into a chewy base that still keeps texture underneath. It’s almost like a Chinese-style pie and gravy, and honestly, it’s brilliant.
The Verdict
Both were cracking in their own way. The American version was comforting and saucy, with that crispy-chewy thing going on that’s proper fun to eat. But the UK chow mein – my homemade version – won it for me. It’s probably nostalgia talking, but that glossy, dark-soy flavour is exactly what I grew up with, and making it myself turned out miles better than anything I’ve had from a takeaway.
If you fancy something similar to this, here’s me trying American style Biscuit sandwiches which for a Brit was very different indeed!