This Whole30-friendly paleo Chicken Chow Mein is a delicious and healthy weeknight meal that uses spiralized sweet potato in place of noodles!
Table of Contents
What’s chow mein?
I know—some of you are probably looking at this picture and scratching your head because you’ve either never heard of chow mein, or you’re accustomed to chow mein looking like something else entirely. Well, for starters, chow mein is a stir-fried noodle dish and a staple of Chinese-American cuisine—but its ingredients and preparation can vary widely.
On the West Coast, chow mein noodles are typically soft and cooked together with the accompanying meat and veggies, while on the East Coast, the noodles are fried super-crispy (a.k.a. Hong Kong style) and served beneath a pile of cooked ingredients (and/or a thick brown gravy). On the East Coast, stir-fried soft noodles are usually called “lo mein.” Lo mein is rarely found on the menus of Chinese restaurants on the West Coast.
My grain-free hybrid version of chow mein!
My Paleo-friendly version is kind of a mish-mash of both styles, combining the softer noodles (or in this case, sweet potato noodles) of the West Coast with some crispy bits more reminiscent of East Coast chow mein. This is the way I like my chow mein ’cause it reminds me of the way my mom and dad used to tag-team this recipe every weekend: My dad would patiently pan-fry the noodles while my mom made the gravy topping with veggies and meat. Right before serving, my parents would combine their finished components, Voltron-style. I think this may be one of the only dishes my mom ever allowed my dad to help with in the kitchen in all their years together.
What’s the best vegetable to use for the noodles?
After making my Crispy Swoodles with Bacon recipe, I learned that the best sweet potato variety for a noodle substitute is white-fleshed (e.g. Hannah) sweet potatoes. This variety is drier, less sweet, and doesn’t turn into mush when you cook it. If you can’t find them, you can substitute spiralized carrots instead. White-fleshed sweet potatoes can be tough, so make sure you have a great spiralizer! My favorite model is the Oxo Spiralizer.
Ingredients
- Boneless skinless chicken thighs, cut into bite-sized pieces: I love dark meat, but you can definitely used chicken breast if you prefer.
- Avocado oil: My preferred high temperature cooking oil
- Coconut aminos
- Aged balsamic vinegar
- Red Boat fish sauce
- Toasted sesame oil
- Arrowroot powder
- White-fleshed (e.g., Hannah) sweet potato or 6 medium carrots, peeled and spiralized: It’s the noodles, baby!
- Diamond Crystal brand kosher salt
- Yellow onion
- Fresh shiitake mushrooms
- Ginger
- Green onions / Scallions
- Baby spinach
- Crushed red pepper flakes (optional)
How to make paleo chicken chow mein
Place the chicken pieces in a medium bowl. Pour in 1 tablespoon avocado oil and 1 tablespoon coconut aminos. Add the aged balsamic vinegar, fish sauce, sesame oil, and arrowroot powder, too.
Stir well to combine, and set aside.
Next, heat a large skillet over medium heat. When the skillet is hot, Add 2 tablespoons of avocado oil. Once the oil is shimmering, add the spiralized sweet potato noodles (swoodles!) in a single layer.
Fry undisturbed for 2 to 3 minutes so that some of the swoodles start to brown and crisp. (But don’t let the swoodles burn!)
Sprinkle on ½ teaspoon of salt, and carefully flip the swoodles over. Cook the swoodles undisturbed for another 2-3 minutes. Transfer the swoodles to a serving dish.
Heat the now-empty skillet over medium-high. Then, add 2 tablespoons of avocado oil. Once the oil is hot, add the thinly sliced onions and sauté with a liberal sprinkle of salt. Cook for 3 to 5 minutes or until softened.
Toss in the mushrooms, ginger slices, and another sprinkle of salt.
Stir-fry for about 2 minutes or until the mushrooms are cooked and the ginger is fragrant. If the pan is looking a little dry, feel free to add another tablespoon of oil.
Add the chicken and cook, stirring, until no longer pink.
Stir in the scallions and the spinach. Season the meat ’n veggies with 1 tablespoon coconut aminos and red pepper flakes. Taste and adjust the seasoning as needed.
Once the spinach is wilted, plate the chicken and veggies atop the swoodles.
Chow down on your chow mein!
How to save leftovers
Leftover paleo chicken chow mein can be stored in an airtight container in the fridge for up to 4 days. I don’t think veggie noodles freeze and reheat particularly well, so I wouldn’t freeze leftovers.
More paleo “noodle” recipes
Looking for more recipe ideas? Head on over to my Recipe Index. You’ll also find exclusive recipes in my cookbooks, Nom Nom Paleo: Food for Humans (Andrews McMeel Publishing 2013), Ready or Not! (Andrews McMeel Publishing 2017), and Nom Nom Paleo: Let’s Go! (Andrews McMeel Publishing 2022).
PRINTER-FRIENDLY RECIPE CARD
Paleo Chicken Chow Mein
Ingredients
- 1 pound boneless skinless chicken thighs cut into bite-sized pieces
- 5 tablespoons avocado oil divided
- 2 tablespoons coconut aminos divided
- 1 teaspoon aged balsamic vinegar
- 1 teaspoon fish sauce
- ½ teaspoon toasted sesame oil
- 2 teaspoons arrowroot powder
- 1 pound white-fleshed e.g., Hannah sweet potato or 6 medium carrots, peeled and spiralized
- Diamond Crystal brand kosher salt
- 1 small yellow onion halved and thinly sliced
- ¼ pound fresh shiitake mushrooms stemmed and sliced thinly
- 1 1-inch piece of ginger, peeled and cut into thin coins
- 2 scallions cut diagonally into ½-inch segments
- 5 ounces baby spinach
- ½ teaspoon crushed red pepper flakes
Instructions
- Place the chicken pieces in a medium bowl. Pour in 1 tablespoon avocado oil and 1 tablespoon coconut aminos. Add the aged balsamic vinegar, fish sauce, sesame oil, and arrowroot powder. Stir well to combine, and set aside.
- Next, heat a large skillet over medium heat. When the skillet is hot, Add 2 tablespoons of avocado oil. Once the oil is shimmering, add the spiralized sweet potato noodles (swoodles!) in a single layer.
- Fry undisturbed for 2 to 3 minutes so that some of the swoodles start to brown and crisp. (But don’t let the swoodles burn!)
- Sprinkle on ½ teaspoon of salt, and carefully flip the swoodles over. Cook the swoodles undisturbed for another 2-3 minutes. Transfer the swoodles to a serving dish.
- Heat the now-empty skillet over medium-high. Then, add 2 tablespoons of avocado oil. Once the oil is hot, add the thinly sliced onions and sauté with a liberal sprinkle of salt. Cook for 3 to 5 minutes or until softened.
- Toss in the mushrooms, ginger slices, and another sprinkle of salt. Stir-fry for about 2 minutes or until the mushrooms are cooked and the ginger is fragrant. If the pan is looking a little dry, feel free to add another tablespoon of oil.
- Add the chicken and cook, stirring, until no longer pink.
- Stir in the scallions and the spinach. Season the meat ’n veggies with 1 tablespoon coconut aminos and red pepper flakes. Taste and adjust the seasoning as needed.
- Once the spinach is wilted, plate the chicken and veggies atop the swoodles.
Notes
Nutrition
Nutrition information is automatically calculated, so should only be used as an approximation.
This dish looks amazing! Is there a way to make this vegetarian without losing the flavor from the chicken and marinade?
You can leave out the chicken and fish sauce and it’ll still tasty!