Craving a delicious, healthy twist on a classic dish? This Easy Chicken Zoodle Lo Mein is your answer.
By swapping out traditional noodles for zucchini spirals, you keep the flavors you love while adding a fresh, nutritious touch. Perfect for a quick weeknight dinner, this dish combines tender chicken, crisp veggies, and a savory sauce that comes together in no time.
Let’s get cooking!
Steps
- Prepare the sauce by mixing chicken broth, soy sauce, oyster sauce, rice wine, and water in a medium bowl. Whisk in cornstarch until the mixture is smooth.
- Use a spiralizer or mandolin to transform the zucchini into long, spaghetti-like strips. If using a spiralizer, cut the strands into 8-inch pieces with kitchen scissors for easier eating.
- Season the chicken strips with salt. Heat a large nonstick wok over high heat, add 1 teaspoon of oil, and cook the chicken until it’s browned and cooked through, about 2 to 3 minutes. Set the chicken aside.
- In the same wok, add the remaining oil along with bok choy, mushrooms, carrots, scallions, ginger, and garlic. Stir-fry the vegetables until they are crisp-tender, about 2 to 3 minutes, then set them aside with the chicken.
- Pour the prepared sauce into the wok and cook it until it thickens and starts bubbling, for about 1 to 1.5 minutes.
- Add the zucchini noodles to the thickened sauce, ensuring they are well-coated, and cook until they are just tender, around 2 minutes.
- Mix in the reserved chicken and vegetables, then divide the dish between two serving bowls.
Ingredients
- 2 medium zucchini, ends trimmed
- 8 oz skinless, boneless chicken breast, cut into thin short strips
- Kosher salt, to taste
- 2 tsp grapeseed or canola oil, divided
- 3/4 cup sliced bok choy
- 1/2 cup sliced mushrooms (such as shiitake)
- 1/2 cup shredded carrots
- 3 scallions, sliced into 1-inch pieces on the diagonal
- 1/2 tbsp grated fresh ginger
- 2 garlic cloves, chopped
- Chicken broth
- Soy sauce
- Oyster sauce
- Rice wine
- 2 tablespoons of water
- Cornstarch
Nutritional Values
Calories: 594 kcal | Protein: 60 g | Carbohydrates: 56 g | Fat: 16 g | Cholesterol: 166 mg | Sodium: 1374 mg | Fiber: 10 g | Sugar: 20 g
FAQ
- What are zoodles and how are they made?
- Zoodles are noodles made from zucchini. You can create them using a vegetable spiralizer or a mandolin with a julienne blade. The spiralizer is generally safer and more convenient.
- Can I make this recipe vegetarian?
- Yes, you can easily make this dish vegetarian by substituting tofu for the chicken.
- How does cooking the zucchini affect the sauce?
- Zucchini releases water as it cooks, which helps to naturally thin out the sauce. The sauce is initially made thicker so that when the zucchini releases its liquid, the consistency is just right.
- What is the cooking time for this dish?
- This dish takes about 30 minutes from start to finish, with 10 minutes for preparation and 20 minutes for cooking.
- Are there any alternative cooking oils I can use?
- Yes, you can use grapeseed or canola oil, as suggested in the recipe, but other oils with a high smoke point, like vegetable or sunflower oil, can also be used.
- What is the nutritional information for a serving of this dish?
- Each serving contains approximately 297 calories, 30 grams of protein, 28 grams of carbohydrates, and 8 grams of fat.
Tips
- Use a spiralizer to make zucchini noodles for a safer and easier experience than using a mandolin. This tool will help you create long, spaghetti-like strands effortlessly.
- Leave your sauce slightly thicker than usual. The water released by the zucchini during cooking will naturally thin the sauce, creating the perfect consistency.
- When cooking zucchini noodles, limit the cooking time to no more than 2 minutes. This ensures the noodles remain tender and don’t become too watery.
- For a vegetarian version, consider replacing the chicken with tofu. It pairs well with the savory sauce and maintains the dish’s protein content.
Equipment
- Vegetable Spiralizer – To create zucchini noodles (zoodles).
- Mandolin with Julienne Blade – As an alternative to the spiralizer for making zoodles.
- Large Nonstick Wok – For cooking the chicken and vegetables.
