Keto Chow Mein Bowls with Chicken & Egg

If you didn’t know by now, I like BIG flavours. My most common complaint when eating at a restaurant is that the food is bland, but I’m starting to realise that maybe it’s also due to my preference for powerful, strong flavours. They still have to be balanced, don’t get me wrong, but I want a strong flavour in just about any cuisine. After trying many different Keto Chow Mein recipes, they were all a bit so-so. This lead to my creation of this Keto Chow Mein Bowl!

While Chow Mein is traditionally served with noodles and a sweet sauce, to make this a keto chow mein I’ve subbed in some sautéed cabbage sliced thinly like noodles instead. Use your imagination a bit and everything is ok. I don’t think my husband was fussed and he loves noodles and pasta.

For extra protein and fat I’ve amped up the sesame oil and sesame seeds, added a boiled egg and used plenty of vegetables to get some more nutrients in!

You can serve my Keto Chow Mein with fresh red chilli sprinkled on top for even more fire power. You could also use any other meat you felt like – chicken thigh and breast would work very well, but why not try pork mince, or sliced beef?

If you like Asian inspired recipes that you can whip together in 30 minutes, you could also try my Keto Fried Rice or my Keto Pad Thai.

A Note on Xantham Gum

This recipe calls for 1 teaspoon of xantham gum. This is a powdered thickener that is 0 net carbs, unlike pretty much every other thickener so is perfect for the keto diet and for thickening the sauce in my Keto Chow Mein. I’ll use it to make pan juice gravy after a roast, or to thicken sauces like this.

I buy mine through amazon, here: Xantham Gum. While it’s relatively expensive per gram, you use such a small amount that it goes a long way so you can buy a small quantity and use it for a long time.

If you don’t have it and don’t want to buy it, you could try Tapioca Starch (22grams carbs per 100grams).

To stop the Xantham Gum from clumping, be sure to follow the keto chow mein sauce directions. If it still clumps (brand dependant), strain out the clumps and move on, your sauce will be a little watery!

**A note on the nutrition panel: The nutrition panel creator I use did not have an option for sugar free soy and oyster sauces, so you could get this lower in carbs if you have those. **

Keto Chicken Chow Mein Bowls

Yield: 4

Prep Time: 10 minutes

Cook Time: 20 minutes

Total Time: 30 minutes

This spicy, sweet and salty Chinese inspired dish is perfect when you are craving vegetables, but are tired of your usual stir fry! Substituting sauteed cabbage for noodles creates a Keto and LCHF tasty dinner. 

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Ingredients

• 2 tablespoon olive oil
• 1 tablespoon garlic paste
• 1/2 teaspoon ginger paste
• 1/2 brown onion, finely diced
• 500 grams chicken mince
• 1 carrot, cut into matchsticks
• 125 grams bean sprouts
• 1/2 cabbage, sliced thinly into 'noodles'

Sauce

• 1 teaspoon xantham gum
• 4 tablespoons soy sauce
• 2 teaspoons xylitol
• 1.5 tablespoons oyster sauce
• 1.5 tablespoons red wine vinegar, or Chinese cooking wine
• 1.5 teaspoons sesame oil
• 1/4 cup chicken stock
• 1/2 teaspoon pepper

To Serve

• 4 spring onions, sliced diagonally
• 2 tablespoons sesame seeds
• 4 boiled eggs, cut in half
• 1 red chilli, sliced

Instructions

1. Boil eggs and remove shells. Cut all vegetables as above and prepare everything in advance as this dish comes together quickly. 

Sauce

1. In a small bowl or glass jar, place the xantham gum and xylitol. Mix until combined evenly - this is important to prevent the xantham gum from clumping. 
2. Add in 1 teaspoon of cold water and mix to make a paste. Continue mixing until it is a uniform mixture (not worrying if the sugar isn't completely dissolved). 
3. Next add the remaining sauce ingredients and whisk thoroughly to combine. The sauce will thicken further upon cooking. 
4. In a large frying pan or wok, add one tablespoon of olive oil, garlic and ginger and diced onion. Saute over medium-high heat for 1 - 2 minutes until the onion is starting to brown.
5. Add the chicken mince and break it up with a wooden spoon while continuing to cook for 7 - 8 minutes. 
6. Add the carrot and cook for a further 2 minutes. 
7. Finally, add the bean sprouts and half the prepared sauce. Turn heat up to high and stir constantly while the sauce thickens to your liking. Set the cooked mince aside. 
8. In the same frying pan, add an additional 1 tablespoon olive oil and sliced cabbage over medium-high heat and saute for 3 - 4 minutes. Add the remaining prepared sauce and continue cooking until texture is to your liking. 
9. Serve cabbage noodles with boiled egg and chicken chow mein, sprinkled with sesame seeds, sliced spring onion and chilli. 

Nutrition Information:

Yield: 4 Serving Size: 1 grams
Amount Per Serving: Calories: 430Total Fat: 26gSaturated Fat: 6gUnsaturated Fat: 0gCholesterol: 294mgSodium: 1379mgCarbohydrates: 16gFiber: 4gSugar: 7gProtein: 34g