Chicken Mei Fun
Updated August 18, 2024
Christopher Testani for The New York Times. Food Stylist: Simon Andrews.
- Total Time
- 45 minutes
- Prep Time
- 15 minutes
- Cook Time
- 30 minutes
- Rating
- Comments
- Read comments
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Ingredients
8 ounces boneless, skinless chicken breast, thinly sliced
¼ cup plus 1 tablespoon low-sodium soy sauce
¼ cup canola or vegetable oil
1 tablespoon cornstarch
¾ teaspoon five-spice powder
½ teaspoon ground white pepper
8 ounces dried rice vermicelli noodles
1 ½ cups chicken broth or water
1 tablespoon toasted sesame oil
2 large eggs, beaten
1 (1-inch) piece ginger, peeled and minced
3 cups thinly sliced cabbage, preferably napa (5 or 6 medium leaves)
1 medium carrot, peeled and thinly sliced into matchsticks
1 medium red bell pepper, thinly sliced into matchsticks
2 medium scallions, sliced into 1-inch pieces
Nutritional analysis per serving (4 servings)
59 grams carbs; 137 milligrams cholesterol; 544 calories; 13 grams monosaturated fat; 5 grams polyunsaturated fat; 3 grams saturated fat; 23 grams fat; 3 grams fiber; 1030 milligrams sodium; 24 grams protein; 5 grams sugar
Note: The information shown is Edamam’s estimate based on available ingredients and preparation. It should not be considered a substitute for a professional nutritionist’s advice.
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Preparation
- Step 1
In a medium bowl, combine chicken, 1 tablespoon soy sauce, 1 tablespoon canola oil, 1 tablespoon water, cornstarch, ¼ teaspoon five-spice powder and ¼ teaspoon white pepper. Toss until everything is fully coated. Marinate at room temperature for 10 minutes.
- Step 2
Meanwhile, hydrate the vermicelli noodles according to package directions. Transfer to a colander to drain, and rinse with cold water, shaking off excess.
- Step 3
In a small bowl, whisk the remaining ¼ cup soy sauce, remaining ½ teaspoon five-spice powder, remaining ¼ teaspoon white pepper, chicken broth and sesame oil.
- Step 4
Heat 1 tablespoon of the canola oil in a wok or large nonstick skillet over medium-high. Once oil starts to shimmer, add the beaten eggs. Once the sides bubble up slightly, about 30 seconds, flip and cook the other side; the omelet should be just set.
- Step 5
Using a rubber spatula, roughly break up the omelet into large pieces, then transfer to a bowl.
- Step 6
To the wok, add 1 tablespoon of the canola oil, and once it shimmers, add the marinated chicken in an even layer. Do not touch the meat until the edges start to become slightly golden brown, about 1 minute. Using a wooden spoon or spatula, flip the chicken slices over and cook until the other side is golden brown. (It will not be fully cooked.) The chicken should not stick to the pan; if it does, leave it alone for 30 seconds to 1 minute more. Transfer the chicken to a medium bowl, leaving as much oil in the wok as possible.
- Step 7
Add the remaining 1 tablespoon of canola oil to the wok. Once shimmering, add the ginger, cabbage and carrot. Cook until cabbage begins to wilt, about 1 minute. Whisk the sauce one last time before adding it to the wok, then cook until it is reduced by half, about 4 minutes. Stir in the bell pepper and scallions, and return the chicken and any accumulated juices to the wok. Let simmer until the chicken is fully cooked, about 2 minutes. Return the vermicelli noodles and egg to the wok, and toss until everything is combined. Serve immediately.
Private Notes
Comments
I often make a stir fry or fried rice with leftover meats and the fresh vegetables mentioned but if I were making this replica of stir fry would add fish sauce, oyster sauce, and chili garlic sauce to the soy sauce. We often use noodles to go with a stir fry.
Penzey’s Chinese 5-spice powder contains the following in order of volume. All ingredients are ground into powder form. China Cassia cinnamon Star anise Anise seed Ginger Cloves
Too bland. Next time I’d add some oyster sauce and chile sauce.
I made this after reading some of the comments about it being bland, so I added garlic and minced dried red pepper. It was still really bland and worst of all, it was watery and mushy. It looked nothing like the photo. Stir fried veggies boiling in all that chicken stock is a bad idea. The stock should be reduced separately, at a minimum. I'm going to make Mei Fun again but not with this recipe. Other recipes call for shallots, Shaoxing wine, garlic, chili peppers, oyster sauce, etc.
This is great. We used coleslaw mix for the cabbage, and it was perfect.
Blandish, increased the recipe but took waaaay longer than 30 mins. to cook. Would add chiles etc.