Chinese Food Culture

How to Make Chow Mein Noodles

Chow mein – the classic Chinese comfort dish. Here is a standard way of preparing noodles for chow mein. Parboiled noodles are browned on one side, then turned over and cooked on the other side. This makes the noodles browned and crunchy on the outside and tender inside. Noodles cooked this way are also called “both sides browned” and “twice browned” noodles.

Here’s what you’ll need to cook the chow mein noodles:

• 1/2 pound fresh egg noodles
• 2 1/2 tablespoons vegetable or peanut oil, or as needed
• 1 teaspoon Asian sesame oil
• 1 12-inch skillet with a non-stick coating