Taiwanese Chow Mein

You only need one pan and 30 minutes to prepare this mouthwatering Taiwanese chow mein with savory pork, vegetables, and fresh herbs.

Watch how to make this

Ingredients

• Ground pork: The main protein for the dish that has enough fat content to add richness to the noodles. Use lean ground pork for the best results.
• Shaoxing wine: Tenderizes the meat during marination and removes any gamey taste from the meat. Substitute with sherry wine or omit it completely, if preferred.
• Black vinegar: Also known as Chinkiang vinegar, this specific vinegar has a mellow acidity that's less harsh than regular vinegar with subtle molasses-like notes. If you can't find black vinegar, you can use rice vinegar, but the results will be slightly different.
• Dark soy sauce: Provides deep color and slightly sweet molasses-like flavor that's different than regular soy sauce. Dark soy sauce is thicker and less salty than light soy sauce.
• Garlic chives: Garlic chives have flat, wider leaves and a mild garlic flavor. They add a fresh, onion-like flavor that balances the rich sauce. If you can't find garlic chives, substitute with scallions.
• Oil noodles: These fresh, pre-oiled noodles cook quickly and have the perfect chewy texture for chow mein. The oil coating prevents sticking and helps the noodles absorb the sauce evenly.

Substitutions and variations

• Vegetarian: Try this recipe with ground tofu or finely chopped mushrooms for a vegetarian version.
• Spicy: You can add sambal to the stir-fry sauce or drizzle chili oil on top for a spicy kick.
• Toppings: Feel free to add other vegetables such as cabbage, mushrooms, carrots, or spinach.

Recipe

Print Recipe

5 from 4 votes

Taiwanese Chow Mein

Total Time30 minutes mins

Course: Main Course

Cuisine: Taiwanese

Keyword: Asian noodles

Servings: 4

Author: Christine Ma

Ingredients

Marinated pork

• ½ pound ground pork
• 2 teaspoons soy sauce
• 2 teaspoons Shaoxing wine
• ½ teaspoon granulated sugar
• ¼ teaspoon white pepper

Stir fry sauce

• ¼ cup chicken broth
• 3 tablespoons black vinegar
• 2 tablespoons soy sauce
• 1 tablespoon dark soy sauce
• ½ teaspoon salt
• ½ teaspoon white pepper
• ½ teaspoons granulated sugar

Remaining ingredients

• 2 tablespoons oil
• 3 ounces bean sprouts
• 3 ounces garlic chives
• 4 garlic minced
• 1 pound oil noodles
• ⅓ cup cilantro

Instructions

• Season ground pork with soy sauce, Shaoxing wine, sugar, and white pepper until well combined. Let sit for 5 minutes.
• Make the stir fry sauce. Combine chicken broth, black vinegar, soy sauce, dark soy sauce, salt, white pepper, and sugar.
• Heat oil in a large saute pan or wok over high heat. Add pork and cook until browned, breaking up the meat into small pieces.
• Add bean sprouts, garlic chives, and minced garlic, tossing to coat. Add noodles and stir fry sauce, stirring until well combined. Simmer for 2 minutes or until noodles are hot and coated with the sauce. Remove from heat.
• Portion chow mein into bowls and top with fresh cilantro. Serve immediately.

Notes

This recipe calls for "oil noodles," which can be found in the refrigerated section of Asian markets.

Step-by-step instructions

Step 1: Marinade pork

The first step is all about building flavor from the ground up, literally. You'll want to season your ground pork with soy sauce, Shaoxing wine, sugar, and white pepper, then let it sit for about 5 minutes.

This isn't just about flavor - the Shaoxing wine actually tenderizes the meat while removing any gamey taste, and that little bit of sugar helps the pork caramelize beautifully when it hits the hot pan.

Don't skip this marinating step, even though it's brief. Those 5 minutes make all the difference in creating pork that's not just seasoned on the outside, but actually infused with flavor throughout.

You can marinate the pork for longer, but I found that 5 minutes was sufficient.

Step 2: Cook pork

Heat your oil in a large sauté pan or wok over high heat - and I mean HIGH heat. Add your marinated pork and let it brown and crisp up, breaking it into small pieces as it cooks. The key here is to resist the urge to move it around too much at first - let it get those beautiful brown bits that add so much flavor.

Once the pork is nicely browned, toss in your bean sprouts, garlic chives, and minced garlic. Everything should sizzle and smell incredible.

This is also why having all your ingredients prepped and ready to go is so important - once you start cooking, things move fast, and you don't want to be scrambling to chop garlic while your pork is burning.

Step 3: Finish stir fry

Now comes the grand finale - adding the noodles and that gorgeous sauce you mixed up earlier. Toss in your oil noodles (they should separate easily if they're the right kind), pour in that beautiful dark sauce, and start stirring everything together.

Now, if you can't find fresh oil noodles, you can use dried or frozen noodles. However, you'll have to blanch the frozen noodles or cook the dried noodles before adding them to the stir fry. I also recommend drizzling oil on the chow mein after it's done cooking to mimic the glossy oil noodles.

Back to the stir fry. By now, the noodles should start taking on that gorgeous dark color from the dark soy sauce, and everything should be glossy and well-coated. Let it simmer for about 2 minutes, stirring constantly, until the noodles are heated through and have absorbed all those incredible flavors.

The smell alone will have you weak in the knees - that perfect combination of garlic, black vinegar, and soy sauce is pure magic. Remove it from the heat, portion it into bowls, and top with fresh cilantro for that final pop of color and freshness.

Trust me, once you try this version of Taiwanese chow mein, you'll understand why I became so obsessed. I had the stamp of approval from my husband, who prides himself on being a noodle aficionado - so that has to mean that this recipe is a complete success, right?

For another dish inspired by Taiwanese flavors, check out this Chinese braised beef noodle soup and Chinese style mushroom leek pockets!

Make-ahead and storage tips

• Make-ahead: You can marinate the pork up to 6 hours and cook it ahead of time. You can also prepare the sauce the day before.
• Store: Keep leftover chow mein in an airtight container in the refridgerator for up to 3 days.

Frequently asked questions

More Taiwanese noodle recipes

Looking for more Taiwanese noodle dishes? Try these: