Chow Mein Noodles substitute

Substitutes for Chow Mein Noodles with ratios

1. 2Plain instant ramen bricks

   Close match

   Use 1 brick (about 85g) for every person, sachet discarded

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

   What changes

   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.

2. 3Thin spaghetti or spaghettini boiled with baking soda

   Taste and texture differ

   Use the same amount by dry weight, plus 1 teaspoon baking soda per 2 litres of water

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

   What changes

   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.

3. 4Yakisoba noodles

   Close match

   Use the same amount by weight

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

   What changes

   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.

4. 5Fried wonton strips (for the crunchy canned kind)

   Close match

   Use 1 cup fried strips for every 1 cup canned chow mein noodles

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

   What changes

   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.

5. 6French fried onions, toasted almonds or crushed rice crackers (for the crunchy kind)

   Different taste

   Use the same amount by volume

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

   What changes

   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.