Pork Chow Mein: A Simple Noodle Dish

This Pork Chow Mein is done in under an hour, and made with ingredients easily found in Western supermarkets. Pork Chow Mein is made with ground pork, veggies and noodles, coated in a sweet savory sauce. It is a tasty and easy weekday stir fry meal! If you enjoy Asian Noodles, you have to try Easy Pad Thai with Shrimp.

Pork Chow Mein is a loaded, Asian inspired noodle dish that gets its flavor from Asian sauces: honey, garlic, soy sauce, oyster sauce and sesame oil. The veggies in it, bok choy, broccoli and carrots give texture to the dish, while the ground pork makes it so complete and filling.

Simply put, its your take out style dinner, cooked easily at home. This has become an instant favorite around here, and I am glad to have another easy dish to throw into our weekday meal rotation.

It is a favorite like my bowl meals: Bang Bang Chicken, Bang Bang Shrimp and Instant Pot Korean Beef Rice Bowls.

Why We Love this Recipe?

• The ingredients are easy to find in any supermarket. All you need for the sauce is soy sauce, oyster sauce, honey,  and sesame oil.
• You can  easily adapt the recipe to fit your preference. You can use any veggies on the stir fry. Try cabbage, cauliflower and mushrooms and snap peas! For the pork, you can use strips of tender loin instead of ground pork.
• It has that wonderful, signature Asian flavor. Sweet, savory and garlicky! Also for a Filipino version, try Easy Pancit Canton.
• Except for the chow mein noodles, which needs to be pre-boiled in another pot, everything cooks in one pan and it is done in under an hour!
• While authentic Chow Mein recipes or stir fries may call for dry sherry, rice wine or mirin, I kept things simple by using accessible ingredients and still have great flavor! I think you will love this easy weekday-friendly dish!

Ingredients for Ground Pork Chow Mein

For the Stir Fry

• Chow Mein Noodles. I use fresh Chow Mein Noodles found in the refrigerated section of Asian/ Oriental department. However, you can easily swap the dry chow mien / stir fry noodles in place of the fresh ones. Note that both needs to be boiled first (see package instructions).
• Ground Pork. I like ground pork in this recipe because it cooks easily along with the rest of the stir fry. And you eat bits of meat in every bite instead of chunky ones, making the noodles shine in the dish!
• Carrots. This adds color and texture to the dish.  
• Bok Choy. Leafy greens add significant nutrition and fresh flavor to any stir fry. You can also try spinach, or cabbage. If you like to add bean sprouts, add it towards the end, shortly before adding the sauce.
• Broccoli. Also adding a fresh element to the dish, broccoli here turns out crisp and vibrant! you can also use snap peas, cauliflowers or snow peas.
• Chicken Broth. A bit of liquid helps soften the vegetables and noodles. You can add just a bit more if you think it is needed. However, do not add to much as it will make the noodles soggy.

For the Sauce

• Soy Sauce. A signature savory flavor for Asian dishes, soy sauce adds saltiness with a bit of umami flavor. I used regular soy sauce. If you want a deeper color, use dark soy sauce.
• Oyster Sauce. This adds another layer of savory flavor. It is thick so it makes the sauce luxurious and smooth.
• Honey. Honey adds sweetness to the sauce and gives it a nice smooth texture as well.
• Sesame Oil. A bit of sesame oil gives the Chow Mein an Asian touch. It is rich, deeply aromatic and flavorful.

How To Cook Ground Pork Chow Mein?

1. Saute Garlic. Over medium to high heat, add about 2 tablespoons vegetable oil in a large wok or pan. Add the garlic, cook and toss for a few seconds until softened and aromatic.
2. Cook the Pork. Add the ground pork. Toss occasionally, while breaking apart clumps, until browned and cooked through.
3. Add the Veggies. Add the carrots, bok choy, broccoli and half of the chicken broth.
4.  Cook Veggies Partly. Toss and combine everything and let cook just until the bok choy starts to become limp.
5. The Noodles. Add the noodles and the remaining chicken broth. Toss everything to combine.
6. The Sauce. Once the veggies are tender-crisp, about 2-3 minutes, pour the sauce and use toss to distribute. Turn off heat and serve immediately. You can garnish with chopped green onions, and sesame seeds.

Easy, right? Such dishes win my heart, especially on busy days. I can get dinner ready in minutes, and it is so good.

I am sure you will love this too!

Pointers and Tips

• You can add a bit more chicken broth as needed. I find that the amount in the recipe is enough, but if you need to, you can add more.
• With that said, just note that adding too much liquid can make the entire dish soggy, so add as sparingly as you can.
• Use a big wok to cook this noodle dish. The veggies and noodles are hefty! (I probably need a bigger one too). You can also use a big pan if you do not have a wok.

Serving Suggestions

• Divide Pork Chow Mein into bowls, then serve along side an array of shrimp and pork dumplings for a complete Chinese dining experience!
• Serve with these Crispy Air fryer Fried Chicken, or Orange Chicken!
• Cook a batch or Salted Fish Chicken Fried Rice to serve with these noodles too!

Questions About this Recipe

More Easy Dinners

• Salmon Poke Bowl
• Spiced Salmon with Lemon Quinoa
• Instant Pot Korean Beef
• Asian Chicken Burgers