Taiwanese Chow Mein (Authentic Traditional Recipe!)

The long-awaited AUTHENTIC, Traditional Grandma’s Taiwanese Chow Mein recipe, is finally here!

Nothing reminds me more of home than my Grandma’s Taiwanese Chow Mein that is savory, addicting, and is the one that you find at night markets in Taiwan.

Crunchy cabbage, juicy pork, fragrant shiitake mushroom, and saucy noodles, this recipe is everything you want in your chow mein!

The best part … grandma’s waste no time; this recipe is quick and super easy to make at home. 

Let’s talk about what are some key ingredients that make a delicious Authentic Taiwanese Chow Mein.

First, you will need to have shallots, mushrooms, and a generous amount of oil. The shallots, mushroom, and dehydrated shrimp (optional), are the main ingredients that fragrant the oil.

Next, the critical component is the savory, tangy sauce. Taiwanese Chow Mein is known for that slight, subtle tanginess. All you need is soy sauce, oyster sauce, black vinegar, white pepper, and a pinch of sugar. 

You can add whatever toppings you like to your Taiwanese Chow Mein.

I use the most commonly used ingredients at Taiwanese street vendors. Still, you can also vegetarianism this recipe but substituting oyster sauce with vegetarian oyster sauce and skipping the pork.

Other popular toppings include bean sprouts, chicken or beef, and cilantro. 

I am using fresh “oil noodles,” which is used in Traditional Taiwanese Chow Mein for the noodles.

However, other noodles substitutes include Thick Shanghai Noodles, Frozen Udon, and Chow Mein Noodles. Every noodle has its cooking instruction, so make sure to follow base on the instructions.

You want to pre-cook or blanch the noodles ahead of time if they are frozen and using the moisture from the cabbage and the savory sauce to cook and coat the noodles. 

Do you want more noodle recipes? Here are some of my go-to noodle recipes that you will LOVE, PLUS they are super easy to make at home! 

• Chinese Hand-pulled Noodles (4 INGREDIENTS ONLY!)
• 3 Cup Chicken Noodle Stir-Fry (20 Minutes ONLY!)
• Instant Pot Authentic Taiwanese Beef Noodle Soup
• Japchae – Korean Glass Noodle Stir-fry

Ingredients 

• 350g of Noodles (~4 servings) 
• 250g of sliced Pork (pork shoulder, pork belly or, pork butt) 
• 3 Green Onion (chopped into 2-inch pieces) 
• 4 cups of Cabbage (sliced) 
• 1 cup of Carrots (shredded) 
• 2 cups of Shiitake Mushroom (sliced) 
• 3 Small Shallots (minced) 
• ¼ cup of dehydrated Shrimp (rinsed & optional) 
• 0.5 cup of Water 

Pork Marinate: 

• 1.5 tbsp of Soy Sauce 
• 1 tsp of White Pepper 
• 1 tsp of Sugar 
• 2 tbsp of Chinese Cooking Wine (optional) 

Chow Mein Sauce: 

• 2 tbsp of Soy Sauce 
• 2.5 tbsp of Oyster Sauce 
• 3 tbsp of Black Vinegar 
• 2 tsp of Sugar 
• 1.5 tsp of White Pepper 

1. Marinate the sliced pork with soy sauce, white pepper, sugar, and Chinese cooking wine (optional) for 5-10 minutes. 
2. To prepare the sauce, mix soy sauce, oyster sauce, sugar, white pepper, and black vinegar. 
3. In a pan, drizzle in a generous amount of oil and turn the heat to medium-high. Once the pan is hot, add in sliced shallots, sliced shiitake mushroom, and dehydrated shrimp. Sauce for 2-3 minutes. 
4. Next, add in pork and saute for another 2-3 minutes. 
5. Add in the sliced cabbage and shredded carrot, and mix. Pour in 0.5 cups of water and put the lid on, and let it cook for 2-3 minutes. 
6. Add in the noodles, pour in the sauce, mix everything. Put the lid on and let it cook for another 2-3 minutes. 
7. Add in green onion, turn the heat up to high, saute on high heat for another 1-2 minutes. 

Print

Taiwanese Chow Mein

The long-awaited AUTHENTIC, Traditional Grandma’s Taiwanese Chow Mein recipe, is finally here! Nothing reminds me more of home than my Grandma’s Taiwanese Chow Mein that is savory, addicting, and is the one that you find at night markets in Taiwan. Crunchy cabbage, juicy pork, fragrant shiitake mushroom, and saucy noodles, this recipe is everything you want in your chow mein! The best part … grandma’s waste no time; this recipe is quick and super easy to make at home.

Prep Time10 mins

Active Time20 mins

Total Time30 mins

Course: Breakfast, Main Course, Side Dish

Cuisine: Asian, Chinese, Taiwanese

Keyword: Asian Food, Asian Noodles, Asian Recipes, Breakfast, Chinese Food, chow mein, Easy, Easy Recipes, Noodles, stir-fry, Taiwanese Food, Taiwanese Recipes

Yield: 4 People

Materials

• 350 g of Noodles ~4 servings
• 250 g of sliced Pork pork shoulder, pork belly or, pork butt
• 3 Green Onion chopped into 2-inch pieces
• 4 cups of Cabbage sliced
• 1 cup of Carrots shredded
• 2 cups of Shiitake Mushroom sliced
• 3 Small Shallots minced
• ¼ cup of dehydrated Shrimp rinsed & optional
• 0.5 cup of Water

Pork Marinate:

• 1.5 tbsp of Soy Sauce
• 1 tsp of White Pepper
• 1 tsp of Sugar
• 2 tbsp of Chinese Cooking Wine optional

Chow Mein Sauce:

• 2 tbsp of Soy Sauce
• 2.5 tbsp of Oyster Sauce
• 3 tbsp of Black Vinegar
• 2 tsp of Sugar
• 1.5 tsp of White Pepper

Instructions

• Marinate the sliced pork with soy sauce, white pepper, sugar, and Chinese cooking wine (optional) for 5-10 minutes.
• To prepare the sauce, mix soy sauce, oyster sauce, sugar, white pepper, and black vinegar.
• In a pan, drizzle in a generous amount of oil and turn the heat to medium-high. Once the pan is hot, add in sliced shallots, sliced shiitake mushroom, and dehydrated shrimp. Sauce for 2-3 minutes.
• Next, add in pork and saute for another 2-3 minutes.
• Add in the sliced cabbage and shredded carrot, and mix. Pour in 0.5 cups of water and put the lid on, and let it cook for 2-3 minutes.
• Add in the noodles, pour in the sauce, mix everything. Put the lid on and let it cook for another 2-3 minutes.
• Add in green onion, turn the heat up to high, saute on high heat for another 1-2 minutes.

Notes

You can add whatever toppings you like to your Taiwanese Chow Mein. I use the most commonly used ingredients at Taiwanese street vendors. Still, you can also vegetarianism this recipe but substituting oyster sauce with vegetarian oyster sauce and skipping the pork. Other popular toppings include bean sprouts, chicken or beef, and cilantro.