Chow mein noodles substitutes

The same thin alkaline egg noodle, sold either steamed and ready to fry or as dried nests.

Best for

pan-fried chow mein, crispy noodle cake, stir-fried noodles

A direct swap, since chow mein and lo mein are usually the same noodle sold for two different methods. If you buy the lo mein version, boil it for only 90 seconds, rinse it cold and dry it thoroughly before frying, otherwise it steams in the pan instead of browning. Fresh steamed pan-fry noodles need no boiling at all, just a rinse to separate them.

Alkaline wheat noodles, already steamed and dried, which is very close to what a chow mein noodle is.

Best for

chow mein stir-fry, crispy pan-fried noodle cake, crunchy casserole topping when crushed dry

The most useful substitute in an ordinary supermarket, and it covers both jobs. Boil two minutes, drain, dry on a towel, then press into a hot oiled pan and leave it alone for three to four minutes to form a cake. Uncooked and crushed, the same brick makes a decent stand-in for canned crunchy noodles, though it is thinner and shatters into smaller shards. Bin the seasoning powder.

Alkaline cooking water gives ordinary pasta some of the yellow colour, slipperiness and spring of real chow mein noodles.

Best for

chow mein, crispy noodle cake, noodle stir-fries

Do not salt the water, use a big pot because the soda foams, and cook two minutes shy. Then, and this matters more than for lo mein, dry the pasta properly and toss it with a teaspoon of cornstarch before frying; the starch coating is what gives you a crisp shell rather than pasta that just browns in spots. It still tastes of durum wheat and it will never get quite as lacy and crisp as the real thing.

Pre-steamed Japanese alkaline noodles from the refrigerated aisle, essentially the Japanese version of the same product.

Best for

chow mein, stir-fried noodles, fast weeknight noodles

One of the closest swaps, and no boiling needed: rinse under hot water for 30 seconds to loosen them, drain hard, then fry. They are a shade softer than Chinese pan-fry noodles so they crisp less aggressively, giving you browned-and-chewy rather than genuinely crunchy strands. Fine for a home dinner, less good if you specifically want a crisp noodle nest.

Wonton wrappers cut into quarter-inch ribbons and fried at 350F for about 60 seconds until pale gold.

Best for

tuna or chicken casserole topping, Chinese chicken salad, soup garnish

This is the closest match to the canned product, because it is the same idea: thin wheat noodle dough deep-fried until brittle. They are flatter and more delicate, so they lose crunch faster once they hit a wet casserole; scatter them on for the last five minutes of baking rather than at the start. Salt them lightly while still hot.

Not noodles at all, but the right job: a dry, salty crunch scattered over something soft.

Best for

casserole toppings, salad crunch, green bean casserole crossover

Be clear about what changes. Canned crunchy noodles are almost flavourless, so they add texture and nothing else. Fried onions bring a distinct sweet, oniony taste that takes over a tuna casserole. Toasted slivered almonds add nuttiness and a harder, denser crunch, and they are the traditional choice on a Chinese chicken salad anyway. Crushed rice crackers or plain chow mein-style crisps sit closest to neutral.