30-Minute Chicken Chow Mein is a speedy weekend meal that both adults and kids can dig into with gusto! A chicken nugget protein base is mixed with plenty of fresh veggies and a quick from-scratch sauce, making it a weeknight meal that you can make again and again.
From scratch and weeknight don’t always go hand in hand, but this recipe for 30-Minute Chicken Chow Mein is here to prove us wrong. The meal is packed full of accessible ingredients, and it comes together at lightning speed in the skillet.
The hardest thing about this meal is preparing the vegetables. After they get all chopped up, they’re tossed with a bit of oil. When the veggies get a good sear in the skillet, the sauce gets added in. After it simmers for a minute or two, the pasta is added, followed by the pineapple and chicken nuggets.
And the result? Sweet, saucy, meaty, and carby perfection all in one pan! The sauce has just the right amount of umami and coats every inch of the ingredients.
This recipe is extremely flexible, allowing you to swap out certain proteins and veggies to fit with what you have on hand or what suits your taste. It’s a weeknight in the fast lane with amazingly delicious results.
30-Minute Chicken Chow Mein
Ingredients
- 14 ounces frozen chicken nuggets
- 1/2 cup ketchup
- 1/4 cup pineapple juice
- 3 tablespoons low sodium soy sauce
- 2 tablespoons honey
- 1 tablespoon rice vinegar (or apple cider vinegar)
- 1 cup shredded carrots
- 1 small onion, thinly sliced
- 1 bell pepper (any color), thinly sliced
- 2 garlic cloves, minced
- 2 tablespoons olive oil
- 9 ounces dried spaghetti, cooked according to package directions and tossed with 1 tablespoon olive oil
- 1/2 cup pineapple tidbits
- Sliced scallions, for garnish
- Sesame seeds, for garnish
- Kosher salt and freshly cracked black pepper, to taste
Preparation
- Preheat oven to 400°F and line a baking sheet with aluminum foil lightly sprayed with baking spray.
- Arrange the chicken nuggets on the baking tray and bake until golden and crispy, about 12 to 15 minutes. Remove from the oven, set aside.
- In a bowl whisk together ketchup, pineapple juice, soy sauce, honey, vinegar, set aside.
- In another bowl mix carrots, onion, bell pepper, and garlic with 2 tablespoons olive oil.
- Set a large cast iron skillet or wok on high heat and then add in the oil-coated veggies into the skillet, stirring every 20-seconds until the edges of the vegetables are charred but the veggies are still crisp, about 2 minutes.
- Lower the heat to medium and add in the sauce, letting it bubble for 1 to 2 minutes, stirring occasionally, until slightly thickened.
- Add cooked spaghetti into the pan, tossing the noodles to thoroughly coat them in the sauce.
- Gently fold in the pineapple and chicken nuggets. Season with salt and pepper. Divide among serving bowls and garnish with scallions and sesame seeds, serve and enjoy!